It's a small USDAA trial, only one day and only 3 runs offered-Gamblers, Standard and Jumpers. I hemmed and hawed and hemmed some more about entering because August means HOT and neither the dogs nor myself enjoy trialing in the heat. But you never know, I've been to trials in August where I'm in rain pants and a thick fleece jacket. In the end it was hard to resist a one-ring USDAA trial only 45 minutes away and I figured at the very least we'd be o.k. for the first run of the day so it was only $40 worth of entries I was gambling on if we had to pull for heat for the other runs. The trial is small, only 58 dogs and 163 runs or so and I'm hoping it will be some good ring experience for Strummer and maybe Lola can pick up a few more Q's towards her Perf. ADCH, we'll see. I haven't been training with her much in an effort to preserve her feet and yikes it was not pretty out there when I finally took her out to the field the other day to brush up on some things. I'm hoping her loopiness was due to being distracted by the zillions of bunnies that were out there but wow she was having problems with the simplest of sequences and was slow to lie down on the table (sigh). Hopefully she'll have her head about her on Sunday when she realizes there are sardines at stake.
I've been plugging away at Strum's dogwalk and I'm finally starting to see some consistency between practices. I had brought back the treat gizmo and the plan was to work a lot more with it until I was having a lot of success and consistency but then the inevitable happened and I lost the remote. $42 to replace the sucker. I decided to try doing without for a few weeks since Strum is happy to run to the thing then I run up to it and drop the treats in the bowl myself. Then I decided to give up and order the remote and of course they're out of stock. Stupid gizmos, I hate relying on them. We're up to the point of having a jump after the dogwalk and before the gizmo so hopefully we're close to fading it completely. I live in hope the remote will pop up somewhere but it's been a couple of weeks now and I've combed every possible place. On the other hand my house keys turned up in my bike shoes once so you never know, maybe it will magically appear when I finally look in the most unlikely place.
Anyway, Strum had a lot of practice this week since we've been enjoying cool, cloudy weather-was a high in the 50's one day and I was shivering in my shorts at the practice field. He had one bad practice with the dogwalk and I was tearing my hair out and cursing this stupid sport and why don't I take up something more sensible then he was better at a second practice that day in the evening then this morning he was doing much better and seemed to understand what to do and we'll just see how my sanity and his contacts hold up on Sunday. We've had about a month's worth of lessons with Joy and I was feeling better about my handling then Joy had sudden knee surgery and she's out until Sept. so I'm on my own for a while and hopefully I can remember everything and not revert to my bad habits while she's rehabbing. She's had a terrible time of it, hasn't been able to run her dog for over a year and is on her second knee surgery. Ugh, not fun.
We'll see how the training holds up for Strum this weekend. I feel like I haven't progressed all that much since his last trial in May but hopefully that's because we chip away at things little by little on a daily basis so it's hard to see the overall improvement. The trial is part of the Larmier County Fair and I'm not sure exactly what the implications of that are but I talked to the trial secretary about it before entering and it sounds like the distractions shouldn't be anything other than what I'd see at a normal trial. I'm hoping these are not famous last words but again if things look iffy once the crowds show up it's not a huge financial disaster if I have to pull one or both dogs for the later runs.
I'm hoping I'll be able to check out the fair a bit myself but we'll see. I don't want to leave the dogs unattended for too long and I can imagine the chaos if I tried to walk around the fair with them. I loved the County Fair as a kid and it's been a lifetime since I've been to one so hopefully I can sneak away for a short bit to check it out. Maybe even sneak a ride on the Tilt-a-Whirl so I can jumble my brains around before my Jumpers run. Or...maybe not.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Things I'd never dreamed I'd want but now I do thanks to my weirdo dog hobby
I'm not a big lover of Stuff or consumerism but every so often usually at this time of year I guiltily wish I had one of these.
I've grown to hate hotels-dirty, smelly, parasite ridden hovels, I don't care how many stars. Gives me the heebies just thinking about it. And they want to charge me how much per dog per night to stay in their sleazy little disease ridden cesspit of doom? Let's not even think about the noisy, psycho clientele who are almost certainly going to murder me in my sleep.
How cool would it be to have your own little motel room on wheels? The only problem is that these things are spendy. I've seen them anywhere from $9000-$14,000 used depending on options/condition. I'm scared to call a dealer and find out what they are new. And how many times a year would I actually use it? Then there's the little problem of they weigh around 1560 lbs and the tow capacity on my Honda Element is 1500 lbs. I found one person on the internet who was towing one but he lived out east somewhere I think, not in the Rocky Mountains. I can just see myself trying to tow that thing up Berthoud Pass.
Of course there are smaller, cheaper, lighter options
I've seen these for around $4000-$5000. They'd probably be fine for just me and 2 dogs at a trial for a night or 2 but would my husband and I still be married after a week or so with us and the 3 dogs in one of these things? Would I really go camping/travelling as much as I think I would if I had one? My neighbor has a TAB and I've thought about asking her to rent it but I'd be afraid of all the dog hair I'd leave behind even with a good cleaning and she doesn't have a dog.
Maybe I should just admit defeat and go the whole hog:
I'll never in a million years buy one mind you but I can live and dream. I just can't believe that I've come to a point in my life that this is what I'm living and dreaming about.
I've grown to hate hotels-dirty, smelly, parasite ridden hovels, I don't care how many stars. Gives me the heebies just thinking about it. And they want to charge me how much per dog per night to stay in their sleazy little disease ridden cesspit of doom? Let's not even think about the noisy, psycho clientele who are almost certainly going to murder me in my sleep.
How cool would it be to have your own little motel room on wheels? The only problem is that these things are spendy. I've seen them anywhere from $9000-$14,000 used depending on options/condition. I'm scared to call a dealer and find out what they are new. And how many times a year would I actually use it? Then there's the little problem of they weigh around 1560 lbs and the tow capacity on my Honda Element is 1500 lbs. I found one person on the internet who was towing one but he lived out east somewhere I think, not in the Rocky Mountains. I can just see myself trying to tow that thing up Berthoud Pass.
