Should Have Checked My Clock

This is a bit delayed, but I feel I need to tell this story.

I was planning a bike ride with The Firefighter on the morning of July 26th. I went to bed the night before already having prepped for the next day's ride. I had pumped up the bike tires, made my Gatorade, filled up water bottles, charged my watch, and I had gone to bed around 10:30 with my alarm set for 4:00 a.m.

My alarm sounded, buzzing at an insane volume, and I was up. I was not fully awake yet (which is about to be painfully obvious), but I was up and out of bed. I put in my contacts, brushed my teeth, and made my way downstairs in my bike gear. I ate my breakfast, drank a cup of coffee, and took my vitamins while sitting in front of my computer. This entire time, the sun should have been starting to rise, and the pitch-black sky should have been transitioning towards a light gray color. It was early though and the coffee wasn't working yet, and I didn't really know when the sun was supposed to come up, so I just thought I'd have longer then expected to get ready. I got a call from mother nature, answered it, and read a nice article in Forbes Magazine about the current state of Detroit. The sun still wasn't coming up...odd, though it was still too early to really care. I decided to watch some television, so I turned on NFL Network to hear more about the upcoming free agency. Ten minutes later, it was pretty boring, and I decided to check the channel guide on Direct TV to find something else. About that time, something really odd happened. If it was five in the morning, then why is the guide on television showing shows from one in the morning? After a little more investigating, I realized: Oh wait, that's because it is 1:15 a.m.

This is the part of the morning where I checked my phone, and no, the alarm hadn't gone off yet. I went upstairs and told my wife, who groggily said that she wondered what I was doing down there. I didn't have a good answer, and I was then met with laughter from my wife over how ridiculous I looked standing in my bike gear in the middle of the night having just drank a cup of caffeine and eaten a bowl of cereal. I tried to get some sleep before the real ride, but I couldn't sleep well. I called The Firefighter at 4:00 a.m. to call off my part in this ride, knowing that a few hours of sleep would mean a rough day. I also just wrote about getting enough rest just a few weeks ago. I still got up with my wife at 6:45 a.m. for breakfast, and she asked if I was hungry to eat...to which I answered, "No, I already ate this morning," even though it was around midnight. The only positive lesson I can pass on from this experience is: you might actually want to look at your clock when the alarm goes off. You don't have to be awake, but you do have to make sure it is actually time to get out of bed.

It's My Birthday and I'm Gonna Workout Like It's My Birthday!

I awoke this morning to my alarm buzzing at 4:00 a.m., and realized that I am now 29 years young. And what better way to start this new year of my life then to go for a 52-mile bike ride? I threw on my Louis Garneau tri shorts, put in my contacts, and brushed my teeth. While still mostly asleep, my beautiful bride Hilary serenaded me with a charming rendition of "Happy Birthday" and then to make the morning even more entertaining, she went into the Applebee's version as well. I finished getting ready and headed downstairs to grab a bite and pay some bills on the computer before the ride. Here is where I was met with: a wonderful Jib Jab of me break dancing sent from my Grandma-in-Law.

The sun came out later today then on previous rides, with sunrise at 5:33 a.m. I couldn't leave at the scheduled 5:00 a.m. to go meet The Firefighter, but by 5:07 it was close enough that I figured any traffic could see me safely. I was wearing my birthday presents (that I received a little early): CEP compression sleeves and a Garmin 310 XT Forerunner mounted on it's quick release kit and combined with Garmin Bike Sensor.  The morning was hot, and it was 92 degrees before the sun had even come up. The Firefighter and I made small talk as we rode a continual climb for the first half and even enjoyed a little cloud-cover when the sun first came up. I got a little frustrated when my Garmin had issues with satellite coverage and was not able to hold a consistent signal or read a consistent speed, but I'll deal with that later. This is my birthday, and I wasn't going to let a little malfunction ruin my mood. This particular ride was intended to accompany The Firefighter on his way to work. We hit speeds reaching as high as 36 mph (a personal best for this ride for us) and then we went our separate ways, him at work and me approximately forty more minutes away from my house. A ride that was difficult two months ago was truly more casual today, and even finishing with heat close to 100 degrees, it was one of the faster rides I've ever done.

I walked into the house to find birthday signs taped to the walls, my computer, the fridge and the doors. My wife and I had a nice birthday breakfast of Wheaties FUEL cereal (I really did eat it even before the sponsorship thing), and I made a recovery drink in my Magic Bullet. So far this year I have tried to raise the bar in my training and my goals, so what better way to start my 29th year on this planet then with a workout? My gifts were mostly in the interest of helping to improve my training and raise the quality of life I have while biking, running, and swimming. I did also receive the Blu-Ray extended edition of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy as a surprise to top things off.

