That Time of Year

Wow, it's almost been a month. Guess that speaks to the craziness of life these days. I've definitely been squeezing workouts out of the routine in lieu of work, shopping, social events, and on top of that...I've been sick for a few weeks now. Just don't seem to be able to kick whatever it is that's taken over my immune system.

Hopefully things get back on track soon, as I have a 5K on New Year's Even with the family. Of course, we have my wife's Christmas on Thursday, dinners on Friday, traveling Saturday to Monday, etc. This time of year sure is tough, but exciting at the same time.

On that note, Happy Holidays everyone and I leave you the gift of laughter. Go to YouTube and search for a.) Guy on a Buffalo and Completely Honest OBGYN. Hilarious stuff.

Turkey Day 8k Race Report

So happy I even waved

I know you've all been on pins and needles awaiting a report from the Thanksgiving Day race. Let me you, it was exciting. Victory barely escaped my grasp, and by victory, I mean I almost finished last in my age division. There also wasn't a Clydesdale division which I was very upset about. I mean come on, those of us over 2 bills just can't compete with our feather weight foes. But back to the recap. Nice day, good weather, no wind, about 52 degrees. Everything started out well, Victoria and I running stride for stride trying to pace each other. At some point around mile 1.5, she stopped for a drink and I pushed on. This would turn out to be pivotal later in the race. Shortly after mile 1.5, I was passed by my first stroller division runner. They allegedly started 10 minutes after us, but I'm really hoping that's not true.

Now...the course was described as moderately rolling hills, which to be frank, was a flat out lie. It was hilly. Really hilly. This is a recipe for disaster for those of us with shin problems. Sure enough, at roughly mile 3.5, the pain in my right foot/shin/calf was almost unbearable. This is where the pivotal moment occurred. Shortly before mile 4, I pulled off to walk/stretch. Thankfully, I had not stopped to drink and Victoria caught up to me to offer up some much needed encouragement. For the last mile, she paced me and offered up a perfectly timed, "you better kill it" during the final stretch. At the result? 55:02. I know that's slow, but it felt awfully nice to complete a race further than a 5k. Next up? My good friend Kelley Smith is pushing for a half marathon in Atlanta in March. 4 months to train. I'm going to try my best.

Tonight I'm embarked on my first run since the race. I also ran for the first time with compression sleeves on my legs. I've been hearing good things and considering the pain I've experienced, I am willing to try anything. I purchased these here from my local running store...the same brand used by Matt Reed. I've told they're great to wear for recovery, so I'm sporting them as we speak.

To end, I'm jacked about this weekend. Actually resting and not going out of town. I finally get to watch Clemson from the comfort of my couch. Although, they're not much to look at these days. Hopefully we can get it turned around, but I'm not confident.

Race Time

Wow - quite the break I've taken here recently. Things have been incredibly busy with me being out of town the past couple weekends, and multiple events during the week days. No running time at all lately! Which doesn't bode well for my Turkey Day 8k here in Greenville. I'm honestly just hoping to finish running the whole time and in under an hour. My new friend Victoria will be running it with as well. You can check her adventures by clicking the link to the right over there. VTB Runs Savannah. She's an elite blogger I must say. I will also be joined by some old friends from Clemson, Kelley and Brad Smith. Really excited to catch up with old friends before heading off to Thanksgiving dinner.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, now's definitely a good time to be thankful for the things we have. I may not be the best runner, biker, definitely not the best swimmer, but I'm thankful for the ability to do the things I love each and every day. Growing up with a mother who has been in a wheelchair my entire life, I certainly appreciate the things I've been blessed with growing up. During the next few days, I encourage everyone to take a look around them and be thankful for what you do have, instead of focusing on what you wish you had. Along those same lines, maybe try to do something for others this holiday season. I seriously believe karma has a way of working itself into our lives.

So, with that said, I hope everyone enjoys their time off, their families and friends. Eat your til your stomach's content...but then hit the pavement hard next week. It's that time of the year that I have to start talking myself into workouts, because I hate running when it's cold. Happy Thanksgiving!

Confuscius Say

Been a little busy the past few days. A lot going on at work, home, socially etc. So, with that said, I want to first give a big shout out to my friends Rebecca Ellefson and Victoria Ten Broeck, who just completed the Savannah Rock N Roll Half Marathon and Marathon respectively. Way to go, thanks for the inspiration to those of us still trying!

Basically, I'm at a crossroads of confusion right now. This past weekend, I relaxed at my parents house. Early bed times, good nights' rest, good food, nothing crazy. So I came home on Sunday afternoon and took off on a run...which was TERRIBLE. I felt sluggish, tired, and my legs were unresponsive. This completely blew my mind, mainly because just a week earlier I had one of the best runs of the training season, right after a beverage infused weekend in Atlanta complete with 3 am bedtimes, early rises, tons of food, etc. Blows my mind...literally. Guess it's one of those things you can't explain, but I'd rather there be an explanation out there that I just haven't figured out yet. Please, chime in if you have ideas.

So yeah, spent the weekend in Rock Hill with my parents. My dad and I took a concealed weapon permit class on Saturday, passing of course. I look forward to receiving my permit in the next 90 days. Also, I'm starting to change some things around in my diet and my weight loss has resumed. I'm down to 221, putting the weight lost number at 18 through 2 1/2 months. Being in the meat of football season right now, I'm happy with that.

Training continues...4 miles yesterday, most likely a trainer bike session tomorrow evening, and another run on Thursday or Friday. I'm aiming at next Monday for my first 10k run. Hopefully I'll be on fire that day.

Etiquette

Today we're going to talk about good old southern behavior that should be instilled in all of us. Behavior that proves why south of the Mason Dixon line is superior. Behavior that leaves teenage to middle age women wilting. I'm talking about that good ole boy, nice to meet ya, never met a stranger kind of attitude. Unfortunately, that seems to be nonexistent in the running/cycling community.

And I'll give runners a slight break, they don't have as much of an elitist attitude compared to cyclist and even worse, triathletes (Remind me again, why I'm wanting to label myself as one of these?). Why is it so hard to give a head nod, wave a hand, offer a word of encouragement, or if you're feeling generous...shoot me a hand pistol. We're all out there pounding the pavement, struggling, sweating...why would you want to do anything other than pat your fellow athletes on the back? Maybe it's part of how I grew up, in a rural "neighborhood". I use that term loosely, as Laura thinks I grew up in the country because my parents own more than a 1/4 acre. Regardless, we wave. At everyone. Even if I have no idea who you are, or if I ran over your cat last week. We waved. Think about it.

On to training! Today marked another milestone as I passed the 5 mile mark. And truth be told, I could've kept going. But I had already looped around back home and could smell the chicken parm coming from our kitchen. Still not really losing weight, but the runs are getting better by the week. IMPROVEMENT.

And as always, GO TIGERS.

#Training

So I snagged a huge deal on a trainer for my bike today at Academy Sports. I've been interested in one of these for some time now, especially given the weather during the winter. Today was the perfect date to give it a test run, as a front is moving through and the wind is gusting at 35 mph tonight. I wanted no part of that. So I saddled up to break in the trainer for a hard 30 minutes before dinner. It's a different feeling, but I enjoyed it much more than running on a treadmill. Weather has really affected my training in the past as I refuse to run on a treadmill. It's terrible..........so it's nice to have an indoor option for the bike that isn't awful. TV, music, and killing it on the trainer...love it.

That's about it tonight...big shout out to my Dad for his 58th birthday. Still looking 48 though, and killing some miles (on a treadmill oddly enough). Looking  forward to the December Sharp Family Fun Run with him and the rest of the family.

Weather is looking terrible for a run tomorrow with more high winds, but I'll most likely suck it up and get it done. Cheers!

The Deuce is Loose

The boys over at Ironmannaise wrote a piece a few weeks back regarding bowel movements during exercising. A must say, a bold and absolutely spot on article. Personally, this issue can completely derail a good workout without the least bit of warning. Literally, you can take off feeling great and by mile 2, you're tip-toeing in some awkward gait. I typically try to keep myself on a predictable schedule as far as eating, drinking, visiting the john, and when I run. Yet, it seems like the slightest variation can impact your run/ride in a matter of moments. I would be interested in suggestions on ways to avoid the ill tempered bowel movement, but it may be a matter of our body's composition that cannot be shaken.

Moving on...Sammy Watkins, The Deuce, once again reminded the country why he's the best freshman in the country. This weekend, he stole the #1 spot for all purpose yards in a game in Clemson history with 345 against Maryland. Thankfully I was at a wedding reception and unable to watch the game, otherwise I probably would be doing drywall work this week to repair my walls. This season has been unreal, and I obviously hope the success continues. Obviously, the D must play better down the stretch as we are the team "everyone guns for." On a sad note, I honestly wish the best to South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore in his recovery. He is a stand up kid and a hell of an athlete who deserves success in the future. There's no room for rivalry hate in a matter like this.

Tonight's run was awesome! 4.5 miles in under 40 minutes is a good night for me. I was a little sore during the run but seemed to have much more energy than I normally do. I'm not really dropping much weight right now, but the progress in the run is encouraging. We have some seriously awesome weather coming up this week, so I'm looking forward to more training. Hope everyone is keeping it real.

Tidbits

Wow, busy past few days. I haven't had a lot of time to put much effort into anything other than working and entertaining. So tonight's entry is just about updating what's going on, from every aspect of life...

• For weeks I anxiously awaited the arrival of my Springfield XD9. Yet, two weeks into ownership I've yet to shoot it. So many demands on life, so little time for play. I'm sure you realize that's partly tongue-in-cheek. I play a lot. I'm hoping to get to the range some time next week.

• My new job is going great. Finally done with training and now being baptized by fire. I'm currently  covering for my partner who is on vacation, all while still trying to learn what the heck is going on. It's been interesting for sure. 

• A good friend of mine from Atlanta is moving to Greenville to manage to a big construction project downtown. Laura and I are pumped about that, as I haven't had a really good guy friend here in town since Daniel moved down to the beach. Lots of guns, golf, and beer to follow I'm sure. 

• Our lab is in heat. We were told she was spayed when we got her, so we're a little confused at this point. As soon as the bleeding is over (should be soon), we'll be taking her to the vet to remedy this problem. 

• Football season is shaping up to be pretty amazing. I love being in Clemson for those home games, and look forward to many more memories this year with our football season group. I probably just jinxed us. 

So there's a snapshot at the past week. I ran tonight for the first time this week...our weather has been terrible the past couple days. Everything felt great, ran about 4.5 miles at 42:00. That's my longest run thus far in this process, so I'm encouraged...very encouraged. Sooo, this weekend is another wedding (during football season, seriously this makes two) so I'll be in Rock Hill catching up with old friends. Expect me to be near a TV at 7:00 pm though. 

New Diet

Started a new diet this evening. Consists of consuming straight protein in the form of bugs.

Had a great right tonight, and for the first time, I rode with another person. Thus, lots of talking...which results in the ingestion of winged insects. Not exactly appetizing. But by far the best part of the ride was partnering up with Will McCameron over at New World Frontiersman. Will is the type of guy that can pick up a conversation from 2 years ago and make it seem like you've been hanging out daily. Hoping to make this ride a weekly thing from here on out. Of course, riding in the evening only gives you so much time, but it was a needed 15 mile social session where I got to catch up with an old friend. Hard to complain about that.

I'm looking forward to the next few weeks/month. The weather here in South Carolina is phenomenal right now, making for some really enjoyable runs/rides. Laura and I are looking at some races that happen before the Cold Winter's Day Run aka Sharp Family Fun Run in December. Need some type of intermediate goal to keep everyone focused. Or just me. Not sure what Laura needs to focus on other than her 5 year olds.

 

Quick Update

Not much to say at the end of this weekend. Might not be running for a few days, as I suffered a horseshoe to a sandaled foot this weekend while tailgating. It didn't hurt too bad last night, but that might've had something to do with the bourbon. Today the top of my foot is on fire, so I'll probably take a couple days off.

In other news, Congrats Clemson! What the hell is a Hokie anyway?

Thank You For Smoking

Ok, gonna go ahead and put it out there. If you're easily offended, you might want to hit the back button on your browser, as I'm about to RAGE.

