Happy Birthday Justin

Sunday was my grandson Justin's second birthday party. His birthday is today. Happy Birthday Justin. Here he is eating his birthday cake.

Training wise, I got a short ride in yesterday of 25 miles since I had to drive 2 hours to the party. I feel like I say the same thing every weak, I just don't seem to get enough training time in now that I have moved north. So my goal for this weak is to be consistent in my training.




Here are this weaks totals:

Bike: 100 miles
Swim: 4,000 yards
Run: 24 miles

So Use Your Sunscreen

Today's PSA is from WEBMD


Melanoma Skin Cancer Strikes Again
Study Shows 8% of Patients Get Melanoma Again within 2 Years of 1st Diagnosis
By Miranda HittiWebMD Medical News
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MDon Monday, April 17, 2006

April 17, 2006 -- Melanoma skin cancer may return more often than expected, experts report in the Archives of Dermatology. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. It's much rarer than nonmelanoma skin cancers. The study included 354 melanoma patients living in New Hampshire. The findings include:

27 patients (8%) had recurrent melanoma within two years of their first diagnosis.
20 patients (6%) had recurrent melanoma within a year of their first diagnosis.

Atypical moles upped the odds of recurrent melanoma. Melanoma didn't always return in the same spot. Melanoma patients should be closely monitored, and past studies have shown lower melanoma recurrence rates, note Linda Titus-Ernstoff, PhD, and colleagues. Titus-Ernstoff works in Dartmouth Medical School's community and family medicine department and the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.

Interview and Skin Check

The researchers interviewed each patient by telephone for 40 minutes. In the interviews, participants disclosed their family history of melanoma, natural hair color at age 20, eye color, and sunburns starting when participants were 10 years old. Patients also got skin exams by doctors. For comparison, the researchers also studied 327 people with a one-time history of melanoma who did not have a history of another new melanoma. All participants were about 53 years old, on average, when they were first diagnosed. Almost all participants in both groups had at least one benign mole (96% of past melanoma patients and 94% of the comparison group); most had less than 15. Benign moles weren't associated with greater risk of melanoma recurrence -- but the same wasn't true of atypical moles.

Warning Sign

In the new study, atypical moles were linked to a higher rate of recurrent melanoma. Atypical moles have at least three of the following features: diameter larger than 5 millimeters, redness, varied colors, irregular or ill-defined borders, and a flat portion of the mole. The more atypical moles a past melanoma patient had, the greater the odds of having recurrent melanoma. Past melanoma patients with at least three atypical moles were more than four times as likely to have recurrent melanoma, compared with those with no atypical moles, the researchers write.
Atypical moles were also more common with recurrent melanoma than in the comparison group. Of the 27 patients with recurrent melanoma, 63% had at least one atypical mole. So did 37% of the comparison group.

New Location

Melanoma often recurred in new areas. Of the 27 patients with recurrent melanoma, nearly half had all their melanomas in roughly the same spot. For example, they may have had their first melanoma on the upper back and recurrent melanoma in the middle of the back. In four other patients, melanoma returned a bit farther away. They may have gotten their first melanoma on their back and later tumors on their front, or above and below the waist. Melanoma recurred in more distant locations in the other 10 patients. For instance, they may have had their first melanoma on their trunk (midsection) and recurrent melanoma on an arm. The bottom line: Melanoma can come back in new locations, so melanoma patients need close surveillance, the researchers write.

Sunburn Surprise

Excessive sun exposure has long been linked to skin cancer risk. For unknown reasons, the study showed a lower risk of melanoma recurrence in people with history of blistering sunburns
That finding should be interpreted "cautiously," the researchers write. They warn that "the association should not be construed as suggesting that sunburn protects patients with melanoma from developing additional tumors." The study doesn't track melanoma recurrence beyond two years after first diagnosis and wasn't big enough to detect subtle patterns in melanoma recurrence, note Titus-Ernstoff and colleagues.

