Leash Training

The City of Houston hired contractors to remove the dead trees throughout Kingwood. Multiple crews have been working long hours to clear out these trees. Sadly, the landscape of Kingwood has drastically changed. My beloved Kingwood is not the same place anymore. I find the change disheartening.

I’ve patiently been leash training Molly for a month and today we had a huge breakthrough. Never have I seen a dog so resistant to a leash, but today Molly and I walked two-miles along the bayou without any significant issues. Way to go, Molly! I hope to be running with her in a few weeks.

I worked out with Team Swoll at the Sanctuary today. Last Tuesday I joined their sixty-day challenge which included 24 one-on-one personal training sessions. Today was my first session. Coach Alex ran me through an aggressive upper body workout with strong emphasis on my weak back. I pushed outside my comfort zone and ended up stopping twenty minutes into the workout to throw up! Gross, yes I know.  It’s great to be back in the gym. My personal goal is VERY aggressive; I’m shooting for 44 pounds in 60-days… wish me luck!

No one showed up for the Trail Nerd hill workout this evening. I was still exhausted from weight training, so I skipped the hill session as well. To make up for not running, Alyson and I went for a small walk/run while Melanee was having dinner with her father. The weather was nice and cool, making for an easy workout. I wish we would have had time for a few more miles, but I’m glad to run/walk when I can.

I’m stoked to report that I’ve also made it one week off meat! Tonight Alyson made a delicious spinach lasagna dish with lots of tasty and healthy ingredients. I felt a little selfish because I was weary to eat as much as I wanted too because I wasn’t sure of the calorie count. I know it was healthy, vegetarian, and made with good products, but I’m making a serious commitment to win this challenge. In the end, calories count the most, when trying to lose weight.

Push-ups: 60

Walk/run:

4.11 miles

1:03:59

15:34 pace

Trying to make amends...

Happy Vetereans Day!

Today is the beginning of three days off work and I’m not sure what to do with myself!

I straightened up around the house, played with Molly, and cleaned the garage this morning. I rode my bike to Schlotzsky’s for lunch. The ride along my 5-mile loop was very peaceful. Kingwood Lake is finally back to normal water levels, giving the lake its usual serene appearance. On my ride home I stopped by My Fit Foods for their daily special; "$0.11 turkey chili". I'm trying to eat meat-free, but this will be a healthy meal for the kids...

Starting today I’ve decided to go back to a vegetarian diet. The date being 11/11/11 will make it easy for me to remember when I started, right? I feel a lot healthier when I'm eating plant-based foods. The gross amount of weight gain is depressing, especially after seeing a few recent photos. Time to take control...

For several hours today I have been corresponding with the owner of Team Swoll regarding one-on-one personal training suited to fit my goals. It appears we have come to an agreement on both price and service. I’m stoked about getting back in the gym!

On a deeper level, I'm trying to repair a couple of old friendships. In order to protect people’s privacy I tend to leave a lot of content “coded” on my blog, so excuse the vagueness of this paragraph;

I wrote a heart-felt apology letter to an innocent bystander of my prior wrongdoing only to learn the letter will never reach the desired recipient. I respect the decisions of those involved closest to them, but I would like to make amends. I need those people (both of them) to know that I’m truly sorry. At this point I have to accept the fact that I tried.

Just before dark I ran the 3.5 mile WITH Loop. Apparently there was a lot of flooding in the area. All of our trails and orange markers on the East side of the bayou were destroyed. I didn't let the destruction stop my run. We heard a large pack of coyotes a hundred yards away as we entered the forest. We also saw countless deer on the trails. It was a slow walk/run, but cardio is cardio....

Trail Bike:

7.55 miles

41:22

10.95 mph

Push-ups: 60

Run/Walk:
3.64 miles
57:13
15:43 pace

Dysfunctional attitudes at MSC

Worked 10 hours at MSC

For my own sanity I need to get rid of this job. The dysfunctional attitudes are more than I can handle.

