THAT Guy

You know the one. The one that drives like a complete jackass. The one that it is almost a matter of time BEFORE he is in an accident. The one that wish would get into an accident? Yeah - well I not only met him, I introduced my bumper to his on Sunday. URRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.


So - I was having a very productive day. Went to church, ran a thousand errands and just had finished up at Lowe's ordering a new back door that has a dog door in it for Guinness. Yeah. So anyway - back to my story.

Now to leave Lowe's parking lot, there are two exits to get you onto the I-35 service road. Well - I choose to use the one that is a 3 way stop and shared with Walmart. The 4TH direction doesn't stop as it is cars coming off the Service Road. I patiently waited my turn as it is always a busy intersection. Well, when it is my turn, I proceed to turn left so I can then make my right onto the service road. As I am turning JACKASS approaches the stop sign across from me. I note that JACKASS does a rolling stop and cuts in front of the next car in line. The next thing I know, JACKASS is now on my left hand side almost parallel to my car. Now for those of you in far off lands - you can only make a right had turn - in other words - he was being a JACKASS - my new name for him.

I safely pull out onto the feeder road and proceed to the far left hand lane. Yep - JACKASS follows me out and gets directly behind me. Well my 4 cylinder car with zero get up and go does not accelerate fast enough for JACKASS. So, he flies around me on my right hand side. Of course, he does this with no regard and almost side swipes another SUV that was coming out of Exit #2 from Walmart's parking lot. The SUV was fortunate enough to serve and miss.

I don't know why, but JACKASS then decides he needs to be in my lane and comes on over. Prior to him coming over the traffic was moving and the light ahead was green. I do not know what he was doing or why but JACKASS came to an abrupt stop in front of me way back from the light. I did what I could do, slammed on the breaks, said a prayer, and avoided a direct impact, but hit him anyway.

I get out of my car but before I can say anything, JACKASS is on the phone with 911. I must quote him "No, no one is hurt." How does he know - he never says a word to me. So, i just get in car, roll down the window and wait. I wish I would of taken a picture because JACKASS then proceeded to get out a camera and take pictures of both our cars, walking around them and taking them from all kinds of angles while we are still on the service road.

The cops - yes two patrol cars - show up and we are escorted around the block to take care of business. Again, both of us told the cops on multiple occasions that neither of us where hurt. Thankfully I didn't get a ticket but I am just pissed that it happened. It is important to note that I have a scratch and a dent on my bumper. JACKASS' vehicle has no damage. Even tells the cops there is no damage to his truck.

I took my Driver's Crash Report and headed home. I unload the car, put away my groceries and have my vent moment with my mom. It is important to know that maybe an hour has passed since my first encounter with JACKASS. Next thing I know my phone is ringing. It is my insurance company calling to verify that I have been in an accident.

What the fuck chuck. Yep - I hit the JACKASS that is trying to get money. He agrees that there is no damage to his car BUT he suffered a back injury. One that didn't appear in the first 30 minutes where he told everyone that he was fine, but one that appeared before he got back to his home in Manor, 30 miles away. Needless to say - this is a battle for my insurance company but it just pisses me off to no end.

In any event - given my prior back issues, I steered clear of running yesterday and skipped my swim workout this morning. I feel fine so will head back to spin class in the morning.

JACKASS!

Karma

That is all I can say. I mean what else would one expect when you pick on your family about how cold it was in Nebraska yesterday and it was in the 90's here. So what happens today? Well - we have our group cycle meeting at the Veloway at 8 am.

I could hear the wind blowing before I got out of bed. I knew it was suppose to be colder. So I layered. However, no layers could prepare me for 45 minutes of that wind. It wasn't that it was super cold once you got moving. It was 48 degrees. BUT, and I mean a big BUT, the wind was blowing at 28 miles an hour with gusts up to 35. Seriously, there were times that you would come around the curve and it was like hitting a wall. It SUCKED.

I was slow - as normal and just made 3 trips around the park in my 45 minutes. I believe they say it is about a 3 mile track. But - in that wind - it might as been double the time. The good thing about it is that it was early, so I have already got the workout in, ran the errands, and took a nap. Now going to work on the house before I have to head to Lowe's. Got to love a lazy Saturday!

It's a beautiful day...

...for a jog.

So my Wednesday workout was a 35 minute jog. It was a beautiful day out. My car said 82 on the drive home - so probably pretty close to that. I got home early and much to Guinness delight - she got to go with me. Of course, 82 seems great when you are not doing anything, however, at the end of 35 minutes Guinness and I were feeling the effects. I can only imagine what it will be like this summer if we are already seeing 80s in February.

The jog ended with us at the dog park so Guinness was good and tired by the time she got home. That translates to me getting to sleep through the night!!! Worse than a kid, I tell you!

Tuesday Spin

Okay well according to our training schedule - Tuesday is suppose to be my "free" day from training. A day of rest in which I allow my body to recover. However, with that said - RockinAustin has been a motivator and helps keep me accountable. So - with that said - I was up at 5 am (Note: Two days in a row for Jenn) to head to spin class. Again - another morning disappointment for Guinness in that sweats do not equal a walk for her.

Well - I can't say that the snooze button didn't come into play - but it did. I managed to make it to the gym with less than 10 minutes until the class starts. Of course I look at the sign up list to realize there is only two spots left. Thank goodness - RockinAustin would of kicked my butt! She'll even admit she questioned if I was coming. Of course I would of never imagined so many people volunteer to get up so early for such torture!

