Marine Corp Marathon or No????

I ran 18 miles on 2 October, and actually felt really good and thought that perhaps, just maybe, I could actually be ready for MCM.

I got in the accident on 7 October.

I tried to run on 11 October and made it 1/4 mile before walking back to the car.

I rode 50 miles on Saturday (was suppose to do 100) and couldn't turn my head for the last 8 miles or so.

I spent the rest of the weekend on a heating pad in a muscle relaxer coma.

I'm bound and determined to do the B2B ride on 13 Nov since it's a relay and people are depending on me.

Do I dare even attempt MCM on 31 October?

It's too late to do a bib transfer and I already deferred from last year so I can't defer again.

I could go out and run as much as possible then call it a day.

But I know me and I don't believe in DNF.

Decisions, decisions...

The Damage

Mine needs new bumper, exhaust, bottom of the trunk, heat shield, sway bars, etc., etc., etc.:






Dude's - we haven't gotten the estimate back for what he needs, but if I were a betting person, I'd say a new front end and engine!



There are so many ways this could have been worse so I am thankful the only thing damaged were the cars.

I am still sore but I tried to run last night (GENIUS!) so I feel worse today then I did over the weekend. And as you may have guessed, I did not run over the weekend, did not do Warrior Dash, and did not bike my 90 or whatever miles. FAIL, FAIL, FAIL! I'm going to rest for the rest of the week and try to get close to 100 miles in on Sat and 20 in on Sunday.

Wish me luck!

Thirteen Things to Build Up to a Bad Ending!

I was having a normal day...

1. I hit snooze for almost an hour. It is so hard to get out of bed on these crisp fall mornings.

2. Free cup of coffee from 7-11 (bought a refillable cup, first 2 refills were free)

3. Work was fine, couple hiccups, but nothing earth-shattering.

4. My company sold a Business Unit out of my sector. Remember the woman that said she'd NEVER work for me from this post? Well, she was part of the divestiture and she has NO IDEA what she's in for with the company that bought them. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

5. After work, Dude met me and some IRONMEN for dinner at Mad Fox in Falls Church. Their Fig and Balsamic Bleu Pizza is TO DIE FOR!!!!

6. I got to hear Jason and Mark's IM-MOO stories. They both had good races - Jason (my IM-Swiss partner) PR'd by almost an hour and Mark did quite well in his first IM, especially considering he just learned how to swim this year!

7. A good time was had by all and we all get in our own cars and head for home.

8. And this is where the night turned to SH!T!!

9. Light turned yellow so I was coming to a stop and BLAM!! I get hit from behind.

10. I start calling the person who hit me every name under the sun, all too filthy to put in print, then I got out of the car, shaken up, but not injured...

11. You may have guessed it...yep, I know the person that hit me...and that person was Dude...FML!

12. End story, we are both fine. Both cars were towed/need repairs. The front of his car is toast - bashed in about 1/4 of the engine compartment. My car's hitch system pushed my exhaust to about the middle of the car. Again, FML!

13. And just so you know, it really sucks filing an insurance claim against someone you love!

#58 - Cook 101 in 1001 - #42

I haven't blooged about the last 22 new recipes I've tried. Truth be told, I've probably tried more then that but I've also been a slacker on recording my 101 in 1001 progress. C'est la vie.

To summarize the 22 that I can remember:
13 are worthy of FOUR Fat Running Chefs - and may make a write-up in a future date
4 receive THREE Fat Running Chefs
4 receive TWO Fat Running Chefs
and 1 receives ONE Fat Running Chefs - only because I have to give it a rating. It actually went down the garbage disposal and we had Chinese take-out

Which brings me to number 42 of Cook 101 in 1001...

Tilapia and Mashed Yams with Pancetta-Sage Breadcrumbs from Epicurious.com.

Background story - On Tue/Thur nights, Dude gets home at about 9:45 which means we eat dinner after 10. We are both trying to eat more healthy and I want something quick/simple that late at night. This tilapia fit the bill.

Changes I made to the recipe:
To pair it down for just Dude and I used 3 tilapia fillets (two would have been plenty), halved the Pancetta and breadcrumbs (I used store-bought and next time I'd use 1/4 cup or less) and only used two small sweet potatos (less then a pound).

To lighten up the recipe I used Brummel & Brummel Yogurt Butter except for 1 Tbs for the Fish. And I added about 1 Tsp EVOO to fish,

For more flavor I added salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to the mashed yams and I added garlic sea salt to the fish.

Overall Assessment:
The prep work took less then 10 minutes (because I used the store bought bread crumbs).

Cook time - Everything could be done at one time - put the potatoes in the microwave when you start the pancetta - so it took less then 20 minutes from turning on the stove to serving. Add the prep work and that's a 30-minute meal!

Taste was just good. The fish needed a touch more seasoning, maybe cook it in garlic butter or garlic olive oil next time. There was too much breadcrumbs, like I said, I'd cut that in half. The mashed jams were good though.

Overall, I'd give this meal THREE Fat Running Chefs - and yes, this will make another (improved) appearance on Tue/Thur evenings.

Friday Edition of a Much Delayed Thursday Thirteen

1. Despite the lack of blogging – LIFE IS GRAND. And I really do have a lot on my mind, and talk myself through a blog post quite often. I just never have the chance to sit and type anymore.

2. I’m still “running” MCM…running, that’s funny! I’ve done two 16 mile runs so far. My next couple of weekend’s run mileage will be 18, 20, 16, 14, Race.

3. Two weeks after MCM is the B2B Bike Relay (Full Iron-distance). I’ve been loosely training for this. My next couple of weekend’s bike mileage will be 90, 100, 112, 60, 40 (MCM), 60, Race.

4. Somewhere in there I have a silly little Warrior Dash to do. Run through a pit of fire AND give me a furry warrior helmet. HELLS YEAH!

5. I suppose I should mention I rarely exercise during the week. Work, family, work, laziness, work, prior commitments, etc.

6. Even with the lack of exercise I’ve “maintained” my post Ironman weight. I gained about ten pounds in the depressing months following the race. I managed to lose five by Spring and have stayed there since. I’d still love to drop another 5-10 (marathon weight) but that would require eating less and exercising more.

7. A couple weeks ago a bunch of friends competed in Ironman Wisconsin. I couldn’t make the trip to cheer so I sat behind the computer and cyber-stalked them. WOW! It was fun to watch, text, message, etc. with people there and on-line. And it got me excited thinking about next year’s journey to Ironman Arizona!!!

8. My deal with Dude is I promised I wouldn’t be as obsessed about it as I was for Switzerland. I think I can make good on that…I know I can do the distance, I know my nutrition needs, I know what the training will be like…so I should be able to maintain some semblance of sanity

9. I got back from a week in Grand Cayman last Saturday all refreshed, relaxed, and happy. That lasted until around 10 am on Monday. Stupid job! Stupid career! Stupid need to stay clothed and fed!

10. While on vacation I realized I need to find something I’m passionate about (besides Dude, I can’t retire and do Dude…well I could but…). Once I identify that “thing” I need to try to make that a priority in my life.

11. The top things that come to mind are cooking (eating) and writing (reading). I suppose triathlon/exercise ranks up there, but that’s already relatively steady in my life.

12. So now what?! How can I turn these hobbies into something?! Anyone…Anyone…Bueller…

13. Holy crap – where has this year gone?? I just looked at my calendar and realized (1)it’s is October, (2) I’ve been incredibly busy since July and have done a ton of things, and (3) I haven’t been blogging about any of it!

BTW, did I mention I have a tattoo?