Lance and NYC Marathon

The AP is reporting the following story:

Associated Press

ROME, Ga. -- Look out, New York. Lance is ready to run.
Lance Armstrong told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he plans to compete in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 5.
"We were looking at the Chicago Marathon, but a conflict arose with the date, and New York seems to fit our schedule better," Armstrong said in a telephone interview. "I've been training some, but I wouldn't call it serious. It's just something to fill a void in my life after I quit competing as a professional cyclist."
Armstrong, who is preparing for his first marathon, retired from cycling after winning an unprecedented seventh straight Tour de France last year.
Before committing to become a full-time cyclist, Armstrong competed in triathlons as a teenager. He indicated he has no plans to run marathons or enter triathlons professionally, at least not at this time.

OLDMAN - Does Lance run as a mere mortal or with the elite runners? Does he stand in the sea of runners or.... Can Kona be in the future?

Gatorade vs Powerade

Well boys and girls we have all had debates about hydration for the Ironman but here is a different view on Gatorade vs Powerade. Slate.com has the video proof of the differences between G and P as shown in an Amish drag race. Unfortunately due to legal reasons the ad was pulled.... but then you'll get the point. Click here.

Monday Update

This has been a difficult weak to train living now in the Philly area and traveling back to Florida on Thursday returning to Philly on Monday. So here is a quick recap of my training weak. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday were ride days. I've yet to "find" a route here in Pa but on Friday and Sunday I rode in Florida on the ole Steel Monster. It made me appreciate clipless peddles and aerobars. I rode Sunday with Tony for 50 miles but I found it hard to keep up with him and maintain a steady 22 mph pace. No way was I even close to 30 mph on the straight-a-way. My run days have been less that great, running Tuesday and Thursday in Philly and Saturday in Florida. I was able to get a long run in on Saturday of 14 miles. Swimming has been a little difficult. I'm trying a local pool within walking distance of my office but I can't get use to their odd schedule. So I have only swam 2 days.

Weakly totals

Bike 110 miles
Run 28 miles
Swim 5,000 yards

I flew back to Philly this morning so hopefully I'll get a ride in after work. I haven't sold my Florida home even though I've had a lot of people looking. That also means I haven't found a house here and I'm still living in my temporary apartment. So if you want to buy a house in Florida, let me know.

Good luck to everyone doing the Boston Marathon today...Especially Jeff!

HILLS!

One thing Florida doesn't have is hills, unless you go to the north, but in Southwest Florida there are no hills. It's flat! The only hills that I ever encountered were overpasses. The overpasses over golf courses or the 5 bridges on my ride around Estero Island. The last bridge on the around the island ride is 130 ft tall! But one thing that Philly does have is plenty of hills!

This mornings ride was getting my legs in hill shape. Since I'm not sure of my route I've been riding for time. I have 60 minutes to ride so I go out 30 minutes turn around and head back. This morning I took a new and improve route. This route was one where I thought I wouldn't have a soccer mom talking on her cell phone while beeping her horn at me to get out of the way because she is late for work after dropping the kids off at school and day care. So the first few miles are down hill then up hill then flat then up hill again. It seem more up hill than down on the way out. I didn't have 10 miles on the speedo so I road a couple of loops around a neighborhood to get to 10 and started back. (Actually I got a little lost). Did I mention that on the way out I saw 37 mph? That should have been a clue but hey I'm from Florida.

The ride back started down hill, 27 to 30 mph then a nice uphill followed by some more uphill then a brief down followed by a huge hill. I thought my heart was going to come out of my chest hill. At the top was a traffic light and thankfully it was RED! It was good to stop take a drink and get some air. Then on to a downhill followed by a flat the a GIANT HILL worse than the first! I was afraid I was going to have to stop when I saw the speedo at 8 mph. But with burning legs, thumping heart, grasping for air I made it to the top! I made it back to my apartment in my allotted time of 60 minutes but I did feel like I got a good workout. Tomorrow I'm going to run that course so I can get my running legs in hill shape!

I moved!

