UNIT OF MEASURE

Just 3 Months Behind Now

2011-09-03T16:26:00.000-05:00

At last, after 6 attempts, I finished 3rd in my age group at the 26th Annual Cotton States Triathlon in Lake Providence, Louisiana. The trophy I'm holding is the coveted miniature cotton bale.
I've slowed down my triathlon activity because of the serious heat we've had this summer. I did the hometown Heatwave Classic, and like many others, posted a personal slowest record finish. It didn't help that the old guys' swim wave started last, putting us on the run course at around 9:30. By then the temperature was approaching 90 degrees.

Earlier this summer, a group of us paddled down the Pearl River from the reservoir to Mayes Lake. It was a great trip with the exception of a tough headwind for the last couple miles. JD and Kyle couldn't resist a leap off the structure that protects an area of the bank from erosion.

Kyle sports an unusual style of headgear.

Above, three baby Martins in a gourd nest, wathching for mom and dad with food delivery.

Delta State University Fighting Okra

Paul and I took part in the Open Water Swim at Eagle Lake again this year. Paul finished 3rd and I was 5th in the Male Masters division. Kay Vee finished 3rd in her age group in the triathlon.

I finally said goodbye to my trusty 1997 4 Runner. 236,000 miles and nearly 14 years of faithful service. The replacement is a 2011 Nissan Pathfinder Silver Edition. Pretty nice.

Here's a nice picture of Ruthie and Sheba at the park this spring.

Four Months Behind

2011-05-30T19:52:00.000-05:00

I was blaming KayVee and Tea for my lapse in updating my blog, since niether has been very active on their blogs this year. But KayVee planned and posted her hiatus, with good cause, and Tea has just nailed up two wonderful posts recently. So, I guess it's time for me to get introspective again, or just fling out photos or race reports.

How about this? (forgive me Bill A.)

I took this picture in mid January at the end of the street close to home, on my way home after work, thinking I would see what the water and birds looked like on a strange weather day.

Here it is again on a clear day:

Both were taken from quite a distance, maybe 400 yards. It's just a small island in Pelahatchie Bay of the Ross Barnett Reservoir where I run, bike, swim and canoe. I've lived here more than 20 years and know the area intimately. I've seen it grow, or decay, from a mild suburb/fish camp community to an aggravating, overpopulated mess of sorts. But with the bad also comes some good. There have been remarkable improvements in the trails for walking, running and casual cycling, and the number of fitness-conscious citizens has increased dramatically in just the last two or three years. Mississippi is the obesity capital of the world, and apparently more and more people want to be part of a change for health and fitness.

Well, I've managed to write a little to catch up. Not much, but I've got a brisket and some eggplant to tend to.

4th Mississippi Blues Marathon

2011-01-15T09:11:00.159-06:00

I kicked off 2011 with my second marathon, the local 4th Annual Mississippi Blues. The weather was perfect, 35 to 45 degrees all morning, clear sky and just a light breeze. My attitude was somewhat casual, since my training flew by without much dwelling on the pain and effort. I didn't expect too much and didn't train for any special goals. I had planned to run with Tea, who insisted she couldn't possibly keep up with me, the slowest runner I know. Well, Tea had to cancel her trip to Mississippi this time due to circumstances beyond her control, so I just went out for a long run through Jackson with a couple thousand other folks.

Ruthie was there with the camera, and she and my Mom intercepted me along the course several times and took pictures.

Kay Vee and me before the race.

Since Tea couldn't run and Kay Vee ran her own pace, I was on my own. But not for long. Fortunately, I was able to find some superheroes to keep me company. Wonder Woman is actually my friend, Tara, who allowed me to run with her at a 5 hour pace from about mile 3 through 17. I stopped a little too long for water once and she got so far ahead of me I couldn't catch up. She may have used her super powers.

Superman was there, though it must have been incredibly boring for him to run so much slower than his speeding bullet pace.

As I struggled to finish the final miles, I thought I would certainly never run another marathon. I'm not so sure now. The pain and fatigue are fading from memory, but the challenge and sense of accomplishment may be enough to make me do it again next year.

Fun In The Fall

2010-11-07T18:52:00.001-06:00

It's a Gopher Tortoise! Not really a rare creature, but very local. It's found only along the Gulf Coastal Plain from Florida to Texas. I had never seen one, so I stopped when I caught a glimpse of this one on the roadside while returning from our recent canoe trip.

We had fabulous weather for the Columbus Day Weekend - highs in the low 80s and lows in the 60s with clear skies all the way. We normally get rained on at least once, but not this time. Red Creek was very low and we did a lot of dragging and lifting over obstacles, but it was great fun anyway.
After hearing a lion and monkeys while cooking our Saturday evening meal, we were relieved when Jamie and Bethany told us about an exotic game ranch that had been established less than a mile from the creek.

Jamie and I returned to Wolf River two weeks later to reclaim our title in the Paddle, Pant, Pedal Triathlon. We won first place team overall again in a fun race. Ruthie and I spent a wonderful weekend in Wiggins, Ms. as guests at Bethany and Jamie's country home.

The weather has been ideal for training for my second marathon. I've had good energy and injury-free legs so far. I'm hoping for nice weather for the race. Kay Vee and I have a guest coming from Denver. Our blogger and Facebook friend, Tea has committed to running the 4th Blues Marathon. I sure am looking forward to a memorable event.

Back to the Delta

2010-10-18T19:37:00.000-05:00

Billy, Kate & Paul

Another trip to the Delta State University Triathlon was made recently by the intrepid Flounders, and as evidenced above, all were honored with trophies of athletic achievement. We could have walked to the finish line together and still earned our awards, but that's not as interesting the memory of a great weekend trip with Ruthie and best friends, a great evening meal with fine steaks, wine and stories, a fun triathlon benefiting the DSU Swim and Dive Team, and a picnic in the gazebo on Sharp Street in Downtown Cleveland, Mississippi.

I love these guys so much. They have made my journey in the fitness lifestyle more fun than I could have imagined.

Ozark Mountain Labor Day Weekend

2010-10-03T17:59:00.000-05:00

Crawfish season has come and gone for 2010, but keep this outlet in mind if you're around Bentonia, Mississippi next spring. It's just a few feet from this sign on Highway 16.

We passed the sign on our way to a cabin in the Ozarks, an eight hour drive away. Ruthie wanted to get out of town for the long weekend, and on very short notice she was able to find a single cabin on an isolated farm near Ozark, Arkansas. The property consists of the owner's home, a barn and stables for their 12 horses, a nice cabin on the back of the 80 acres of property, adjacent to Ozark National Forest.

Leaving Mississippi and entering Arkansas over the river at Greenville, we crossed on the new bridge. (I know it's not a breathtaking photo, but it's documentation that we were there.) I really enjoy road trips, especially when there's no hurry. We left the house at about 8 in the morning, and got to the cabin at around 5.

Though it wasn't a log cabin with a stone fireplace, it was very comfortable. There were 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, one with a hot tub and the other with a large shower. The kitchen was small, but if you didn't plan to do a lot of complicated cooking, it was fine. There were thoughtful items like a toaster, books and magazines, binoculars, maps, and a cool journal that had entries by other visitors over several years. The cabin had window unit air conditioners, which we didn't need since the weather was perfect during our stay. We spent lots of time reading and watching hummingbirds on the deck, and just enjoying the quiet and the tranquil scenery.

We did some hiking in the forest and down the mountain a short distance on somewhat rough trails. We walked all over the beautiful meadows and sat in a swing. We built a fire outside in a big fire pit and looked at the gazillion stars in the Milky Way. We drank wine and took naps. And we got chiggers. Lots of them. Invisible little bugs that leave you itching worse than a mosquito. Ruthie called this photo of the meadow "Chigger Country".

The itching stops after a few weeks, and hopefully we'll just remember the great fun we had. Or when we go back it will be winter, or we'll take the appropriate bug defensive chemicals and clothing.