Of course there are smaller, cheaper, lighter options
I've seen these for around $4000-$5000. They'd probably be fine for just me and 2 dogs at a trial for a night or 2 but would my husband and I still be married after a week or so with us and the 3 dogs in one of these things? Would I really go camping/travelling as much as I think I would if I had one? My neighbor has a TAB and I've thought about asking her to rent it but I'd be afraid of all the dog hair I'd leave behind even with a good cleaning and she doesn't have a dog.
Maybe I should just admit defeat and go the whole hog:
I'll never in a million years buy one mind you but I can live and dream. I just can't believe that I've come to a point in my life that this is what I'm living and dreaming about.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Week In Training, July 20-26
Last week was a very good training week except for the small amount of biking and today is a well needed rest day. Well, except for the 2 mile walk this a.m. with the dogs but we took that nice and easy.
My knee's been doing great except for the occasional flare-up. It was bad on Thurs. night on into Friday then I woke up Sat. morning and it was a bit stiff but not painful and I went on a mega-hike with no problems and it's fine on into today.
I had over 9 hours of training time which is good but I could do with less swimming and more biking if I want to do well in my race. I had a reason for the extra swim practice though and I'll go into that later. I also wanted to get enough swimming in the pool so that I'd be confident doing 2 laps of the Rez without mentally freaking out. I accomplished that last week so I'll probably cut out a swim practice this week and try to get in more biking but I've got a work deadline so I'll have to see what I can squeeze in this week. Biking takes so much more time than the other sports. Getting in that big hike was great though. I got to visit with some old running/internet friends and work on my leg strength without pounding my knee too much. I forgot how steep the Mesa Trail is in places, sheesh, some of those climbs were tough. It knocked me out a lot more than I thought it should have but I was still able to bike on Sunday.
Monday
Walk-2 mile a.m. w/ dogs
Swim-2400 yards/1 hour p.m., masters, Spruce pool, Jane coach, kicked my butt
Tuesday
Run/walk-2 miles/35 mins. (4 mins. run/1 min. walk), 1 mile walk warm-up/cool down
Wednesday
Walk-3 miles, a.m.
Swim-2400 yards/1 hour p.m., masters, Spruce pool, Enie coach, easier than Monday
Thursday
Swim-approx. 1800 yards/50 mins., open water-Boulder Rez, 2 laps
Friday
Run/walk-2 miles/35 mins. (4 mins. run/1 min. walk), 1 mile walk warm-up/cool down
Saturday
Hike-7 1/4 miles/3 hours, 20 mins. on the Mesa Trail in Boulder with Strummer, Ed & Judy
Sunday
Bike-1 hour, 20 mins. (forgot to check mileage, probably around 8 miles), West Mag, got rained/hailed out, luckily we were 10 mins. from the car when the sky opened up.
Run/walk-2 miles/35 mins. (4 mins. run/1 min. walk), 1 mile walk warm-up/cool down
WEEKLY TOTALS
Swim-6600 yards/2 hours, 50 mins.
Mountain Bike-8 miles/1 hour, 20 mins.
Run-6 miles/1 hour, 45 mins. (run 4 mins./ walk 1 min.)
Hike-7 1/4 miles/3 hours, 20 mins.
Total-9 hours, 15 mins.
Walk-7 miles
My knee's been doing great except for the occasional flare-up. It was bad on Thurs. night on into Friday then I woke up Sat. morning and it was a bit stiff but not painful and I went on a mega-hike with no problems and it's fine on into today.
I had over 9 hours of training time which is good but I could do with less swimming and more biking if I want to do well in my race. I had a reason for the extra swim practice though and I'll go into that later. I also wanted to get enough swimming in the pool so that I'd be confident doing 2 laps of the Rez without mentally freaking out. I accomplished that last week so I'll probably cut out a swim practice this week and try to get in more biking but I've got a work deadline so I'll have to see what I can squeeze in this week. Biking takes so much more time than the other sports. Getting in that big hike was great though. I got to visit with some old running/internet friends and work on my leg strength without pounding my knee too much. I forgot how steep the Mesa Trail is in places, sheesh, some of those climbs were tough. It knocked me out a lot more than I thought it should have but I was still able to bike on Sunday.
Monday
Walk-2 mile a.m. w/ dogs
Swim-2400 yards/1 hour p.m., masters, Spruce pool, Jane coach, kicked my butt
Tuesday
Run/walk-2 miles/35 mins. (4 mins. run/1 min. walk), 1 mile walk warm-up/cool down
Wednesday
Walk-3 miles, a.m.
Swim-2400 yards/1 hour p.m., masters, Spruce pool, Enie coach, easier than Monday
Thursday
Swim-approx. 1800 yards/50 mins., open water-Boulder Rez, 2 laps
Friday
Run/walk-2 miles/35 mins. (4 mins. run/1 min. walk), 1 mile walk warm-up/cool down
Saturday
Hike-7 1/4 miles/3 hours, 20 mins. on the Mesa Trail in Boulder with Strummer, Ed & Judy
Sunday
Bike-1 hour, 20 mins. (forgot to check mileage, probably around 8 miles), West Mag, got rained/hailed out, luckily we were 10 mins. from the car when the sky opened up.
Run/walk-2 miles/35 mins. (4 mins. run/1 min. walk), 1 mile walk warm-up/cool down
WEEKLY TOTALS
Swim-6600 yards/2 hours, 50 mins.
Mountain Bike-8 miles/1 hour, 20 mins.
Run-6 miles/1 hour, 45 mins. (run 4 mins./ walk 1 min.)
Hike-7 1/4 miles/3 hours, 20 mins.
Total-9 hours, 15 mins.
Walk-7 miles
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Vampire Circus
I love vampire movies. I watched them any chance I got when I was a kid and I rushed home from school every day during 'Vampire Week' back in the 70's when they showed movies in the afternoon. Jonny loves them too so imagine our delight when we ran across an old 1972 Hammer horror movie titled 'Vampire Circus' for free on Comcast's on-demand channel. I guess the stupid cable service is worth something after all because you can't get this little gem on Netflix.
