Moderately Hellacious Slacker

Humble FD promotional test

2013-06-17T19:38:00.000-05:00

Worked 24-hours at Humble FD

I went for a pre-work swim at the gym. There wasn't anyone else in the pool, making for a peaceful swim. My hips are a bit sore from yesterday’s swim. I kept the workout easy.

Swim:

750 yards

22:23

2:59 minutes per 100 yards

The morning started with lots of confusion regarding the Humble FD promotional test. No one, including the administration was able to answer some basic questions regarding the parameters about the test this morning. After a few phone calls, I finally got some answers.

I sat for the test at 9 am and made fast work of the test… finishing the 134 question test in less than 20 minutes. I wasn't properly prepared for the test, but I was confident in my effort. Later in the day, the chief called and said I made a 99, which is the number of questions I got correct. Not a great grade, but close to what I expected.

After the test I was assigned to medic-two with Hoyt. We made a couple calls; one CHF call from a Harris county clinic, and then a psychiatric call in medic one’s district.

Sad Father's Day....

2013-06-16T20:28:00.000-05:00

I woke up early for my long run. Brian and I departed my house at 6 am and we ran the same 14-mile route I've ran the prior two-weeks. I was so worried about having lost my watch that I didn't sleep much last night. I used my Sunnto watch and it completely threw me off on this morning’s run. It was insanely hot and my legs felt strong, but I wasn't mentally there.

We meet Steve Boone in Towne Center and he ran with us to East End Park. The horse flies are nearly gone in the park and we only battled a few near the back end of the park. We stopped for a drink at Exxon. I’ve been consuming Gatorade and switched to G2, the low-calorie option. This didn't work well for me and I started having nutrition issues over the last three miles.

The pace felt similar to last week’s run, but it was nearly 5-minutes slower than the exact same route as last week.

Run:

14.09 miles

2:50:40

12:00 pace

When I got home, grandpa had departed to the valley to vacation with friends. Not only did I feel like a horrible host this weekend, but he departed before I could say goodbye.

This is the first Father’s Day I spent without my kids and I struggled to hold my emotions in check. I went to the gym and was broken-hearted when they said no one had turned in my watch. To kill time, I drove to REI to look around and check-out the new house. The house and fence was locked, so I didn't see much of the house. I drove around the area looking around, which wasn't good. It’s not Kingwood and the “city atmosphere” of the area concerns me.

I helped Brian work on his new tri-bike at the station. I brought with me some tools and a few items he needed; shoes, tubes, computer, etc. Brian is excited about the purchase and I'm hopeful to have a new riding partner.

On a positive note, I had a nice lunch with a friend that lives in the area. She told me about some local parks and general amenities in the area.

When I got back home I went to the Trailwood Village pool for a long swim. The pool was crowded, but everyone was polite and gave me ample space to swim laps. Today was my longest swim to date. The water was warm and I could feel a difference late in my swim. I swam in large blocks of 300-500 yards. This swim was nearly 2 miles in length (1.81 miles). I ran 14-miles this morning, yet I felt great after the long swim.

Swim:

3,200 yards

1:33:41

2:56 minutes per 100 yards

I stayed up late doing laundry and reading for the captains promotional test on Monday.

Garmin 910 missing :'(

2013-06-15T21:41:00.000-05:00

Woke up early at work to wash and vacuum my truck, in preparation of a date tonight. Once the C-shift crew arrived, I rushed home to see grandpaw who came in last night. After a short visit, I took off to get a haircut. Grandpaw’s visit to Houston was a last minute call and I had lots of things already planned, making me feel like a horrible host by trying to accomplish everything I needed to do.

Before lunch we drove to Kevin’s house in Conroe to visit for a few hours. It was nice to visit two of the men I love and respect the most. We hung around long enough to visit with Melissa who showed up a couple hours later.

The girl I have been talking to this week started sending some rude and very “bitchy” text messages, so I cancelled the date. I have a lot going on and there is no place in my life for someone to be rude & mean. She reminded me of how Aly would act and I wanted no part of that.

I had an amazing night watching the Astros game with grandpa and Mary while eating blue-bell ice cream.

As I was getting my stuff ready for tomorrows long run, I realized my Garmin 910xt was missing. After panicking and tearing my house apart, I remembered leaving my watch at the gym when I was in the Jacuzzi. Even though the watch is water proof, I was worried the hot water would damage the electronics, so I took it off and set it on the edge of the Jacuzzi pool. I’m really frustrated and keeping my fingers crossed that someone found my watch and turned it in to the staff.

Life is falling apart...

2013-06-14T22:23:00.000-05:00

Worked 24 hours at Humble FD

I enjoyed a pre-work swim at the gym and worked on swimming faster. I've started setting my alarm earlier for a longer swim. My pace is finally under 3:00/per 100 yards. With time, I hope to swim consistently at 2:45 per 100 yards.

Swim:

1,200 yards

35:03

2:55 minutes per 100 yards

I was assigned to medic-two with Sean. We responded to three calls. One of the calls was an elderly woman who feel, resulting in a brain bleed. The other call was a woman with PID who was too worried about texting than to answer my assessment questions.

My day has been pretty crappy… the inspection report on my house has resulted in the buyer wanting a stupid amount of money. I’m holding my ground, but not sure if the deal will hold up or not. If that deal falls through, then my contingency contract on the Bushy Creek house will fall apart. It also looks like Erin and I will not be able to align our schedule for me to see the kids this weekend. I’m distraught about not seeing the kids this weekend.

45-mile bike ride and Flash Mob trail run #2

2013-06-13T23:05:00.000-05:00

Weston and I started the day off with a bike ride. We rode from Atascocita and told to HWY 90, then rode East towards Dayton. The surface of the road changed a few miles from Dayton and Weston said it was too hard and wanted to go back to a smoother road surface. We stopped for Weston to stretch his leg before turning around. I’m not sure why, but when I got back on the bike, I had a flat tire. It only took a few minutes to change before we were on our way again. Weston’s leg pain was bothering him, but I was able to convince him to ride to Crosby and then go back home. We had lunch at subway in Crosby, which helped rest his leg. On the way home I was feeling good and wished I could ride farther and faster. Overall it was still a great ride and the ride was minimal effort for me. We had an average speed of over 16 mph, but we slowed considerable over the last ten miles when Weston’s leg wouldn’t allow him to maintain a faster pace. My average heart rate was 118, proving my low effort level while riding.

Bike:

43.06 miles

2:44:38

15.7 mph

On the way home I stopped at Bike Barn and I talked at length with the salesman about aero wheels, tires, and tubes. I have a good idea of what I want, if only I had the money…

Jenny, Lindsay, and Brian rode with me to the second Flash Mob trail run. Within minutes of our arrival the skies opened up, dropping torrential amount of rain on us. The storm was without lightening, so the trail run continued as scheduled. For the first time ever, I decided to run without a shirt. I’m self-conscious about my weight, so this was a big move for me. We started with a small 0.30 mile warm-up before the race started. The first mile of my race was at a lightening pace of sub-8:00/mile pace. I really excited to run behind Steve Shepard, who is a local running legend. As the route moved to the trails, it was nearly impossible to stand in the mud, much less run. Everyone was slipping and sliding uncontrollably. My pace was reduced to a pedestrian walk and spent much of the time using trees to keep me from falling and crawling on hands and feet. At one point we crossed a creek with chest high water and crawled up a bed of roots on the other side. Apparently there was a bridge, but the rain washed it out before the start of the race.

I finished strong, but disappointed in the energy I wasted with the speedy effort in the beginning. Lindsay was the first to finish and she placed second overall female. I was second as the 29^th male, and Brian & Jenny came in a little later. Brian was not happy at the finish, because it tends to be an injury cautious. I finished the run with a slow cool-down to the truck. Warm-up/cool-down and race combined below;

Run:

3.73 miles

42:50

11:29 pace

Spirit of the Marathon II

2013-06-12T20:55:00.000-05:00

My breakfast of last nights leftovers upset my stomach. Not sure why it made me sick, but at least it was short lived… but only after a bout of nausea and vomiting. Once I left better I set out all my gear for a short brick workout.

My bike ride included the loop from my house to River Grove Park, totaling almost 14 miles. I haven’t been on the bike as much as I would like and I could feel it in my hamstrings and glute’s. For that reason, I didn't push too hard… maybe a 7 on a 1-10 RPE scale. The bike ride itself went well. It was hot and I need to find a way to keep the sweat out of my eyes. When I’m in the aero position, the sweat drips onto my sunglasses and then into my eyes. It’s not a huge issue, but it certainly needs to be corrected.

Bike:

13.86 miles

45:09

18.4 mph

The transition from bike to run was easily less than 30-second and probably closer to 20-seconds. As expected, my legs were heavy. The pace is always faster than it feels. I ran the Trailwood Bayou trail, which didn't provide any shade from the sun beaming down on me. I settled into a normal running rhythm half a mile into the run. I need to do a bike>run brick once a week to get accustom to the feeling of changing activities.

Run:

1.19 miles

12:18

10:20 pace

Tonight is a one-night viewing of Spirit of the Marathon II at several local theaters. I met two friends at Brick House Taven for a pre-movie dinner, which made for a great social event. The movie was much like the first Spirit of the Marathon, except it was following runners for the Athens marathon. I wasn't excited about the sub-titles, but it was tolerable Overall, a good flick.

Brian and I was so motivated by the movie that we went for a 5-mile night trail run after the movie. We ran the greenbelts, using nothing more than head lamps. The trails were humid, but we had a great run.

Run:
5.26 miles
1:01:32
11:42 pace

Swim and Run

2013-06-11T15:06:00.000-05:00

Worked 24-hours at Humble FD

I went to the gym for a pre-work swim. Soon as I walked in, I realized I had left my Garmin at home. I’m extremely OCD about recording my activities, so I returned home to fetch the dumb watch. When I got back into Humble, I still had enough time for a swim, albeit shorter swim. The recoveries are getting shorter and shorter, plus I never swim blocks of less than 50-yards.Today I worked on raising my upper body out of the water. A few people have said my entire upper body is immerged, with only my arms breaking the surface. If I look straight ahead I’m in a better position, but it goes against the videos I watched. It is working, because I am able to catch a breath easier… I don’t have to left me head up as much to break the surface. I can also watch my hand enter water better, which keeps the angle and “splash” in check. And… if that’s not enough, I feel a tiny bit faster, although the pace didn't show much of an increase in speed.

Swim:

1,000 yards

32:04

3:13 minutes/100 yards

I was assigned to medic-1 with Tom. Fairly slow day… only three calls total, two of which I was in-charge medic for. For most of the day I was studying for the Humble FD Captains test. I have one week left to get ready. I’m spending a lot more time mentally preparing for the interview, which is where I think the choice will be made.

I took off for a 5-mile run once the sun was hidden behind the buildings and trees. It was a great 5-miler, considering I was doing loops on concrete around the station. It was a hot and sweaty run, but I merely zoned out and picked off the mileage. I’m not up to intervals of 8:2, which is the final resting place for my long run. Next week, which is recovery, I will try to run everything under 5-miles as a continuous run. With that being complete, my mileage will ramp up for the fall/winter races.

Run:

5.02 miles

56:59

11:21 pace

7-hour house inspection

2013-06-10T15:24:00.000-05:00

I woke up early to make a few repairs around the house before the inspectors arrived. A re-sealed all the vent pipes on the roof, sealed miscellaneous holes around the house with expansion foam, shaved a door that was sticking, and a few other small projects.