Late Summer 2010

2010-09-19T16:41:00.000-05:00

The hottest in my memory, this 2010 summer, will hopefully soon become one of the most beautiful, cool autumns ever. I've been busy every weekend lately, and I'll try to wrap up a summary of those events here in one post.

Another Lake St. John Swim

On Saturday, August 14, Kay Vee and I drove to Kate's lake house, AKA "the Asylum", to do another open water practice swim. Susan drove over with her kayak, and Kate and her mother were already there for a weekend stay.

Kay Vee swam across and back, about 1.5 miles, with Susan as kayak escort. Kate paddled her canoe across while I swam, and I paddled back while Kate swam. We were through with our workout in less than an hour.

Kay Vee and I brought our bikes and did one loop around the lake. It was about 11 in the morning and the temperature on my bike computer read 100.2 degrees. We had intended to ride around twice, but the heat changed our plan.

25th Cotton States Triathlon

Saturday, August 21st was the date of the 25th Annual Cotton States Triathlon at Lake Providence, Louisiana. As in years past, I awoke around 2:30 AM, picked up Kate at 4:00, and drove the 100 miles to the parking lot of the Lakeside Inn. We arrived in plenty of time to get set up comfortably, got registered and body marked, and visited with several friends. Kate and I repeated our new tradition of swimming to near the middle of the lake for a warmup just in time to see the sun rise over the cypress trees. I reminded her of the remark I made last year, "We must be crazy to get up in the middle of the night, drive 100 miles and swim 200 yards out into a lake at sunrise, and call it fun!"

There was a larger turnout for the race than in recent years, and I was anxious to set a personal record, knowing I had been training for the Rev3 Half Ironman for a few months. The swim went very well in spite of lots of bumping and jostling for position on the outbound leg. I was feeling good and maintaining a good 21 mph on the bike, when after about 12 miles I heard a loud "PING" and knew a spoke had broken. On a custom racing wheel with relatively few spokes, the loss of one is often enough to cause the wheel to "untrue" or go out of its round shape, and shortly thereafter binding itself into the frame. There is no field fix, so I sadly faced the fact that I would post a "DNF" - did not finish.

I began walking toward some trees about a mile ahead, carrying the rear of my bike since it would not roll. Soon I began to be passed by other riders, who nearly always offer to help, even though there is nothing to be done but wait for a support vehicle. I waved as John Fike and Judge Bill came by nearly at the same time, and was surprised to see Kate only a hundred yards behind them. She had made up the 4 minute head start they had enjoyed from being in the swim wave ahead of her.

A support vehicle showed up soon and I was rescued by some of the lovely Lake Providence Junior Auxiliary ladies.

I made it back to the transition area in time to put up my bike and join Kate on the 5K run. I urged her along and she wound up winning her age group.

Gator Bait at Eagle Lake - The Flounder Legend Continues

August 28th found Kate, Paul and I at Eagle Lake near Vicksburg for an open water swim meet. The race was hosted by the Vicksburg Swim Association who did a super job of organizing and putting on a great event. There were USMS officials and lots of boat support. We competed in the 1 mile event. A half mile and quarter mile event were also part of the meet.

Paul and Kate won their age groups, and I finished 3rd. We had a great time and have added this event to our "must do again" list. We had our friend in our hearts on this day. Very sadly, Kay Vee had planned to join us but did not attend due to the sudden and tragic passing of her husband the week before.

Suddenly Things Are Much Different

2010-08-29T07:58:00.000-05:00

I couldn't post another entry without a salute to Kay Vee's husband, Richard Vesey. Rich died last Saturday, and the news was shocking and profoundly sad. The Mississippi running and triathlon community was on its knees in disbelief and sent its love to Kay Vee and her family. Richard was a fixture at races, whether working with the organizers, volunteering, or just supporting his wife and all his friends.

Kay Vee is one of my dearest, closest friends, my marathon and tri coach, and the coolest person I've ever met. When I went to bed that night after hearing the news, my grief was uncontrollable for a time. My heart hurt so badly for her as I recalled my own experience after losing my wife, Robbie several years ago. Kay Vee's journey from here will not be like mine. I can only watch and be close by with encouragement. She will know what I know and that may be comforting to her as she starts a new life.

I would be proud to leave this life with the love and respect felt toward Richard Vesey.

Change of Plans

2010-08-13T04:40:00.000-05:00

I described in my last post the episode with dehydration at the Heart O' Dixie Triathlon. I've also had a few more dehydration problems this year, and have been curious about the blood pressure issues. I've been on BP meds for 6 years. Not anything really powerful, but what the doctor described as similar to Mydol or Pamprin, a diuretic. So lately, after my very low blood pressures associated with dehydration, especially after HOD, I thought I might be able to stop my BP meds altogether...

...Wrong again, Gatorade breath! My BP the day after HOD was way high. High enough to make me worry, not to mention Wifeunit's concern. Over a few days I made two unplanned trips to the medical clinic, and got in to see a cardiologist for a sonogram, stress test and blood work. During those days, I naturally expected the worst: clogged arteries, open heart surgery, weeks of rest, no strenuous activity for months.

Think about it. I have a lifestyle born 9 years ago after being diagnosed with mild hypertension. I started with joining the YMCA and doing some elliptical machine work for 30 minutes a few times a week. That evolved into spin classes, Masters Swimming and running 5Ks. Then MC pushing me into a beginner tri on a borrowed mountain bike. Swim meets with Kate and Paul. Now dozens of triathlons later, several half marathons and my first full marathon with Kay Vee, plus a nearly 4 mile swim across the "big water" just a month ago.

I thought it might be better to die on the road or in the pool. I still think so, but I'm not going to beg for sudden death.

Test results indicated I had a heart like an athlete with no problems. BP meds were changed and I'm monitoring regularly. Overheating episodes apparently have a lasting effect sometimes.

Two doctors suggested I cut back my training until the record heat subsided. Wifeunit voted with the MDs.

So, the half Ironman at Cedar Point next month will not happen for me. Kay Vee suggested a compromise of doing my long run training on the treadmill, but I just think the safest way is to give myself a chance to keep my lifestyle is to keep living, but in moderation, not in 100+ degree heat.

I'll continue to do events lasting less than 3 hours. There's the Cotton States Triathlon and a mile swim event at Eagle Lake called "Gator Bait" later this month. The Delta State University Tri is late in September, and the Paddle, Pant, Pedal Tri is in October. Mix in a few 5Ks and I'm feeling pretty satisfied. My training for the Blues Marathon in January will start ramping up as the temps go down.

There may be a nice Half Iron in San Juan with my name on it in March 2011.

Heart O' Dixie Race Report

2010-08-01T12:05:00.001-05:00

For 31 years this race has been held in east central Mississippi. That means it was first held in 1979 under much different conditions. I wasn't there, but I listened intently as it was described by my friend Ted who was there and has done the race 20 something times. No chip timing; bikes lying around on the ground by the lake made a transition area, steel 10-speed Peugeots and Schwinns, drafting allowed; tennis shoes for running.

The race is point-to-point, and the points are of historical importance. It begins at Lake Tiak O'Khata near Philadelphia, Mississippi, the locale of the infamous slaying of the civil rights workers in the '60s. It ends at the Neshoba County Fair about 30 miles south, one of the oldest remaining camp house fairs in America. Unique and traditional.

This was my first time to run HOD. Most Jackson area folks stay Friday night at a motel nearby or the Lake hotel, where rooms are reserved for years and handed down like passes to the Masters Golf Tournament. Ruthie and I chose the other option and awoke at 2:30 AM Saturday morning, hit the highway at 3:30 and arrived in the parking lot just after the first volunteers were gathering in the darkness; mostly teenagers in matching race T shirts.

Kay Vee setting up in a dark T1

I felt good for the race, ready to swim my best, back off a notch on the bike and save something for the 7-mile run in the hills. The weather was kind to us, bringing overcast skies and a little light rain for the bike leg. It was still very hot and humid, but the sun never made its way out of the clouds enough to cook the strength out of us.

