No, not dead, just VERY lazy today. Trying to make a point of logging stetching, not cause it's really a workout per se, but if I have to put it in, I'm more likely to do it, and it's something I should be doing every swingin' day.

The best index to a person's character is: (a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can't fight back. - Abigail van Buren

Thinking about what's on tap this week - going to be a nice, easy week from a training standpoint. One long run, some swims, maybe another ride. Bigger project this week is to get this house cleaned up - the place looks like 4 male college sophomores live here. Which would be fine if I was a 20 year old male with three roommates, but I'm not.

Ahh, better living through chemistry - benadryl + more sleep = I can hear again! Heard the swim was pretty gross, not feeling guilty for passing on that.

Bagged the swim - woke up with some ear/nose/throat stuff going on, am self medicating and going back to bed.

Work is not always required. There is such a thing as sacred idleness. - George MacDonald - Enjoy those rest days.

Practice swim is still on for tomorrow, shortened to .75 miles due to some junk in the lake.  This note was in the email:  

Just one more word of caution. While we do not expect any significant debris to be in the lake it would be prudent to swim as if you expect to encounter an obstacle rather than be caught off guard should something appear.

Somehow I see myself trying to swim and be on the lookout for floating lawn chairs.  I sure hope they don't videotape this. ;)

This IM about IronGirl w/my old boss pretty much sums up my whole outlook on racing:

ExBoss: did you enjoy yourself?
Me: Had a blast
ExBoss: b/c that's the most important thing
Me: oh hell yes
ExBoss: that's awesome
Me: some people race, I have a party :)

Saturday forecast for Hell, Michigan: High 72, Low 52, 20% chance of rain. Really, I would have expected it to be freezing over, considering that it seems I may actually have a date in my future.

Power is back, and pics from IronGirl are in!!!!  

No flooding in the immediate area, but I've lost power. Dog is NOT happy. Cats couldn't care less.

I'm watching the news and Tidewater Peeps - grab those goggles and don that wetsuit, you've got OWS opportunities right outside your front door! (And be careful!)

My what a LOVELY day out there. Looks like they're getting flooding down in Hampton Roads & Norfolk, here we're just getting rain and some winds. Made for fun errand running this morning.

Very enjoyable swim today.  Ended up sharing a lane with a gent who was swimming with fins & a snorkel.  Hey, whatever gets you out there.

Swim or run today, not sure which. We've got bits & pieces of Ernesto floating about so the weather is less than motivating.

Holy Crap, I was feeling like a real slacker this month and then I went back and looked at my totals - I've logged over 21 hours this month. Prior best had only been 18 hours back in June. Not feeling like quite as much of a slacker now. :)

One of the most sublime experiences we can ever have is to wake up feeling healthy after we have been sick.
- Rabbi Harold Kushner

On Reston...

First, y'all are very sweet, and I appreciate it!  I've had multiple concerns on this race and I think I've managed to get them all taken care of.

Time limits - I'm not a big believer in going into a race where I can't at least come within spitting distance of the course limits.  I think it puts you in a situation where you're more likely to injure yourself trying to go faster than you're able to, and I've gotten through this season with only very minor injuries and I want to keep it that way. :)

OWS - last weekend was a BIG boost for that, so that concern is pretty much gone.  Now if I can just find out if ANYONE knows what the lake temps are like, or if I'm going to have to go buy a pool thermometer and find out myself.

Bike course - as much as I absolutely LOVED the course last weekend, the hills seriously slowed me down - if I was looking at the same kind of course for Reston, it would put me completely out of contention to finish reasonably close to 4 hours.  Once I got over and saw the bike course and saw how freaking FLAT it was in comparison, I felt much better about it.

Be prepared to hear the same freakouts next year should I end up going for an HIM. ;) 

WOOHOO!!! LANE IS BACK HOME!!

After dashing up the stairs and having my legs protest quite vehemently by the time I got upstairs, I decided today would be a good day to go review the bike course.  Jeez, compared to CIG, the Reston bike course is FLAT, so I'm good to go.

Today might be a bonus rest day, still undecided. I discovered my shoes are *still* wet from Sunday, so they're sitting out on the deck right now anyway.

On Reston, I feel like I am just teetering on the brink of being ready - the nifty triathlon calculator and my own calcs have me right on the edge of the time limits. Going to drive the bike course this week and try to get to the practice swim this weekend, those two things should let me know if I'm insane to try to hit it this year or not. Mainly it's going to be the bike course that is the deciding factor. I know I can do the swim, especially after this weekend - it may not be particularly graceful, pretty or wickedly fast, but I can do it.

OK, Lane, I think it's time for you to get back home now. :)