Monday, November 16, 2009

Getting Back

First, thank you all so much for the comments on my b2b race report. 40 comments? that's the most for any post so far. Fantastic. Your support and friendliness truly means a lot to me.

It's time to get back into the swing of things. Last week I allowed myself no restrictions, just do what I wanted to do. I only did one swim and one run. I ate anything that would fit in my mouth. I was recovering. By wednesday my legs felt like being shaken again. So I only ran 2 miles. It was good enough to work out some remaining soreness. No sweat there. The swim was pretty good too. I felt efficient and strong in the pool, and came out hungry. I'll take it.

Then this weekend, I had a batchelor party in Charlotte to go to. So many beers. Oh so many beers. I'm too old for that crap now. Still, I got to regale some of the guys with tales of ironman. We were able to properly send that one poor soul into the death of his batchelorhood by way of lap dances and pole work. It was mostly fraternity brothers, but the groom's uncle showed up at a bar for a while. It was fantastic to get to see my old college buddies again. We all get together a couple of times a year. But now we're all old and married, so it's just a matter of time before these weekend long parties turn into 3 beers over golf in the afternoon and a nap before dinner.

Which is really ok with me. I discovered this weekend how much bars hate me. They are so loud, and I don't hear well anymore. So I can smile, and clank my beer against yours, and that's supposed to be entertaining until 2 am? I'm too old and too married for that crap.

I stopped wearing a wedding band when I got fat a few years ago. Yes, it does fit again, but I'm not in the habit of wearing it so I never think to put it on. Since then, I've also stopped being a fan of things that go "around" me. I even quit wearing a watch, or ties, or any other jewelry. I know what you're thinking, and yes it was weird when I finally took off that ankle bracelet - no just kidding. But I did have to admit to the fraternity brothers that I shaved my legs. That's another story. Anyway.... we found a few batchelorette parties at the bar saturday night and I was 1 of only 3 of our group not wearing a wedding band. I did get some of the strangest looks when I admitted that I was married (and full disclosure: I ALWAYS admitted it, even when I was not asked - see the above note about not being able to hear or talk in bars).

Saturday was our 11th wedding anniversary! Yea I know, bad timing, I spent my wedding anniversary at a bar without my wife. Hey, I didn't pick the date for the party or our wedding. Total coincidence. Besides, you may remember last year when for our 10th anniversary, Kelley was shopping and barhopping with her college friends in Williamsburg, VA. So I had justification. We did the celebration thing Monday night after getting back from the race. Just going out for a nice dessert and coffee after putting the kids to bed. Still, 11 years? Happy anniversary honey! I did actually call her from the bar at 6:10, approximately when our ceremony ended 11 years earlier.

When I got back to Raleigh sunday afternoon all I wanted to do was eat vegetables and sleep. I did some yoga just for the cleansing effects mentally. I think my stomach is still off kilter a little bit.

Today I decided it's time to get back on track. I'm going to have to ramp back up to the 14 workouts a week I was doing before. But I started out with a 600 m swim over lunch. I was amazed how much my lungs were feeling the effects of those smoke filled bars. I could barely make it 6 laps without stopping to cough up a lung! wow, it was tough. I still feel dehydrated too. I'm doing my tri power workout tonight too, then going mountain biking with the office crew tomorrow over lunch.

I'm searching for races in 2010, and starting to lay out the calendar a bit. It's tough to go too far in advance without knowing when our houses in Greenville will sell, but I feel safe nailing down a few outlines. I'm leaning towards doing this century ride, it's very near some friends of ours that we want to visit soon. And it looks flat enough to qualify for an easy first century. I don't want to do the same thing I did with my first marathon, picking something incredibly challenging in the wrong time of year.

All I know is, I better be ready to stomp out the snail come February.

18 comments:

Georgia Snail said...

I was doing K repeats at the track while you were headed to Charlotte to play drinking games with your frat brothers. When you were waking up all fuzzy headed wondering where your car was located and which buddy was cuddled up next to you on the floor of the hotel room, I was doing my 8 mile long run on the Savannah River Bridge....I was doing one-arm push ups in the parking lot of the strip club.....WAIT!!1! you went to a titty bar? wtf? that's what I call training....