The inspectors showed up close to 11:00 am and I was quick to befriend them, in hopes that they don’t do anything to kill my sale. My realtor told me to stay out of the house while they were here, but the inspector said it is easier when the home owner is on location to answer/explain issues that he finds.

I had already made plans for a long swim, so I left the inspectors here and went to the gym for a mid-day workout. I had the place to myself and I swam to my heart’s content. I was trying to find a way to keep my head higher, but for the most part I was merely pounding out the laps. Half way through the workout several other swimmers showed up and they were using all kinds of swim aides including fins and hand paddles. It was a boast to my ego to swim faster and longer than the guy next to me who was dressed like a scuba diver. I could have gone further and only stopped because I was bored. Again, this fact was another big boast to my fitness.

Swim:

2,100 yards

1:13:07

3:29 minutes/100 yards

I was starving after the swim, so I went out to eat. Once I arrived home the inspectors were still here. While I was gone the buyer’s wife and daughter were at the house to look around and take measurements. She was very nice and we talked for hours… literally hours. They are pretty much going to gut the house and make lots of renovations… including a pool. The inspector was on the property for seven-hours, which makes me really nervous, but the buyer said she isn't worried about little issues, as long as the plumbing, electrical, and slab are in order. Her husband is an attorney, so hopefully they don’t get too crazy with repair request. The wife and their 5 year old daughter loved me, so maybe the personal connection will prove helpful.

Late today I received a confirmation that my house offer was accepted for the property at 10519 Bushy Creek. I’m excited and nervous at the same time. I love Kingwood and HATE to move, but I need something cheaper and there were very few properties that met my criteria. This house is nearly perfect, except the location… which is a BIG problem. I’m continuing with forward with the deal and if it is meant to be, it will happen. I posted pictures of the house below...

Recovery and work

2013-06-08T15:42:00.000-05:00

Worked 24-hours at Humble FD

I was assigned as firefighter for the day half of the shift and then acting Captain for the night portion. We made a handful of calls, enough to keep us busy. Most of our time was spent sitting on the side of HWY 59, waiting on Centerpoint to disconnect the power to a downed power line. We were there nearly three hours. I was able to read my Incident Management Systems book occasionally during the day. I’m trying to read now, because I will stop college classes in a couple days and spend all my time preparing for the Humble FD Captains test.

My weight loss is dismal and I haven’t recorded any consistent weight loss this month. It isn't bothering me as much as I expected, but I need to get serious with the diet and get to my goal weight.

No formal workouts today in preparation of tomorrows long run.

First open water swim

2013-06-07T09:02:00.000-05:00

I met Steve at Kings Harbor for my first open water swim. I was anxious about the endeavor, but it ended up being a lot easier than pool swimming, minus the snake-like environment. We launched our kayaks on one of the dead-end roads and decided it was best to swim near the pier at the King Harbor restaurants. The night before I constructed a homemade buoy, so we could work on sighting a marker while swimming. We set up a triangle consisting of our buoy, a “no-wake” buoy and the kayak tied off at the bulkhead. The distance was a near perfect 275 yards. I found it hard to actually start, but once I did, the swim was effortless. Steve and I took turns swimming and we each did two loops. I wanted to do more, but he had plans and couldn't stay too long.

Swim:

0.26 miles

13:34

1.2 mph

While we were looking for a place to swim and measuring the course we kayaked a fair distance. I don’t know the exact mileage, but probably a few miles total.

Once I got home I put the kayak away, washed the river water off my body and mowed the lawn. The yard looks so much better when I do it myself. Cheto’s lawn service has been dropping the ball and it shows in the quality of his work. Only one problem, I couldn't get my weed-eater working so the yard desperately needs to be edged.

My heat acclimation/training continues. If today is any measure of my level of heat tolerance, I’m doing well. Molly and I took off at noon for a run on the greenbelts and survived without any major issues. I could tell molly was fatigued near the end of the run, but she kept up with me. The run went well for me and I feel good running. The intervals are up to 7:2, which is very close to my goal of 8:2 for long runs. Once I reach that level will make all runs less than 5-miles continuous and longer runs will be 8:2.

Run:

5.11 miles

59:26

11:37 pace

Over the last couple days I've had some minor lower back pain. Not sure what is causing this, but I sure hope it doesn't materialize into anything more serious. I rolled my back, but I stopped because it was very painful and nerve-like pain and not muscle pain in origin.

After four days, I still haven’t’ heard from the owners of the Glen Loch house. I don’t understand why they haven’t answered, but it is frustrating. I liked that house and think it would have been ideal for me, but I suppose it is not meant to be. I’m now looking for houses again and there is not much out there that meets my requirements.

Today is the three-month anniversary of my surgery. I wanted to take pictures of my progress, but I haven’t had time. Plus, I want to make a bigger deal of it at the six-month mark. I haven’t lost much weight in the last week. My diet has been all over the place and all the cardio exercise leaves me hungry 24/7. I need to get my diet back in check and get to my goal weight.

Flash Mob run (1st in a series)

2013-06-06T10:08:00.000-05:00

It’s been a long time since I was on my trail bike. This morning I dusted off the cobwebs and did my commuting by bike. First stop was the post office followed by a stop at the barber. The weather was great for a bike ride.

I worked my ass off for several hours cleaning the air conditioner condenser coils and unclogging the primary a/c drain in the attic. These two taks took me nearly four hours and much of that time was spent in my attic, which was measuring close to 140-degrees!

