Memorial Day

Beautiful day. We went to the Boy Scout pancake breakfast at the fire station this morning, saw the parade, and Bu got to bond with real live firefighters, climb in a truck, all that and a bag of goodies. The parade consisted of the Boy Scout color guard and the high school marching band, which ain't big, let me tell you. The whole thing was over in 5 minutes. It was such a big morning that Bu is currently taking a genuine nap. You don't see that everyday in Bulandia.

We're assembling the from-scratch playset that Andy's dad designed. It's a monument to overengineering. The thing will last forever. The nasturtiums, cucumbers and sunflowers are coming up and I hung all my flower baskets.

On the training front, I did the usual ride yesterday, to the next town and back. By my computer it's somewhere around 35k, but I always forget to check the exact distance. If I'm going hard it takes about an hour and 15 or 20 minutes. If I'm admiring double rainbows and cloud formations, it could take upside of an hour and a half. Sometimes you just have to stop and stare.

Today I meant to go lake swimming. I still might. There are a few errands to do, including checking into a tri wetsuit. Memorial Day means the presence of nearly immobile, cantankerous elderly people. You do what you can.

the run/weights/run one

I do this workout once a week and it never gets much easier. I hope it's because I keep pushing it harder. I fear it's because I'm making no progress. I'm doing more than I used to, so that's something. Planning some lake swimming for the weekend. It's too gorgeous out today. I need to tie myself to the chair like Ulysses tied himself to the mast to resist the Sirens. Sirene is French for mermaid. You think that's what they're really talking about?

Sorry about the sideways pic, still figuring this out

Sophie 

back at it

A half hour on my bike this morning, probably just short of 20k. I'm doing the same road a lot so I'm getting a good feeling for how far I've gone even if I forget to check the computer. My bike makes me happy. Also, my husband has promised to do Beefcake Yoga with me as physical therapy for his wonky knee. He also promises to wear a speedo a la Rodney Yee if I keep the room really warm and never tell anyone. This doesn't count as telling anyone, does it?

better news

Did some yoga this morning, felt a little better. My husband checked out a yoga video for me by this guy named Rodney Yee who apparently runs the If You've Got It, Flaunt It School of Yoga. He does the whole thing on the beach wearing nothing but snug little black briefs. He's probably a gay icon I haven't heard of. The tape was for beginners and extremely wimpy. I need some kick-ass yoga at the moment to take my mind off things. As between Ancient Skiing Yogi from Alaska and Beefcake Yogi, though, I gotta say, this is an improvement in the scenery.

if dogs have a heaven

We put Sophie to sleep yesterday. She was lying in the shade of an apple tree at my in-laws' place with me, Andy, Bu and Nadia, the vet. My brother-in-law and father-in-law had dug a hole before we arrived, because that's all they could do. Neither one of them could watch. I knew that I had to. As long as she was with me Sophie never willingly let me face any danger or trouble alone, and if she was going to walk into the valley of the shadow of death I had to go with her. I stroked her heavy paws and talked to her while Nadia gave her a sedative, and later the overdose.

Bu wanted to be there. He refused to go into the house with his grandpa until after Sophie was gone. I don't know if we were right to let him stay, but Sophie was his dog too. He loved her and she loved him, and I thought he had a right to stay with her. We didn't do this because it was easier for us. We did it because it was the merciful thing to do for Sophie, who could not stand by herself, who fell as often as not going up and down the two front steps, who was bleeding from the nose from cancer, who had lost a third of her body weight. I can't imagine what could be worse than to look at a living thing you love and make the conscious decision to take her life. Now that I've done it,
the only thing that makes it bearable is my certainty that it was the right thing to do.

When Nadia finally said, "She's gone", I put my head down on Sophie's chest and cried, and I had the strongest vision of her standing there looking down at us, younger and more beautiful than I'd ever seen her. She lowered her massive head to nuzzle me and lick my cheek, and then she leapt up full of energy and danced off through the trees into the sunlight. She was free. "Sleep, sweetheart," I whispered into her silky ear. "Come back to us soon."

