Posted by admin on
September 11, 2008
I am at DIA getting ready to board a flight for Sacramento, and thinking about how dramatic the changes in airport passenger foot traffic are. When I walked off the tram there was no one in the concourse. I figured it would just be people reluctant to travel on sept 11, but now the concourse is packed..
Ok, well I thought it was interesting.
I have a ton of points, and haven’t taken a personal air trip in a while, except for a weekend in Cali, recently, so I used some points to upgrade to business class- this helps me get to the gate faster, because you get to go through a faster line for security. Anything that makes the trip to my seat faster is better.
I am also typing this out on my newish iPhone. I am still not sold on it though. I still love my old, reliable blackberry 8830. It does so many things so well that the iphone thinks it does well but really it does not.
Posted by admin on
August 25, 2008
Ironman Canada is in the books.
The Swim…
I nailed the swim. 1:40, which is 10 minutes faster than the 1:50 I was expecting. I’m pleased with that, for not having trained for the swim.
The bike…
The bike was another story. The two major hills were non-events. They were slow, steady grinds. What *WAS* an event were the rollers, and the wind… The wind was brutal. The bike took me about two hours longer than I expected it to. The big story was my gut.
One of the problems with ultra endurance athletics is processing food. You have to eat in order to go for 18 hours straight, and when your stomach shuts down for one reason or another you CAN’T go for 18 hours straight. Thus, we have a problem that wouldn’t be solved till the mid point on the run.
The second problem was hydration. Mid way through the bike I realized that the water bottle of water, with endurance tabs taken as well, wasn’t enough fluids. I went to the bathroom and my urine was dark yellow. A very, very bad sign. There is a saying at Ironman: “If you get dehydrated on the bike you will NOT be able to make up for that, hydrating on the run”. So I started to consume twice as many salt tabs, and twice as much fluids. I think by the end I was up to tripple the salt tabs, but once in the run my urine was clear, and that means I was fully hydrated. I had avoided a potentially very dangerous, and certainly race ending, condition.
The run…
Wow. Just… Wow. The only thing that we didn’t have on the run was snow. Well, we didn’t have any serious wind, either. The wind dies down here at night. It was a long, rainy, grind. The run is a one loop out-and-back, which psychologically works for me. The way out my Garmin 305 was working ok, even though it was filling with water from the rain, but at about the 9 mile mark it simply said “Low batteries” and quit. This was a huge blow to my race psychology.
There are two things I use the Garmin for. The first is tracking the distance. Even the distance between mile markers has me guessing, and the Garmin eases this anxiety. I also have it programmed so it beeps in a 4min:1min pattern, so I run for four minutes and walk for one. This allows me to run faster (and farther) on the 4, and allows my heart rate to recover during the walk. So now I didn’t have either of these tools. It’s raining, getting dark, and my feet have huge blisters on the bottom. Kind of demoralizing.
I got to the turnaround, 13.1 miles, got my “half way through the run” bag of supplies, and really dumped everything. I just didn’t feel like eating. Not to get too detailed, but my intestines didn’t start working again, after processing nothing on the bike, until just about the time my GPS shut down. But they DID start working again, and I did feel a lot better, but much more importantly, I was very hydrated through the entire run. Chicken soup (yes, they serve chicken soup in small cups), water, gatoraid… I got my Ironman hydration down. Now I just have to work on solid food!
The second half the run was a long walk punctuated by fartlich running. The bulk of it was done in near total darkness. I could see runners ahead of me because of their light sticks, and I never looked behind me. Actually, the light sticks were kind of funny- At one point an official truck pulls up beside the group of runners (walkers) I was with, and says “Ok, everyone gets one!” and started handing out these light tubes- They are light sticks but long and thin so you can bend them in a circle. The guy in the truck bend all of them into a circle, connected at the ends, and hands each of us a circle of light. I went to pull my “circle” over my head around my neck, but it wouldn’t fit, but it did sit nicely on my head! I thought “Hey, I’ve got a halo! This means I’m good, right!? And I look cool and different with my new, fancy, halo!” Then I realized everyone else had done the same thing, and that I only looked like everyone else- Ragged, sloppy, wet, and dorky.