The staggered swim start allowed me room to post a good time, 2nd of 13 in my 55-59 age group. The bike leg was somewhat aggravating because of the heavy traffic along the state highway, mostly made up of vehicles following the bikes to Neshoba County and T2. I rode as planned, 3 tenths MPH slower than my Heatwave pace, stumbled through T2 and out on the run course. I felt good. I think I smiled, enjoying legs that weren't screaming for rest. (Thanks, Coach Kay Vee)

I ran a pace exactly as planned, slow by most standards but within my limits. I also learned how to pee in my shorts while running. (Thanks again) No big deal since you're dripping wet with sweat and you can strategically dump a few cups of water over your head to flush.

The race ends at the fairgrounds harness race track. Runners enter the track and make a full half mile circuit before crossing the finish line. That was pretty cool, but I was quite ready for the end after 3 hours of heat. As I walked into the crowd of finishers and found Ruthie and some Gatorade, I was checking my condition for the dreaded dehydration symptoms, a sudden profound dizziness when my legs stop moving. The dizziness began so I kept walking around, drinking cup after cup of fluids. There was a tent set up for massages and first aid, manned by doctors and staff from the local hospital. Ruthie alerted one of the doctors that I was having problems, and he stopped me and asked if I would like him to check my vital signs just to be safe. I agreed, sat on a table and had my blood pressure checked - 90/58. No surprise to me since I had stopped moving the legs and the water and Gatorade weren't yet completely absorbed.

He wanted to start a fluid IV and I consented, and then things went almost black.

I laid back and gathered myself, they started another IV, and after lying and sitting for 40 minutes or so, I was back on my feet, able to enjoy fellowship of friends.

Kay Vee, Becky, Me

As I mentioned earlier, Wifeunit Ruthie made the trip to this race. I had told her I needed a support crew to go back and pick up my gear at T1 and my bike at T2. I was very impressed with her success at locating everything and getting my bike loaded. Thanks Rufie! You are an official "Sherpa" now.

The Big Swim

2010-07-19T20:30:00.004-05:00

I visited this pier at the Fannin Landing boat launch several times over the last few weeks. Looking west, it's roughly 3.6 miles across. Some mornings the water is smooth as glass all the way to Madison Landing, and some days it's rough with wind and waves. I kept this photo as my desktop at work, a constant reminder of the coming challenge.

Months ago, Kate, Paul and I stopped while riding our bikes and discussed the possibility of doing a big open water swim here, maybe swim out a half mile and swim back. We have talked about a big reservoir swim since we started our annual Lake St. John swims 4 years ago. Our Flounder swimming partner, Mack talked about swimming across some day. Then in April, Kate forwarded an email message to me about a 5K swim in Pensacola, and suggested that maybe we weren't brave enough to accept that kind of challenge. I knew then she had thrown down the gauntlet. As I stewed about it for weeks, Kate phoned the Reservoir officials and learned we needed only to submit a plan describing our intentions, and if there was no fund raising or official advertising as an event, we could proceed.

I wrote a plan. Kate approved. I sent the plan to the Rez officials and sent a copy to several others who might be interested in swimming or kayaking. Our plan was simple: a small number of swimmers, each escorted by a canoe or kayak, would swim across at 6:30 AM on July 11, accompanied by a ski boat.

None of us had ever done the distance before. We swim lots of yards in the pool each week, and we do our Lake St. John distance of less than 2 miles.

The plan was evolving, with a few people curious and some willing to paddle with us. The most dangerous thing that could happen, (besides getting tired and drowning) was the possibility of a 60 mile per hour bass fishing boat streaking through our long line of swimmers without seeing anything until someone was killed. For this reason it was my feeling that more boats escorting us would mean more visibility and protection from being run over. Safety in numbers. Stay in a tight group and don't spread out.

Our Mississippi Heat Triathlon Team President, Amanda, offered to put the word out via our club website and newsgroup. I declined the help but promised to keep her posted. There are 200 club members, and we couldn't risk a large turnout for the limited boat support that was committed.

The fateful morning arrived and brought with it 8 to 10 mph wind from the southwest and 1 to 2 foot waves. 10 swimmers, 9 kayakers and 2 canoe crews were waiting and nervously preparing themselves. John brought his ski boat on a trailer, and Dan and Mark T came across from Twin Harbors in a ski boat. Roy from the Jackson Yacht Club brought a boat and big buoys they use for their regattas, making it easier to see a route across. I was very pleased with our support turnout. We had a spotter for every swimmer and three fast support boats. Should we still try swimming into the wind and waves?

I asked some of the kayakers and canoes to put in and see if it was too rough for them. I got a big "thumbs up". Someone said "Let's go!"

We went. KV and I were last in the water. She was originally only there to watch and get in a little open water practice. I promised to stay with her, and we swam about 45 minutes before asking her canoe escort, Harry and ML to call over a boat. She sent me off with a yell, "Go Billy!" I'll never forget the sound of her voice in the middle of miles of water.

I learned that our boat support fended off a couple of boats passing through, or just making sure they were slow and watchful. I can't say enough about our boat support and how much more secure a swimmer feels, miles from shore, with boats all around, imagining they are all watching out for you.

Pictured above are me and Susan, my kayak escort for two open water swims in a row. After years of working together and sharing a great friendship, I feel very safe with her paddling next to me, and that orange birthday kayak is easy to see.

KV was accompanied by Harry and ML, veteran crew of dozens of gnarly river trips. I suspect this was their first big lake crossing. ML and Harry are family, and swimming athletes from way back in the early Courthouse and Sunkist age. They came up for the swim from the Gulf Coast. Susan brought kayaker family, Patsy, Will and his friend from Cutoff, Louisiana just to help out. Canoe advantage: bigger cargo capacity. Kayak advantage: fast and nimble, and easier to handle in the wind without two paddlers.

Ruthie and Minor escorted Kate, who is, to my knowledge, the only woman to have accomplished a swim across the Rez. Now, there may have been a few over the years, but I'm not so sure about it. Kate as a swimmer is nothing short of amazing in terms of guts and tenacity. She's also pretty damn fast.

After a little less than two hours, Tripp is escorted into the boat launch by Will. The wind had died and the water was smooth and pleasant for the finish on the west side of the lake.
Here's all the finishers coming out of the water, tired but happy!

Tripp Davis

Michael Lindsey

Mack McLeod

Toby Burchfield

Scott Joyner

Kate Eidt

Paul Colman

Keith Davis

and finally me.

My legs had cramped so much I could hardly stand, (and it was slippery), but Mack was there to lend an older Flounder a hand.

Paul and Kate proudly display their Flounder tattoos.

As the days have passed since the swim, I still think of what we did as an awesome accomplishment, made even more so by all the fear and anxiety I experienced during the days before the swim. I worried about all possible things that could happen, not especially to me, but to those who might have trusted that we really knew what we were doing, when at least I knew we were taking a big chance. I was never confident I could swim the distance, but I reached a point out there, just as one does running a marathon or in any other great endeavor, that I could not allow myself to quit. If my body failed, if the arms would not take another stroke, then I would surrender. But my 5 years with my wonderful swimming friends, the Flowood Flounders, gave me the strength to make it.

I am still so thankful to all those who supported us: Wifeunit Ruthie, ML, Harry, Susan, Will, Patsy, Richard, Roy, Kay Vee, Dan, Mark T, Minor, John, Bill and several others I never really got to meet.

I'll keep going back to that boat launch to look across and wonder how we ever did it. My eyes will blink with pride as they do now.

(photos by Ruthie Mitchell and Shelley McLeod)

Renaissance Half Marathon Race Report

2010-06-13T11:11:00.004-05:00

I'm amazed that I agreed to do this race. Back-to-back weekends with 2.5+ hours of testing my endurance in high heat and humidity would have seemed unlikely for me last year. Now it's not such a big deal, (now that it's over).
Everyone participating was fairly warned about the dangerous heat situation. We were all urged to prepare ourselves and keep hydrated during the race. I thought I did a good job of that, but even Coach Kay Vee conceded it was almost impossible.
Packet pickup for the race was Friday, an expo-type scenario at the Renaissance shopping mall, an upscale commercial development still under construction in some aspects. I arrived at the expo around 2pm and found Kay Vee's hubby Richard hard at work, passing out T-shirts and overseeing the volunteers who were putting together and distributing race packets. I hadn't intended to volunteer, but Richard hinted that they were short-handed, so I offered to help out for a while. A while turned into about 4 hours, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The other volunteers were fun, and seeing faces and names of the hundreds of participants was very interesting.
Back to the race...
KV advised a 10 minute run, 1 minute walk pace for me, and the run was to be slow. For me, this was a training and survival race, not a competition. I admit I was a little worried about the heat.
The race began at 6am. It was already feeling hot as the mass of people shuffled through the starting chute and over the timing mats. I ran as slow as possible, but just fast enough to avoid getting passed by people actually walking. There were many walking since this race was a Marathon Makeover deal. (Marathon Makeover is an organization that will let you pay them to drive you off the couch and into a long term training plan ending with a marathon. Lots of folks change their lives dramatically this way. Others, as I noticed during the race, do it once and revert to their former selves, but still come out to cheer on their friends.)
Most of the race was uneventful - no chafing issues thanks to Skin Sake, plenty of water in my hand thanks to Kay Vee's orders and water stops about every mile. The volunteers were great, even offering to fill my bottle for me.
Between mile 8 and 10 there were some bothersome hills to climb, and I ran the first ones but had to walk most of the others. I found myself passing more and more runners as the end neared. I was certainly not fast, but apparently more able to extend my runs and shorten my walking. My 10/1 pace degraded to about 2 minute/20 second series of bursts until I was on the home stretch frontage road. I finished strong and feeling pretty good about myself.
Kay Vee and her friend were waiting to see me finish and all seemed well. I drank a bottle of water and stopped to talk, then set off to the car to freshen up. As I walked, I could tell things were not right; my vision was darkening around the edges, and my left calf and foot were trying to cramp. I recognized the problem and kept my legs moving to sustain my blood pressure. I threw some stuff in the car and abruptly walked around a truck and into a trailer hitch. I thought I was certainly going to pass out then, but the pain must have kept me conscious. Fortunately, the damage was minimal to my knee, and I kept moving.
I made it back to the crowd and found people who would be able to identify my body if necessary. I was told my lips were blue at one point, but I gradually recovered. I hung out for the awards with Melanie, Holly, Bo and some others, and my good spirits returned.
And so passed another memorable event, and hopefully valuable conditioning for upcoming weeks.

Heatwave 2010 Race Report

2010-06-06T10:15:00.004-05:00

There were rain showers as I awoke just before daylight, making me anxious to check the radar on my computer and get an idea what to expect for race day. No storms were close by, but they would arrive at some point.
I was not as antsy about getting to the race site early as I usually am. This was a mistake, because I always get a nice parking spot close to the transition area. This time I had to park in a restaurant lot, not so far away, but I was not comfortable with it. I felt a little rushed getting marked and chipped and set up in transition. I did a sanity check on my gear and found I had forgotten my cycling shoes, but I had just left them in the car.
I enjoyed pre-race visiting for a while with old friends and local racers, and got in the water for a warm-up swim. The wind had whipped up the water to some respectable chop, but I considered that an advantage.(see previous post)
The mass swim start was much more crowded than any I had experienced, but I fought my way through feet and elbows into some clear water. It was a bit difficult to see the buoys, and I focused on the wrong one for a while. A kayaker guarding the course perimeter paddled over and warned me to swim back to the left. That faulty navigation probably cost me a minute or so.
As I made the final turn toward shore, the water seemed smoother and I turned on the speed as best I could. It was great hearing "go Billy!" from a few voices in the crowd as I left the water and ran to transition. (Swim time 17:52, #5 of 15 in age group)
I had no problems in T1, and headed out in heavy bike traffic. After a few miles I thought the riders would spread out and there wouldn't be so much passing and getting passed, and yo-yoing with other riders, but the race was pretty much that way until the last few miles. I was feeling good and strong, and gave it 100% the whole time. My new bike was great, and I knew I would post a better bike leg time than I ever had.
I risked the one-pedal dismount, where you coast to the dismount line standing on the left pedal, a quicker way than coming to a stop and then dismounting, but a potentially dangerous one if your foot slips. I executed flawlessly and even heard a compliment from the crowd. (Bike time 1:14:33, avg speed 20.0)
T2 was smooth, my fastest yet, 54 seconds, and I trotted out on the well-known jello legs. Kay Vee's orders were to swim hard, ride like a time trial, and ease into the run, but hammer the downhill return leg. The first 2 miles were OK, but the hills were making my thighs really ache since I had pushed hard on the bike. The heat was manageable. I carried a water bottle and filled it twice at the stops, and used it to douse myself when I felt hot. By the fifth mile I was having to stop and walk for 15-20 seconds because of the pain in my thighs. I did notice, due to a good swim and bike, that my friend Steve did not pass me until after the turn, and Kay Vee did not catch me until a half mile from the finish. Becky never did catch me! All this was very encouraging. But it was a poor run, still my biggest weakness. (Run time 1:09:21 11:23 mile pace)
Overall time 2:44:22 - a personal record by 5 minutes!

Annual Lake St. John Swim

2010-06-06T09:46:00.003-05:00

We made the trip to Lake St. John on May 15th. The forecast was for afternoon rain, but I was a little worried about the low clouds as we drove west on I-20 toward Vicksburg. We got to the camp house and eventually everyone was in the water - 4 kayaks and a flat bottom fishing boat followed 4 swimmers – Kate, Paul, Mariel and myself. The weather was deteriorating with the line of thunderstorms approaching, so we chose not to swim our triangular path across the lake and back. Instead, we swam parallel to the shore and about 100 yards out, upwind and into some choppy water for ¾ mile, then lined ourselves up with the waves and headed back.

The waves swimming out were hitting us slightly from the left, so I found it difficult to breathe on the left without swallowing a lot of water. I resigned myself to breathing only on the right. I like the right better anyway. The water was cool and comfortable, but likely contributed to some cramping in my feet and calves. I dealt with all the minor cramps, but I got a pretty severe one that turned my left foot inward and hurt like hell. It was one that would have made me grab the edge of the pool or the lane rope, but lacking those, I had to call my trusty kayak escort Susan to paddle over and let me hang on for a minute.

We swam 1.6 miles in about 55 minutes, a 34 minute mile pace. Considering the rough water, that wasn’t too bad. I found it pretty tiring and felt some pain in my left forearm, something new to me. Maybe it was caused by breathing on the right all the time and using the left arm to raise my head a little more.

I was the last swimmer out of the water, of course, and just as we got all the kayaks out and situated the storm rolled in. We would have been very uncomfortable in the middle of the lake in that storm. We ate a nice lunch of muffalettas, chips, pimento cheese and chicken salad, got clean and dry and headed back home. The rain kept Kate and me from getting in a bike ride around the lake.

Overall, the swim wasn’t too bad, and we all agreed that a 3 mile+ reservoir swim might be harder than we had thought. That swim will include some rest stops, though. Our tentative date for the “Reservoir Swim & Kayak Challenge” is July 11.

Training Begins Now

2010-04-25T12:50:00.005-05:00

It's a new bike, Jamis Xenith T - carbon composite, very aero. I really like it. I bought it about a month ago from Gary at ProBike because, mainly, it would have been a crime to ride my other 20 year old bike in a 70.3 race. Yep, I'm committed now. Already registered for Rev3 Cedar Point in September. That's in Sandusky, Ohio at the famous amusement park island. Kay Vee delivered my 20 week training plan the other day, and it begins tomorrow. I can't say enough about Kay Vee and all the help she's been to me. Now she and I will drag our spouses to another race, but this one should be fun for everyone! Serious roller coasters live in the Cedar Point Park.

