Training Log Archive: Mr Wonderful

C-c-c-c-c-c-c-combo breaker

The other half of 2007's Quiet Riot (the 2007 March Madness's 97th fastest team), Allison, and her husband, disc golfer extraordinaire Eric, return to Michigan after a several year hiatus for law school in Indiana and law job in LA.

Not quite sure of the last time we got such good news.

Canoe O w BNM. Good to work on paddling shape while studying Igor's 1:15k.

Leg reviews are doing well.

My life goal for those is to not care if I don't describe the optimal way because of my own ignorance. I think giving any kind of sense of things to look at or think about is sufficient for helping in development.

Trying to ignore what should be and focus on what's next. Not my nature!

Easing into it, five sledding hill reps after a little warmup, then a little cool down.

Event: SMOC Waterloo HQ
 

Scouted the batch of Peach Mountain I'd been missing.

So many nice areas, you will all have a great time. I am jealous.

Set and show an 800 m loop near the start. ~8 in the first group, ~3 in the second.

Mark's red run

Retrieve red #10 w/ BNM

Retrieve 8 and 9 with BNM

Leg/route review posts seem to be engaging, we'll have to try for more.

Maybe just maybe Epic prep.

QOC, here we come. Just 150 to go. Can we catch 'em in the next three weeks? Currently picking up ~40-50 in any seven day window.

(Yes, I recognize that number is somewhat arbitrary if we don't get it to drive attendance.)

Reconsidering my commuting bike possibilities. I could ride ye olde blue ar bike, which would be good prep. I could pick up a proper commutery touring style bike. Or I could stage clothes and laptops and get a go fast machine for maximum variety.

Planned beginner class modifications:

Trying to have two classes to keep numbers more manageable.

May print a crude compass guide to go with the mini class course.

May try to do the compass as each person saunters up rather than as assembled.

Still not sure how to handle some items:

There is a huge disparity in rate of understanding - this is hard to accommodate in groups unless you have superstar co instructors like BNM, JT, AT, or RW, since some are chomping and others aren't.

I think the super short format is nice (~500 m). I accidentally provided route choice at Chilson but I think that was good, because that highlights some of the fun of it.

I was curious how this would go - in my current state my navigation exceeds my fitness.

Certainly was an honest effort if you look at heart rate. Sad that my honest effort is honestly not so fast. Time to get back into shape.

It'll be rough, within eight blocks I go past eight dessert shops.

Thank you Igor setting great courses and hosting today

My route, entitled, "One man's desperate attempt to minimize climb"

I forgot I had to drop my Escape off.

Current view from MetroNav HQ:



I was showering up for a trip to a bike shop when I heard a bunch of sirens. It's been going over for over 90 minutes at this point.

Another pic from earlier behind my garage standing on a wheelbarrow:



It occasionally flames back up. As I type, the "best" remaining roof section now is starting to have bright flame.

I feel terrible for the homeowners. The best I gathered from the streetside gossip before I went into my yard was something about perhaps a lawnmower issue. Not sure if speculation or actual cause. Garage went up first, which may fit.

The beginner "class" format is more successful than I guessed it would be. Kudos to BNM's suggestion to start 'em up.

I suppose it makes sense though - rather than having to ask for a crash course, having it available makes it easy to get.

Curious what our retention will be, but at worst it's no extra driving and not much extra time for instructors.

C • I was surprised to see the ... 2

Any kind soul who shows up a few minutes before they want to run Winnewana and take a few of pictures, eg of families enjoying orienteering, people running, etc. will have my undying gratitude. Last batch seemed to do well, people love pics. Anything along those lines or be inspired to do something different.

Winnewana ad never got served. Thanks FB. Trying to get it to serve, and will be more attentive for next week I guess.

C • Likes are through the roof ... 4

HFS, prof sat on progress reports for two weeks, then finally submits feedback one week before presentation. Paraphrasing, "It's bad and you should feel bad." Not 100% sure why he bothered at this point. At least he attended his conference last week.

Plans to resume exercise....suspended! See you on 4/22.

Event: OCIN Flying Pig XX
 

Yesterday, our sweetest beloved boy, one day over 13, left us. On his birthday, he started coughing and two vet visits confirmed his poor little body was experiencing heart failure and extensive cancer. We let him go.

It seemed so sudden - just over Easter he scared off a goose at the in laws. We thought maybe he ate something funny over Easter. But the vets said he was probably getting worse but able to compensate for some time. In hindsight, this might explain his sluggish pace on recent walks - he was also a bit of a lazy pup so we had rationalized it as that.

We are vacillating between wondering if we did what was best and thinking of our many fond memories - a trip to Mackinac where he charmed everyone. A tiny tuxedo on a wedding trip. Seeing his little face in the window driving up to our last house, then watching him turn around and his tail pop up as he went down his stairs to meet us at the door. All the times he ran his treat machine scam, where he'd go outside just to get a treat for coming back inside.

He took so warmly to SuLe when she arrived, never treating her any differently than us. He even tolerated that funny little hyper brown dog when Bella joined our family, reluctantly snuggling on car rides.

I slept next to him on the floor by his crate for his last night for the few hours between the emergency visit and when he woke up. Kimberly and I were with him entirely his last day.

We were able to bury him on the farm next to his Auntie Honey, my mother-in-law's lab.

Here is Mr. Bartleby Bumble, variously Bartleby, Bartles, or my sweet boy, in his happy place, perched on the window seat:

C • So sorry 4