Taps

Bu is well already, but the vet had bad news about Sophie. She's down to 83 pounds from her usual 120+, and the lump in her nose is cancer. Nadia the vet suggests that we put her down. It breaks my heart, but it also breaks my heart to see my girl suffer. Nadia's going to come out to my in-laws' place to give Sophie the injection so that we can bury her right there, next to Bu's horse chestnut tree. We'll remember her the way Lord Byron remembered his Newfoundland:

Near this spot
Are deposited the Remains of one
Who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferocity,
And all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.
This Praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery
If inscribed over human ashes,
Is but a just tribute to the Memory of
BOATSWAIN, a DOG
Who was born at Newfoundland, May, 1803,
And died at Newstead, Nov 18th, 1808.

Midnite Bay's Sophia Brindisi was born August 9, 1991 outside Lincoln, Nebraska, and she will be buried in West Branch, Iowa. Her parents were champions, and she is the finest dog I ever met in every way. She swam in the Atlantic and the Pacific, which is as much like heaven as any Newfoundland could want, I think.

a trip to the doctor

Not for me, fortunately, but little Bu is out of preschool for a few days with a nasty case of strep. His glands are so swollen that he looks like one of those desert lizards that swell up their necks to scare off predators, poor little bugger. He's acted like he felt really sick a few times, but mostly he's very perky and loves his new Candyland game. Sophia the Ancient also goes to the (animal) doc on Friday. She can hardly stand and has had a very bad cold pretty much the entire winter. Nothing makes it better.

I did the run/weights/run workout yesterday, felt great, did more than usual. This morning was an hour of yoga. I'd like to go to the track tonight, but darn, I have tickets to Cabaret. Tomorrow morning then.

glub glub

Finally went for a swim yesterday. Shannon picked me up and we were going to meet Russ and Monica at the Y to go with them as guests but - uh-oh - they didn't show up. Instead we went to the public indoor pool. I usually go to the Iowa City pools so I'd never been there, and now I'm glad I hadn't. It was small and overcrowded, too warm, and very high on the chlorine. My head was throbbing by the time I got out. I did a short workout: 300 to warm up, 500 in drills, and 500 freestyle, working on swimming effortlessly and saving my legs. My tactic for the sprint tris this summer is to use as little energy as possible on the swim and make up time on the bike and run where I'm much faster. I can maintain about 17 strokes per length, move reasonably fast and pop out at the end hardly breathing hard. I'm just going to have to get over the mental setback of seeing everyone get out of the water ahead of me!

Anyway, nasty nasty pool. I can't wait until the outdoor pools open in a few weeks. And I've found a local place that sells tri wetsuits. I really am thinking about it.

Pigman

June 6 is the Pigman Triathlon in Palo, Iowa, not far at all from home. The fam and I drove up there yesterday morning to check out the course along with a first-timer triathlete from near Dubuque. Malvey came over with his family, so the non-competitors got to hang out. We did the bike and run as a brick and Malvey did some swimming afterward. I haven't bought a wetsuit yet so I wasn't ready to go leaping into a cold lake for a nice brisk swim. Either it will have to warm up significantly in the next 3 weeks or I'm going to have to suck it up and buy the wetsuit.

The bike ride was really good fun. A nearly flat course (sorry Iowa, but your charming little hills do not intimidate a Montanan) and a tailwind on the way *back* - that's what I'm talkin about! Coming out of the park I passed a couple of guys riding tri bikes worth nearly as much as my car. I mean, blew by them like they were standing still. What a feeling. They caught me later riding into the headwind, but I grabbed a wheel and let them pull me into Palo. The run crosses the dam across the reservoir, so there's a nice cross breeze. Felt fine the whole way, no knee twitches or anything. I wore my unisuit from Lake Washington Rowing Club. It's not quite like a trisuit, but it has a lightly padded butt and dries fast so it works really well for sprint distance. It was starting to rub me under the arms by the end. I might need to bring along some Vaseline on the day. Also baby powder for my socks. And my sunnies. And maybe a hat. Don't worry, I'm making a list.

tailwind

Long run this morning. Things got a little off track yesterday because the husband and I went out for a fabulous evening of salsa dancing and margaritas on Monday night that left me a soggy mess for work yesterday and not at all keen to buzz off for an hour's workout. I made up for it this morning by running almost an hour, way out past my favorite farm, getting buzzed by scary, territorial nesting redwing blackbirds. There was also a little adrenalin rush when I was almost to the train tracks, the lights went on, the arms came down, and the train started blasting away from maybe 100 meters down the track. It wasn't moving all that fast so I scooted around the arm and over the track with 3 headlights and a zillion pounds of steel bearing down on me. Gets the heartrate right up there, that does.