Around three-o’clock the counter guys told us there was a scheduled delivery at 4:45… knowing we get off work at 5pm. I've already fought this battle, so they didn’t bug me after I told them I would NOT be taking the delivery. The next guy they asked was not happy about working because he has six kids and would not be able to spend time with them if he was forced to work late. 

Fast forward to 4pm; I was standing next to a fellow co-worker when the owner walked up and asked him; “What’s going on? There seems to be a problem in the warehouse and I don’t like it”. The owner proceeded to yell at the guy, questioning his loyalty to the company (He works 10 hour days and every other Saturday). Even worse, the owner was making comments like; “I pay you electricity bill and put food on your table. If you want to keep this job, you’ll make deliveries when I ask you too!”

I can’t be in this kind of environment. No matter who you are, you can NOT talk to people like that... it is not healthy for either side. 

I ran with the trail nerds tonight. The time change is keeping us off the trails for the time being. Only two ladies showed up, but we had a great run. We picked up the pace over the last half mile and finished with a respectable pace, considering we were running 8/2’s

Run:

3.38 miles

42:14

12:30 pace

Five mile walk

Alyson is having knee pain, so she’s walking the run distances indicated on her half-marathon schedule. My legs aren't feeling too good either. I was hoping a long walk would loosen up my sore muscles.

Aly and I took the kids for a leisure stroll along my 5-mile loop. It was incredibly humid outside, making it hard to find joy being outdoors. Aly and I had a good talk, so it wasn’t a complete loss.

Walk:

5.38 miles

1:35:14

17:42 pace

I was rushed with the kids today. We sat around the house being lazy before the walk. After we all showered we only had enough time to eat a late lunch and visit to Half-Price books. The kids have only been gone a few hours, yet I already miss them…

I occupied my time this evening cooking a big meal; pork loin, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and strawberry shortcake.

Rocky Raccoon 25k race report

Earlier in the week I made the decision to switch from the Rocky Raccoon 50k trail run to the 25k trail run. My training and nutrition remain sub-par, so I made the smart decision and change to a race with a liberal finish time.

Pre–race:

Last night Aly and I stayed out late at a “wine and art” class. Then we found ourselves eating Mexican food at a taqueria at midnight. The end result was less than three hours of sleep before waking up to leave for the race. I went minimalist for the race, which is not my usual style. I woke up and walked out with just my Garmin, knee brace, water bottle, and a baggie full of s-caps.

Weather:

The weather was near perfect for a run. The starting temperature was in the low 40’s with clear blue skies, low humidity levels, and an occasional breeze swept through the forest.

Route/course:

I’ve run this exact route before and run the trails of Huntsville State Park many times. There were no surprises. The trails we’re in good condition and the forest looked stunningly beautiful as the sun was breaking over the horizon

Damage Control:

Not a lot of damage today. I felt really good for the entire race. In fact, I finished the race wishing for more mileage. I maintained a walk/run regimen and never deviated. Once I was done I found a quarter-size blister on the ball of my right foot. Thankfully it doesn’t hurt much, merely looks bad.

Race/RD/Aid stations

The RD, Paul, did a good job with this race. I like the nice non-white tech shirt. The aid station staff was great as usual, but the food seemed to be on the minimal side. The spacing of aid stations was good too.

Gear:

As I stated before, I didn’t take a lot of gear today. I wore my knee brace as a precautionary measure. A couple times during the race I found myself wishing I had a camera and music.

Fuel/Hydration/Supplements;

I took along a Nathan handheld water bottle, which was just enough water to keep me hydrated. I consumed one S-caps every 30-minutes. I didn’t bring along any nutrition, so I decided to fill my bottle up with HEED at the second aid station. The taste wasn’t as bad as I remember and I felt mentally stronger minutes after consuming the sport drink. The only negative side, HEED doesn’t seem to quench my thirst.