I had a number of thoughts from this first 5:30 am class. First off - our instructor was trying to tell us she was getting back into shape after having a baby. Let's just say RockinAustin & I shot a look at each other like - WTF? I must look like I am having an elephant if she just had a baby. Secondly, I have come to realize with the dark lights on - I can still be at spin class and maintain a sleep like mode. Next, for those surrounding me that are the screamers & excited to be at spin class and feel the need to shot out - beware - I might bite one of these weeks! Why must you interupt my sleep time? Lastly - I have a new appreciation for woman of the Muslim faith. We had a woman in our spin class following the traditional attire. Now - I am dripping in sweat when I leave that class, I can only imagine doing the class in long pants, long shirt and a head wrap - I don't think I would of survived.

So that folks is another day in training and another early morning for me! I am looking forward to "sleeping in" until 6 tomorrow.

Another Monday Routine

Well - it looks as if fate would bestow a Monday from hell on me not only for today but for the next three Monday's in the foreseeable future.

Actually my Monday routine started on Sunday night at 8:30. I was just getting ready to crash on the catch but decided I better drag myself up and get ready for tomorrow. I laid out my swim workout stuff only to realize I lost my goggles and swim cap already. But - no excuses - I got to go. Got my bag packed so I can head straight from practice to work to shower & get ready. Packed my lunch and got my dinner ready for when I came home. Then, to make it harder to say I can't go - I took my bags out to the car so all I had to do was brush my teeth, grab the lunch out of the fridge and out the door I go.

Yes, the alarm did go off at 5 and I finally rolled out at 5:15. Of course, Guinness faced another disappointment and the sweats didn't translate into her going for a walk. Maybe I can actually get up at 5 one of these mornings and get her a quick walk in before I need to leave. I pulled out of the garage at 5:30 am with the brisk temperature reading on the car of 38 degrees.

Well I went and I think I was a much better trooper this week. I was more in the zone of tell me what I need to do, how many lengths and let me do it. I just wanted it over with. Although some how there was only one other person left in the pool when I finished. Ha! But I did get it in and was at my desk by 8 am.

Which brings me to my new Monday routine - at least for the next three weeks:
5:15 am - Alarm
5:30 am - out the door
6:00 am - Swim practice
7:00 am - Drive to work, shower
8:00 am - Work
4:00 pm - Head home, change clothes, eat supper, walk dog
5:00 pm - work @ Lowe's
9:30 pm - Pack work clothes, lunch and head to bed for another 5:00 am rise & shine call!

The Mission Run

This morning was our Mission Run for training. What is the Mission run? Well - it is the morning where all the Team and Training Teams gather and honor those we are doing this for, our Honored Hero's, the one's we are remembering and the one's that are currently battling one of the diseases. Right now we have three "teams". One is my team - the triathlon team, one is training for a marathon and the other is training for the biking event around Lake Tahoe.

Unbelievable. I just can't use another word to describe what the morning was like. There was at least 50 of us, probably more - heading out on the "Silent Mile". The first mile we were to run in complete silence in rememberence of the hero's and those that have fallen to the cancer. The bicyclists rode single file at a snails pace while the runs of us jogged along. Everyone was wearing either a green (in honor), white (rememberence) or purple (survivor) ribbon.

I am hoping I get copies of the pictures soon so I can share with you. It was a great reminder why I am doing this and the fact that I don't feel 100% doesn't compare with one of our honoree's who is a young girl in the hospital fighting to get her white blood count up so she can receive more chemo which she desperately needs!

Swim Practice

All I can say about this is that I finally have experienced the Nazi coach that I was with the girls. Now - I mean Nazi in the nicest way possible. A coach very passionate about what they are teaching, pushing their students to be all they can and not allowing them to quit.

So with that intro - let me tell you about 6 am swim practice on Monday, yes I said MONDAY, mornings. You know me - so NOT a morning person. Heck - most know to not approach until at least one can of Diet Coke has been pumped into the veins! So - to do this and of all days a Monday morning when no one wants to get up anyway - is just insane.

Of course - that probably leads me to attest to why I didn't make the first two practices. No excuses made - I just was flat out lazy. Sorry softball girls! But, I figured this Monday I could do it! I mean - it was a Company Holiday and heck I could always go home and nap if it was bad.

So - I got up. But darn it - I wasn't feeling well again. More on that later. But I head out anyway. Of course - they try and sell this practice with it is an outdoor pool heated to 80 degrees. I so wanted to turn around, but kept trying the motto in my head - it is just an hour, not months of chemo.

I went and it sucked. Every second of it. The pool is 50 meters. Now - if I do the sprint version it is 200 meters swim in open waters. Double that for the Olympic version which they SWEAR we will be ready for. If I can't swim 100 meters in a pool - how am I going to finish 200 meters in open waters, or 400 for that matter. Of course - once I learned I was breathing wrong and I was actually causing myself to hyperventilate - well it got a little easier. But - damn I am out of shape.

Of course, the coach that was helping the "slow" swimmers was super nice, encouraging and hard as hell. But don't get me wrong - he also made it very clear I hadn't experienced exhausted yet. Ha!

I'll have to get a picture one of these mornings - very sexy in my goggles & swim cap I tell you! Stay tuned because I am sure this is the only beginning of the tales!