bring the storm

Crazy ride this morning. I got out early, about 10 to 6, expecting at least a good hour on the road. Wonderful warm morning with very little wind, which turned out to be what's known as the calm before the storm. I got about 10 minutes north of town when I started to see lightning and a few minutes later the sky opened up. Ananda and I spun around and raced back for town, only to ride out of the storm completely a few miles down the road. I cut around and headed out the road west of town, hoping for better luck in that direction. Caught a little rain on my way back in, but nothing like the dump that was promising up north. Back home the storm hit while I was in the shower: the giants in the clouds swinging from the chandeliers, like Bu's Franklin the Turtle book says. The rain is good for my veggies and flowers, but it's going to make that bloody lawn grow even faster, not to mention the dandelions.

the long desired spring

Mother's Day. Five of us went canoeing on the Maquoketa River, didn't see another human the whole time but there were great blue herons, hawks, big brown turtles, trout, deer, and beaver. Vinicio fished with an antique rod and I found an antique bottle at the bottom of the river. Bu was afloat with enthusiasms and eager to race the canoes. The thunderheads came in just as we got out.

No workout yesterday. Lots of running around, gardening, etc., but I let myself off the hook, then did intervals this morning before going to a big M-Day breakfast with the whole tribe. This week: some new workouts, definitely some swimming, and planting sunflowers and poppies.

one foot in front of the other

Big storm last night. It woke us up. I was wondering if the bike ride this morning would be possible, and when I woke up it was windy and cold. I thought about cycling. I thought naaaaaaah. I thought about running. My legs hurt. While I was thinking, I was getting dressed, putting on my fleece and my running shoes. I didn't want to do anything. Finally I thought, I'll just go for a walk, just to stretch my legs because they've been so tight lately. So that's what I did: I went for a long walk around town for about an hour, and I felt good. Softball tonight, canoeing this weekend. I need a little variety. It's been a long hard slog through the winter and I crave something new. The whole point of triathlon for me is to cater to my short attention span!

I also promised news of my dog on this blog. Her name is Sophie and she's a 12 year old Newfoundland who is, despite what Bu says, not afraid of the house. She can hardly stand up sometimes now - not dysplasia or anything, just old age - and I get behind her and haul her butt in the air so she can get her legs under her. We give her aspirin because it works as well as anything. She drags herself in and out, and on good days she walks a block to the grocery store with me, resting here and there along the way. She'll be 13 in August, if she lives that long. I think one day she just won't wake up, or she won't be able to stand at all and we'll have to have her put down. I can help her stand, but even between me and my husband it would be tough to carry her in and out several times a day. She still weighs well over 100 lbs. We'll do whatever we can. She's still my girl who shuffles over and lies on my feet so I can't get away from her. I'll miss her so.

If this is Thursday it must be Cedar Rapids

Same old same old. I did the run/weights/run workout yesterday. It's a good 50-60 minutes and usually wears me out. My legs were hurting the rest of the day, and it seems self-defeating to give myself massages. I try, but it doesn't help much and it makes me more tired. This morning I gave myself a break from working out, and I think Bu and I will go over to the track this afternoon. He does preschooler intervals where he sprints as hard as he can then flops down and lies still until he recovers. Todleks. He's not really a toddler anymore though. He's a big guy. He tells me every day which body part has grown. Yesterday he said that the house is a scary monster and our dog is scared of it. Our dog fears nothing. I won't worry until he starts writing Red Rum on the mirrors.

recovery

I did yoga yesterday, then a half hour easy run this morning. Still fairly knackered from the bike ride, and I've been going after it pretty hard in my workouts recently. I think this will be an easier week.

Ups & Downs

We did the 48 mile intermediate loop in Illinois on Saturday. Plenty of hills, plenty of speed, but Elizabeth, IL could use a few good vegetarian restaurants. I wound up eating a burger because I was starving and it was that or grilled cheese made with Velveeta. Have I mentioned yet that I'm not big on processed cheese? But the ride was grand. I was keeping up with the whizzy boys on the fancy bikes with aero wheels, no pains anywhere, not too hot or too cold, and cookie and Gatorade stops every 10-15 miles. Beauty. Ananda was an animal and everyone loved her French blue. My toes keep getting numb when I ride long, and it's not from cold. Maybe I need to move my cleats a little.