Runners and Friends:

There were several Texas Trail Nerds and other friends on the course today. I took Alyson with me. Erin was dropping the kids off to me this morning, so she watched my babies while I finished running. Anna ran her first 25k this morning. She had a difficult time with two gnarly blisters and ended up running without shoes for several miles. Carly also ran her first 25k as well as her first trail race. Carly seemed to have a good race as well, despite a couple falls and blisters. Jeff with KW Tri club ran the 50k and finished 7^th overall. Nicolas, who has more experience on trails, finished 4^th overall in the 50k race.  Jenny woke up sick and missed her first long trail run and there was a report of Vic running the 10k. Congrats to my Texas Trail Nerd friends!!!

Lessons Learned:
There’s always a lot of lessons to learn from trail running. Today I learned to never give up. I was so sleepy this morning I almost decided to cancel my race. Who would have known that I would end up having a GREAT race? I’m confident I could have finished the 50k, although it would have come with an extra dose of pain!

Timing:
It might sound pathetic, but I ran a regimen of; run 3-minutes, walk 7 minutes. On occasion I ran a little longer, but I’m proud of my consistency.

Run:

15.64 miles

3:49:23

14:40 pace

Oh-no, pre-race soreness

Holy crap my legs are sore. Saturday’s race is gonna hurt. Thank goodness I dropped down to the 25k!

Aly and I attended an art class in Katy. It was a lot of fun. I posted pictures of my painting as it progressed... It is suppose to Van Gogh, "Peach tree in Bloom".

After the art class we had Mexican food at midnight. We didn't get home till 1am and I have to wake up for my race at 4am... this is gonna hurt.

Tasty Sammich

Worked 10 hours at MSC

Even though it was a busy day, the work itself wasn't as tough as usual. One shift per week seems to be the correct MSC threshold for me.

After work I rushed home to get ready to run with the Texas Trail Nerds. I was a complete slug last week, so I needed this run in a big way. We met at a school that was a little less than half a mile away from East End Park. This addition added three-quarters of a mile  to our run. It took me nearly three miles to settle into a rhythm, which left me feeling uncomfortable for a majority of the run. I ran with Paula for the first time this evening. She’s an incredibly nice woman and she has a running background equal to her husband’s!

After the run, Alyson prepared a tasty dinner for me, Cajun smoked turkey breast on wheat bread with an assortment of fresh fruit. The lite dinner was a welcomed changed from my typical fast food meals.

Run:

3.79 miles

45:31

12:01 pace

First Day at LSC Fire Recruit Academy

Worked 5 hours at LSC fire recruit academy

I can’t believe it has been seven-weeks since I’ve been on my bike! Shortly after getting home I decided to end the awful streak and ride my trail bike along the 5-mile loop. Oh how I miss cycling… It was nice to be outside, breathing fresh air and feeling my body move me through its environment.

I also did a handful of push-ups after cycling. My back is tight and push-ups always seem to help my core.

The garage has been getting progressively cluttered for nearly a year, especially with the addition of two kayaks. I found some straps at Academy and was able to mount both kayaks to the wall. There was an immediate difference in available floor space, but there is still a need for a lot of cleaning/organizing to do.

I tried taking Molly for a walk, but I’ve NEVER seen a dog so resistant to a leash. I ended up dragging her the entire time. I’m a bit of a hard-ass, so it didn’t bother me, but I got some strange looks from passer-by's

Tonight was my first night teaching at the Lone Star College Fire Recruit Academy. I truly enjoy teaching fire related topics. I can see myself keeping this PT job for a long time...

Trail Bike:
5.3 miles
28:49
11:04 mph

Push-ups: 20

Back on E1

Working 24 hours at Humble FD

Reunited with Engine one and it feels good! Its been awhile, in fact, I was on the medic unit every shift except one for the month of October. Either way, I’m stoked to be back where I belong!

Busy day, although not many calls. We had a meeting over the new opticom system. When functioning correctly, the system gives emergency vehicles preferential green lights at designated signals. 

After lunch we spent the majority of the afternoon testing hose. When everyone puts in an equitable amount of effort, it is a relatively easy task!

We responded to a small apartment fire shortly after finishing the hose testing. It would appear the occupant, a little old lady, was smoking in bed.

There was a large boyscout PR at 7pm, but luckily the captain took care of it.

It was a good day at work!