Worse than the Treadmill

What is it about stationary exercise equipment that drives me nuts? Why do I enjoy being outside in 10 degree weather with frost on my face, sucking in the inversion filled air of January more than a run in climate controlled space with a tv in front of me? After all, I like sitting in front of the tv. It shouldn't bother me, right? It does.

I have a stationary bike. My wife got it for me for Christmas. She wanted to get a treadmill, but the ones she wanted to get were out of her budget. But she got the bike for a great deal. It's a great machine and works really well, but I hate it too. I'm no biker. I have a mountain bike that is currently involved in a study to see how long it would take the environment to reclaim an unused bike. I would get it out and ride it, but far be it from me to interfere with science.

Unfortunately, the stationary bike is just an evil cousin to the treadmill. I get on it and the only thing that consumes my thoughts are 1. how slow it is taking and 2. how long until I am finished. I get a good workout on the bike and can see how it will be effective in my training. It also takes pressure off my toe which is still healing (although I am now able to run as long as I have it taped). The thought of getting on the bike fills me with dread as much as running on the treadmill.

I know people who love the treadmill and the bike. They loath to be outside. They enjoy the climate controlled environment. They don't enjoy to be outside. In fact, today I was talking with a friend about it and he was amazed that I would even attempt to run in this cold weather. We compared notes and I couldn't understand why he would enjoy going to the gym every day when he could run outside. I guess we're just two different people. Although, I feel like when the Apocolypse happens and the zombies come after me, I'll be in a better position to escape because I will be used to running outside. My friend sadly will be lunch as he can only run in one spot.... it was nice to know him. :)

An Injury to Start the Year and an Amazing Kid

You know it's time to get back on the blog when the amount of Spam posts from "Anonymous" outweigh the few followers that are left and people who do know me tell me that I either get a post up or they will delete me from their blogroll. If I were famous, it wouldn't be so hard. All it'd take is a few risqué self shot photos "accidentally" tweeted out to my 1 million followers to keep me in the light. If there isn't some shock value then it's just vanilla. Same old flavor every day. So let's get this on....here it is...what you've waiting for....

The results of my New Year's stumble.

The plan for January1 was to get up, spend some time with the family and then gear up and go for a mid afternoon run when the temperatures were warmer. 

Mid morning I was coming back up my house stairs after letting the dog out when I slipped on the stair. I landed funny and twisted my toe. Hobbling up the stairs, I thought I had just stubbed my toe. Within the hour though, the pain increased and the swelling started. Although, it wasn't broken it had a good strain on it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to run on it since that day. The pain and swelling has gone down so that the discoloring is only on the toe now and I can walk normally, but I cannot yet run. I'm hoping within the next week I can get back out on the road. In the meantime, I will be spending time on the stationary bike.

One Amazing Kid

This is him about 5 minutes after finishing
race. He said he couldn't smile because
his face was frozen.

I have a son who runs cross country and track for High School. Around Thanksgiving, I invited him to join me for the New Year's Half Marathon I have done the past two years. I thought he'd turn me down like he had done the previous times I invited him to run a long race with me. He accepted the challenge though and joined me on many of my Saturday long runs in an effort to be ready.

We have been hit hard by a strong inversion since Christmas here. The temperatures have rarely been above 20 degrees and the low has been below zero on many days. We were hoping that the inversion would break in time for the race on the 5th. A storm was supposed to come in, but the high pressure in the area eliminated that possibility. The low on the morning of the race was -4 degrees. With the weather being so cold and a strong inversion in place, the race director allowed anyone to shorten their race if they wanted so as to avoid any injuries. My son opted to run the whole thing. He finished in 2:10:29 for his first half marathon which also was in sub zero weather for most of it. 

2013 Plans

I have plenty of races on the schedule for 2013 and hope to come ever closer to that magical 3:15:00 mark which will qualify me for Boston. Ideally, I can get my son to jump on board another half marathon with me. One that will be warmer, of course. 

And of course....to post more on this blog.