Though the day mostly consisted of lots of food, several desserts, going to see the movie Horrible Bosses, and a private viewing of The Fellowship of the Ring (extended version, of course) at our house, the way the day started is the way I want the year to go. Since I have made training a priority and started setting aside time to accomplish it, I feel better at 29 then I have at any other time in my life. It was a great day from the 4:00 a.m. wake-up all the way through publishing this blog right before getting some shut eye.

Wheaties FUEL

I came home today from a morning of flying from Phoenix to Denver to Las Vegas and back to Phoenix, and I found that I had received a very welcome email.

I had applied through Active Ambassadors to be sponsored by Wheaties FUEL for the 2011 race season. I applied in mid-June and had not heard back, other than an acknowledgement of my application. There are several benefits to this sponsorship, and I am really excited about the prospect of representing Wheaties. The email I received today asked me to fill out a three-page form accepting a commitment to represent Wheaties in one major market endurance race and one "fun run" such as a charity event or a fun walk/run.

I also am committing to try to participate in a group activity weekly wearing team Wheaties apparel.  The apparel is a little bit of a mystery at this time, but the application mentions a tri top, tri shorts, run shorts, run shirt tank and short sleeve, and a cap or visor. I am not sure if those will be the ones I will get, but the expectation is for me to wear the gear during races and training, kind of like a human billboard. Think NASCAR, but with tight spandex clothing. The application also asked if I would prefer a visor or a cap, and it was nice to have a choice. I opted for a visor for training in the hot Arizona sun.

I already eat Wheaties FUEL cereal on a daily basis, and having the chance to represent them is exciting. They will be also giving me 5 shipments of 11-12 cases of cereal. I can eat the cereal during my training this race season and also hand out samples to other athletes during races, or group training sessions. And really, who hasn't looked at a Wheaties box with a famous athlete on it and wished it could be you one day? I may not be on a cereal box, but having Wheaties FUEL as a sponsor will be a step in the right direction as I wear the brand-name gear. I now am going to wait until a group webinar on August 8th for all those chosen to be sponsored by Wheaties. Until then, the sponsorship is that much more motivation to get out there and train for this 2011 race season...and to enjoy some Wheaties FUEL!

Washington DC, Dulles Airport Westin

I am on an overnight for 17.5 hours in Washington, DC. Initially, that

sounds really exciting...until you realize that Dulles Airport, or

airport code KIAD, is 30 miles west of all the sightseeing and

touristy stuff. I am staying at the Dulles Airport Westin. This part
of DC is a little more industrial, and I'm no more then a couple miles

east of the airport. Let me start by saying the room was amazing. For
anyone who has not stayed at a Westin, the beds and showers are
top-notch, and they make recovering from a long day, or long run for

that matter, a wonderful experience. I have never stayed in this part
of DC before, so I made my way down to the concierge to ask if there

are any good running trails or paths in the area I should try out. He
gave me a recommendation that, though fairly repetitive for a 12-mile 

run, was still very enjoyable.

I made my way out the front door by the lobby, started my playlist

with a little old school Metallica, and continued across the street. I

picked up a path that passed by a gazebo that was near a small pond
with flower beds around it. This was a nice highlight to the run, and

the path quickly fed into Sunrise Valley Drive.

I turned left on this road, following it as I had been instructed
until running into my first traffic light. It was a steady uphill run

for the next mile and a quarter. The path began by running by an

industrial area with large buildings for Time Warner and Northrop
Grumman as well as apartment buildings. I hadn't looked at a map

before leaving, so as the sidewalk turned into a gravel path that
paralleled the Highway 267 toll road, I wasn't sure if I had gotten
lost in the first mile, or if I had been given bad advice.

The sidewalk returned quickly and the industrial buildings returned

with it. I found the traffic light earlier mentioned on Centreville

Road. Just prior to this light, the fruits of my uphill labor were
rewarded with a block and half of down hill running.

Following the side walk, I passed a strip mall and an uphill gradient
on my way to the next landmark, a PNC Bank.

I turned right at the PNC Bank and from there it was a downhill
stretch for the next mile and a quarter down Coppermine Road. I passed
what looks like fairly recently-built apartment buildings and reached
a segment where the median has beautiful trees that were in bloom, and
that led me back to my starting point. I crossed back over the Sunrise

Valley Drive and followed a corridor of shade between two office

buildings, right up to within a hundred feet of the Westin. There was
a nice visual as I approached the Westin: I could see a pond adjacent
to the hotel with a 35 foot fountain shooting into the air as I walked
up to the entrance, victorious from the run.