I really don't fear the 70.3 distance so much, but the training through the Mississippi summer heat and humidity gives me some doubt. Can this old body acclimate itself? I've never been very good in the heat, turn red as a beet. But 6 years ago I would have never believed I'd be doing a lot of the races that are routine now. This year I'll run my 5th Heatwave Triathlon. This should be an interesting summer.

Here's two group photos of the Flounders. Everyone wasn't available at once, so I made two, in commemoration of our coach's departure. Whitney is married to a soldier, Army man, and they are now setting up a new household in Georgia. We will miss her terribly. She changed our group from three committed swimmers to a team of good swimmers, greatly improved over the last year. This group's age ranges from 56 (me), to early 20s. Paul, Kate, and Mack are excellent swimmers. Matt, Melanie, Cedric and I may not be stars in the pool, but in a typical tri group we are above average. Christeen is another story, a collegiate swimmer in the ACC and a world age group triathlon qualifier for Budapest later this year. With an enthusiastic coach to replace Whitney, we could have a credible, competitive Masters Swim Team to challenge the long dominance of the Catfish Masters from the Courthouse.

Plans for the summer include a Flounders-led effort to swim across the Reservoir, a distance of more than 5K. We may call it the Rez Swim/Kayak Challenge. Let us know if you're interested.

Photos From 2010 St. Paddy's Parade

2010-04-24T07:45:00.004-05:00

Nest Box Cleaning

2010-03-07T18:32:00.008-06:00

Photo: Audubon Magazine

A small, yellow bird with blue-gray wings lives in the swamps of the southern United States, raising its young in a cavity of a dead cypress or other wetland tree trunk. A small nest box mounted on a pole, several feet above the water serves as an adequate substitute for the dwindling numbers of suitable decaying tree trunks. The bird is common, but only in swampy areas, and often unnoticed by those who dare to visit the land of mosquitos and reptiles. I've been around our swamps all my life, and only saw my first Prothonotary after it was pointed out by an experienced birder.

A few weeks ago I thought it was time for a change of pace and answered the call for volunteers by the Jackson Audubon Society to help clean the nest boxes. The JAS has placed and maintained about 50 boxes in two locations, at Mayes Lake and at a wildlife management area on the Reservoir north of Highway 43. In early spring, the boxes are cleaned and repaired, and a log with detailed notes is updated. Here we go:

Reese inspects nest material from last season. The nests are often used by other birds after Prothonotarys have vacated. In fact, wasps can be a problem during cleaning if the weather isn't cool enough to keep them lethargic.

Here's what the nest box can look like with multiple occupants' materials stacked up.

One box I cleaned had unhatched eggs still on the nest.

We got a good look at a Barred Owl while we were walking through the area.

Here's the group after our first round at Mayes Lake, Louise, me, Sean and Reese...

...and Ruthie, the mission photographer, ready for adventure.

The Duck Whisperer

2010-03-01T06:36:00.005-06:00

My latest nickname is the "The Duck Whisperer". I like the suggestion of mysterious powers and unusual talent. Not much to it in reality. My friend Chuck called my iphone a few nights ago to ask for assistance. "There's a big bird in my living room! It must have come down the chimney!
What do I do? It's making a mess everywhere!"

No problem. I went to Chuck's house expecting a hawk or owl or maybe a vulture. It was a sweet little female Wood Duck. I threw a sheet over her, picked her up gently and took her outside. The whole episode lasted maybe 5 minutes, but it caused a big stir in that household. Chuck's wife hid in the bedroom, while his son was excited about getting pictures on his iphone to show at school.

Now it seems the episode made it to a local television station, with the picture below. The report was totally botched. From what I heard, the report said I was Bill the Ornithologist and I rescued a Mallard. I'm merely an avid birder, (or birdwatcher if you prefer) and the subject bird was a Wood Duck. (at least I'm 99% sure)

Life is good, and interesting.

Woo Hoo! Good Job Runners!

2010-01-09T17:53:00.004-06:00

I awoke this race day morning at 2 AM after a bad dream, one in which George Carlin ran with me in the marathon, smoking cigarettes and coaching me along until I couldn't keep up, got lost and disoriented, and missed the rest of the race. I checked the alarm clock and found I had another two hours before the real marathon. What a relief! I hadn't realized that finishing this race was so important to me.

The weather was a huge factor today. "17 degrees" said the NOAA website at 4:30 this morning. Runners were in town hoping to escape the Frigid North and run a race in the Sunny South. Last year the temps were in the upper 50s, uncomfortably warm and humid for a marathon.

I've been training for the race with the help of KayVee, friend, co-worker, ally, veteran marathon runner and Ironman finisher. KayVee generously offered to run with me today. I had no idea how much I would appreciate her being there.

We met with a group of other local runners at a big downtown hotel lobby a few blocks from the race start. Nobody was wanting to stand around for long out in the cold at the starting area. We donned big black garbage can liners for extra warmth when it was time to move up to the race start. (KayVee and I had the best style - good 55 gallon quality from the trunk of Ruthie's car, thick plastic and pointy shoulder corners like a goofy costume).
You readers who are runners and marathoners know the feeling of waiting for the start. My first marathon at 55 years old, training somewhat abbreviated by hip aductor soreness, was about to start and I was worried about even finishing.
The starting horn went off after a blues guitar version of the National Anthem, and we ran smoothly and quietly west on Capitol Street, the main drag of a town burned to "Chimneyville" during the Civil War. The sun made the cold air bearable and I was thoroughly enjoying the run. We were impressed by a drum line of members of the Jackson State University band braving the cold and pounding out a spirited cadence for us.
We wound through the downtown streets and into hilly Belhaven, towards our personal cheering section at Kate's house. Ruthie, Kate and my Mom were there at the curb with red noses and mittened hands, jumping and cheering. I ditched one of my 4 shirts and an inner pair of gloves there, prematurely thinking we would be warming up well in the bright sun.
As we enjoyed a long downhill on to Lakeland Drive, the clouds began to cover the sun, and the the cold became a presence again. A snowflake would occasionally blow by as we ran a little ahead of the 5 hour pacer.
We passed the halfway point at almost exactly 2:30, a pace to finish under 5 hours as I had hoped. KayVee, the "Queen of Negative Splits", must have thought we were right where we needed to be. However, I could tell that I wouldn't be able to maintain that pace and certainly not a faster one.
We headed north on Ridgewood and into Eastover, and the short hills began wearing on my legs pretty badly. The weather was settling into miserable and I began to slow down, needing walk breaks more and more often. Ruthie and my Mom brightened us up for a while, lurking on side streets in the car, jumping out to take a photo and cheer us on.

Pounding along painfully through the second 10 miles, I was not enjoying myself, knowing we would be well over 5 hours finishing and my legs already protesting the smallest hill climbs. As we ran beyond the 20 mile marker, we shared conversations about anything that came to mind. KayVee kept urging me on to run to the next traffic light, and soon we were within sight of the green dome of the Old Capitol. I knew then I would finish, and might even have enough legs left to run through the chute.

So I finished my first marathon. Five and a half hours of running (and too much walking). I'm not disappointed, really, in not finishing under 5 hours. I knew it would be a real surprise if I had that kind of stamina. My half marathon PR is 2:19, so it's doable, but maybe next time. After that dream with George Carlin, I am delighted to have finished at all, especially without injury or mishap.

If asked if I would do it again under the same cold conditions, eventually dreading every footstep, drinking water from cups with icy slush, eating power gels too hard to squeeze out of the packet, I would definitely say, "Yes! But only if KayVee will run with me!"

Thank You KayVee!

Farewell 2009

2009-12-29T14:29:00.006-06:00

Random thoughts on the year 2009:

I am so pleased about making several new friends this year. Most are triathletes I've just bumped into enough times we started getting to know one another. I think also that I may have gained some credibility and recognition after sharing 5 years of swim, bike and run events with this great group of people in the Jackson area. Though I'll never be known as fast in any tri discipline, these folks respect effort and willingness to sacrifice for a worthy goal.