No runners were interested in a run in East End Park and I was bored, so I made the drive to I-10 at Diary Ashford for the Flash Mob trail run. The traffic was more than I expected and I accidentally took the 290 toll road, so I was late. As I ran through the start the person stating I was only 4-minutes behind. I pushed a little, but kept everything within reasonable limits because I wasn't sure where I was going. Immediately I was passing people, which totaled 10-15 by the end. The route was awesome, with a few aggressive hills and lots of single track. Near the end of the run and during the awards presentation it was raining. Again, adding to my enjoyment. There is something beautiful about running muddy trails in the rain.

Lindsay comfortably won first female in a speedy time of 21:01. I hung around to take pictures of her award. Afterwards they had a raffle for other items and I won a free Salmon trail shoes! I was super excited!

Run:

3.10 miles

28:20

9:08 pace

The daily mileage called for 5 miles, so I ran another two miles with Molly when I got home. The rain had stopped and left us with cooler weather. Molly seemed to really enjoy the run and did very well on her leash.

Run:

2.09 miles

24:06

11:33 pace

This was an amazing day!

HFD memorial service

2013-06-05T09:49:00.000-05:00

Worked 24-hours at Humble FD

Telestaff showed us with 9 people on duty, so I had every intention of taking off work today. Unfortunately, the part-timer on their schedule didn't know he had to work and that put us back to minimum staffing. So, I was stuck working. I wanted to take off to work around the house before the upcoming house inspection.

Today was the memorial ceremony for the four Houston FD firefighters who lost their lives in the LODD fire last Friday. I tried to watch the live coverage on television, but we kept getting interrupted by calls. It was massive service and looks like they did a great job of honoring those heroes.

Between the calls, I was able to read a lot of my Emergency Incident Management Systems book. It’s an easy read, and I hope to be done with it in the next couple weeks.

At 5:30 the part-timer showed up to work and I decided to take off and get as much done as I could.

I didn't get as much done around the house as I wanted, but it was better than nothing. I went grocery shopping close to midnight and bought enough food items for the next couple weeks, so I can stop eating out as much.

Preston graduates Kindergarten

2013-06-04T09:34:00.000-05:00

I started the day in the Woodlands, looking at an ideal house between Rayford-Sawdust and Lake Woodlands Dr. The home has a couple issues (some I can fix), including; the owner is a smoker and has indoor pets which have given the place an undesirable odor. No garage, because it was converted to a game room. On the positive side it has more living space and the outside sheds make up for the lack of garage. Finally, the house is located on a very busy street. I’m not concerned with this issue, but I also hope to get a good price since most people will not want to deal with this. I put in a reasonable offer and I hope they accept. This home would be great for the kids and me.

Since I was already in the Woodlands I stopped by the clinic and had them check my vitamin/mineral/testosterone levels. I've been sleepy, moody, and not myself lately. Maybe they can point me to a root problem.

I drove to Trinity to watch Preston’s Kindergarten award ceremony, but I arrived more than an hour early. Erin and I visited and had lunch together before the function. Not only is she a great mother to the kids, but she really is a great friend.

The kindergarten program was cute and a lot of fun. I caught a few good pictures of the kids and me.

I ran the Trailwood Bayou trail with Lindsay. She entertained my pedestrian pace while we trekked through the woods. The overall run was speedy for me and I enjoyed our conversation about races and her running regimen.

Run:

5.43 miles

1:00:21

11:07 pace

I spent several hours this evening cleaning and organizing the junk on my desk. This project started because the mortgage company was requesting lots of documents from me for the new mortgage loan. I took it a step further and got everything back to a normal level of organization.

Foul mood

2013-06-03T23:05:00.000-05:00

Worked 8.5 hours of OT at Humble FD. I was scheduled for 12-hours, but Joe showed up earlier and I was sent home 3.5 hours early.

I was assigned to the same position as yesterday, firefighter on engine-one. My foul mood started early today as I dealt for a few people who spent more energy trying to not work, than the work itself. I ended up do an unfair amount of work and I was assigned to nearly every truck at station one. All is well and the day went by quickly.

After work I tried to go swimming, but the gym closed the pool for an aqua Zumba class. I voiced my frustration with them closing every lane in the pool for 8-10 people doing an aerobics class. From there I went to the Trailwood pool, which was closed due to swim team practice. By this time, my blood was boiling. I pay for both of these facilities, yet I couldn't use either one.

I killed a few minutes and went back to the gym and waited for the aerobics class to finish. Many of the people were socializing in the pool and I was not in the mood to be nice, so I asked them if I could swim around them while they TALKED. I made my point and they afforded me a lane. I’m usually calm and have patience, but today was not one of those days.

My swim went well and was uneventful. Near the end of my swim a very fit gentleman started swimming and his style was both flawless and FAST. He was covering nearly 50 yards in the time it took for me to swim 25-yards. Later I had a talk with him and learned he is a triathlete and we knew many of the same people.

Swim:

1,250 yards

44:00

3:32 minutes/100 yards

I attached some pictures of me in the platform of the ladder truck.

Senior at WTAMU!!!

2013-06-02T22:11:00.000-05:00

Worked 24 hours at Humble FD

I was assigned as the firefighter on Engine-one. We only responded a couple calls; both were to assist the medic unit.

No pre-work swim due to the gym opening later on the weekend. Shortly, after my arrival I set up and finished the last assignment of my Government II class, which was due by noon. Thankfully the paper and discussion was easy. The professor was on top of his work and hours later I saw that everything had been graded. It’s hard to believe I managed to make a 97.2 in a summer MINI class. Even more important, I’m officially a SENIOR now!!! I’m so excited and if I had the money I’d order my class ring, but it will have to wait for now.

I thought about weight training, but it never happened. With the class being over, I had time to do personal stuff. It is hard to be excited when my summer classes at West Texas A&M start in the morning.