Well boys and girls I didn't fall of the face of the earth but I'm now in beautiful Ardmore, PA a suburb of Philadelphia. They actually had snow for me on Wednesday! While the house in Florida hasn't sold, the Firm is putting me up in a furnished apartment.

This morning was a 20 mile ride and it was cold! I need some kind of warm jersey to keep my upper body warm. It is a lot different training here than in Florida where all you have to worry about is sweating. I have found some good hills although I haven't found a regular riding route. This morning I had a lady in an suv talking on her cell phone while blowing her horn at me because I was going to slow.... 26 mph! There was no bike lane so I had no place to go but take the right side of the road.

I plan on getting a swim in at lunch time and then next week is I will focus on getting back into the groove of training with a minimum of two workouts a day.

Moving - House For Sale

Ok it is finally settled. After two and a half months of negation, my saying no three times and now a second visit there, I have accepted a new position in Filthydelphia. Yes I'm crazy to leave sunny Florida weather where I can train outside year round. I will not be able to have lunch time swims in the Gulf of Mexico nor will I have my weekly Saturday swims at the beach followed by a beer at Doc's Beach House. But I will have new friends to train with along the Schuylkill Bike Path. The job is a great opportunity for me and they offered me Partnership immediately along with a wonderful 2 year contract. I'll be doing much of what I currently do just getting paid a lot more money.

These past weakend has been showing my house to potential buyers. I've have 12 people come thru after sending out a broadcast email to my community telling them that my house was for sale. Yes, I'm selling it without a realtor. I currently have 2 people interested and should know by the end of the weak.

I was able to get my long run in on Saturday and Tony and I did around the Island on Sunday for 54 miles. So here's the weakly totals:

Bike -129 miles
Run - 29 miles
Swim - 6,000 yards

He's Alive!!!!!!

Just a quick note to say I'm alive! Yes I survived my visit to Philadelphia. But I never want to see a Security and Exchange Commission Examiner again! Ugh. Above is a picture from my room in beautiful Conshohocken Pa. The Firm I worked for has offered me an outstanding job. So part of my visit has been evaluating if I want to move to the Philly area.




Training wise last week we will count as a rest week. I left home at 5:00 am only to arrived Saturday in Philly and drive straight to the office (picture above) and worked on the preparation of the examination until late in the evening. So no workout. Sunday I ran 7 miles along a portion of the Schuykill River Bike Trail. It runs from Philly to Valley Forge, 24 miles. It was cold cold cold. 29* and you know how I feel about the cold weather! I did have roadies pass me along the way and I was constantly amazed by the about of people biking the path. The rest of the day was looking at houses. Why is it I can't find a simple 3 bedroom, den with a fireplace and a deck home? Everything they showed me in my price range was a huge "executive home" with 4 bedrooms den, office, etc. Some of the master bedrooms had there own sitting rooms. I don't need huge for just me.


It was all down hill after Sunday. I worked and worked .... I did have dinner with a good friend on Monday and my youngest son Josh on Wednesday night. He is now home for good from Iraq and is now looking for a job in the computer industry. But no training. Friday I flew home exhausted and got in late.

Saturday I was tempted to sleep in but I got up at 8 am and did a 25 mile ride. I went to sunset and dinner with Tony and his wife.

The Sunday was the every popular around Estero Island ride with Tony. We added a few more miles to get it to 60 miles. It was a brutal ride into the wind much of the way. I was ready to get off my bike at the end.

WEAKLY Totals

Bike 85 miles
Run 7 miles
Swim Nada miles

Friday's Random Thots

Here is just a few ramdom thots to bring you up to speed on whatz happening:

Tony left for England on Wed to visit his Father for a week.... so I rode along this morning and felt pretty good for the first 21 miles...then I had no one to put the hammer down for the last 4 miles.

I got my suitcase down for my trip to Philly tomorrow. Gota pack tonight. I don't own warm clothing I have more shorts that long pants and only one suit.