I'm reminded now of Tea, a triathlete friend and fellow blogger in Colorado. I hesitate to celebrate a wonderful year too loudly, for Tea has endured a harsh string of misfortunes lately. But like the spandex in her Barney-colored tri suit, she has snapped back into shape and has a new set of goals for 2010. Tea's blog has been an inspiration to many, and I am proud to call her my friend.

My 1997 Toyota 4Runner rolled by the 200,000 mile mark recently, and as a gesture of appreciation I've had preventive maintenance done with a commitment to drive it another 100,000!

Not so great news for my bike, the 1992 Dave Scott Ironman Centurion. Gary at Pro Bike says there is play in the bracket at the crank, a potentially dangerous condition. Along with continuing rust problems, the end may be near for my faithful friend, or maybe just a peaceful trainer retirement in the storage barn. So 2010 will be the year of the new bike! It will most likely be custom-made from components gradually purchased and assembled at Gary's shop.

Our Masters Swim Team has enjoyed a great year. We have a coach and 6 regular members, that's double the original team of me, Kate and Paul. More people are asking about joining us all the time. Pic below is Coach Whitney showing Matt the video of his stroke.

One year ago, I never would have believed I would own an iPhone and use Facebook. Though there is much about Facebook I dislike, it's been lots of fun and brought back some old friendships. It's also a strange new way to get to know people you wouldn't have had the opportunity to spend time with otherwise.

Time to say thanks to all those who have supported me in my selfish, mid-life crisis, denial of old age, born again athlete, "reinventing me" ways. Of course most thanks to ever-loving and supportive Wifeunit Ruthie, but also to those who say they're proud of me or keep pushing me to go for more, or to at least not quit. Thank you ML, Kate, KayVee, Mary Catherine, Tea, Susan, Anna, Jenni, Whitney, Mustang Sally, Paul, Mike, Harry, Wes, Bill, Matt, Bruce, Jeff and many others. I salute the leadership and members of the Mississippi Heat Triathlon Team, Amanda, Matt, Becky, and Jackson Metro Cyclists, people seriously interested in fun and fitness for everyone.

That paragraph sounded too much like I had won an Oscar, but I'll leave it in anyway.

Memphis Thanksgiving

2009-12-06T12:02:00.006-06:00

Continuing our new tradition of making Thanksgiving a vacation trip, Ruthie and I drove north to Memphis on Wednesday, the 25th to spend two nights at the famous Peabody Hotel. It was a fine, easy drive of slightly over 3 hours on a clear, cool day. We made it to Memphis in plenty of time to visit some friends from my aircraft parts manager days, and I was able to finally see a friend I've known for over 25 years but have only spoken to on the telephone.

At the hotel we watched the Peabody Ducks do their daily elevator ride from the fountain in the lobby to their accomodations on the rooftop. The ducks' schedule happened to coincide with a nice sunset view of the Mississippi River.

Later that evening, we scouted out the Beale Street situation. There weren't many people out, though most everything was open. We made our way back to the alley where hides the home of the world-famous Rendezvous Ribs. With no waiting for a table, we enjoyed ribs and a pitcher of beer while watching the entertaining wait staff.

I was up early the next morning for a short run down to Lee Park by the river. It was cold and windy, but great fun, as always, running a new route in a memorable venue.

Our Thanksgiving meal was the grand buffet on the mezzanine at the Peabody. As we had hoped, there were all kinds of delicious items lined up around the rail in the hotel's beatiful silver. From scrambled eggs to prime rib, nearly anything you could imagine was there to choose from. We enjoyed Mimosas, champagne and coffee with our feast, and Ruthie inspected both huge tables full of dozens of dessert options. I think she fell just short of sampling everything available, and proclaimed each extra delicious!

We spent the evening at my friend Greg's home and enjoyed a light dose of turkey and some other interesting dishes. Back at the hotel, we watched more food in the movie Julie and Julia, a nice story if you are a fan of Julia Child or Meryl Streep.

Before heading home Friday we stopped at Macy's for a while, then pointed the truckster south and arrived back home before dark after another great holiday vacation.

I Think I Can Do It!

2009-11-22T15:46:00.006-06:00

I've been training for the Mississippi Blues Marathon since August, and after yesterday's 18-mile run, I finally feel optimistic. I've had some good training runs and some bad, and one that started very well and suddenly went bad.

The 18-mile was my longest distance ever and it was easier than I expected. It was also the first time I've run with a partner and the first really long run since my friend KayVee began oversight of my training. I'm beginning to understand the importance of managing fuel and fluids and I'm improving my overall running skills.

Becky A., a well known and enthusiastic local triathlete and 2-time Ironman Finisher, is a little faster runner than I (everyone else is a lot faster). She runs the same roads and trails as I do and is on the same marathon training plan. She agreed to slow down and run a patient 18 miles with me yesterday. We were very pleased with ourselves after the run and will do the 20-mile run together also.

I've combined my training runs with some 5k races, simply adding the extra miles after the race. I improvised some run routes and ran one 5k four times, stopping after the second loop just long enough to collect a nice door prize. I ran a 15k one and half times, finishing just as the awards were all distributed.

Wifeunit and I made our annual trip to Ocean Springs on the Gulf Coast and the Peter Anderson Arts Festival 2 weeks ago, staying overnight with ML & Harry in Gautier. The festival was nice and the weather superb. Lots of doggies and interesting people were enjoying a great day.

The next morning I needed a 16-mile run, so Wifeunit left me at the Ocean Springs side of the Biloxi Bay Bridge with an eventual destination of Highway 49 in Gulfport. It was wonderful to run along the beach (on a sidewalk) and watch the sea birds and the guys surfing with the kites. Wifenunit met me every 3-4 miles with the water and power gels, and I did really well until finishing 14 miles. That's when I started getting cramps in my calves, my shoulders got weak as if they were tired of holding my arms up, and things began looking dark. I felt like I was beginning to go to sleep. Wifeunit was watching me from far ahead through binoculars, and said I would stagger a while, then try to walk straight, and stagger some more. I knew I might be in trouble, but there was nothing to do but keep moving. I walked up to the car after 15.5 miles, still happy I had travelled from Ocean Springs to Gulfport on foot in roughly 2.5 hours.

I followed the run with my first ice bath, per KayVee's direction. That means fill a bathtub with enough water to cover your legs, get in, sit down and pour in a bag or two of ice. Grit teeth and chill for 10 minutes. Have yourself removed from bathtub. Drain cold water and return to tub, rinse with hot shower and moan loudly. It really, really works. Legs recover quicker and you don't feel crippled all day and the next.

So for now I'm hoping to stay healthy and positive for the next 6 weeks, train smarter and finish my first marathon with no problems. With the great support I've been getting from Wifeunit and all my friends and family, I just can't imagine anything but a great marathon experience.

Birthday & Dog Party

2009-11-01T15:57:00.005-06:00

It's been another busy fall with some kind of race nearly every weekend. A nice change of pace lately was Amy & JD's birthday, and a chance for doggy cousins to meet for the first time. Amy, my niece, and her husband JD were born 5 days apart, so sharing the day is fun. They are an unbelievably cute couple and fun to be around. Their dogs, Bonnie & Bruce got to meet our dog, Rabbit at my mom's for the birthday party. A fun afternoon on a beautiful fall day.

Race Report - DSU Triathlon

2009-09-20T11:20:00.003-05:00

These happy folks, the oft mentioned Flowood Fighting Flounders, pose with trophies from a fun sprint distance triathlon at Delta State University.

Disclaimer: This race is a fund raiser for the DSU swim and cross country teams, is not USAT sanctioned, there are no judges or officials, no chip timing, a small field, lots of beginners, students and a few geezers. My kind of race. 500 yard pool swim, 2 per lane with lap counters, 18 mile bike through flat delta fields, and a 5k flat out and back run. Just showing up sometimes gets you a trophy.