14-mile run with Steve

2013-06-01T14:49:00.000-05:00

I was a little late getting out the door for this mornings run, but only by 10-minutes. The route would be from my house to the end of Kingwood Drive, one loop in East End Park, and then back home for roughly 14-miles.

The morning had a peaceful aura to it as I ran alone with my thoughts. The thoughts of yesterday’s disastrous fire occupied much of my mind. My intervals were feast or phantom. One interval would be easy and the next one would be hard, although the overall feeling was positive. I met Steve Boone in Towne center at 3 miles for the run to East End Park and back. He helped me pick up the pace, until his ankle started bothering him mid-way through the run.

The horse flies are in full-effect in the park and there was no shortage of those pests around us. Luckily, I was only bitten a couple times. Steve was running faster, but taking more rest interval, which keep us at similar average paces even though we didn’t run side-by-side much on the last three miles. When we first took off we discussed the Texas Trail Nerd Website and looks like it won’t me much work for him to throw something together for us.

At the 11-mile park we were back in Towne Center and took an extended breakfast at Kingwood Bagel. I wasn’t hungry, but I enjoyed hanging out with Steve and Paula. It was hard to get moving again after the nearly 45-minute break. I jumped right back into my intervals and actually felt good. When the heat and humidity started bothering me I simply thought of what my brothers went through at the first yesterday, which put everything into perspective.

The run ended with a little more than the 14-miles I needed and I actually felt like I could go a lot longer. I’m happy with my fitness level and I’m just getting started. I was at an 11:45 pace for the first half, but when Steve’s ankle started hurting the additional walking slowed me down and I couldn’t get it back under 12:00/mile

Run:

14.17 miles

2:54:14

12:15 pace

There were several appointments to show the house this morning. I wasn't sure when the next would be here, but I was in desperate need of a shower. I thought it would be safe to sneak in a quick shower, but when I was done there was clear evidence that a Realtor had been there. Oooops. Glad I didn't walk out naked!

I treated myself to a taco at Arandas, which has been a staple in my diet. Then I went to the Trailwood pool for a recovery swim. I swam 800-yards without any training devices. I felt good in the good even though it was crowded and no one would give me a lane to swim. I ended up swimming around people and for whatever reason; they thought I was being rude swimming close to them. Oh well, I was there to do my work out, not frolic in the water.

Swim:

800 yards

21:20

2:24 minutes/100 yards

I cleaned out my closet and removed a huge amount of clothes that no longer fit me and then unpacked clothes from a bin of smaller clothes I've had from when I was smaller. The process was time consuming, but it’s great to wear clothing I haven’t been able to fit into.

This evening I went to Brian’s birthday get together. There wasn't many people in attendance, but it was still fun to get out of the house.

The Realtor called earlier in the day and said he was told a contract on my house was in the works. Well, the contract is in and its solid. The house is SOLD. Nervous and exciting at the same time...

Hangover III and 1000 yard swim

2013-05-31T15:36:00.000-05:00

Worked 3.5 hours at Humble FD

I worked a few hours to pay Brian L back for working for me when I went to my triathlon. We only responded to one call before I got off duty. I also had a chance to watch the Total Immersion video, which had a lot of treat drills for me.

Should have been my day off, but I couldn't resist the urge to go swimming. I worked on the new “wall kick off” that I watched on the DVD. It is super easy and reduces the time I spend turning around at the wall. Great swim and I saw Cody there, who is now a member. Hopefully he will help me with strength training.

Swim:

1000 yards

31:58

3:11 minute/100 yards

I ordered a small and inexpensive Zoot Tri backpack from amazon, which came in today. Its pretty simple, but I like the fact that I can keep everything in only bag and not worry about always leaving stuff behind.

A friend is letting me use a scentsy burner and the house smells like cinnamon/vanilla while the house is on the market. I’m not sure this is a good thing, because it makes me hungry all the time.

Houston FD responded to a massive 5-alarm fire this afternoon. Thirteen firefighters were transported, two were critical and four firefighters paid the ultimate sacrifice with their life. My heart was heavy most of the afternoon for the most deadliest day in Houston Fire Departments history, but I was brought to tears when I saw the four LODD names, one of which was a friend I worked with at Jersey Village... I wasn't myself and doubt I will be for awhile. We all grieve in our own way.

I watched a movie tonight, Hangover III. I enjoyed the flick, but the sag is clearly near the end and this movie is not on the same level as the other two. With that being said, it was still pretty good.

Eroding a nice groove in my life

2013-05-30T21:58:00.002-05:00

Another great day of huge weight loss. The scale is a roller-coaster ride, but the overall trend is always downward. I've now lost 71 pounds, only 41 more pounds to go!

I went for an early morning swim before work. I worked on efficiency in the water was well as transitioning between the lane ropes. During the triathlon, I lost valuable time when I reached the end of the pool, ducked under the rope, then took off. Today, when I reached the end of the lane, I pushed off and started my swim while diving under the rope. The workout was 100 yard WU, 200 FS, 200 FS, 200 FS, 100 CD.

Swim:

800 yards

28:28

3:33 minutes/100 yards

Worked 24-hours at Humble FD

I was assigned as driver of engine-one. Relatively slow day. One moderate vehicle wreck followed by an automatic alarm at the high school. A Humble PD officer presented a basic “Active Shooter” class to us as part of the City’s new policy to address mass shootings. The remainder of the day was spent working on my 10-page term paper for my Government II class. I was able to complete the paper, although it wasn't top quality… although it is done. Now I have two chapters to read with two, one-page responses and I will be done with this class. The professor sent a group email to the class, where he was discussing the term paper and grades for the discussion post. He pointed out me and two other students as perfect examples of writing style to model after. It was a great feeling to see my name in his email.