I got home from work today and immediately hopped on the bike, leaving roughly an hour of daylight. It's amazing how much can happen in an hour of daylight. Frightening to think about what could happen in an hour of darkness. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, scares me more on the bike than elderly drivers and the various nationalities that are taking over my local park. I don't care if I lose readers because of this, because damnit, the majority of the time generalizations are completely true. That's how they became generalizations. Allow me to outline the things that happened solely during this evening's ride:

• Enjoying the sweet smell of Black 'N Milds while riding through the park
• Little kid (not supervised) kicks a soccer ball across the road nearly taking out my front tire
• Gentleman crosses the road with dog, which decides to crap in the middle of the road
• Multiple cars decide to pass/cut me off with 20 feet remaining to a stop sign
• Car (elderly person) pulls out in front of me while I'm cruising at 20 mph 
• The constant passing way too close to the bike lane when the on coming lane is open

Now, I understand that cyclists are sometimes the problem, and I will focus my attention on that in a later post. But right now, the cycling movement in Greenville is full bore, and I want to be a part of that movement. Unfortunately, I anxiously await another article in the paper outlining a new accident involving a cyclist and motorist. In my opinion, with cycling gaining so much attention, it'd be nice to see driving tests include lessons on safely navigating pedestrian and cyclists. I don't think Driver's Ed currently addresses such matters. Of course, that would only include people with legal driver's licenses, but we'll avoid heading down that road for now.

Point is, if you're going to introduce bike lanes and parks to encourage people to get outside, then safety needs to be the primary concern. Personally, it'd be nice to see some patrol efforts in the local parks. Instead of pulling over the person going 40 in a 35, maybe officers could ensure the safety of pedestrians (See Dude in the Red Van) and cyclists. /rant.

So...obviously I rode tonight. Short ride, 45 minutes and 12 miles. I did discover that I need my bike tuned, as there were multiple occasions where I got out of the saddle only to have my gears slip. Didn't take long for me to realize I need to stay seated. But it was good to get out there. Feeling pretty good about 3 straight days of running/riding. Beast Mode.

Lots to Think About

Get some Poppa Doc

I've never been one to think about life while running. I don't know why, but instead of deep personal reflection, I find myself wrapped up in a make believe underground battle against Eminem...except I'm just rapping his music, as if it's my own. Next week I think I'll be Weezy.

Anyway - today was different. I started a new career venture today, and found myself pondering many different things. Maybe this pondering should've happened a couple weeks ago, before deciding to change jobs. But I was so focused on getting the hell out of dodge at my [ex] job, there was no hesitation in leaving. So I found myself reflecting on today's events and fighting doubt. Talk about a way to relieve some stress. I would've been screwed if it rained today. I won't get into the details, but I had some serious thoughts on whether I made the right decision, but I can truly see this being a career (climbing the proverbial corporate ladder). Feels Good Man.

Ran four miles today [quickly run to edit my last post]. It wasn't as good as most Monday runs, but not terrible. No home game this weekend, so I'm looking into a bike ride on Saturday. Exciting. Oh, and GO TIGERS. The whole world is getting introduced to SFYMANPOW. Google it.

Bacon Bits

I ramble...but I warned you all about that early on, so I have no late night feelings of guilt over my posting style. The funny thing about today's post, is that I skipped running today so I could write a post. I have a long list of things to complete tonight, including the following:

• Recover the hard drive from my college laptop
• Cringe at some of things I find on said hard drive
• GTL...minus the G and T
• Find my brother a birthday present that can be shipped to Colorado in 24 hours
• Research and make my college football picks

So obviously you can see why I needed to forego the run today. Plus all my "running gear" was in need of a good wash. I can literally shake salt off my Dri-Fit hat. Disgusting.

Something I've realized over the past few weeks is that I'm no longer concerned with the notion of training too far in advance. It's going to take me a long time to achieve 13 miles. I diagnosed this issue by noticing that my longest runs aren't getting any longer. I feel that I should be able to run 5 miles continuously right now, but I'm struggling to do that. I ran on Monday, and felt good, but still cashed out at the 5k mark. Frustrating. Which leads me to wonder why this is...

My right leg is giving me fits. It hurts...a lot...every time I run. I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but could it be because of the break back in 2006? I was always of the belief that broken bones heal stronger, but that could be something I saw on TV. But it's definitely one those "hurts when it rains" things. So maybe I'm onto something. I need to Google these kinds of things before writing about them so I sound intelligent. Note to self. Oh well, I need a picture for entertainment. I couldn't find my actual x-ray so here is one that is similar to mine. Funny, as I look at this, I can completely understand why it would hurt when I run.


So, that's all I've got today. Like I said, Laura and I ran on Monday. Roughly 27:00 for the 5k I recall correctly. Another run tomorrow, then we'll be going for a hike with the dog on Friday.

Mile Widget

Per the suggestion of my brother, Razor T. Sharp, I've added the daily mile widget to the sidebar. I only added this week's runs, but I'll be interested to see how many miles I cover over the next 8ish months. Cheers to Wednesday!

Trending...

NOM NOM NOM

Anyone that has been around me knows I'm committed to not dieting. I fully understand that fish, salads, and vegetables are more conducive to weight loss than pizza, wings, and loaded baked potatoes. Frankly, I don't give a damn. BUT...in the best interest of my body, this blog, and my need for results, I'm willing to make small changes here and there. Exhibit A: We went to Bellacino's for lunch today. Typically, I order a half turkey grinder, Cheetohs, and a drink. Today I ordered a half turkey grinder and a water. This is the gameplan that I believe will ultimately lead to a successful weight loss campaign.

Another tactic is carefully evaluating what items I will try to avoid. For example, it would be senseless to cut out mayonnaise from my diet. By cutting out mayonnaise, you cut out ranch dressing. Rather, I will focus on limiting the consumption of both products, instead of totally removing either/or. To summarize my initial diet change goal thingies, I present the following bulleted list:

• Portion Control
• Less Condiments
• Limiting Soda to the Role of Mixer

On to the training! Laura and I ran this past Friday. Well, I ran out a ways, then circled back to find her walking a mere .5 mile into the run. Apparently her K-5 class had cake that afternoon and it was causing problems with her stomach. I managed to forge ahead for roughly a 25 minute jog/turn around to look/jog/start wondering where Laura is/jog. I ran yesterday and today for combined 5 miles and collective time of 47:46. Combining these numbers are worthless though, because I know I can't run 5 miles continuous right now. Right now we're looking at one more run this week, then that thing I talked about when addressing football season. We'll have friends in town all weekend for the Clemson/Auburn game, so I doubt there will be a bike ride anywhere.

I Got Nothing

Well, I hate to admit it, but thus far the score is:

Football Season 1
Running 0

Technically, I was in a wedding this weekend, which is pretty much a football weekend on steroids. We drove down Friday, rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, line dancing. Is line dancing not normal? Saturday consisted of golf, Hooters, unhealthy decisions, wedding, reception, and line dancing. Sunday I still had a friend in town and Monday, well Monday was just a complete waste of a day. Suck.

Looking forward to getting back in the groove this week as mother nature moves out, and comfortable temperatures settle in. I see a long bike ride in my future this week. Fortunately, we play Wofford this weekend. It should be a very calm football Saturday with plenty of time to find the rhythm.

So obviously no training updates tonight, but plenty to come later on in the week. Thinking about adding a race to schedule before the Cold Winter's Day Run with the family. Depends on if I can Laura on board or not.

Light at the End of the Tunnel?

I've been thinking a lot lately about the following question: How far is too far ahead to train for a goal? Is it reasonable to think that maybe I'm reaching towards something so far in the future that I may get bored with training? Should I be able to train in a shorter time period? Does it even really matter?

Part of the reason I'm picking races in the Spring is because I hate running/biking/anything other than hunting in the winter. We don't belong to a gym at the moment, but that may have to change if I'm going to do any swimming once the cold months set in. I have the proper apparel for running and biking in the 30 degree weather, but that doesn't mean I'm jump out of bed at the thought of it. Of course, there are only two things that I jump out of bed for early in the morning - hunting and tailgating. And golf...can't forget golf. But I am certainly worried that sometime, maybe in the 3-4 month mark, I'm going to lose sight of the goal. As I say this, I immediately just thought of the guys at Ironmannaise who started training a year in advance. That makes me feel better. Yet another reason I started this blog, it's something to keep me on track. I can just picture you guys foaming at the mouth for an update. Needing to know how far I ran, how the bike felt, or if some rogue driver permanently ended my aspirations. That's how it is, right? Well, I'll just stick with how I imagine it.

I believe I'm around 5-6 weeks into this whole thing? Seems like a good time for a weight update, as that is a pretty large secondary goal in this process. I looked back and realized I lied about my starting weight. It was actually 238. Eesh. Sick. So, onto the results:

7/24 - 238 lbs
8/30 - 223 lbs

MINUS 15 POUNDS. I know the beginning is the easiest part, but this is encouraging nonetheless. Have a good night folks, off to my Fantasy Football Draft.

What's New is Old, Err, Old is New...

Our new floors are in! Carpet in our living room, and laminate wood flooring in the dining and hall areas.

This takes a large burden off our shoulders as we can now get the condo back into shape to be shown to potential buyers. We're hoping to have our first "new" showing this Friday. Also, if anyone is looking into the Greenville market, I know of a great 2B/2BA condo close to downtown that's for sale.

While I'm talking about the condo, it's never too early to start thinking about winterizing your house. Seriously, all homeowners out there can avoid what we went through by looking into the following items:

1. Insulate any pipes in the crawlspace/attic or exterior walls.

2. Look into replacing old copper lines with a material called Pex. Greatly reduces the risk of a burst or broken pipe.

3. Regular maintenance to your HVAC unit. In our case, ours was installed years ago without a proper drainage system. We cut into the drain line and ran the condensate through the back of our master closet, and out the rear of the building. Less than $100 could save you an insurance claim and a lot of headache.

So, I ran again today. This was my third outing while on call, quite the feat. I shortened my route to about 25 minutes today because of all the work to do at home. It was a nice, peaceful run...if that sort of thing even exists when you run as slow as I do. I'm looking forward to trying to increase mileage in the next few weeks. I'd like to try a 5 miler before the first football game I attend (2nd week of the season) as sort of "milestone". I'm done for training this week though as I will head to Rock Hill this weekend for the annual High Cotton Sporting Clays shoot. This is an event I look forward to every year with my dad and uncle. Next week should include some heavy week days and we will once again be out of town on the weekend. My lifelong best friend is getting married and I've heard that it's frowned upon for the best man not to be there. Even if Clemson is playing at home. That's true love, Randy Jackson style.

Settling In

When I first started my current job, I freaked out any time I was on call. I wouldn't leave the house, basically just sitting on the couch staring at the pager waiting for it to go off. I've since calmed down [some might say I'm over this whole deal]. My change in attitude has allowed me to continue training despite being on call.

So I ran my 5k route on Saturday morning in 27:26. More progress. I ran again this evening at a 27:14 clip. Saturday definitely felt better though. Most likely because it was a morning run, just after waking up...as opposed to after a long day of dealing with homeowners. Which, let me stop there for a second. If you ever have someone come into your home to complete a job, especially if they're helping you through a catastrophe of sorts...DON'T BE AN ASS. You're not our only customer and construction is a process. I don't have people just sitting around jumping at the opportunity to come work 24/7 at your house. I'm also not your personal servant 24/7. I have a family and enjoy spending time with them in the evenings and on weekends. Do you want our house put back together? Make time to meet me during business hours. /rant.

I feel better. We're quickly approaching a key stretch of months for the training...Football Season. Those of you that know me may say I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with college football. You would be right. Training on the weekends become virtually impossible. If it's not gameday, we typically have friends in town. Friends who aren't always down for a Saturday am run before College Gameday comes on. But I'm trying to be better this year. If I can net a loss of 10 lbs through football season, I will consider it a huge victory.

I Want to Ride My Bicycle!

You ever have one of those moments when your day completely changes from what you thought it was going to be? For me, that moment today was when Queen came on the radio. I instantly changed my plan from running again to a nice bike ride. As you know, our evening weather here in the south can be fickle, but today was clear sailing. This was only my second ride in like a year or something, so a leisurely 1:15:00, 16 mile ride was lovely. I kept thinking how pitiful it was that I was only riding 16 miles, and had to remind myself that my goal is small and a long way off. 16 miles is more than your typical bike leg for a sprint Tri, and this is only the beginning. A little bit is better than nothing Brian, a little bit is better than nothing [thank you Jer].

Now for some linkage...something I plan on incorporating throughout my blogging journey. I sweat A LOT. And have a terrible time with sweat running down from my helmet into my eyes. I recently found this Halo Headband at my local store, Carolina Triathlon. I wasn't drinking the kool-aid at first, but this thing is unreal. After two rides, I've yet to have a drop of sweat venture across my brow. It fits perfectly under my helmet, and I'm pretty sure I have the biggest head of anyone reading here, so it should easily fit under yours at home.

Sorry for the brief entry, but I have some prep to do before our new floors go in later this week.

***Quick Edit***   I may have forgotten to mention this...but I fell today. At the end of my ride I stopped for a second to rest, put one foot down and got lazy. Suddenly, my front tire turned and I went tumbling over the opposite leg. Some of you may recognize an all too familiar leg injury below.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

I'm guessing I lost half of my four followers since my last post. Sorry, guys. As hard as it is to keep up with training when you're busy, it's even harder to keep up with a blog about training. But here I am, slightly less out of shape than I was a month back when I started this...

Today's big news is the announcement of the annual (minus last year) Sharp Family Fun Run. We started this tradition in 2009 after my brother and I married two amazing women. Here you see myself, Dad, Laura, Carrie, and Jeremy during the 2009 Cold Winter's Day Run in Columbia. Now, this run is more than just 5 people doing a 5k. Two years ago, this marked the return of my Dad to competitive running. Dad has completed multiple Charleston WV 15 milers (averaging a 6:30 per mile pace) in his day, so we were very excited to have him back running. In an earlier entry, I linked Jer's marathon recap. Check it out and you'll see just how much of an impact Dad had on Jeremy accomplishing his marathon dreams. Boston for those who are wondering. Big time. Baller.

So...training...today I ran my 5k route in 28:10. A little disappointing as it was only 87 today, not the usual 97. Weather permitting, I plan on getting a couple more runs plus a bike ride in this week. The announcement of the Sharp Family Fun Run has inspired Laura to run with me, so I look forward to having a partner. Starting Friday, I go "on call" for work. This basically means I have no life for a week, as the pager could go off at any minute and I have 15 minutes to respond. I'm going to attempt some early morning workouts this weekend in hopes that no one would call in a flood at their house at 7:00 am...on a Saturday...when people should be asleep.

Golf is Exercise

Back from an amazing weekend just south of Birmingham, AL, where 54 holes of golf rocked my world. As you may recall, it was supposed to be 72 holes of golf. Let's just say the group was in agreement after the first 18 Saturday that it was time to go home. Biggest stat of the weekend??? - I lost 5 lbs in three days, without your traditional running and biking. Apparently roughly 250 golf swings over 36 hours is quite the workout.

My running routine shall resume once I can feel the rest of my body. Right now I have blisters on most of my toes, my back is in knots, and my hands aren't quite sure what to do.

I returned home this afternoon to discover our HVAC drain line backed up and flooded some of a our condo. Despite being in the field of insurance restoration, I literally stared blindly wondering what to do. Still trying to figure that out, so forgive my absence for a couple days.

Dear Dude in the Red Van,

I'm going to find you. Probably on a Saturday night after a bourbon or two. [Just kidding Mom]...but seriously.

Can you tell I almost died today? So I get started on my run, my usual path, my usual attire. I'm roughly .75 mile into my run when my life flashes before my eyes in the form of a red minivan. I've provided a rough sketch of the crime scene to assist in this dramatization...

After the fact, I saw hand come up in the rear view mirror as I'm in full COME AT ME BRO mode. I briefly considered following him, but he had a V6 vs. my 10:00/mile. Whatev, it appears he lives in the neighborhood, which means I'll find him eventually.

Ok so today is about training. I've run, I think, six times in the last two weeks [as well as one bike ride, which still hurts to this day]. My first run following the green light from the surgeon was a slow jog/walk around a familiar path. It is a 2.6 mile loop that I completed in 38 MINUTES. 38. Quite the obvious and humbling jab for someone who at one time could turn in a sub 22 5K. In my defense, it is South Carolina in July and running a cool 106 on the heat index meter. BUT...there's good news...as of this evening, I've bumped that 2.6 miles to a full 5k and trimmed my time down to 28:25. AND it's still a stifling 95 when I run in the evening. I'm feeling ok at this point, but there is one thing troubling me. Feel free to weigh in my tremendously in shape followers [Jer & Tim...one day Dad to be of Demontez Schwantes]. My problem on the runs right now is not cardio...I don't think. My breathing is pretty regular when I finish, and I'm not totally spent. Rather, my legs are in tremendous pain. Some days its IT band stuff that I've known for years, but other days they feel like I'm running with a vise grip on each thigh.

Tonight was likely my last run of the week. Thursday evening I leave for Birmingham via Atlanta for a 72 hole golf outing. I feel certain Friday and Saturday will set me back a few days, as Alabama heat + golf + Coors Light over a sustained period of time is bound to cause trouble.

Focus, Brian

Back to the ADD thing. See, I sat down 30 minutes ago to start my entry for tonight before sitting down to kill things on Black Ops. Instead, I wasted a half hour trying to fit a sweet picture of some running clydesdales into my header. As you can see, unsuccessful.

Someone pointed out to me that they enjoyed my first post, but didn't really know what was going on. I quickly realized that I failed point out the focus of the blog. Rather, I quickly touched on it without emphasizing that part. So just so we're clear, I WANT TO FINISH A TRIATHLON. Oh and real quick...

Shamelessly promoting IRONMANNAISE and Jer's Marathon Recap. The former being a friend's blog tracking his Ironman training and latter being my brother Jeremy's race recap from when he qualified for the Boston Marathon. Both are excellent reads.

Back to focusing. I almost signed up for a Tri but then scheduled my first surgery, negating any hope of completing a Tri at the time [circa late 2008]. I haven't picked out a race yet, but most likely I'll be looking at the early months of 2012. In the meantime, I have a couple other goals in mind, listed below:

1. Memorial Day Weekend 2012 - Assuming the US Cycling Championships are once again in Greenville, I intend to participate in the P3 [Palmetto Peleton Project] Stars and Stripes Metric Century Ride.

2. Rock N Roll Half Marathon Nashville - This race is in late April. I haven't decided if I want to make a big trip of my first Half, but I'm entertaining the thought. If I could get Razor Sharp on board, that would help.

For the sake of adding pictures for entertainment value, here's me now followed by what I hope to get back to:

Not gonna lie though, at this point I'm pretty much...

That's all for tonight. Just wanted to state why I was putting you all through the misery of reading. More tomorrow on training - also known as the playing the lottery with South Carolina weather patterns.

The Beginning?

Hi. Hello there. So this is how it feels? I always enjoyed blogs, but never imagined I'd start one. Guess we're all suckers for something. I don't really know how to start...so here we go.

Ok, first off, I think I have ADD. So if my posts are scattered and unorganized, there's a reason [in my head]. I also hate losing a thought and will change the subject promptly to keep that from happening. Even further, I'm terrible at writing. In high school, I scored a 2 on the AP English exam while receiving a 5 on the Math. Go figure. I'm also currently raging to Butch Walker, so the typos are on him.

So. The Beginning. Started running in college to counteract the other things I was doing. I actually managed to lose weight freshman year and thought I was in good shape. Fast forward to senior year...I fracture the tibia in my right leg and am sidelined from life from October to March. Except for partying of course. Fast forward some more, because this blog isn't about what happened in college. I graduate and move to Atlanta....

Here are the figures. I'm a fresh 21, 5'11" and 195 lbs due to my lack of activity...thanks Nate. Hopefully Nate will make an appearance in the comments section as he is ultimately the catalyst for this blog. My previously mentioned tibia was fractured by my good friend, Nathan Frey, during a pick up game of football. Moving on...my office in Atlanta had a nice gym which allowed me to develop the following schedule at least 3 times a week:

Lunch: StairMaster [laugh all you want Gents, it works]
Evening: Usually either ran, lifted weights, or both

This is where the dream began. I had friends getting into Triathlons and I was immediately tempted. I wanted to buy a bike, I had to buy a bike. But then I went shopping for something else. Now's a good time to introduce Laura to the saga. Laura's now my wife, my better half as they say. I must say she plays as much a role as Nate in being a catalyst for this blog. Not only did I scrap the idea of a bike [and possibly a new truck] for an engagement ring, but she also convinced me to have surgery. Surgery...let's go there...

I won't get into details, but Laura forcefully recommended that I go to a doctor about something. Turns out a had to have surgery to my lower back. No worries, right? This was in January of 2009. Let's fast forward to April 2010. Laura pays it [the fact that I chose her over a road bike] forward. She bought me the bike I had always wanted...

Best day of my life outside of 6/20/2009. I promise.

Fast forward to July 2010. Surgery #2 [the first one didn't work]. Same surgery, same doctor. I would later learn he sucks. My new obsession with the bike is put on the shelf. The next few months were pretty uneventful, so let's push on to June 2011. I tried running a couple times in April/May but it ultimately it seemed pointless. Surgery #2 didn't work either...I guess I should've mentioned that earlier. So I have Surgery #3. New hospital, new doctor. Dude's legit. I'm out of work for 4 weeks, but the procedure is successful. Which leads us to...

Today. Here we are. I can finally count on no more surgeries, no more road blocks. Just me, the pavement, and some semblance of a dream. So going back to the figures...I'm 26 and 230 lbs now. HUGE.

That's it for The Beginning. Entourage starts soon.