First of all, what genius-combining vampires with the circus, it doesn't get much creepier than that. If there's something out there that's scarier than a creepy clown/dwarf/vampire then I surely don't know what it is. Maybe if you could somehow work a monkey in there... Oh wait, they did. This movie makes David Lynch look like Steven Spielberg. In fact I'd be stunned and amazed if David Lynch wasn't influenced by this movie, some of the stuff in Twin Peaks is toned down versions of scenes/characters found in this film.
The plot has so many holes and is so bizarre with lots of crazy twists and turns that it's hard to tell exactly where it's going which only adds to the eeriness and suspense. You get that uneasy feeling that pretty much anything can happen and then it does. The bad acting only adds to the freakiness. Then there's the Strongman (played by the actor who later played Darth Vader in the first Star Wars trilogy) whose tunic is a wee bit too short and tight for comfort. And by comfort I mean my comfort. I spent a good portion of the movie in constant fear of finding out that yes indeed he was going commando. It was worse than a Boulder's masters swim workout. The special effects were so bad that the gore scenes were scarier than if they had been realistic.
The movie is full of weird themes and undertones as well. The lines between good and evil become so blurred that by the end I'm not sure if I'm cheering for the villagers or the vampires. I could probably spend hours picking the movie apart but I'll spare you that analysis.
The only problem is that you can't get the movie from Netflix and from what I can tell it's not available on DVD in the U.S. so if you have Comcast's on-demand service I'd waste no time in viewing it before it disappears. If not maybe you can beg someone who does to invite you over for a night of freaky chills you won't soon forget and one of the best, creepiest, most original vampire movies you're ever likely to see. In the meantime you can find scenes from the movie over on Youtube. Or maybe you're ready to turn on the Disney Channel right about now.
First of all, what genius-combining vampires with the circus, it doesn't get much creepier than that. If there's something out there that's scarier than a creepy clown/dwarf/vampire then I surely don't know what it is. Maybe if you could somehow work a monkey in there... Oh wait, they did. This movie makes David Lynch look like Steven Spielberg. In fact I'd be stunned and amazed if David Lynch wasn't influenced by this movie, some of the stuff in Twin Peaks is toned down versions of scenes/characters found in this film.
The plot has so many holes and is so bizarre with lots of crazy twists and turns that it's hard to tell exactly where it's going which only adds to the eeriness and suspense. You get that uneasy feeling that pretty much anything can happen and then it does. The bad acting only adds to the freakiness. Then there's the Strongman (played by the actor who later played Darth Vader in the first Star Wars trilogy) whose tunic is a wee bit too short and tight for comfort. And by comfort I mean my comfort. I spent a good portion of the movie in constant fear of finding out that yes indeed he was going commando. It was worse than a Boulder's masters swim workout. The special effects were so bad that the gore scenes were scarier than if they had been realistic.
The movie is full of weird themes and undertones as well. The lines between good and evil become so blurred that by the end I'm not sure if I'm cheering for the villagers or the vampires. I could probably spend hours picking the movie apart but I'll spare you that analysis.
The only problem is that you can't get the movie from Netflix and from what I can tell it's not available on DVD in the U.S. so if you have Comcast's on-demand service I'd waste no time in viewing it before it disappears. If not maybe you can beg someone who does to invite you over for a night of freaky chills you won't soon forget and one of the best, creepiest, most original vampire movies you're ever likely to see. In the meantime you can find scenes from the movie over on Youtube. Or maybe you're ready to turn on the Disney Channel right about now.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Mitchell Lake/Blue Lake
Strum at Blue Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area.
Are we having Pika poop for snackies?
Mmmm, Pika poop is the best.
Another gorgeous hike today, just 5-6 miles but it was steep and rocky. I wasn't tired while I was hiking and I felt like I could have done more but Jonny and I collapsed into naps as soon as we got home. Strummer on the other hand was/is ready for playtime. He's putting a toy in my lap as I type. This dog is an endless well of energy, I'm not sure if it's possible to exhaust him. And all this hiking is only making him more fit. I left Team Old School at home because the trail was way too rocky for old, arthritic tootsies. If I remember correctly the last time I took Cody on this trail he was miserable because of the footing and that was many years ago.
I went overboard with the mountain pictures this time. I had to restrain myself from posting them all at the risk of sending you all to snoozeland. Yes, this is me restraining myself. I took 101 photos on this hike which is a freakin' lot for me of little patience. I also brought my nicer SLR this time. Last week's photos were with the point and shoot which frankly I think I've dropped one too many times.
Are you sick of the flowers yet? Be thankful I'm only posting 2 of the zillions of photos I took of the flowers.
Posers.
Can you spot the Ptarmigan? If someone on the trail hadn't pointed it out to me I would have walked right by.
Can you see me now?
O.k., I'll make an appearance.
Are we having Pika poop for snackies?
Mmmm, Pika poop is the best.
Another gorgeous hike today, just 5-6 miles but it was steep and rocky. I wasn't tired while I was hiking and I felt like I could have done more but Jonny and I collapsed into naps as soon as we got home. Strummer on the other hand was/is ready for playtime. He's putting a toy in my lap as I type. This dog is an endless well of energy, I'm not sure if it's possible to exhaust him. And all this hiking is only making him more fit. I left Team Old School at home because the trail was way too rocky for old, arthritic tootsies. If I remember correctly the last time I took Cody on this trail he was miserable because of the footing and that was many years ago.
I went overboard with the mountain pictures this time. I had to restrain myself from posting them all at the risk of sending you all to snoozeland. Yes, this is me restraining myself. I took 101 photos on this hike which is a freakin' lot for me of little patience. I also brought my nicer SLR this time. Last week's photos were with the point and shoot which frankly I think I've dropped one too many times.
Are you sick of the flowers yet? Be thankful I'm only posting 2 of the zillions of photos I took of the flowers.
Posers.
Can you spot the Ptarmigan? If someone on the trail hadn't pointed it out to me I would have walked right by.