“I’ll run to that light pole.” I said. I started running to one light pole, then walking to the next. This is called “fartlich” (I think that’s how it’s spelled) and it’s actually a pretty good technique for getting to the line. I was doing pretty good, feeling ok, and generally getting happy with myself and my pace when the guy in the truck showed up again (I had dropped the walkers I was with).
“Hey buddy, how ya feelin, eh?”
“Fine.” I replied.
“Ok, well, uh, so, you need to pick it up a little.”
“What? I should have plenty of time, and I’m going at a good pace…”
“Well, yea, you should make it with a few minutes to spare, but you can’t slow down, eh? You’ll make it, but don’t slow down. You’ve got seven miles to go and two hours. If you keep this pace you’ll make it, but if you slow down you are going to be in trouble.”
“I won’t slow down.”
“Excellent, eh!” (Did I mention everyone here is Canadain?)
At the finish, one of my oldest friends, Trenton Slade, crossed the line with me. We haven’t talked in maybe twenty years, after going to high school together, but I now remember how much our friendship meant, and he was amazing, waiting up until midnight with me in the pouring rain. A true friend.
Ironman Canada is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Harder than Death Ride, in California. But I finished, I snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, and I have to tell you I’m going to frame this finisher’s medal…
Posted by admin on
August 23, 2008
I’m here at Ironman Canada, getting ready to jump off, tomorrow at 7:00am. I have to admit, I’d like to have actually spent time blogging this experience, but I really don’t have internet connectivity here. I have to go to a cafe.
Ironman week, the week before the race, is frantic- I have had very little free time. In fact I still haven’t driven the bike course. That’s a really bad thing, actually, although once I leave here I am going to go shopping for dinner, drive the course (2 hours or so) and then it will be fresh in my mind tomorrow. Still a little frantic for my tastes, but one does what one has to…
All in all I think I’m ready. I have a fair bit of training, and while I’m not competing with the woman I just spoke to in a cafe, boasting of looking for an 11 hour time, I feel fairly comfortable that I’ll both make the cutoffs and finish.
I did a 50 minute half Ironman swim two weeks ago, I’m well rested, and I’ve just had a nice massage, so I think all in all I’m good to go for the swim. The bike is going to be brutal, and the run I will just have to grind through…
After the race I’ll try to write out a decent post on the experience.
Posted by admin on
July 24, 2008
Well, here I am trying to blog on an iPhone. To be honest I am impressed with the device but not the input method. Typing on my blackberry is much faster and much less frustrating.
Well, if I hate it in 14 days it’s going back.
Posted by admin on
July 3, 2008
Ok, so I haven’t been swimming much.
Well, I haven’t been swimming at all.
That changed, however, yesterday when I managed to get my rather ample ass down to Chatfield State Park for the Wednesday open water session in the “gravel pond”:
I always go to the 900m mark.
Yesterday I basically swam hard out to 900 meters, then came back, hard, with no rest. I’m pretty happy with the effort, I’m more than happy with how I felt in the water, and that’s a good sign that Ironman Canada won’t quite be the disaster I am thinking it might, especially with my altitude adaptation. But the 1800 meter lap I did yesterday is just a portion of the 3800m swim I’ll have to do for the race. The good news is that now I know for sure that it basically takes two laps out to 900meters to come close to the race swim.
Generally I swim to survive at races- I never really have any fear of NOT surviving, I’ve got a ton of experience in the water, and I’m a very strong swimmer, but I’m slow. One thing I’ve noticed, having not swum for a long time, is that I am much more aware of what’s going on with my body orientation, and how much water I’m actually letting slip under my arms. I think I needed a break from swimming in order to really get a better feel for the water. Between now and Canada I need to spend some serious time in the water getting my body orientation in the water the way I want it, and building my stroke back up.