Steve joined me for a run around the station this evening. It was humid, but my body is adjusting to the typical Houston climate. He’s a little pacer than me, so the pace was outside my comfort zone. Additionally, I skipped my walk intervals and ran though most of them. I stopped at three-miles to talk to a friend, but finished the last mile with without dying. It was a tough run, but I’m proud of myself for getting it done considering all the obstacles in the way.

Run:

4.05 miles

42:40

10:33 pace

My house is officially "live" on the market now. On the very first day the house has been shown four times, which is a very good sign. Now to find a buyer willing to get the ball rolling.

UPDATE;

Shortly after publishing this post we made to significant fires. We responded to a fully-involved vehicle fire on the far side of our district. Within minutes we realized there was a debris trail and this was the result of a rollover. We kept looking for a "body" but never found one. During this time there was report of smoke and flames coming from the roof of Petco. The medic units when out of service and took the fire apparatus to the scene, since we were on another call. The incident quickly went to a 2-alarm. Once we made it on scene most of the emergency had been mitigated. A roofing crew had left a tar kettle on the roof and it had caught fire and consequently the roof. We spent a couple hours peeling back the layers of rook to make sure it was extinguished. Not a huge fire, but it certainly resulted in a lot of work and a late night for us. I was a little disappointed in some actions on the scene. One was a lack of apparatus training and the other was safety concerns. This is a public blog, so I will leave the issue at that. Hopefully I'm in a position to make positive changes soon.

Weston is back on the bike

2013-05-29T00:46:00.000-05:00

I’m glad to see the scale moving back in my preferred direction. The upward shift was a bit turbulent this week, most likely the result of “recovery week”.

Woke up and mowed the lawn. I’ve been using Cheto’s lawn Service to mow, but he’s getting a little sloppy with his work and I need to property to look its best for pictures later today. I finished cleaning around the house, mostly tying up the loose ends that the relator suggested. I also stripped away the old caulking in the master bath and applied new caulk. It wasn’t as big of a project as I expected and looks much better.

The Toyota dealership called mid-day and said my truck was ready, so I rushed to Katy to get my ‘road Queen’ back home. The customer service lady said she filled up my truck, which was exciting… until I realized I had just fueled up before dropping the truck off. Damn my luck.

On the way home I was starving and pulled into Aranda’s for a chicken taco. I’ve been there so much that they don’t look at me weird anymore when I order ONE chicken fajita taco. It’s a tasty, cheap, and marginally healthy meal (fajita chicken, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and cilantro on a flour tortilla). With an iced tea, I’m usually out the door less than $4.00.

For the first time in several weeks, Westin and I went cycling in Eisenhower Park. We rode through the park to the intersection of West Lake Houston Parkway, back through Duessen Park and again through Eisenhower Park. We did this route twice for a total of 27-miles. I was happy that Weston rode at a faster pace, even though he hasn’t been on his bike in a long time. I pulled 90% of the time, which was hard on the return southbound portion of the ride. The wind was horrific and literally blowing us all over the road, but I embraced the challenge.

Road Bike:

27.22 miles

1:44:04

15.7 mph

Shortly after arriving home from the bike ride I went for a run along the Trailwood bayou. The first mile went by fast and easy, but near the end of the second mile I was struggling to stay in motion. It was apparent that my nutrition was lacking and I was mentally and physically suffering for the issue. Three-miles into the run I stopped at home and drank 20 ounces of water and ate a few bites of real food. Within minutes I was good to go and back on the trail. I maintained my 6/2 intervals as well as extending the last run to make up for the walking prior to bonking. It might have taken two attempts, but I didn’t quit.

Run:

4.18 miles

48:37

11:38 pace

Received an email with the pictures from my triathlon. I like one picture, because my arms looked jacked... even if its a visual delusion.

What day is it?

2013-05-28T18:03:00.000-05:00

For nearly six-weeks, I've been working with the custom leather company that installed the Katskin leather in my truck. There is a small section on the driver’s seat that is defective and it appears that black paint is flaking off. Everything is finally ready for repair, so I drove to the dealership near Katy to allow them to re-upholster the seat. They did a good job with customer service by putting me in a rental, rather than having me wait or drop my truck off with them, which wasn't an option. They put me in a brand new Toyota Highlander, which was a really nice ride.

On the way home I stopped by the gym for a quick swim. Today I worked on changing lanes without wasting time stopping at the wall, dunking under the rope, and then kicking off the wall. Hopefully this will save me valuable time that might make a difference in my next race. I don’t know what is wrong with my Garmin Forerunner, but it wouldn't upload the data. The information is in my watch, but it won’t sync to my computer like it is supposed to do. Time to call Garmin and find out what the issue is.

Swim:

600 yards

17:56

3:06 minutes/100 yards

The new runner, Lindsay was supposed to meet me for tonight’s run and I always look forward to the social aspect of running. I’ve been so busy that my days are completely mixed up and I can’t keep it straight. Today I drove to Riverwood Middle School and waited for the runners. When no one showed, I disappointedly took off running towards EEP. One-mile into the run, I realized it was Tuesday and I had said I was running the Trailwood Bayou Trail. I abruptly turned around and rushed home, but no one was there. I ran along the two-mile route on my street and then finished with a loop around the bayou rim. I had a great run, minus the fact that Lindsay had showed up earlier and I was at the wrong location.

Run:

4.25 miles

48:06

11:19 pace

Memorial Day

2013-05-27T23:56:00.002-05:00

Worked 24-hours at Humble FD

Happy Memorial Day!

My original plans to swim before work was squashed by a closed gym. I kind of thought this would be the case, but I took a chance.

I was assigned as the driver of engine-one. Slow day at work, only a couple small fires to deal with. One was a smoldering cigarette box outside an office and the other was a dumpster fire at an apartment complex.

