Additions

OK, everything has been crazy around here. That's why it's been so long since I've posted. I don't mind taking one rest day in between workouts, that's a good thing. But two days in a row starts to get old. So I got nothing in thursday or friday, but I did get an 8 mile run in saturday in about 1:18 and change. Not a bad pace at all. Sunday I went out in the garden and got the rest of the veg patch weeded and mulched with the wheat straw. It's awesome. Then last night I had to work until after 11 pm. So that's 2 days off, one run, and 2 days off. I'm going crazy. I don't like working until 11 pm. That's crazy. The good news is we got a new version released of my software, so a lot of people are happy about that. And I might be able to sneak in a short bike ride this morning. The plan is to get an interval run in tonight as well.

I have to get un-insane, and quickly.

I'm still on the fence about the Siezure Head Slog Fest this weekend. It's a 60 mile ride up the steepest mountain in SC. It's a free ride thanks to the Spinners touring group, there are no race day speed pressures. You break for lunch at a restaurant at the top of the mountain. There's a sweeper in the ride, nobody gets left behind. I've got the time saturday morning to go do it free from any other family pressures. But it's such a steep climb I don't have confidence that I can do it. Maybe I can talk myself into/out of it if I can get a ride this morning.

One new addition to the race schedule is awesome! This race just opened up last night. The Go Drive Run 5k & Fun Run is on for August 16th. Go Magazine is a local triathlon magazine that is awesome. After finding and reading it first back in 2006, it made me think that even I could actually do a triathlon. I read it while smoking a cig outside of my office.

This is the first time the magazine [publisher Rich Osborne] has directed a race. Kelley and I are both already signed up to run the 5k. The Greenville Drive is our minor league baseball team, and the course starts at the Drive's stadium and runs through downtown. It's a mostly downhill course, so it should be a good course to PR on. There is also a kid's run, that Bigun is already signed up for. It starts at home plate, and kids 4 to 10 run around the baseball field warning track and end up at home plate. They get a finishers medal and everything. Every registration includes a ticket to the Drive game that night, food and beverage coupons, 5k gets a t-shirt and kids run gets the finishers medal. So the entire crowd that's in to watch the game gets to cheer on the kids run. How cool is that! Bigun gets a medal at her first race; she's always putting on mine or Kelley's marathon finishing medals. It will also be her first time going to a baseball game, and she claims to like baseball. I'm also trying to talk Morgan into running the 5k. If you're local, sign up for this one! It looks great!

There's one catch. August 16th is a sunday, it's the same day as the Greenville Sprint triathlon that I'm already signed up to run. I ran this one last year, so it will be my first time repeating a race. So at 7 AM I start a sprint triathlon (400 meter swim, 15 mile bike, 5k run). Then at 6 PM I'm running another 5k race. Two races in one day? I've never tried that before. At least I can drink beer outside at the baseball game when it's all said and done. I normally hate August and anything that happens in that month, and this time I'm really looking forward to that day.

Finally Michelle has a really good idea. We all know that Glaven is a big wimp, but I didn't expect him to be quite such a party pooper. If he didn't want to setup a half marathon smackdown for the fall, I at least expected him to be a dick about not wanting to run against me. That would have at least been funny. Instead he just showed his girly parts practically trying to make me feel bad for suggesting we have a little fun.

But I did not feel bad! In fact, Michelle suggested that I host a VIRTUAL race to make it open for everyone. She also suggested September 13, which is Grandparents day. I like it. So it's virtual game on! Here are the rules:

1. Run 13.1 miles the weekend of September 13th. this does not have to be in an organized race. Use a treadmill, garmin, mapmyrun & stopwatch, whatever. Just cover the distance sometime that weekend and time yourself.
2. Email the time to me at babyfishmouth at worldnet dot att dot net. I will compile the results and post them here.
3. It's open to everyone, whether or not you are a regular reader of this blog. Get the distance in and email me your name and time and you are in it to win it. If you have a blog, I'll link back to you too.
4. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 times willing to give me a shipping address. I don't know what they are yet. Could be a box of veggies from my garden if there's anything left to harvest that weekend. Could be something else, like a book on diet or running, maybe a copy of Tri Power. Who knows. It may be TBD, but there will be prizes.
5. Since it's a virtual race, you don't have to get permission from your beautiful, intelligent wife to sign up for a half marathon. Just go out for your normal weekend long run and make it 13.1 miles. and time it.

I need someone who's more photoshop friendly than I am to help me come up with a logo. I'm a programmer, not a designer. So I couldn't make a jpg if you put a gun to my head. I think we also need a name for this virtual race. I'm thinking about the "Even Glaven can do it - Virtual 13.1" name. Normally these things have some kind of charity to support. I think G's bruised N*ts@ck needs all the help it can get. Just think about all of those meat punches it's taken over the last year or so. And apparently his fondling habit needs an intervention. But this virtual race doesn't have to be a "make fun of Glaven" festival. I truly hope he will participate in it just because it is fun. There really is no comparative pressure for anyone. I bet my time will be towards the bottom of the list. The more results we can get the merrier the whole thing will be. And I know some people will be faster than the rest of us. Once a name and graphic are finalized, I will make an official post with the race details. Comment or email me with any ideas you might have for this virtual race! I really hope we can pull together something fun for everyone.