What I really want is an endless pool, but there is absolutely nowhere to put one on my property. I’ve looked. I’ve racked my brain on where to put one of these babies but I just can’t find a location. Maybe in my back porch, if I expanded it out, but I don’t think I could get that past planning. Truth is my place is just too small. For now I’m actually going to have to leave my house and go to a pool to swim.
Posted by admin on
June 9, 2008
Ok, so originally when I put up my list of items that I need to get through this year #1 was to get the garage under control. Finally this was a project that had to get some traction. I was thoroughly disgusted by how my garage looked, and I needed to get my truck off the street.
Over the winter I had major problems with mice. I let them live in the garage failing to understand just how filthy they are. Once I did, however, I managed to get rid of them reasonably quickly, however they still left an insane mess. I had to clean everything in the garage, and throw a ton of stuff out.
Well, I managed to actually get the garage done. It took a monumental effort over several weeks, and I still have other work to do, organizing tools, getting a grip on my inventory of parts and stuff, but to be honest the heavy lifting is done. The rest- moving stuff around and making things more utilitarian is something I will do on a project-by-project basis.
For example- Another project I had to do, as part of the “trim” project, was to create something that would fill in a huge gap at the top of my gas fireplace downstairs. I worked on that (and in fact finished it) yesterday, and in the process organized a fair number of tools and parts in the garage. As I need particular items for a project I reorganize and get a grip on those particular items. Things take a little longer, but the “little chunks” method seems to be working quite well.
The fireplace “frame” was a huge issue for me- it has been on my mind for years, but I knew I would really have one shot to get it right. I knew I needed to avoid using wood, which meant all of the supplies I used had to be cement and/or metal.
What I ended up with was a piece of aluminium corner framing, about three inches on a side, bolted to the underside of the top of the brick fireplace. Bolted to the facing of that is a piece of cement board, cut to fit. Then I have three pieces of the same slate tile (gauged) that have been attached to the cement board using thinset. These three pieces of slate tile are above the original black frame of my fireplace. The finished result looks great. I’ll post a photo as soon as I get the area cleaned up.
The only thing I did that I didn’t like was use pop-rivets to attach the aluminium bracket to the underside of the top of the fireplace. The underside is actually sitting on a 1/4 inch piece of iron plate, and drilling through that was a total drag. If I had done this before the mantle had been built (I had it done custom) then I would have used screws, and set them through the iron plate. But I didn’t, so I had to find another way of attaching the bracket. The pop rivets are fine, but if I ever have to get the bracket off it’s going to be a total pain in the ass. Well, to be honest, this is nothing that a crowbar won’t fix.
Posted by admin on
May 27, 2008
Ok, so I’ll admit it- There are few things that are so frustrating that I can bring myself to say “That’s it, I’m done”. I mean, nobody likes to quit, especially on something like “dating” because the rewards of being in a positive, committed relationship (with someone you really care for) are really tremendous. But at a certain point in time, when something has become so frustrating and so time consuming, you just have to cut bait.
Truth is that dating for me just shouldn’t be this hard. On paper I’m every woman’s wet dream- Reasonably successful, reasonably charming, reasonably intelligent, reasonably confident, reasonably handsome, reasonably active, etc. It turns out, however, that whatever my actual ratio of all of those things is it is not quite the right fit with the women I’ve been dating. Now that’s ok. I don’t have a problem with not being the right fit because no one has been the right fit with me either. At the same time there is a limit to how much time I have to actually try and figure this crap out.
It’s not how much dating costs that bugs me. Nor is it the failure of having it not work. What bugs the crap out of me is the amount of time it takes. I’ve just got too much to do. So I’ve just decided that I am going to stop dating. Maybe not dating entirely, but I am certainly canning internet dating.
I’ve deleted my jDate profile and canceled my membership. Writing all these emails, then replying to emails I get back, then all the other junk that comes with the “carpet bombing” mentality that goes with online dating are taking time away from things that I really need to get done, like putting new light fixtures in my closets, or maybe… [gasp] updating this damn blog.