I signed-up for two races today. On June the 30^th I will make another attempt at the Clydesdale division at the Freedom Triathlon in Sugar Land. A short four days later I will run the Bud Heat Wave 5-miler in Baytown as part of my Team Beef racing requirement. There’s a bunch of races I want to do, but money and time-off from work are significant obstacles.

Kids at the pool and post race exercise

2013-05-26T17:36:00.000-05:00

I’m still on a celebrated high from yesterday’s performance. In fact, I was so excited that I’m officially registered for the Austin Half Ironman 70.3 in October. I’m excited and almost wish it was sooner, but the timing looks good. I just need to work on my open water swimming.

After lunch the kids and I went to the pool for a swim. My legs are a little sore, but that didn’t stop me from swimming some laps during “adult swim”. Preston has been scared of the water this season, although I think he finally getting back to his comfort zone we left off last season. I used a section of a noodle to get him away from the pools edge and before I knew it, he was swimming to the edge without the help of the noodle. Alison took pictures of me swimming during the adult swim and captured some great pictures. My form looks better than I thought it would have been.

Swim:

750 yards

20:54

2:47 minutes/100 yards

We cleaned up the house and then drove all the way back to Trinity as part of the arrangement I had made with Erin. It’s a long drive, but she helped by bringing the kids to me after yesterday’s race. The only down side is that I spent three-hours driving, when I’d rather had spent the time playing with the kids.

Later in the evening, I meet up with a friend who is new to running and looking for support. My schedule called for a six mile long run and I’ve only logged three-miles, which happened during yesterday’s race. We went for a leisurely run along the greenbelts, well after dark. The pace was pedestrian, but she did a great job on the run. The slower pace was good for my legs. I think it’s amazing that I was able to run 3-miles and swim 750 yards the day after a great race. My fitness level is certainly coming along nicely!

Run:

3.04 miles

45:07

14:40 pace

Combat Triathlon race report

2013-05-25T20:41:00.000-05:00

Pre–race:

I ate an egg sandwich on the drive to Texas City, around 4:45 am. Later this proved to be too early as my stomach was rumbling as I waited to start my swim at 7:45 am. My new tri bag was too big, so I was forced to carry everything into transition. Steve showed us how he sets up his transition spot. It didn't take long to set up. Our bodies were marked, although I had a girl that had some really sloppy handwriting… I could barely tell what number it was. Our group went for a warm-up swim in the pool, which felt really good. I know it was a normal pool, but I felt more buoyant in that pool. We were seeded in the last ten people of 300 starters. It was nearly 45-minutes before we entered the pool. Standing around was not ideal for my feet, so I sat at the pool side whenever I had the chance.

Weather:

The weather was great… for May in Houston. The wind was typical for the gulf coast city and the skies were completely overcast during the ride. The sun was out a little more during the run, making it tougher at that time.

Route/course:

I have no complaints about the course. The cycling portion went great for me and I was working my ass off to stay above 20 mph. The road surface changed on the final miles and my bike computer showed that I dipped under 20, which was disheartening. The run course was clearly marked, although the run through the nearby neighborhood did not showcase the area well. The long straight sections were idea for racers.

Damage Control:

No physical damage, although I need to do more brick workouts from the bike to a hard run. It was difficult to run after a hard bike ride and it was a completely new feeling for me.

Race/RD/Aid stations:

The aid was perfect. The volunteers were friendly and helpful. There was a person at the pool to help you out, as well as in transition area and littered on the bike course. The water stations were well stocked and eager to assist. My favorite was the home owner who was in the street with his water hose, offering to spray you off. I told him to “let me have it”. The fresh cool water was refreshing and re-energized me. I was disappointed that I didn't get a finishers metal, especially since it was my first, but rather we got a small “finishers towel”, which was lame. The food and drinks at the finish line were perfect. In fact there was almost too much to choose from!

Gear:

Lots of gear required for a tri. Clothes: tri shirt and shorts. Goggles, Bike, bike computer, camera (installed on my handlebar, but forgot to turn it on for the first 3-4 miles), helmet, race belt with bib, bike shoes, and socks, I forgot my sunglasses, running shoes, and nutrition. Everything worked out well except my shirt, which was loose fit. To make matters worse, I forgot to zip up my shirt and it was the result of a lot of drag during my swim and slightly bothersome. I also need to install elastic laces on my running shoes. I wasted a lot of time in transition putting on socks and tying my shoes. My bike handled great today.

Fuel/Hydration/Supplements:

As I said before, I was hungry before the tri started, so I need to keep some kind of bar with me before the race starts. On the bike, I drank lots of Gatorade, almost to the point of nausea, but I was extremely thirsty. I also took one s-cap and one honey stinger chew every 15-minutes. From there on, my nutrition was dialed in; this is a result of training with the same nutrition. After the race I was hot and went for an ice cream, but the dairy from the ice cream upset my stomach. From that point on, I had a potato & egg taco and a root beer. I’m not supposed to have carbonated drinks, but it sounded so-darn-good. On the way home Brian convinced me to stop and join him at Whataburger. I bought a junior burger, but didn't eat any more than half of the burger. Although, I had a fair share of sweet tea, which I felt I deserved.

Runners and Friends:

Steve, Danielle and Brian raced and Brian’s wife and friend were spectating. Surprisingly, I didn't see anyone else I knew. I figured I’d see a runner or two that I knew.

Post-race:

I knew I had a good time and later learned that I had met my goal of 20+ mph on the bike with an average speed of 20.2 mph! I missed third place in the Clydesdale division by less than 90-seconds and I was only 23-seconds behind Steve, who is a veteran triathlete. I was impressed with my triathlon debut and would have been hard to wipe the smile off my face.

