Tour de Cape tomorrow

Well I've had a headache and ringing in my ears since Monday. No big deal just a slight headache rather dull ache, a stiff neck and a little dizziness. I've been able to run and ride though it.

I saw the dermotologist and mentioned the lump that is growing where my first surgery was...orginal melonoma. He said it is not noral for something to grow so quickly. dah!!! Since then it has almost doubled in size...so he said to call the oncologist....

The oncologist says she wants a CAT scan of my back and since I'm having headaches a brain scan....then a PET scan to see it the cancer has spread anywhere.... I want to wait until monday...soooo and I also call the surgeron for a Wednesday appointment....

So tomorrow is the 100 mile Tour de Cape. I've been looking forward to this for about 6 months. Tony is going to do the race with me. Our goal is to keep a steady pace of about 17 mph. But I'm sure Tony will want to go fast at times.

Tour de Cape Start

Old Shoes

This morning I didn't feel like wearing my regular running shoes for some reason, so I pulled an old pair of Brooks Beasts off the rack. They don't look pretty but they feel good! I thought since haven't been running in two weeks I'd just take it easy and slow with my old shoes. Well I felt pretty good. I did the first mile in 9:54 with a heart rate of 145 then for the next 6 miles just tried to keep getting a little faster. I did stop at the 3 mile mark for water then to take off my shirt but all in all I think it was one of my best runs in a long time. 7 miles in 59 minutes! Maybe I should just rotate old shoes......

Goal Setting

Last year I set a few goals for myself....

Complete Naples Half Marathon...Done!
Complete a Sprint Triathlon... Done Ft. DeSoto!
To Swim/Bike/Run every week... well almost....does sickness count?

My weight goal was to be 175 lb...I'm 15 lbs short of my goal..ugh!

Here are my year end stats:

Bike 3,456 miles
Run 1,289 miles

So I hope to do better in 2005! Here are my goals...A goal without a plan is a wish!

Training Goals:

Swim 600,000 yards or 12,000 yards a week
Bike 6,250 miles or 125 miles a week
Run 1,850 miles or 37 miles a week

weight Goal 161 by 12/31/05 lose 0.58 lbs a week!

Race Goals

Complete Naples Half Marathon under 2 hrs.
Finish St. Anthony's Tri
Finish Florida 1/2 Ironman
Qualify for Boston Marathon at Steamtown Marathon in 3:30

Back at it....

Now that Christmas is over, I'm back to my training and races. This week is the 100 mile Tour de Cape and then later in the month is the Naples Half Marathon.

My break really started the week before Christmas when we had some cold weather here in Florida. That week I was only able to ride two days out of my regular 4... Over Chirstmas week I did no training until I got home on Thurs (Dec. 30). Also when I got home I had a flu bug so that didn't help either. It is amazing to me that when you take a few days how quickly you lose fitness and gert sick.

Weakly Totals:

Bike 65 miles
Run Nada
Swim Nada
Weights Nada

Goals this weak:

Bike 80 and 100 mile race
Run 25 miles
Swim 3,000 yards
Weights 2 times

Christmas Vacation

My Christmas Vacation started with a nightmare. Tony took me to the airport thursday night December 23...in pleanty of time for our 8:40 pm flight. After check in I discovered the plane to RSW was delayed...delayed due to weather in Newark, The plane was to arrive at 7:30 and leave again at 8:40. After much waiting, watching Lord of The Rings on the puter and waiting and waiting the 7:30 plane arrived at 12:30 am Friday and we left at 1:300 for a 3:45 am arival in Newark.

Even worst was the cold ! When I left Estero it was 75*. When I arrived in Newark it was a balmy 26*...needless to say I was cold!

Training is taking a vacation!

Weakly Totals

This past week was a little disappointing, I've been tired and it has been chilly by Florida standards. Sunday was down right cold in the morning, 45* at 7 am!