I’m going back to meeting women the old fashioned way: Randomly.
Posted by admin on
May 15, 2008
I have decided that my goal for my 40′th year is to be able to do the following on my 41’st birthday:
1. Walk into the garage and find anything I need, or any tool, within 3 minutes. Also walk into my garage and not feel like I walked into a war zone. (For the record, I have a 2 car garage that fits my quad cab long bed one ton truck- It’s huge, and thus it’s a disaster area)
2. Walk into my office and it will be completely organized.
3. Walk into my house house and breathe easily because it is completely uncluttered. After being in Barbie’s place I realized just how completely full of crap my house is. Hers is the picture of zen simplicity. Mine is the picture of “junk stuffed into every corner”.
4. I will walk through my house and see that all the final trim work is done from my renovation
5. The upstairs bathroom sink will no longer trip when I run the hot water.
6. I will think back on having completed Ironman Canada in 15:59:59 hours.
7. I will think back on having completed Ironman Arizona in 13:59:59 hours.
8. I will reflect on having established 2 new, good friendships with men.
9. I’ll look over some chick sitting on the couch that can put up with me, that doesn’t make me want to shoot myself, or her, too often.
10. I will know that I made it to 41 without doing something so stupid it costs me my leg or my life (I kinda do dumb shit sometimes).
Posted by admin on
May 8, 2008
So everyone warned me it would be tedious, the exercise of getting out of Israel. They warned me that there would be hundreds of questions, and that it can take up to three hours. So I really did brace myself for the worst.
“Are you Jewish” I was told would be the first question.
“Did you pack your bags yourself…” And so on. I have kinda been through it- I flew ELAL last time I flew into Israel. This time I decided I would stick with Lufthansa. I don’t have anything against ELAL itself, I just wonder how good their business class product can really be, considering my experience on it last time, and United doesn’t code share with them. Lufthansa’s business class product rocks (I am looking forward to finishing I Am Legend before going to sleep tonight- Bad dreams await!) so I’ll stick with what I know is good. Thank you work for sending me business class.
So I got to the airport four hours early. After a brief, yet polite argument with the chick at the AVIS counter (and a 10% discount later) I am off to navigate Ben Gurion International Airport. The anticipation is almost palpable- I am ready for them. Not because I know all the answers, but because my work has a contract with a “security broker” of some sort that pre-clears dumbasses with big mouths like me. All I have to do, says Maly, the office manager at our Tel Aviv office, is wave this piece of paper and everyone will piss off and let me get to the relative safety of a beer and the business class lounge. So I am “special”.
(Side note- To all you jacknuts trying out all the ring tones on your new phone in the business class lounge, SHUT IT. No one wants to hear them.)
So I walk up to the ticket counter, parade my special ass down the business class isle, and present my passport. A very polite young man admires my photograph, and holds it up in front of me to look back and forth- I expect this is to check several features to make sure they are the same. I await his first question, about what I was doing here, am I Jewish, who was my grandfather with baited breath.
“Did you enjoy your stay in Israel?”
I’m TOTALLY unprepared for this question.
Being a “guest worker” in the United States I think every question that a customs/sercurity officer asks you is a trick. “Did I enjoy my stay?” WTF is that!? What does he mean? I’m going to tell him “no”?!? I mean TOTALLY WTF, OVER?
I open my mouth, squeak, and say in a very soft voice “Yes, very much so.” and wait for the shoe to drop, because I really had no clue what he was really asking.
“How do you pronounce your last name.” Holy crap this guy is good. I have no idea what the “right” answer is to this question.
“Air-Hard” I say. At least that’s how I pronounce it. My family all has their own way of enunciating it, although I refrain from telling Israeli customs that. The problem is that this is yet another question that goes nowhere. Now I’m nervous AND confused.
“What is the origin of this name?” I am completely out of my realm. I have no idea where he’s going.