Can you see me now?
O.k., I'll make an appearance.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Oh Happy Day!
Lumps-they're so terrifying and they never mean anything good. Plus it doesn't help if you're something of a neurotic especially when it comes to your dog's health. I took Lola in last October to have the the vet take a look at a suspicious lump that seemed to be getting worse/bigger. I wasn't horribly worried about it but peace of mind is a good thing. It turned out to be a harmless doggie pimple. That's the non-medical term in case you were wondering, I'll only mispell the fancypants word for it. Shortly after that episode I found another lump on Lola's neck and since the vet said that she could end up with doggie pimples all over I decided not to worry about it or any of the various other lumps I've found on her over the past 10 months. See, I'm a good recovering neurotic. She screamed and jumped badly enough when the vet aspirated the lump on her leg I could imagine the histrionics if the vet tried to shove a needle into her neck right next to her face.
But last week the neck lump felt bigger and harder and somehow more sinister and I decided it needed checked. I made the appointment on Monday for Friday/today since it was the earliest the vet could see me and proceeded to convince myself that Lola had lymphoma due to the location of the lump. I promised myself I wouldn't go on the internet and look up doggie lymph node locations but I couldn't help myself and from the description of course that's where Lola's lump was. A week long panic attack ensued which I kept to myself except for I had to drag Jonny in but he's used to me and rolled his eyes and gave me the obligatory 'yes dear'. Luckily he's the opposite of neurotic.
The only reason I made it through the week without having a complete breakdown is that I was horribly busy at work with a ridiculous deadline so had to work late and was preoccupied and a bit stressed out. Plus I had a busy week of triathlon and agility training with double workouts/practices for both on Wednesday. How did I pull that off? I'm still not sure. Anyway, today's appointment couldn't come soon enough. The vet walked in the room and barely had a chance for pleasantries before I started in with 'Where are a dog's lymph nodes??!! See, this is where Lola's lump is (I had my finger on the lump before she even got in the door), is it her lymph node??!! Can you feel it?'
The vet is used to me too and she sets my mind at rest right away that no it's not her lymph node. The lymph node is nearby so I wasn't totally crazy but it was far enough away that the vet could see right away it was not the lymph node. Somehow I managed to keep Lola still while the vet stuck the needle in her neck and held it there for a bit while she drew out some cells. What a good girl, I can't believe she put up with that. She wasn't happy but she stayed still, what an awesome girly. The vet came back in a few minutes and gave me the thumbs up. It's just another doggie pimple. You cannot imagine how ecstatic I was/am. Or maybe you can. I'm so happy this week is finally done, bring on the weekend!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Arapaho Pass
Hey. I'm Strummer and I'll be your guide today up Arapaho Pass.
Just because you're in the wilderness don't think for a moment that you can avoid your adoring fans. They're a nuisance but they pay the bills.
The wildflowers are particularly spectacular this year. Lots of places to leave your pee-mail.
Once you start seeing these views you're nearly there. Make sure you're taking in enough calories so that you don't bonk at the top. I suggest the Pika poop, it's plentiful above treeline and is delicious this time of year.
Voila! You're there. Enjoy your view from Arapaho Pass and give those quads a rest after that long steep climb.
The indignity of my life sometimes, I tell you. I'll have my revenge though, just wait until I start barfing up the Pika poop.
Just because you're in the wilderness don't think for a moment that you can avoid your adoring fans. They're a nuisance but they pay the bills.
The wildflowers are particularly spectacular this year. Lots of places to leave your pee-mail.
Once you start seeing these views you're nearly there. Make sure you're taking in enough calories so that you don't bonk at the top. I suggest the Pika poop, it's plentiful above treeline and is delicious this time of year.
Voila! You're there. Enjoy your view from Arapaho Pass and give those quads a rest after that long steep climb.
The indignity of my life sometimes, I tell you. I'll have my revenge though, just wait until I start barfing up the Pika poop.
Week In Training, July 6 through July 12
A decent training week despite some setbacks due to schedule problems (work obligations/deadlines and doctor's appointments). In effect I only missed one swim workout and was hoping to sneak in another bike workout that didn't quite happen so not too bad. A 2 1/4 hour increase in total workout hours over last week and finally I'm into my 7-9 hour per week range that I'm trying to hit. Knee was fine all week except for Saturday when I woke up with it being stiff and not wanting to straighten. Was fine for my mega-hike today. I'm counting hiking time in my total training time as long as the hike is reasonably steep and strenuous as it was today. I'll have some steep trail sections to deal with for my race and I'll almost certainly hike them so this isn't unreasonable. The p.t. says hiking is good for building up leg & knee strength for running too so I want to fit in as much as my knee and schedule will handle.
Monday
Walk-2 miles a.m., Lola & Cody
Rest day of sorts, I was tired.
Tuesday
Swim-approx. 900 yards/20 mins. a.m. at the Boulder Rez. Made it for a full lap but used a pull buoy and paddles
Chiropractor/massage after work.
Walk-2 miles p.m. Cody & Strummer.
Knee good.
Wednesday
Run/Walk-2 miles a.m. (3 min. run/1 min. walk for 30 mins.) 1 mile walk total for warm-up & cool down. Cody & Strummer.
Swim-2400 yards/1 hour p.m., masters at Spruce Pool, Jane coach
Knee good.
Thursday
Walk-2 miles a.m., Cody & Strummer
Agility class p.m., 1/2 hour private w/ Joy & Strummer. It was HOT. Poor Strum, he did a great job but I felt bad. I told Joy I may have to cancel next week if it's that hot again. Worked on my spazzy handling. O.k., we do that every week.
Knee good.
Friday
Run/Walk-2 miles a.m. (3 min. run/1 min. walk for 30 mins.) 1 mile walk total for warm-up & cool down. Cody & Strummer.
Skipped evening masters practice so I wouldn't be trashed for my Saturday bike ride which I wanted to be a quality workout.
Saturday
Walk-3 miles a.m. w/ Cody & Strummer (and Lola & Jonny)
Bike-12.8 miles/2 hours, 10 minutes mid-day on the Colorado Trail at Buffalo Creek with Jonny, Rusty and Jeanne. Gorgeous trail and fun times. Weather was a little warm and surprisingly humid (humid for Colorado that is) but it was cool in the shade of the forest, especially on the downhills. Got some decent climbing in.
Knee was stiff and didn't want to straighten first thing in the morning. Held up well enough for the bike, only bothered me when I had to get off and hike-a-bike for a few short sections. Hard to walk for a bit after the ride since the knee still didn't want to straighten then magically knee was fine about 1 1/2 hours after the ride. My friend thinks it's the torn meniscus moving out of position from where it's supposed to be then shifting back into place.
Sunday
Hike-6 miles/3 1/4 hours on Arapaho Pass trail in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area with Jonny and Strummy. Beautiful day, pictures to follow.
Weekly Totals:
Swim: 3100 yards, 1 hour, 20 minutes
Mountain Bike: 12.8 miles/2 hours
Run: 4 miles, 1 hour
Hike: 6 miles, 3 1/4 hours
Walking: 11 miles, approx. 3 1/2 hours
Total: 7 1/2 hours (includes hike but not walking)
Monday
Walk-2 miles a.m., Lola & Cody
Rest day of sorts, I was tired.
Tuesday
Swim-approx. 900 yards/20 mins. a.m. at the Boulder Rez. Made it for a full lap but used a pull buoy and paddles
Chiropractor/massage after work.
Walk-2 miles p.m. Cody & Strummer.
Knee good.
Wednesday
Run/Walk-2 miles a.m. (3 min. run/1 min. walk for 30 mins.) 1 mile walk total for warm-up & cool down. Cody & Strummer.
Swim-2400 yards/1 hour p.m., masters at Spruce Pool, Jane coach
Knee good.
Thursday
Walk-2 miles a.m., Cody & Strummer
Agility class p.m., 1/2 hour private w/ Joy & Strummer. It was HOT. Poor Strum, he did a great job but I felt bad. I told Joy I may have to cancel next week if it's that hot again. Worked on my spazzy handling. O.k., we do that every week.
Knee good.
Friday
Run/Walk-2 miles a.m. (3 min. run/1 min. walk for 30 mins.) 1 mile walk total for warm-up & cool down. Cody & Strummer.
Skipped evening masters practice so I wouldn't be trashed for my Saturday bike ride which I wanted to be a quality workout.
Saturday
Walk-3 miles a.m. w/ Cody & Strummer (and Lola & Jonny)
Bike-12.8 miles/2 hours, 10 minutes mid-day on the Colorado Trail at Buffalo Creek with Jonny, Rusty and Jeanne. Gorgeous trail and fun times. Weather was a little warm and surprisingly humid (humid for Colorado that is) but it was cool in the shade of the forest, especially on the downhills. Got some decent climbing in.
Knee was stiff and didn't want to straighten first thing in the morning. Held up well enough for the bike, only bothered me when I had to get off and hike-a-bike for a few short sections. Hard to walk for a bit after the ride since the knee still didn't want to straighten then magically knee was fine about 1 1/2 hours after the ride. My friend thinks it's the torn meniscus moving out of position from where it's supposed to be then shifting back into place.
Sunday
Hike-6 miles/3 1/4 hours on Arapaho Pass trail in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area with Jonny and Strummy. Beautiful day, pictures to follow.
Weekly Totals:
Swim: 3100 yards, 1 hour, 20 minutes
Mountain Bike: 12.8 miles/2 hours
Run: 4 miles, 1 hour
Hike: 6 miles, 3 1/4 hours
Walking: 11 miles, approx. 3 1/2 hours
Total: 7 1/2 hours (includes hike but not walking)
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Thoughts for the day
When you're introduced to a new business client is it unprofessional to reply, 'Cool, you've got the same name as my dog'? At least for once his name didn't fly out of my head the very second after it went in.
Also, someone put a very disturbing notion into my head today. Can the internet get full?
That's all I've got time for today, carry on.
Also, someone put a very disturbing notion into my head today. Can the internet get full?
That's all I've got time for today, carry on.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Who else had a great 4th of July?
I know, it's not a great holiday for the dog people is it? You've probably all had your share of drama and maybe even some doggie Valium. Boulder's not typically that bad relatively speaking. Every year I try to remember how in Chicago you get gunfire mixed in with your illegal street fireworks so maybe I don't have it so bad. Fireworks are illegal in Boulder but we all know how that goes.
We were muddling through o.k. for most of the night-Lola huddling in the bathroom and Strummer nervous but coping more or less in the living room. Cody somehow was sleeping through it all, one of the advantages of an 11 year old dog I guess. Until the loud high pitched whistling followed by the huge kaBOOM explosions started right outside my window. I ran outside to find burning embers flying over my roof. I ran around to the opposite side of the house that faces the street to find it full of smoke and an industrial strength pyrotechnics device in the street right outside my window. Then I realized it was being manned by my neighbors who are card carrying members of Boulder's ever burgeoning Wealth Without Work brigade. This is the part of the story where I start yelling bad words. Because it's bad enough that a bunch of dumbass idiots are trying to burn down my house and then block the street access from the firetrucks who might possibly save it but somehow it's that much more infuriating when those dumbasses are 30-something slacker trustfunders who've never worked for anything their entire lives.
'Can you take this somewhere else, you're scaring the shit out of my dogs', I start yelling at them. I get a sort of vacuous blank look. 'Look, you've set that thing up right outside my window, just what the hell is wrong with you??!! Do you have any idea what that sounds like inside my house?' I'm secretly hoping that some of the falling embers will light his scraggly long hippie hair on fire ala Michael Jackson when he had the pyrotechnics mishap while making that Pepsi commercial. Is that wrong of me? Finally I get a response. 'Sorry, we didn't realize it was that loud'. Uh, yeah, just how stupid do I look? I notice they set the gizmo up well away from their own house. Does having everything handed to you your entire life and never experiencing self-sufficiency really warp your world view that much? I decide it would be best to storm off in a huff now before I start in on some rant I'm going to regret. I have to live across the street from these asshats. The explosions do stop within a minute or two. Which is probably a good thing for all involved.
Lola left us a nice present to wake up to the following morning in the living room. She was too scared to go outside to do her business at bedtime and of course she wasn't going to wake us up to go outside during the night. She had a mighty case of the runs as well, icing on the cake. Maybe next year we pony up the money to rent a nice cabin in the middle of nowhere.
We were muddling through o.k. for most of the night-Lola huddling in the bathroom and Strummer nervous but coping more or less in the living room. Cody somehow was sleeping through it all, one of the advantages of an 11 year old dog I guess. Until the loud high pitched whistling followed by the huge kaBOOM explosions started right outside my window. I ran outside to find burning embers flying over my roof. I ran around to the opposite side of the house that faces the street to find it full of smoke and an industrial strength pyrotechnics device in the street right outside my window. Then I realized it was being manned by my neighbors who are card carrying members of Boulder's ever burgeoning Wealth Without Work brigade. This is the part of the story where I start yelling bad words. Because it's bad enough that a bunch of dumbass idiots are trying to burn down my house and then block the street access from the firetrucks who might possibly save it but somehow it's that much more infuriating when those dumbasses are 30-something slacker trustfunders who've never worked for anything their entire lives.
'Can you take this somewhere else, you're scaring the shit out of my dogs', I start yelling at them. I get a sort of vacuous blank look. 'Look, you've set that thing up right outside my window, just what the hell is wrong with you??!! Do you have any idea what that sounds like inside my house?' I'm secretly hoping that some of the falling embers will light his scraggly long hippie hair on fire ala Michael Jackson when he had the pyrotechnics mishap while making that Pepsi commercial. Is that wrong of me? Finally I get a response. 'Sorry, we didn't realize it was that loud'. Uh, yeah, just how stupid do I look? I notice they set the gizmo up well away from their own house. Does having everything handed to you your entire life and never experiencing self-sufficiency really warp your world view that much? I decide it would be best to storm off in a huff now before I start in on some rant I'm going to regret. I have to live across the street from these asshats. The explosions do stop within a minute or two. Which is probably a good thing for all involved.
Lola left us a nice present to wake up to the following morning in the living room. She was too scared to go outside to do her business at bedtime and of course she wasn't going to wake us up to go outside during the night. She had a mighty case of the runs as well, icing on the cake. Maybe next year we pony up the money to rent a nice cabin in the middle of nowhere.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Week In Training, June 29 through July 5
Overall knee was good this week, no major problems. I've got a 3/4 hour increase in total training time which seems like a reasonable increase and my knee tolerated it. Was hoping to get more biking in but the agility trial threw off my schedule. Didn't want to overdue it with a local bike ride on Saturday and then not be able to do my 'big' trail ride in the mountains on Sunday. Same amount of walking as last week, got to keep the pups in shape.
I have no more agility trials scheduled in July so I'm hoping to spend the next few weeks ramping up my mountain bike mileage. Those off-road tri's are all about the bike so I need a lot more time in the saddle than I've been putting in. Plus it's summer, got to enjoy the trails as much as I can especially at the higher elevations. The snow will be flying up there again in the blink of an eye.
Some good agility training this week too. The majority of Strum's dogwalk sessions were successful, even out at the practice field and with a dogwalk in a sequence. Are we finally getting some consistency? Can I dare to dream? He's also coming along with his entries with the 2x2's. He already knows how to weave but I'm putting him through the 2x2 method to work on entries since he's having a hard time with the other method I was using. He got a difficult entry at class on Thursday so maybe we're making some progress but I need to see it a million more times before I believe it's for real. Lola's been rocking the backyard weave poles. I send her through for a few reps. a few times a week. Wish I'd trusted her at the trial this weekend though, sheesh, I'll bet she would have gotten her entry if I had given her the chance.
MONDAY
Walk-2 miles a.m., (Cody & Lola)
Swim-2425 yards/1 hour p.m., Masters at Spruce Pool, Jane coach
Knee good
TUESDAY
Run/Walk-2 miles, 30 mins. (2 mins. run/1 min. walk) plus 1 mile/20 mins. - warm-up/cool down (Cody & Strummer)
Knee good
WEDNESDAY
Walk-3 miles/1 hour a.m., (Cody & Strummer)
Backyard Agility a.m.-Strummer-running dogwalk and 2x2 weaves
Lola-weaves, entries and distance with 6 poles
Biscuit Eaters Agility-Strummer, p.m.-running dogwalk went great, ran some short sequences (parts of a Grand Prix course) including a dogwalk in sequence and all went great. Sequences with A-frame and weaves also went great.
Swim-2675 yards/1 hour p.m., Masters at Spruce Pool, Jane coach
Knee slightly wonky after evening agility practice but good again after swim practice.
THURSDAY
Run/Walk-2 miles, 30 mins. (2-3 mins. run/1 min. walk) plus 1 mile/20 mins. - warm-up/cool down (Cody & Strummer)
Backyard Agility a.m.-Strummer-2x2 weaves, 4 poles, slightly offset, <4' apart
Lola-weaves, entries and distance with 6 poles
Yard was wet & both dogs were successful but didn't do
many reps. and wanted to go back in the house. Freaks.
Agility lesson w/ Joy-Strummer, 1/2 hour, private, worked on 180's and threadles.
Knee good.
FRIDAY
USDAA Agility trial-Lola only in Masters Standard & Gamblers
Knee good.
SATURDAY
USDAA Agility trial-Lola only in Masters Standard.
3 mile/1 1/4 hour walk/hike (Kiln trail) w/ Strummer (Jonny came with and took Cody).
Knee good.
SUNDAY
3 mile walk w/ Cody & Strummer (Jonny came with and took Lola)
Mountain Bike-approx. 12 miles/2 hours, West Mag (10 minutes faster than last week for the same route)
Knee good.
WEEKLY TOTALS
Swim-5100 yards, 2 hours (all pool, no open water)
Mountain Bike-12 miles, 2 hours
Run-4 miles, 1 hour of run/walk
Total: 5 hours
Walking: 13 miles, approx. 4 hours
I have no more agility trials scheduled in July so I'm hoping to spend the next few weeks ramping up my mountain bike mileage. Those off-road tri's are all about the bike so I need a lot more time in the saddle than I've been putting in. Plus it's summer, got to enjoy the trails as much as I can especially at the higher elevations. The snow will be flying up there again in the blink of an eye.
Some good agility training this week too. The majority of Strum's dogwalk sessions were successful, even out at the practice field and with a dogwalk in a sequence. Are we finally getting some consistency? Can I dare to dream? He's also coming along with his entries with the 2x2's. He already knows how to weave but I'm putting him through the 2x2 method to work on entries since he's having a hard time with the other method I was using. He got a difficult entry at class on Thursday so maybe we're making some progress but I need to see it a million more times before I believe it's for real. Lola's been rocking the backyard weave poles. I send her through for a few reps. a few times a week. Wish I'd trusted her at the trial this weekend though, sheesh, I'll bet she would have gotten her entry if I had given her the chance.
MONDAY
Walk-2 miles a.m., (Cody & Lola)
Swim-2425 yards/1 hour p.m., Masters at Spruce Pool, Jane coach
Knee good
TUESDAY
Run/Walk-2 miles, 30 mins. (2 mins. run/1 min. walk) plus 1 mile/20 mins. - warm-up/cool down (Cody & Strummer)
Knee good
WEDNESDAY
Walk-3 miles/1 hour a.m., (Cody & Strummer)
Backyard Agility a.m.-Strummer-running dogwalk and 2x2 weaves
Lola-weaves, entries and distance with 6 poles
Biscuit Eaters Agility-Strummer, p.m.-running dogwalk went great, ran some short sequences (parts of a Grand Prix course) including a dogwalk in sequence and all went great. Sequences with A-frame and weaves also went great.
Swim-2675 yards/1 hour p.m., Masters at Spruce Pool, Jane coach
Knee slightly wonky after evening agility practice but good again after swim practice.
THURSDAY
Run/Walk-2 miles, 30 mins. (2-3 mins. run/1 min. walk) plus 1 mile/20 mins. - warm-up/cool down (Cody & Strummer)
Backyard Agility a.m.-Strummer-2x2 weaves, 4 poles, slightly offset, <4' apart
Lola-weaves, entries and distance with 6 poles
Yard was wet & both dogs were successful but didn't do
many reps. and wanted to go back in the house. Freaks.
Agility lesson w/ Joy-Strummer, 1/2 hour, private, worked on 180's and threadles.
Knee good.
FRIDAY
USDAA Agility trial-Lola only in Masters Standard & Gamblers
Knee good.
SATURDAY
USDAA Agility trial-Lola only in Masters Standard.
3 mile/1 1/4 hour walk/hike (Kiln trail) w/ Strummer (Jonny came with and took Cody).
Knee good.
SUNDAY
3 mile walk w/ Cody & Strummer (Jonny came with and took Lola)
Mountain Bike-approx. 12 miles/2 hours, West Mag (10 minutes faster than last week for the same route)
Knee good.
WEEKLY TOTALS
Swim-5100 yards, 2 hours (all pool, no open water)
Mountain Bike-12 miles, 2 hours
Run-4 miles, 1 hour of run/walk
Total: 5 hours
Walking: 13 miles, approx. 4 hours
Saturday, July 04, 2009
SO Close
A little bit of USDAA trialing for us this holiday weekend. I only ran Lola and only in Standard and Gamblers on Friday and Standard today since those were the earliest classes. Last year this trial was a Regional and it was mostly blazing hot in the 90's so this year I only entered early classes and of course it was much cooler and cloudy at times.
Today's Standard was our best run and Jonny came with us so we have video. It was a tough course but Lola did a lovely job. Look at that table people!!! I was so pleased with that. And she hit all her contacts despite being freaked out by the judge on the dogwalk. Unlike yesterday-ahem. I was so sure we'd have it but I pushed her waaay too far out into the hinterlands on a tough weave pole entry and there was no way she could make the entry from where I'd placed her so we got a refusal darn-it but still it was a great run on a tough course and I was so pleased with her.
Of course the obvious choice of background music would be '4th of July' by X but apparently I only have it on vinyl and I'm too lazy to transfer it to CD just for doggie background music so you'll have to make do with Elvis Costello. I think I go through this every year. One of these days I'll get the dang thing on mp3.
Yesterday did not go nearly as well. I picked a very boring, easy course for Gamblers and still somehow managed to muck it up a bit. Then I thought maybe she had a shot at the gamble but it was not meant to be. When I got home Cody said he could have done it easy peasy. In Standard the little stinker blew her dogwalk contact on an otherwise lovely run. When we got to the table she did a fabulous fast happy down so I immediately released her and ran her over a few obstacles on the shortest path out of the ring so I could reward her. Judge thought I was nuts when I excused myself before she finished her table count but oh well. She had a beautiful table today and held it for the whole count so it was worth it.
Lola loved being the only dog and she especially loved it today when Jonny came. I think she had such a nice run to show off for him. It was relaxing for me as well since she's so easy to deal with and I didn't have to run like a crazy person between 2 rings. I loved being able to focus all my attention on her. I love running her and hanging out with her and who knows how many trials she has left? Plus she was by far the most gorgeous dog there. I'm constantly amazed that she never gets some special award for that. She always leaves the trial wondering where is her diamond studded tiara and I have no good explanation for her.
On the way to and from the trial site I pass a coffee/tattoo shop that I've been dying to stop at but I'm always either on my way there and have no time to stop or on my way home and it's too late and hot and tired for coffee. But today it was plenty early and we had plenty of time on our way home so finally I got to sample the wares of the Bananalope Coffee House which shares a space with the Smoky Banana Tattoo shop. Personally I don't think I'd want a case of the jitters while someone was coming at me with needles but that's just me. The coffee is all organic and free trade and the nice lady behind the counter said the place is very dog friendly, next time bring the poochies in for special biscuits. Lola was mad that she didn't get a mocha or biscuits but I didn't want to unbelt her from her seatbelt harness and start a big fuss in the place.
The trial continues on tomorrow but not for us. I'm hitting the trails on my mountain bike and Lola gets the day off.
Today's Standard was our best run and Jonny came with us so we have video. It was a tough course but Lola did a lovely job. Look at that table people!!! I was so pleased with that. And she hit all her contacts despite being freaked out by the judge on the dogwalk. Unlike yesterday-ahem. I was so sure we'd have it but I pushed her waaay too far out into the hinterlands on a tough weave pole entry and there was no way she could make the entry from where I'd placed her so we got a refusal darn-it but still it was a great run on a tough course and I was so pleased with her.
Of course the obvious choice of background music would be '4th of July' by X but apparently I only have it on vinyl and I'm too lazy to transfer it to CD just for doggie background music so you'll have to make do with Elvis Costello. I think I go through this every year. One of these days I'll get the dang thing on mp3.
Yesterday did not go nearly as well. I picked a very boring, easy course for Gamblers and still somehow managed to muck it up a bit. Then I thought maybe she had a shot at the gamble but it was not meant to be. When I got home Cody said he could have done it easy peasy. In Standard the little stinker blew her dogwalk contact on an otherwise lovely run. When we got to the table she did a fabulous fast happy down so I immediately released her and ran her over a few obstacles on the shortest path out of the ring so I could reward her. Judge thought I was nuts when I excused myself before she finished her table count but oh well. She had a beautiful table today and held it for the whole count so it was worth it.
Lola loved being the only dog and she especially loved it today when Jonny came. I think she had such a nice run to show off for him. It was relaxing for me as well since she's so easy to deal with and I didn't have to run like a crazy person between 2 rings. I loved being able to focus all my attention on her. I love running her and hanging out with her and who knows how many trials she has left? Plus she was by far the most gorgeous dog there. I'm constantly amazed that she never gets some special award for that. She always leaves the trial wondering where is her diamond studded tiara and I have no good explanation for her.
On the way to and from the trial site I pass a coffee/tattoo shop that I've been dying to stop at but I'm always either on my way there and have no time to stop or on my way home and it's too late and hot and tired for coffee. But today it was plenty early and we had plenty of time on our way home so finally I got to sample the wares of the Bananalope Coffee House which shares a space with the Smoky Banana Tattoo shop. Personally I don't think I'd want a case of the jitters while someone was coming at me with needles but that's just me. The coffee is all organic and free trade and the nice lady behind the counter said the place is very dog friendly, next time bring the poochies in for special biscuits. Lola was mad that she didn't get a mocha or biscuits but I didn't want to unbelt her from her seatbelt harness and start a big fuss in the place.
The trial continues on tomorrow but not for us. I'm hitting the trails on my mountain bike and Lola gets the day off.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Police on his back
This gave me a good laugh this morning. Let's just hope it doesn't give Strummer any ideas. I so easily could see Lola & Strummer getting into this sort of trouble for real once they got over the initial argument over who would work the gas pedal and who would steer.
Give Me Novacaine
There's nothing like starting out your day with a routine dental cleaning and ending it with a surprise root canal. Well, sort of surprise anyway. I went in 2 weeks ago with shooting pain in a tooth that promptly went away the day before my appointment. I thought this was good news but the dentist said no, it probably meant the tooth died but let's wait a couple of weeks until my cleaning appointment and test it again. Well 2 weeks later the tooth is not any less dead so a root canal it is. Long story short they ended up having a cancellation for the afternoon and squeezed me in so I could have it done before my insurance likely changes next month. In a way this was good because it didn't give me any time to worry about it.
Turns out it wasn't painful and similar to having a filling done except for taking longer and a bit more drilling. Just keep your eyes closed and you'll be fine. I made the mistake of opening them once to see what was going on and let me tell you that was a big mistake.
They gave me the option of listening to music but unfortunately the only reasonable choices were Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and Bob Marley. Everything else would have been more painful than the actual root canal. I opted for Bob Marley was not put at ease when the dental assistant brought the wrong disk. If she can't figure out which CD how will she ever keep all the dental equipment straight? Also, Bob Marley is not exactly great root canal music. I need something a little more potent than 'Hope you like jammin' too' to drown out the whine screaming of the drill in my ear. I have to go back in 3 weeks for part 2 and I'll have to remember to bring my copy of American Idiot.
I know, I know, Green Day are kind of a joke, a parody of punk rock but really that was always the case from Day 1 and whether I want to admit it or not 'American Idiot' is easily one of my Top 10 favorite albums of all time, one of the best records ever made. Phew, I can't believe I said that out loud-embarrassing!-but if you don't believe me you should come to my house and listen to it on vinyl.
Turns out it wasn't painful and similar to having a filling done except for taking longer and a bit more drilling. Just keep your eyes closed and you'll be fine. I made the mistake of opening them once to see what was going on and let me tell you that was a big mistake.
They gave me the option of listening to music but unfortunately the only reasonable choices were Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and Bob Marley. Everything else would have been more painful than the actual root canal. I opted for Bob Marley was not put at ease when the dental assistant brought the wrong disk. If she can't figure out which CD how will she ever keep all the dental equipment straight? Also, Bob Marley is not exactly great root canal music. I need something a little more potent than 'Hope you like jammin' too' to drown out the whine screaming of the drill in my ear. I have to go back in 3 weeks for part 2 and I'll have to remember to bring my copy of American Idiot.
I know, I know, Green Day are kind of a joke, a parody of punk rock but really that was always the case from Day 1 and whether I want to admit it or not 'American Idiot' is easily one of my Top 10 favorite albums of all time, one of the best records ever made. Phew, I can't believe I said that out loud-embarrassing!-but if you don't believe me you should come to my house and listen to it on vinyl.
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