Looking forward to 2005 and keeping with my goals I did sign up for St. Anthony's and I'm considering Walt Disney Half Ironman in May so far here is my schedule:

Jan 8, 20056 Tour de Cape 100 mile Bike Race
Jan 23, 2005 Naples Half Marathon
Feb 12, 2005 Chilly Willy Duathlon
March 6, 2005 Bay to Bay Classic - 12k run
April 25, 2005 St. Anthony's Triathlon - Oly distance
May 22, 2005 Florida Half Ironman
June Publix Fitness Tri Series - sprint
July Publix Fitness Tri Series - sprint
September Publix Fitness Tri Series - sprint
Oct 9, 2005 Steamtown Marathon - Boston qualifier
November Great Florida Triathlon -Ironman distance

Here are the Weakly Totals for the Week ending 12/12

Bike : 130 miles
Run : 17 miles
Swim: 1,000 yrds
Weights 1 x
Pilates 0

Broken Treo

Well I went and did it.... I dropped my Treo! The screen looks weird! I can't use it and will be getting a new one in a few days. But I find it hard to live without my Treo. I read my emails onthe way to work. Use Verichat to IM people. Surf the web on the way home and read the Philly papers. I even use it for work having Outlook and all of my contacts. I've been using a laptop for a few days instead of my Treo. It works great when your near a wireless connection. But it just isn't the same as the Treo.

Weakly Totals

Last week was a little odd...so here's the upddate

Run 20 miles
Bike 150 miles
Swim 1,000 yds didn't feel like swimming much


I registered for the St Anthony's Triathlon in April. It's an olympic distance Tri.... Also for the Tour de Cape Jan 8, it's a 100 mile race (not a ride) and the Naples half marathon Jan 23 (this year I think Joe Bonness is in my age group!).

Josh Called

Josh, he's my youngest, called from Iraqi where he is serving in the Army in a forward communications unit. Satilites are us! He may be coming home in January IF he doesn't get exteneded and then will come to visit with me in Feb for a couple of weeks.

Birthday Colonoscopy

I've been a little lax about updating my bog soooo.....

Hey it was my birthday Sunday....the 15th anniversary of my 39th birthday...54! I watched the Eagles beat Green Bay whoa! GO EAGLES>>>>

The oncologist has been on me about getting a colonoscopy. I kinda don't like things that don't belong there being pushed up there.....so I've putting it off. So I made a pact with myself to get all of my medical done in tax year 2004 so hopefully I can get a deduction for these expenses....

The doc doing the colonoscopy said the prep was worst than the test and he's right! I had to take 2 laxatives and then mix this stuff with gatorade and drink 8 oz every 30 minutes. He didn't menton you can't get to far from the bathroom. I didn't sleep well and my test was a 10:20 am so it was a long night. I had a little trouble getting some one to take me to the test since I couldn't drive afterwards....no one wants to sit about for 3 hours....so I bribed Joanne with a dinner at a resturant of her choice IF she would drive me home.

The doc was 1 hr behind schedule sooooo since my test was at 10:20 I didn't get in until 12 (an hour huh?) They put me out completely...the nurse said they found this best because people tend to scream and they have even had people crawl off the table....but it was a pleasent sleep. No dreams....

When I awoke the doc came to see me and yup you know me, they found something....he said he would sent the results to my surgeon and oncologist and he call me in 7 days or so with the results. I just don't want to poop into a bag.....kinda will mess up swimming.

When I got home there was a message from yet another doctor, my favorite painful giving doc the dermatologist. I had an appintment I had forgotten about....so off Tuesday to see Dr. Hurt. He did a full body scan, which means he looked EVERYWHERE! (yup everywhere). On the site of my first melanoma, which was the size of bagel and he removed with a local OCH, he found a growth growing about the size of a golf ball. He dosen't want to remove it this time, thank God. I think he was a little surprise since the nurse asked him if that was normal and he siad no way.... So I have to see the cocktail mixer and the cutter....my oncologist and my surgeon.

Kids Visit and Busch Gardens

The kids and grandkids came down to visit for Thanksgiving. Actually they arrived the Saturday before T-day and left the Saturday after. Needless to say my training schedule was a little disrupted. I did run on Satuday and did a 20 mile bike on Sunday but after that it was somewhat down hill.