There are always some surprise benefits of getting older. In my four times to do this race I've finished in my age group 2006 3rd, 2007 2nd, 2008 5th, and suddenly as a 55 year old, I win the Top Grand Masters Male. The results aren't published yet, but I suspect I soundly thrashed a 65 and 72 year old to claim my title.

The 500 yard swim leg is held in the nationally acclaimed DSU Aquatics Center. Two swimmers share a lane. There are 18 lanes and as many waves as necessary are started as swimmers exit the pool. DSU swim team members count the laps and hold cards underwater to signal your final lap. Kate, Paul and I, being devoted Masters swimmers with a real coach, were able to use our flip turn skills and other training to fly through this leg easily. Two swimmers who may finish with the same time in an open water venue will finish as much as 30 seconds apart in a pool swim if one uses flip turns and the other just turns and pushes off.

I rode a good bike leg, again not using my speedometer, only the cadence counter. The course, of course, was flat as it gets, and I settled in a gear where I could maintain 85 pedal strokes per minute. I was overtaken by a rider who I judged would not be able to maintain his slow power strokes, so I stayed within 100 yards of him for 14-15 miles. He would slow in the turns much more than I, so I decided when we got within 2 miles of the finish I would pass him and try to sprint the rest of the way in. My strategy worked and he complimented me on my riding right after the race.

I began the run leg with a positive attitude. The weather was somewhat cooler than normal and there was no sun and a gentle breeze. I've been running 15-20 miles a week lately, and just did a 9 mile run the weekend before, so I was glad my legs felt up to the flat 5k. I only walked at the water stops while I drank and finished with energy to spare.

This race was especially satisfying for several reasons, one being that our swim coach, a DSU swim team alum, was there to cheer us on. She was in her old stomping grounds with friends and enjoyed seeing her team members win trophies. We should have asked the race director to recognize her and give her some of the credit for our success. She is the best coach around, or if not the best, the cutest.

Credit Wifeunit for the great photos. These are only three of the 58 she took on race day. She and Kate and I rode to Cleveland, Ms on Friday afternoon and stayed at a cheap, crummy motel for the night. I was so happy to have the two of them together as company, and to hear them share the stories I've heard from each of them. We had a great evening with a few drinks in the room before dinner and enjoyed our evening meal at the Warehouse restaurant in Cleveland. The food and service was very good, and unusual characters were in the huge warehouse-size dining area to drive our conversation.

After the race and awards, we showered and met at the Sharpe Street shopping area. We had no firm plan for lunch, so we bought gourmet pimento cheese, spinach and artichoke dip, egg salad and tasty rolls from one of the shops. These we took to a gazebo in the park and had a fine picnic. Wifeunit did the driving home through rain showers while Kate and I dozed off for short naps. Life is good!

Cotton States Triathlon 09

2009-08-23T14:30:00.004-05:00

I had trouble posting pics on Facebook, so I'll just hang them here. I haven't posted here in quite a while anyway.

It was great weather for swimming, biking and running - about 65 degrees and clear with a light north wind. The water was warmer than the cool morning air, and as some of us warmed up with a quick pre-race swim, I thought to myself, "it's 6:45 a.m., I've been up since 3 a.m., drove 2 hours to get here, and I'm 150 yards from shore, treading water in Lake Providence." Not so long ago I would never have believed I would consider this so much fun. But most of you few who read this blog will understand.
There were 81 participants in two waves to start the 400 yard swim. Males over 55 were in the same wave as the females, so my friend Kate and I decided to try something different and line up at the front of the wave and fight for the clear water instead of picking our way through the pack from the outside. It worked wonderfully and I only had to yield to one faster swimmer.
The bike leg was as flat as you would expect in Louisiana cotton farmland. Just like the Mississippi Delta. I rode really hard trying to maintain an 85-90 cadence and never looked at my speed. There was a girl with a gecko tatoo on her lower back that I played yo-yo with for a while and then let her get ahead of me by 10 or so bike lenghts. I made myself stay within that distance of her and hung there for about 10 miles. We came to a slight downhill and I saw her stop pedalling, so I caught up and passed her and never looked back to see where she was. She came into transition about 10 seconds behind me.
The run leg was disappointing. I might have gone too hard on the bike, but I wasn't worried about it since I've been doing lots of running lately, it was relatively cool and this was only a 5K distance. But I ran poorly and kept thinking I would settle into a good pace, but it never happened. Then one side of my back core muscles started tightening up and it was run a few minutes and walk 30 seconds. I think my pace was about 10:30. A bad finish to an otherwise good race.

Here's the group photo of the great ladies who put the race on. There's also great support from the East Carrol Parish Sheriff's Department.

Mississippi Heat Tri Team was well represented

Summer Already

2009-05-24T19:17:00.004-05:00

I've got some cathching up to do. I've been using Facebook lately as my main time waster, playing games and exploring peoples' friends. But I like that I've touched base with some people I haven't spoken to in many years. Some I've even become better friends with than before.

Lately, we had a nice Easter Feaster here at the house, with Mom and Beck and Bro. Paul, Kate, Mariel and I did our annual swim across Lake St. John, adding a 17 mile bike ride around the lake afterward.

We did a JMC club ride in Madison County and I did the annual Ridgeland Century, (just 62 miles - metric century - for me).

Last weekend. our triathlon club, the Mississippi Heat, put on our 5th begjnner tri. The participation more than doubled over last year. We had about 400 taking part, about 180 first timers. I headed up the swim leg volunteers and was really pleased with how things came together. There were some problems with the timing people and we ran low on water and snacks, but it was a huge success overall.

This Spring was a great year for birding. Some of our favorites dropped in and stayed for several days on their way north. Below, a Rose Breasted Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting.

Here's some other critters I've been running around with.

Sweet Potato Queens' Big Day - Part 2

2009-04-14T13:44:00.006-05:00

I biked back to the parade area and found my base of operations was right where all the parade participants were lining up. I proceeded to take over 250 pictures. Here's a few I've selected. (the "buns" are plastic)

Sweet Potato Queens' Big Day - Part 1

2009-03-22T17:17:00.008-05:00

I commented last year that I didn't care to participate in the famous Mal's St. Paddy's Day Parade here in Jackson, Miss. It has become such a huge success that it can be a huge pain in the neck to deal with. The traffic, the crowds, the drunks - all the common hazards of a big celebration. 25 years ago I would have been there amongst the revelers, and I was, back in the day. Now in 2009, my sister, ML has been initiated into the celebration as a VIP of sorts, having been a friend, Girl Scout veteran, high school classmate, etc., of the world famous H.R.H. Jill Conner Brown, THE Sweet Potato Queen.

See the website: http://www.sweetpotatoqueens.com/ if you don't understand the significance, and after doing so you still may not. ML and other high school friends marched in the parade as The Queen's Revirginated Classy Mates.

There were zany things associated with this year's event, like a wedding on the float during the parade, the Classy Mates serving as bridesmaids.

Anyway, it was time to attend and pay homage, and I could run the early morning 5K and meet up with the Mississippi Heat Triathlon Team contingent with an area staked out with snacks and drinks. Fellow Flounder KE promised prime parking at her office a sweet potato's throw from the parade route and directly in the parade lineup area.

Wifeunit was laid up with a mysterious illness, so I headed out at 7 am for downtown Jackson and the St. Paddy's Day 5K. The race is very popular and well attended, and it's fun to run through the city with the tall buildings, the State Capitol and other landmarks decked out in a spring bloom of azaleas, dogwoods and lush green grass.

I ran a leisurely pace enjoying the cool air and scenery, and milled around post-race with friends. ML called and reported her position and marching orders, and I called KE to review the parking situation. I had loaded my bike in the truckster to ensure mobility in case I needed to keep claim on my parking spot, which did turn out to be crucial. I had planned to bike to the nearby YMCA for a shower, but KE offered her home facilities even nearer and less hazardous, with coffee and a pleasant garden seat to kill a little time before the parade.

To be continued...

