Monthly Archives: June 2008

Tri Training Concerns

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As race day is beginning to loom large, I set out to do another full prep day.  My goal was to average 15mph on the full bike length and see how well my run would stack up after that.  I happily exceeded my bike speed goal and started off the run well.  I was staying just ahead of my virtual partner which I had set at a 12 min mile pace up until mile 4.  At that point I experienced some bad leg cramping that slowed me to a not to fast walk.  After a mile at that pace the last loop of the trail was abandoned.  This cramping incident has me worried about race day as I will also be swimming for 30+ minutes in addition to the bike before the run.  Some walking mixed with the run is fine, but painfully slow walking (ha ha) will really hurt my overall time.

  • Bike 26.77 miles – 1:42:36 (15.7mph, 1225cals)
  • Run 5.37 miles – 1:15:07 (14min mile pace due to cramping, 536cals)

Tri Training Update

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I’ve had several people comment on my lack of preparation for my upcoming triathlon event.  Truth is the lack has actually been in the posting not the training so here’s a recap from my garmin training buddy:

June 11th

  • Bike 16 miles – 1:12:25 (16.0mph, 671cals)
  • Swim 34 minutes continuous* (396cals)

June 14th

  • Bike 27.73 miles – 2:03:28 (13.5mph, 1175cals)
  • Run 2.23 miles – 24:49 (11:09pace, 262cals)

June 17th

  • Bike 26.57 miles – 1:47:40 (14.8mph, 1193cals)
  • Run 2.17 miles – 26:23 (12:10pace,  249cals) run cut short due to leg cramp

June 22nd

  • Bike 19.14 miles – 1:20:12 (14.3mph,  810cals)

June 25th

  • Swim 40 minutes continuous (466cals)
  • Run 6.2 miles – 1:35:53 (treadmill intervals)

*Since the swim course is down river, actual swim distance is difficult to calculate accurately.  By looking at previous race data, I estimate my swim time should be in the 30-35 minute range. This is at a conservative pace since my main goal for the swim is not speed but efficiency. (Online references have breaststroke at 700 calories an hour at my weight range)

Seattle: Ban Beach Bonfires Due To Global Warming

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Seriously, this is for real:

Park department staff is recommending reducing bonfires at the two beaches this summer and possibly banning them altogether next year.

The park board will hear the recommendation Thursday, and the city plans to run public-service announcements and hand out brochures later this month about the effects of bonfires on global warming.

According to a memo to the park board from the staff released Thursday, “The overall policy question for the Board is whether it is good policy for Seattle Parks to continue public beach fires when the carbon … emissions produced by thousands of beach fires per year contributes to global warming.”

Under the proposal, the department in July would reduce the number of fire rings at Alki from six currently to three and at Golden Gardens from 12 to seven.

Then later this year, the department would consider banning bonfires or requiring fees and permits to reduce the number of bonfires next year.

Now if you’re not either screaming at the computer screen or laughing hysterically right now, you have no idea what is going on.  First the laughing: a bonfire has about the the global environmental impact of a butterfly fart.  I’m sorry but this really needs to be put into perspective for those of you that didn’t pay attention in science class.  If small fires could wipe out the climate on this planet – we wouldn’t have even made it to the industrial revolution.  (wow think of the eco-sins we could have avoided then!)  Also all of the bonfires in the entire state of Washington over the last 20 years combined into one Texas A&M style bonfire it would still be insignificant compared to a single forest fire.

The screaming: this is not an honest attempt to stop the hoax of global warming! This is an attack on personal freedom.  Anyone with actual scientific knowledge would concede the fact that a bonfire is near the bottom of any list of polluters.  A bomb delivered to a single factory in China would offset the carbon emissions of all the bonfires in America for the next 100 years or so.  Its not about pollution its about control.

Also of note: the Park Service is taking no steps to ban wild fires in the area.  But since that neither grows government power nor chips away at personal rights – no ban was really expected.

Presidential Stupidity

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I know that the ability to articulate is not a true indicator of intelligence but communication mastery -or lack there of- can certainly create an image of intelligence (or lack there of).  For instance, is this really the leader of the free world speaking?

What they’ll say is, “Well it costs too much money,” but you know what? It would cost, about… It — it — it would cost about the same as what we would spend… It… Over the course of 10 years it would cost what it would costs us… (nervous laugh) All right. Okay. We’re going to… It… It would cost us about the same as it would cost for about — hold on one second. I can’t hear myself. But I’m glad you’re fired up, though. I’m glad.

Yup, it is. Or will be. That was our savior of change, presumptive Presidential candidate, Obama – off teleprompter.  Which begs the question: Can we elect his speech writer instead?  He goes on in the same meeting to talk about breathalyzers & “InHALators” for asthma patients.

Here’s the YouTube link in case you doubt the transcript: