Everything butt.

It's getting to be that time of year. Halloween. I know because I feel like I've been getting "egg'd" metaphorically speaking, for the last two or three weeks. I was talking to a friend of mine and we commiserated that it sometimes gets like that where everything seems to crumble at your fingertips and it requires a real "global" perspective of the life and style, to keep from going Richter. Challenging times will pass only when the challenges are met.

I've assumed a real layman's approach to fitness, where it's more about relieving stress than it has anything to do with becoming a better athlete. I suppose that's good to be totally focused on other things, I just wish the atmosphere were less tumultuous. The day will come.

The training has been so erratic that I can barely can recall the details. I've been mostly running 30-40 minutes, every other day at best. My last run was through the desert at sunrise during a family trip to the Colorado River last weekend. It had it's moments but it was strange to head out on a run straight out of bed without coffee. Gratuitous shot of the family on vacation at the river.

I guess the last post I promised some photos of the "great" rides I had planned around Warner Springs. Honestly, it was a bust. To get to any decent riding, I would have taken my life for granted on any of the roads out there. Busy fast traffic with no shoulder to speak of. I'm not that dumb. It was frustrating but even more so to have a clear view of Palomar Mountain and the East Grade, knowing that at any other time of year, during a training phase I would have been all over it. Turns out I could have been a lot more busy on the MTB as they just cut about 10 miles of trails (flat singletrack) which would have made for some fast action. As it turns out I did get some fun runs in on the trails. The first time I've ran with my wife in at least a year. She's a proficient runner, 4:20 marathon, but just a little slower than I'm used to. I suppose it was just about right.

Jim is back from Ironman and I am expecting to start getting some workouts sometime soon. I'd like to get the run and swim up as I'll have some time and place when we head over to the Big Island for a 12 day vacation. It's pretty cool that Jim was just there and knows where I'll be staying and can hopefully consider the location when planning the workouts. Someday I'll pack my bike over there but at this point, it'd be a lot of work.