The entire route has well-groomed grass and flowers near the
apartments and industrial buildings. The small segment near the toll
road is the only portion where I didn't have a sidewalk available.

There were no bike lanes on the road, so I spent the majority of the
time on the sidewalks. With the apartment buildings and hotels nearby,

there were plenty of pedestrians to make me feel safe. It's the middle

of July and it was lower 80's with a good breeze, making for great
running conditions. Coming from Phoenix, it's hard to match the beauty

of the trees and color of all the flowers. Though I would love to have
been running by memorials and Smithsonian museums, this was still a

good example of running on the east coast for anyone that ever makes
their way to Dulles International. The loop was 3.05 miles, so I did
four times, stopping in the Westin each time to get water. It was a

good 12-mile run, and I averaged 8:29 minute miles over 1:44:55. My
fastest was the last mile at 7:58 and my slowest was the first at
9:07.

Spokane Washington Red Lion Inn Run

This was my first trip to Spokane, Washington, and I had 17.5 hours to kill at the elegant Red Lion Inn adjacent to River Front Park. I was near downtown Spokane, and on one of the better running paths I've ever tried. The path began directly behind the hotel on what was called Centennial Trail. This trail looped east toward Gonzaga University and continued east toward Montana, but after about a mile and a half, you can cross a bridge and loop back toward the park and downtown area.
Before my run, I talked to the concierge at the front desk to get the details of what options I had to run locally. I had my music (Michael Jackson, Steve Miller Band and Jack Johnson), my workout clothes, and my new CEP compression sleeves to try out. I began by heading out the back of the hotel by the pool and turning left onto the path. The path was parallel to the river and immediately started leading me to Gonzaga University. Adding a little excitement to an already new experience, I soon ran into a bunch of little beaver-like critters called Marmots on the side of the path. They were not shy at all and walked up to other people as I ran by.

Gonzaga University was nice, and I had a great view of the baseball field, the school of law, and other general classroom buildings from the path. Pictured above is the law school with soccer fields on the left. After crossing through the school, I got confused about where I was on the map the concierge had shown me, and as often happens, I got lost. I didn't realize how small the map area was, and I found my way on the portion that heads all the way out to Montana. Though I was lost, I wanted to go on a 10-mile run so I was off to find the path the hard way. 

I ran into the first dead end on Perry Street after following the trail up toward Mission Park. I side-stepped several streets of construction to get there, but decided that my lack of knowledge of where I was and no water was a bad combination to keep heading north. I backtracked, feeling like the other side of the river might give me better results. Following a dirt trail into a neighborhood led me to my second dead end. Nothing says fun like barbed wire fence and a "No Trespassing" sign.

     Thankfully, in the distance I saw a clock tower from River Front Park and began looking for a way to go west towards the park. When I found my first runner sporting tiny shorts and doing what looked like six-minute miles, I figured I was back on the path. Within about block, another view of the baseball field at Gonzaga told me I was home free.

From here on out, the run was just a joy. I didn't focus too highly on sticking to a set path, but more on exploring for next time. I ran across each bridge at least once. The World's Fair was held in Spokane in the 1970's, and there are many visually amazing sights to keep a run interesting. As I mentioned, I crossed each bridge around the park at least once. On the wider bridges, I crossed both sides of the street to get a view of the river from different perspectives.

Here is an example of the view prior to the bridge and another from on the bridge before it reaches the hydro-electric plant. The most breathtaking view was from right after the river became a waterfall near a gondola sky ride.

Peppering individual scenic views into a long run like this revitalizes you, similar to running a race and having the crowd to cheer you on. It doesn't just break up the monotony; it adds energy to your step.

The majority of the time, the trail was well maintained with grass along the side. The River Front Park held countless landmarks that were memorable, but my favorite was unquestionably the biggest Radio Flyer wagon I've ever seen.

The park has water fountains that can be used easily by planning your course to criss-cross the park. I strongly look forward to my next Spokane overnight. Even with all the wrong turns, I still loved the area and having a location with a lot of people around to add a feel of safety when running. The temperature (even in July) was low 70's with a nice breeze coming down the river. If you are staying in Spokane anytime soon, I highly recommend choosing a location near the River Front Park. If you can't make it out for a run or bike ride, then at least take a stroll.