I'm working Satuday and Sunday in Philly then meet the Security and Exchange Commission Examiners on Monday morning bright and early.

Did I mention that it is 76* and sunny here and 34* windy and cloudy in Philly?

I do plan on buying a Kmart Special and giving it to a needy child when I leave. Are there needy children in Philly?

I've made arrangements to use a local Y for swimming.

I'm getting together with my old friends from Vanguard...the Morron and Hey8Ball for a few beers Saturday night.

The swim has been canceled at the Ironman New Zeland in Taupo.... so now what do they do? actuall the race is tomorrow but you can watch it today becuase theyare ahead of us.

It is suppose to snow in Philly on Tuesday......snow people!

I don't want to go to Philly.

Maserati

The mystery car is a Maserati. Roman Mica and Steve were both right however Roman noted that it is a Maserati Quattroport. I was surprised that people knew what it was by my poor picture. This time of year, Snow Bird Season, you see al kinds of odd expensive cars. I'll try to find a hard one for next time.

Car

I had to go to our accountants office this afternoon. This was parked in the parking lot..

what is it?

On the Road Again

My training is coming to a screeching halt! Well cycling at least. I'm leaving early Saturday morning for Freezing Philly Pa and not returning until Friday. So I can't ride for a week people, a week! I have been thinking about buying a K-Mart special for $89 and giving it away when I leave so I can get my rides in but I think Roo would get jealous. I'll be close to the Philly-Valley Forge bike path and some of the best riding in the area. So what do you think? There is a Y near the office where I'll be working so I can swim at lunch and I can run in the mornings but hey it's cold up there...ugh! Well I can go see the WALL from the famous US Pro Cycling Championship.

Big Numbers

What does it take to complete an Ironman? Remember that is 140 miles all total? So what do I have to do to complete that race? Some one said:

A goal without a plan is just a wish!

So I spoke with several people who have done an Ironman. One had a respectable time at Kona for a 50 year old of 9:35. So I asked about training and weekly totals from someone who finished under 10 hours and particularly the bike. How much time do you spend on the bike? The answer was no less than 40 miles a weekday ride. The usual 3 day a week ride was a minimum of 40 miles each and the long ride was 80 miles. A total of 200 miles! The run mileage is a even higher than I thought it would be. It is not unusual to have a 50 mile week with a long run of 18 miles. Swim was what I thought, 3 to 4 days a week with at least one open water swim of 2 miles.

How can I do that? So what does it take? Planning, time and discipline. Planning of your training and planning of your time. The hours spent training are some serious hours...15 to 20 hours. It takes discipline to get up on time, go to bed on time, get out to do your training on time and to eat right...disicpline.

So for those of you that ask me about my numbers, they are really small compared to those who have done what I want to do. That's why I call it WEAKLY totals. They are weak by comparison.

Weakend Report

This week has had an emphasis on the bike.... while tri's are not just about the bike it is a major portion of the race. After all you spend 6 hours or more in the saddle and 1 hour on the swim. So you have got to develop an iron butt. Since I did the Estero Island Challenege on Monday, Tony wanted to do that for our Sunday ride. More on that in a moment.

Friday was of course one of my regular ride days. Tony and I were able to get 25 miles in before having to go to work. Once at work I found I was incredibly hungery, eating everthing in sight. I swam at lunch only to return to the office to eat more food.

Friday night I went to the Club as usual and again ate and drank beer like a pig.

Saturday was my long run day. I got up at my regular for a 7:30 run but I just didn't have any energy. It was warm, about 72* and bright sun so I thought it was going to be a tough one. So I imagined it was Kona. You know after the bike your hot, tired and have no energy. The first 2 miles were uneventful. I picked up my water bottle at the 2 mile mark and just tried to maintain an even pace. Then my HR monitor stoped working so I ran on feel. The next 4 miles was just plain hot..... I refilled my water bottle and had to choose long course or short course. Welll don't give yourself a choice...I took the short course so my next water stop wouild be at the 10 mile mark..... I just dragged myself there. No energy no nothing, I was just empty. After refueling with water I headed home and finished for a total of 14 miles. O well better get it next time.