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

Happy Anniversary! 11 years - that's awesome!

Georgia Snail said...

oh and by the by....this will not be the last time you hear me say "FIRST!"

RockStarTri said...

Congrats on the 11.

Welcome back to the world of training. I've found centuries much easier than marathons and long tris. You'll be focusing on running until February but will need some time to build some miles. Keep that in mind for the schedule.

Don't give up on celebrating B2B! There is more savoring of that to do.

Amber said...

Hahaha, well Happy Anniversary! That's too funny you spent it out in the bar this year and she did last year!

Glaven Q. Heisenberg said...

Lap dances and pole riding at a FRAT bachelor party? That's a first! Alert the media!

Gee, Cletus, how are all the boys of Delta Kappa Mangina? Izzat yeast infection still hitting y'all pretty hard?

At first I was like "Smoking? They still allow that indoors?" Then I remembered you're in NC where the state flower is the tobaKKKy plant and cornholin' is the state pastime. (The latter, I just learned, may also be the state pastime in MD.)

Happy 11th anniversary! Yeah, you were perfectly justified in spending it at a bar - because you didn't have any say in when your wedding ceremony happened.

I'm sure Kelley, on the other hand, had a lot of say in your getting so fat in the course of your marriage that your wedding band started to choke off the blood supply to your finger. (But you know the old saying: "Whatever doesn't crush or smother you to death during sex only makes you stronger and more determined to substitute shoe shopping for physical intimacy." So that probably worked out to her advantage, too.)

So she totally had that coming.

joyRuN said...

Happy anniversary!

I'm too old for such shenanigans anymore. 9pm and I'm soooo ready to curl up somewhere for some sleep.

Calyx Meredith said...

We partied with some friends this weekend too - and I have to say I'm ok for it to be a rare thing. I like the way I feel after training waaay better than I like the way I feel after a night of too many cosmos.

The century ride looks great - except it's the same day as the (gulp) marathon we're looking at. Tybee Island Half looks like it might fit though. Dude - the entry fee is like $28. (Did I totally read that wrong?!) I have a friend in Savannah we might could crash with too. Hmmmmmm. The plans, the plans - I love this time of year.

PS - We've done two three milers since we've been half iron. I think the second run was harder than the B2B half mary. WTF?

Calyx Meredith said...

Dammit - with all those words, I forgot to say Happy Anniversary!

Jess said...

Sounds like a fun weekend! Happy Anniversary to you and the wife!

I love looking at races in the future picking out good ones that look like fun!

Your Wife said...

To whom did you have to explain that you "really were married", my dear?

Alisa said...

11 years, congrats!!!

I'm kinda over the bar scene too. I think if I was single maybe I wouldn't be but since I'm happily married bars just aren't that impressive anymore.

Thank goodness OR finally got progressive enough to outlaw smoking in bars. When we first moved here that law wasn't enacted yet and it was miserable!

Good luck with everything. I'm excited to hear about 2010.

Mel-2nd Chances said...

Happy 11th anniversary! funny how you spent it! :)

Jes said...

Hahaha!! Love the comment from your wife! I think it's awesome that after 11 years you still brag about being married! Good for you!

And just because you don't like smoky bars doesn't mean you're too old!!! We're practically the same age, so if you're too old then I might have to face facts and grow up, too!

Lily on the Road said...

OMG, CJ, between the snail and your wife, what I can I say? LMAO...other than,

Happy Anniversary!!

Wes said...

LOL @ Glaven... Happy 11th... When my wedding ring broke, Dee Dee dug the plain one we were married with out of the drawer, you know. So I was all proper and all ;-)

Manderz said...

The comment from your wife is classic!!! Happy Anniversary to you both! Good luck with picking out 2010 races, I cant believe the year is almost over.

Al's CL Reviews said...

Congrats on the 11 years.

Jousting is the state sport of MD. Yes, I had to know this to graduate HS from there.