“Swiss. It was originally Eberhard, when my gran…”
“What was the reason for your stay in Israel?” Crap. He’s testy now. Not even my magic paper is gonna save me, and I can’t even seem to steer the conversation to it’s presence.
“Business.” I reply.
“What were you doing here?”
I tell him.
“How long have you been in Israel?” he asks, “Where is your ticket?” These questions are said more like statements, like he has to get through it before he sends me to the “little room” which I think of as the Israeli equivalent of the US INS holding pen for people who’s documentation isn’t cookie cutter. I show him my itinerary, since I don’t have my tickets yet.
“This is good enough.” he says while studying my entrance and exit dates on my itinerary. “How long have you been in Israel?”
Here’s where I really pooch it: I have forgotten how long I’ve been in Israel. I have been here for weeks, and I’ve had to stammer “… Uh… I… Uh… Close to three wee…”
“Do you have a paper from the security company?” FINALLY!!! SWEET RELEASE SHAL BE MINE!
My magic paper is out faster than you can say “cavity search”.
“Yes sir!” I yell.
“I will be back in one moment. I will check this.” And he wanders off with my passport, itinerary, and magic paper in hand.
I stand there looking like a dolt. Kicking the ground with the stub of my toe, trying to figure out what to do with my hands (I know what to do with them, the thumb/pointer finger thing, That’s kinda my point) and basically looking like a moron because I just allowed someone to walk off with my passport. Even if they *ARE* Israeli security personnel I should have at least baulked at the idea.
“Have a nice flight, sir, thank you for visiting Israel.”
Holy crap, that piece of paper really *IS* magic.
Off to airport security and the metal detector. I hand my passport, ticket, and MAGIC PAPER to the next “gatekeeper”.
She hands the magic paper back without looking at it. I feel like some bully I didn’t want to invite to my birthday in the first place has just stuck a fork in my birthday balloon. How dare she disregard the magic paper!
“Please proceed sir.”
I hand my papers to the next gatekeeper, the person manning the ex-ray.
He hands the paper back to me too. He’s far more interested in my ticket. So disappointing.
“Do you have a laptop computer…?”
Since I have acquired a buckle-less belt (Yea, I travel THAT much, and I have made sure to have nothing in my pockets either) I sail through security.
Off to passport control. Yes, there is yet another checkpoint to LEAVE Israel.
I lay out my passport, opened to the right page, my airline ticket, and my magic paper all in a row.
The Immigration officer regards all of these as though he is trying to decide if he’s having Falafel or Hummus. He picks Hummus and “Schnitzel”. He raises his hand, with a loud THUMP of his hand on the counter in front of me he accepts my offerings of passport and Airline ticket. He drags my passport and ticket towards him, and with the other hand he flicks my magic paper back at me as though to say “Your pre-clearance Jedi mind tricks will not work on me, Air-Hard, if that *IS* your real name…”
Eyes flick back and forth between my passport and my visage, and a great “THERCHUNK” of his official stamp later my passport and airline ticket are stamped.
“Enjoy your flight Meester Airgart.”
Posted by admin on
May 6, 2008
In fact I’ve been horrible about updating on this trip. But I have an excuse! Well, a lame one- I’ve been incredibly busy. Firstly the work aspect of this trip (The reason I actually go on these jobs) is the most important. That’s pretty simple for starters.
Secondly I need to sleep, and I need to eat. Work often impinges on this priority.
Thirdly I need to actually spend time experiencing the local cultures of the places I go. I need to focus more on that, and I made a point of making sure I would get time to myself this trip.
Fourthly… Well… Yea, I’ve been really damn busy. These posts often take hours to write. If I’m not bored out of my tree at the hotel, where I often write them, then I’m doing one of the above. What I need to do is peck away at them a little bit at a time during lulls in my day where I become so exhausted that I can’t look at OSX Terminal anymore.
All of this aside they take a long time to write, and I really haven’t had the time to do my writing justice on this trip.
I’ve written another post I’ll put up after I get home. Right now I’m just waiting for my flight to board.