Saturday night J and I met Tony and his wife at the Country Club for the British Invansion Night. It was a great night of eatting fish and chips with triffle for desert and dancing the night away to the music of the 60'.... the Beatles etc.

Sunday the forecast called for rain showers. But when I got up to go for my ride it was partly sunny and looked like it was going to clear. After giving Roo a quick bath ( I gotta remember to do this after the ride and not before) I met Tony at his house. We decided to do the Estero Island route.

As we started out it looked as if it would clear but the winds started up. We slogged into the wind for the first 10 miles and I couldn't wait to make a left turn onto Bonita Beach Road hoping the wind would be less...but no it was more! Now going directly west toward the Gulf of Mexico the winds increased as we got closer to the water. At Doc's Beach house, where I swim in the gulf, we turned north on Hickory Blouevard. The wind was on our left side coming off the Gulf and having such sudden gusts it was hard to stay on the road. The wind actually whistled thru the spokes on my wheels. Then the heavens opened with a stinging downpour. At one point Tony was actually blown off the road into the grass. Fortunately there is no curb or sidewalk. From then on it was one of the hardest bike rides I've ever done. Wind, stinging rain and going over 7 bridges including one climb in Ft. Myers Beach that is over a huge bridge (beyond cat climb). Needless to say after 50 miles I was glad to be back home. It was a struggle just to stay upright on the bike. But then I thot of Kona and the winds there so it was good practice.

Totals for the Weak

Bike - 140 miles
Run - 28 miles
Swim 12,500 yards
weights 2xs
pilates nada

Circumnavigate Estero Island Challenge

Yesterday I circumnavigated Estero Island a total of 41 miles. This is something that I have been wanting to do for some time but due to the road construction on one leg of my trip it hasn't been safe. So more in moment.....

The weakend weather was wonderful. The morning lows were in the mid 60's and the day time highs 81*with a nice gentle breeze. So here is a quick recap of my weakend...

This weekend I.....
... got off work early Friday, 2 pm, and went to the pool for a swim....
...had drinks with friends at the Club
...ran 15 miles Saturday morning
...walked 9 holes of golf Saturday afternoon
...had dinner at the beach with J watched the sunset.
...did the airport ride with Tony total of 60 miles
...did the Estero Island ride by myself total of 40 miles
...washed the windows at the house inside and out plus vacuumed the window treatments.
....fix a wonderful dinner of Oldman's meatloaf with Oldman's homemade mac & cheese.... hey I was starved for carbs.

So I was off Monday for President's Day therefore I decided to do my much thought about Estero Island ride. As I said above, I haven't done it because of road construction on the beginning leg on highway 41. There is suppose to be a bike lane but it has been removed and the highway is a mess.


So after giving Roo a quick bath (pic left) I started out at 7:30 am. It was overcast with patches of fog. Here's a pic looking down my street but you can't see the fog.

The first 10 miles are on the bike lane of Rte 41 until the road construction lanes. I road the right lane when I had to then on to Bonita Beach Road which leads of course to the beach and past Doc's.... I stopped at Lover's Key State Park which is rate as on of the top 10 beaches in the US. It is a beautiful park with wonderful white sand beaches. Here's a pic of Roo at Lover's Key...



Just after I took this pic a truck passed my with a sheet of drywall on the roof. The drywall blew off and crashed into the road. Had I not stopped for the pic it might have hit me! I continued on over 6 bridges into the community of Ft. Myers Beach. It is your typical island beach town with a lot of the 3 wheeled motorcycle engine cars and tourists.

Finally I reached the beyond cat climb of Ft. Myers Beach Bridge. Once at the top I stopped to take some pics, the one above and this one.....



