The Fountain of Youth

I found it! It's on SE Hawthorne and 29th! Dr. Nathan Pool's Chiropractic office. He specializes in ART, or Active Release Therapy (activerelease.com). Ever since I slipped in my socks on the freshly polished hardwood floor last week my back and hamstring have been a mess. Last week I should have gotten in ~45 miles of running, instead I did 18. Not good 10 weeks out from the marathon. So I asked around and Dave C. recommended Dr. Pool. I went in yesterday and in a 30 min appointment my hamstring is 100% and my low back feels so much better. I can actually touch my toes again. Not sure why, but that's my indicator on how tight my legs and back are. The best part is insurance covers 20 visits a year. So once a week for the rest of this year is the plan. Next is the calves, and then the periformes (ass tendons). After that I will drop down to once a month adjustments and maintenance.
Last night I put my new hamstring to the test. I met the Perkins' at Dunniway and we did 4x3 min hill repeats up Terwilliger. It felt amazing! No pain at all. Even before I injured it I always had tightness when I was running. It never felt good. Last night it didn't feel at all, like it's supposed to. This new found youth couldn't come at a better time with age 34 looming on the horizon I need all of the help I can get.
Other then that not much else new. The annual Ironheads Beer mile is this weekend. Another reason I am happy about being able to run again. I hope to finish a little better then 5th place this year. I've been training constantly with the beer portion of the race, so we'll see what happens. The big question is what to wear? Costume or no costume... It seems too early to bust Wonder Woman out again...

I Witnessed it...

I'm not one that discusses my religious beliefs or political views very often. However, last night left a big impression on me. On my flight up to Washington this morning on the Intel shuttle I had some time to think about the election. Ever since I was in grade school I have learned about all of the significant events in US history that have led to progress. I've always been a little jealous of the generations before mine that have witnessed these milestones. Up to this point in my life the only true monumental events I've experienced have been tragic. Watching the election coverage last night and seeing people brought to tears of joy over something that we as a society voted for was amazing. I will admit up until this point I have never really felt a true connection with my country. I've always felt that if we are such a great nation then why are we so hated around the world? Just last week I learned of a co-worker traveling to Venezuela. For safety reasons she had to purchase a Canadian passport cover so people wouldn't know she was from the US. It's hard to be proud of your country when you have to pretend you're from another. But last night proved to me that we are heading in the right direction. Even if Obama sits in the Oval office for four years with his feet on the desk and does nothing things will still get better. I don't think anyone person can fix things. But the excitement and hope that he has created within my generation and others, I think will re-inspire people to make positive changes. Don't get me wrong, there are still a huge number of people that are against this move, and I don't think that will ever change. But personally I love change. I thrive on it. I liked when Brian Williams held up a poster of the previous 43 presidents last night and they all looked the same, old and white. Change is good once in awhile. Thanks for listening to me ramble.

Beer and Bike Ridding

Another week gone and another Monday morning at my desk with sore, tired legs. Last week was a good week of training and a some what successful Beer Crit on Saturday afternoon. I believe this was the 3rd annual, but the first time I have participated. The race was held at Powell Butte park. The course was about 3 mins long and was mostly smooth single track with some tight turns and a couple steep little climbs. The required beer for the men was Guinness, approximately 14oz per cup. The format was drink a beer ride a lap, repeat 4 times. Yep, it's as hard as it sounds. That's a lot of Guinness to dump down your gullet in that short amount of time. I'll spare the details since it's mostly a blur. Overall I finished 3rd out of 8. Folske smoked it with his super-human bike abilities, and Jay Chech was 2nd thanks to his superior beer chugging. On the women's side Erin P. dominated almost catching Dave C. on the last lap. Next up, the beer mile in 2 weeks. Good times!



On the training side, still running! Last week ended up 5 days and 38 miles. A little light on the mileage, but there was some good quality. I started hill repeats, those hurt. The long run yesterday was good, but the legs were feeling it. 16 miles @ a 7:25 ish pace with HR avg in upper zone 2. Not as fast as last weekend, but better then expected after the beer crit and the hill repeats. Saturday morning was a reality check, summer is gone. Rode out to Sauvies Island in the rain and wind. The only plus was that it wasn't that cold. It was a harsh reminder of what the next few months are going to be like. There's always the indoor trainer I suppose. Swimming, well, it is what it is. I'm still getting it in but I'm feeling a little slow these days. I've been avg'ing about 8k a week. Not bad I guess. It's hard to stay motivated when there's no race on the immediate horizon. I did sign up for a swim clinic in a couple of weeks. I think I am ready for some feedback on form. Hopefully this gets me motivated again.