Sunday I had my riding partner, his wife and their rabbit, Mango, come over for dessert and drinks. Then my neighbor on the west side and her husband dropped in at the same time so the party was on....with beer, wine and Scotch. No a good combination if you want to get up Monday at 6:30 to ride.

Max with a Bird on his Head 

Max at Busch Gardens 

Justin at the Beach 

Max at the Beach 

Justin asleep

Justin is such a good baby. If he wasn't sleeping he was playing in his swing. Just hanging out....

Max at play

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Crazies on the Road

Well I guess it's that time of year in Florida. It beautiful, warm and always sunny. As you ride around communities you find people walking their dogs, walkers, joggers and bikers. But the warm weather brings out the Crazies! It is those seasonal people who come to Florida for vacation or the season and don't know how to drive. It not just old people either. Crazies are the people who do really stupid things around people riding on bikes, therefore I call it Crazies Season.

Take this morning. It was a beautiful morning 68* and sunny. I saw two otters crossing the road to get into the lakes. The birds were singing and the yup the crazies were out already at 7 am! I was just going along minding my own business enjoying the morning cruising along at a comfortable 20 mph when all of the sudden a green Mercedes pulls out of a driveway in front of me. Like he didn't even stop or hesitate or anything from garage door to street non-stop! Ok I'm happy its a nice morning I just saw two otters playfully cross the road.

As I follow the green Mercedes I'm about two car lengths behind him just keeping up with him when we come to a T intersection. You know the kind you either go left or right and straight is not an option. I notice the green Mercedes has no turn signal (perhaps Chyrsler didn't put turn singals on that model or it was an option) so it's guess time. Where is he going? My vote is left towards the country club to play golf because it's that time of day and that's were most men who are awake at this time of the morning are headed. But it's just a guess.

As I'm contemplating how to get thru the intersection without unclipping my shoe from the pedal, I notice there is a man walking on the other street carrying his golf clubs. Now this is strange. Strange because first of all no one walks to the country club carrying golf clubs...It's just not done! Put the clubs in a car drive the mile or use an electric cart and drive but don't walk. Second it's strange because he is actually carrying the the clubs.

Well as I approach the intersection I move to the right because I assumed the green Mercedes was turning left. But low and behold have now pulls to the right curb on to the shoulder then the grass a stops and opens his trunk all in one motion. He's blocking the intersection with an open trunk, I on the right, thinking I'm going to pass on his right as he turns left, so I now move to the left to pass him on the left when he throws open the drivers door into my lane! Smooth move exlax!

Why did he stop? to pick up the guy carrying his golf clubs of course! Why did he open the trunk? To put said golf clubs in the trunk. Why did he open the door? To stand at the rear of his car while the other guy put the clubs in. Or to make me dodge his door!

So...Stay awake because it is Crazies Season!

Another Fall

This morning while doing, my 2 mile warm-up lap on my bike, I hit a slippery patch of road while trying to go around a speed bump I went down. I noticed my left pinky finger was making a left turn. Assessing that it was dislocated and not broken, I pulled it back in place. Now it's just purple! I also have road rash on the left side of my body.

Steve joined us for our ride today. While it's nice to have another person pull into the wind, Steve is stronger and faster than me so it was quite a workout. Often we were going 22 -24 mph. Hey he's also 20 years younger.

This past week has been a slow week in training, although I feel like I'm getting a little faster on the bike. My ave speed has gone up and I recover faster. Now if I could just get faster on the run.

Saturday after my run and swim, I met up with Joanne and took a tennis lesson. It's a lot of fun chasing the ball around the court. My hamstrings don't seem to like it though.

Sunday I met up with Tony for our LSD ride. Although I feel like we are not going slow but jump in going as fast as we can. We did the Pelcian Sound Loop then debated given the pending rain on going out on the roads. We decided to stay in and modify our course adding extras to the various circles we go around. I ended with 40 miles with an average of 18.4 mph.

This weaks totals:


Bike: 130 miles
Run: 17 miles
Swim: 6,200 yards
Weights 2 xs
Pilates 1xs
Hours total 19