At the top of the bridge I at my cliff bar and then headed home.... I had thought about riding on to Sanibel Island but I'll leave that for the next holiday. The ride was a total of 41 miles with an ave pace of 17.5 mph. I did have a problem with muscle cramps at the 38 mile mark. So I've got to solve that problem. I was drinking regular gatorade rather than endurance formula so maybe that had something to do with it.

I came home to wash windows at my house and I fixed myself a wonderful dinner of meatloaf with homemade mac and cheese which I had with a nice bottle of chardonnay (alone Linda).

Continuing Saga of the Cold

Weakend Update

This weakend I...

Friday I had drinks and dinner with my neighbors at the Country Club
Go up late Saturday morning
Ran 15 miles
did my taxes...I owe, I owe, so it's of to work I got.....
went to Maxwells with J for dinner
did a long COLD ride with Tony on Sunday 53 miles...43*
made it to church on time
skipped the beach for swimming
went to the wait room
had beers at the River Clb
put the robot in the pool
sat in the hot tub and watched the robot

Weakly totals
Bike 128
Run 29
Swim 6,000
Waits x2
Pilates Nada

Monday it was cold again ....38* and today we had frost with a morning temp of 31*. I turned my heater on last night for the first time in 2 years. No lunch time swims so far this week even though the temp at lunch time was 62*.

Cold Spell Continues

I'm sure your tired of hearing me say it, however it was another cold morning. This week Southwest Florida has had some really cold mornings and some areas reported frost. I'm not used to riding/running in 38* weather! I don't have the right clothes nor do I want to buy them for just one week out of the year. So today was a ride day. I wore my warmest cotton longsleeve shirt, tights, a windbreaker and wool gloves and I was still cold for the first 10 miles. But I got it done and finished my 25 miles.

Tony is recovering from his back injury. He wore a back brace and disguised his appearance by wearing a terrorist ski cap under his helmet. I almost didn't know who he was..... a short skinny balding Englishman with a funny accent!

I have some running around to do at lunch for the Firm so no swimming today. This weekend looks promising so here are my plans. Maybe if I tell you in advance it will help me to keep them!

Tonight
Cocktails at the Country Club
Dinner with the Icelandic neighbors
Tomorrow
Long Slow Run 15 miles
Work on my taxes
Sit in the Hot Tub
Wait Room work out for upper body
Dinner at Maxwells on the Bay with J
Sunday
Long Ride with Tony 60 miles
Go to Church
Clean my pool
Sit in the Hot Tub
Long Swim at beach if warm 1.5 hour
Afternoon beer(s) at Doc's Beach House
Passout from exhaustion at 8:30 pm

COMING SOON

I just realized I'm off on Monday Feb 20th for Presidents Day. Anybody want to do a long ride around the Island to Sanibell and back?

Road Rage Gone Wrong

Ok here is road rage in Toronto gone wrong against a bike messenger, Lisa. See the whole photo shoot and read about it here. The basic story is the guy threw trash out of his car window. The messenger not liking liter picked it up and threw it back thru the car window. The guy now mad threw hot coffee at the messenger. The messenger then keyed the guys car. The guy stopped to stomp on the messengers bike which then started this fight. The photographer took these pics plus a pic of the license plate at which time the car's drive chase him with a baseball bat.

The Long Cold Lonely ride

OK it wasn't as cold as Jill faces Up inAlaska faces but for me 43* was cold given the fact that I don't really have cold weather riding gear. So cold is relative to where you live and since I'm use to 70* in the early morning it was cold.

Also Tony (pictured left on his old bike not his new Trek Madone) has missed three rides with a bad back. It seems he "put it out" loading his van with boxes. YEA sure. OK so I'll just continue on getting stronger while he gets uglier.

Today I did my regular loops through the community to get my 25 COLD COLD miles. Not to many people around today. I did see Smilie and the Thin Lady and her husband. No Coffee Drinker and Collie, no Bull Dog and Bull Dog Walker.

I'm not sure about today's swim because even now it is only 56* so we shall see at lunch time. Tonight I plan on going to the wait room on the way home to work on my negelcted upper body.