So far so good

Tech has been going well. For those of you who don't know, Bonnie and I both teach at Idyllwild Arts, a small boarding Arts High School. We do all things design and production in the Theater department. Tech week is the week we move into the theater and put all of the production elements together, actors, set, sound, lights, props, costumes, special effects... I happy to report that things have been running smoothly. Now that I've said that tonight's open dress will be a disaster. Oh well, fingers crossed, break a leg, go Packers, and all that good stuff.

Running is still the main form of training, while I'm not training because it's the 'off season'. Bonnie still doesn't believe that such a concept exists. She contends that just because I switch up the form of physical activity it does not constitute an off season. I try to explain that everything I'm doing now is without purpose or structure so it's just fluff. I mean, don't get me wrong, it does help to maintain a level of fitness but I'm not really getting any stronger. Am I right?

Ride on!

Had another week of not riding. Only one more to go and then it's back in the saddle. The girls and I have been putting in some good miles on the trails. I'm getting around 30 to 40 miles a week. Good mileage for a cyclist not so good for an endurance runner. When I was training for marathons I would break out 50 to 60 miles in a week. I think my best week of running I managed to break 100 miles. I guess that's why I still have notions of running a 100 miler some day.

Ride on! or run I suppose...

Down time

This morning I headed down to Palm Springs for my pulmonary study. I won't hear the results until we go to the sports medicine Dr. Yesterday Bonnie and I both had blood drawn for full panels. I really hope we get my asthma under control.

So this week we've just been recovering from the flu. I managed to catch a bit of a cold as well. Have you ever noticed when you slow up and let your guard down that when you get sick. All I've done in the way of exercise this week is run the dogs to school. Tonight I'll run them home as well.


Here is a shot of San Jacinto from one of the vistas on the way to school.

The poplars are popping!

This is what it looks like when I've spent most of the summer on my bike and not much time running. These girls are out of shape! Don't worry we'll have them in tip top form in no time.Ride on!

We are a family of givers. Finn got the stomach flu and he passed it on to Mom and Dad. Thursday night I got it and Friday morning Bonnie woke up with it. I thought being sick was miserable before having kids...Wow! Enough said.

Like most of you I was watching Moab this weekend. It looked like the course unleashed its typical savageness. Strong riders fell, and everybody suffered. I've never raced there but I think it's something I've got to attempt at some point.

I mentioned earlier training is on hold for the next couple of weeks. Good thing since we've had the flu and work is really getting busy. The first show of the season is taking most of our time these days. I can't wait to see what it's going to look like. Bonnie has designed a great set not it's up to me to put some good light on it. As always I'm impressed with the students. For most of them it's their first time in the shop and they're tearing it up.

Ride on!

He's been hit

Well it happened, Finn got his first flu bug. It showed up yesterday as we were on our way to lunch with my cousin and her husband and 6 month old. They were up for a quick visit but Finn just wasn't up for it. He's been sleeping most of the day. Mary, my teammate usually watches him on Thursdays, not this week. She'll probably go riding instead.

Since Finn's been sick I've been trying to get as much spinning, riding, and running in as I can before I get nailed with it. From what I hear it's very contagious. We're keeping our fingers crossed, which makes shifting and breaking difficult but I'm not taking any chances...or am I?

Ride on!

Good Times

Things have been pretty busy. We are settling into a rhythm at school. The show is really starting to take shape. It's been fun not following any real training schedule, not that I really follow anything formal anyway. It's good to just run, hike, or ride when I can. I love hiking to school with Finn on my back and the girls running all round the forest. I know I've said it before but I have one of the best commutes ever. Three to six miles depending on which way I take, and about 75% on trails if I take the 3 mile rout. The longer the hike the higher the percentage of trail goes. Now that I have Finn to carry I don't run as much, there are spots where I can sort of do a shuffle jog. Anything more and he's bouncing all over the place. I think I'll start back with organized training once the show closes the first week of November.

This weekend was a lot of fun. We went to the Sierras with some good friends. This was Finn's first official camping trip. That is to say one that had nothing to do with a bike race. We got to see the first snow fall of the season. I also took note that the first snow fall of last season was over the same weekend. A year ago this coming weekend was when I got to summit Whitney for the first time with a former student and his father. We had to deal with the snow that had fallen the week before. We had such a good time this past weekend that we are already trying to line up a trip to Joshua Tree in December. This will be easier since it's only about an hour and a half away. I'm sure this will make Finn much happier, and in turn the rest of us as well.

On a side note, on the way to the hardware store today I saw Floyd out for a ride. No helmet...risky business, especially on our mountain. I hope we was meeting someone in Pine Cove before the decent.

Ride on!