Lessons Learned:

I need to seed myself better for the swim. It wouldn't have changed much except getting done before it was any hotter and less time standing on my feet, waiting to enter the pool.

I need to find a new tri shirt or man up and swim shirtless. Speaking of the pool, I need to work on kicking off the wall and changing lanes as one action rather than it being multiple moves, thus wasting times.

The biggest issue was wasted time in the transition. Most of this was the result of inexperience, but I have a good idea how to get in and out faster now. Elastic shoe laces, run in transition, and pack stuff on bike to be donned while riding,.

Timing:

1:25:14

Swim: 7:40 (300-yards)

T1: 1:51

Bike: 44:33 (15-miles)

T2: 1:50

Run: 29:18 (3.1 miles)

Fourth in Clydesdale division

Notes:

There was an attractive girl between Brain and I. She was very humble and stated she was a weak swimmer and cyclist. During our extended wait, we talked to her a lot, as well as others. As we approached the pool, everything went in a blur. I remember being 3-4 swimmers away and the next thing I knew I was swimming. The girl who claimed to be a weak swimmer easily passed me in the second lane. Brian was right on my feet, but never quite had the energy to pass me. We looked tired, so I never stopped at the wall to let me pass. I kept an even pace. Only one other swimmer passed me and still not sure where he came from. I know I passed one swimmer who was resting at the pool edge, but there might have been more.

It was hard to put my socks on in transition and probably won’t wear socks next time. Out of habit I nearly mounted my bike in transition, but a volunteer was there to remind me of the no-ride zone. I had forgot my sunglasses and from the very beginning, the sweat was pouring down the front of my helmet. I passed bike after bike as I rode 22-24 mph for the first five miles. I didn't realize the wind was at hour back until we turned around. I pushed hard on an overpass to take over a handful of riders and nearly pushed too hard. On the five miles back the wind was now in my face and reduced my speed to 18-19 mph. I watched my pace slow, but we turned again and I quickly captured my magical number of 20 mph. That was before the last few miles of wind and rough road service. I gave it everything I had, but I lost the speed per my Garmin, but later learned I had met my goal. Not one single rider passed me on the bike course and I even passed the swimmer who was behind me just a few miles into the ride. It was a huge boast to my confidence to pass people with such easy, many who were on expensive tri bikes and wearing tri-helmets. I even heard a few “fuck!” as I blew by people. When I passed someone it was a gradual thing, I was on fire and I blew by them as if I was rocket propelled. Indeed, it was a great feeling.

The second transition went better, except that I had started the run and realized I had forgot my honey stinger chews and s-caps, so I ran back and go them. The feeling in my legs after the bike ride was crazy. I felt like I could run at all. In fact, I wasn't going to run at all, but there was a photographer taking pictures and I started running and once I passed them it was time to start my running interval. It took more than a mile to get my legs back. There was a feeling of moving really slow, but the pace wasn't nearly as slow as it felt. For the second time, the girl that passed me in the pool had passed me again this time on the run. She was insanely fast and I would not see her again till the finish. I skipped the last running interval, but never pushed too hard because I felt like I was near the red-line. Looking at the results, I wish I had skipped more of the walking, which might have made the difference between third and fourth place. Of well, lesson learned.

Once we finished, Steve and I went back half a mile to find Brian and ran back with him until he was in the finishers shoot. It had a successful race too and a good day was had by all!

Kids are home after my race!

2013-05-25T18:23:00.000-05:00

I didn't get much sleep last night, but I jumped out of bed ready for the race and to see the kids later. I’m glad I didn't work last night, because I realized I left a couple small things at home.

As I was driving South, I realized I didn't have an exact address. I knew it was at the college of the mainland, but my navigation pulled up three locations. Of course the first location was right, but I looked at the run/bike route and quickly determined where I needed to go.

I meet up with Brain, Steve, and their wives. Quickly I realized I wasn't prepared for the transition. The space provided is much smaller than I had expected and my new bag was entirely too big for the area.

See race report for details about the event.

Erin was really nice to me and brought kids to Humble at a later time, which allowed me to race and still get the kids for a reasonable amount of time. We looked at bikes at Bike Barn for Alison. She fell in love with a road bike with a flat handlebar. She wanted it bad, but we will have to wait till I have the money. I let Erin take her bike to Trinity, so she is temporarily without a bike at my house. We had lunch, went home and I actually fell asleep on the couch while the kids were playing together. I only slept an hour, it was enough to energize me for the night.

My kids are perfect. I had a lot of homework to do and they allotted me the opportunity to get it done and return to being a reasonable father. Love those kiddos!

T-minus one day....

2013-05-24T10:25:00.000-05:00

I spent the early morning hours in the gym swimming one last time before my debut triathlon. I didn't swim hard, just worked on gliding and being comfortable in the water. If my heart-rate monitor were waterproof, I’d like to wear it and know what my bpm are during a typical swim.

Swim:

500 yards

19:37

3:55 minutes/100 yards

Worked 12-hours at Humble FD

I was scheduled to get off work at 4:30am, but I begged Cody to work for me for the night shift. After lots of begging and pleading, he agreed to work for me, which was a HUGE relief. I was concerned because I was on the ambulance, in district two, on a Friday night, and with a full-moon! Luckily, we only made two calls during the day.

Before getting off work I picked up a large triathlon bag from a fellow athlete. The bag is badass and I got a great deal. The tags were still on the bag and were priced at $250.00… not bad for $50. It’s not the type of bag you’d take into transition, more in line with traveling, because you could pack a LOT of stuff in this bag.

On the way home from work I meet a friend at Pei Wei for a sensible dinner. Once I was home I spent a couple hours arranging everything in my new bag and felt confident that I had everything I needed for the race. My plans were to be in bed before 9:30 pm, yet it was closer to midnight before my nerves settled enough to sleep.