Mardi Gras 2009 - Pascagoula, Mississippi

2009-02-28T17:41:00.008-06:00

Here we go again, down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, close enough to New Orleans to be in mandatory Mardi Gras Parade Territory. It was another great day for a parade. Lots of interesting people having a great time.

First, you need transportation.

You might get lucky and find a party with boiled crawfish.

Royalty and celebrities are always out to greet their loyal fans.

Animals in attendance:

Delta Geese

2009-01-25T18:17:00.003-06:00

We've noticed several posts on the Mississippi Bird list server about Snow Geese in the Delta not far from here. The geese are common in many areas of the US in winter, especially in farm land that is semi-flooded, but Wifeunit and I had never actually seen them, even though we've been on trips through the Delta in winter several times. I was determined to see them, so yesterday we drove northwest through Pocahontas and up into the hills and high bluffs that mark the boundary of the vast, flat Mississippi Delta.

The road we followed falls out of the bluffs and into the little town of Satartia, next to the Yazoo River. We learned on our Indian Mound trip last year that the Yazoo River was originally the subject of Stephen Foster's song "Sewannee River", but he asked the meaning of the name Yazoo and was told it meant River of Death, so that was that.

We drove out of Satartia into the flat farmland and before too long we found the Snow Geese -thousands of them - and they all had something to say. The word "cacaphony" would be appropriate to describe what we heard when we pulled over and rolled down the windows. Our trip turned out to be shorter that expected since we found the geese so far south. Mission Accomplished.

Today I took advantage of rare calm wind conditions and a reasonably warm 45 degrees, and canoed out into the middle of beautiful Pelahatchie Bay. I was alone but for 2 fishermen far away, and a few dozen Least Terns and Ring Billed Gulls. The wind picked up a little and forced me back in, but I was able to snag a few nice pieces of driftwood.

January Again

2009-01-12T19:08:00.013-06:00

Of course I've been busy since Thanksgiving, and lazy, and training for a marathon in February that I've decided not to do. I had such a good time punishing myself for two half marathons that I decided enough was enough. Now I can look forward to a fresh new year, get back on the bike, work harder on swimming, and level off on a comfortable running routine for me.

In early December I ran a half on a cool day and felt good afterward. The 2nd Mississippi Blues Marathon (and Half) was not so comfortable but a lot more fun.

I'm running slower than last year and I don't mind. I'm running for fun and health. On a 7 mile run Saturday, I overtook a local legend - Murray - 80 years old. He does 3 to 5 miles 3 times a week. He had just moved to the neighborhood and I recognized him from having seen him at many 5Ks. I slowed (only slightly) to run with him and listen to his story. In case you runners weren't aware, the reason you get slower in your 70's, according to Murray, is that "your lungs draw up and you can't get as much air". I'll accept that. I'll be happy to be alive at 80, but if it's still possible to run at that age I'll do it.

I'm reminded by our friend how much many of us admire and respect those who lived their lives in a different age, how their lives were shaped by different experiences long before our birth. They have wisdom in their words and example that is sometimes hard to recognize. After they've passed from this world, we think how lucky we were to have been a witness to their greatness, and maybe hope to be so admired when we are gone.

I need to mention that Wifeunit and I joined a team of 25 or so dedicated local birders and thousands across the U.S. and participated in the Jackson area Christmas Bird Count. It was our first time and a great experience. We were in 8 groups covering a huge area, 3 in our group. We counted more than 60 species while the total for all Jackson groups was slightly over 100 species.

Also, I must highlight the superb effort of Wifeunit at our annual New Year's celebration. She volunteered her talents as Conductor of the first performance of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Eight-Piece Party Horn Orchestra. Brava!

Arizona Thanksgiving Trip

2008-12-07T12:40:00.019-06:00

After a hectic Monday and a 13-hour day at work Tuesday, we were on our way Wednesday aboard an early flight to Tucson for the holiday weekend. Of course we had to fly to Altanta first, but that's normal for Delta Airlines. I guess our plane was slower than the one I saw passing us somewhere over Texas. Our reasons for going to Tucson were about getting me out of town and away from work, but the best part was having family and friends there to share some good times with.

We stayed at the El Conquistador Resort Hotel, a really nice place northeast of Tucson at the
foot of the Catalina Mountains.

Thanksgiving dinner was at the hotel grand buffet, with all the finest meats and cheeses in the land.

Cousin Sara joined us at noon for the feast, and she and Wifeunit talked all afternoon in the lobby while I relaxed on the cozy furniture. It was the most peaceful afternoon I've spent in a long while. I stared out the window at the mountains and dozed off while listening to the buzz of the girls' conversation, the sounds of the feast contiuing and a football game on a distant television in the lounge.

Not one to neglect my training schedule, Friday morning I ventured off on a run, down the busy road north to Catalina State Park, about 4 miles from the hotel. Wifeunit met me there with water and snacks. I ran another mile or so to the end of the road where some nice trails begin.

The running route was beautiful, and the weather fine. I did notice a difference in my effort since the altitude was higher than home, I think about 2600 feet.

Wifeunit and I took a short, 1-mile trail and enjoyed a nice sample of the desert landscape.

The Saguaro Cactus was an unusual sight for

Mississippi natives.

No fences, no billboards, no buildings as far as you could see.

We spent Saturday on a guided tour hosted by Vera and Larry, who moved from Mississippi to Tucson several years ago. We did some shopping, had some lunch and visited the historic Mission of San Xavier del Bac.

We had a wonderful day and lots of fun with our friends. Below are more pics, including a roadrunner, quail and two goofy tourists.

The Best Time of Year

2008-11-09T07:47:00.003-06:00

The weather here these past few weeks here has been clear and beautiful. The leaves on the trees are in full color and the temperatures are chilly at night, but warm during the day. October and November are my favorite months, and in spite of my working a lot of weekend hours, Wifeunit and I have been able to enjoy a couple road trips to the Gulf Coast.

We made our annual trip to Jamie & Bethany's in Wiggins for Jamie and me to defend our "Paddle - Pant - Pedal" Triathlon First Place Open Team title. (This was easy since all the other teams were in the relay or mixed categories.). We spent a lazy afternoon at the farm and at the creek, and that night sat around the fire with our favorite beverages.

The next weekend was our return to Ocean Springs and the Peter Anderson Festival. Another beautiful day and visit with ML and Harry. We took a boat ride late in the day and enjoyed a nice sunset on the Pascagoula River marsh. And I did not neglect my marathon training - I drove to Gulf Islands National Seashore - Davis Bayou Park for an early morning run.

Long Time No Post

2008-10-19T18:43:00.006-05:00

I've been really busy at work, and that means working weekends. But I've managed to squeeze in some fun here and there.

The Wellsfest 5K was bigger than ever, had a new course, and the weather was almost perfect.
I'm in the crowd somewhere and was pleased that I'm running better every week without any pain in my knee or back.

Credit Wifeunit for this wonderful picture of the kids beginning the Wellsfest 1 Mile Fun Run. This photo really looks great in a larger size.

Wellsfest is an all-day event with food and family entertainment, including a dog parade.....

.....and yoga demonstrations, which Wifeunit joined.

I wanted to save some photos of our plants before the winter comes. These are basil, oregano, parsley and thyme - great for snipping and adding to the recipe instead of shaking out of a bottle.

One of our new plantings this year was Coleus we grew from seeds. It took a little while to get going, but we had several large plants with these wonderful colors.

This weekend I decided I'd had enough work and got in the canoe for a while. One of the islands was covered with wildflowers.

The white pelicans are back from Canada and the Great Lakes. They are a beautiful sight in the winter when they gather in big flocks and slowly circle catching the sunlight. I believe they fly this way just for fun.

Weather and the Weekend - Part 2

2008-09-20T06:55:00.011-05:00

After a post-race shower and a short rest, we headed south toward home. On the way, we stopped at Indianola, Mississippi, birthplace of the blues legend B.B. King, and Wifeunit's childhood summer home. By coincidence, this day was also the opening of the B.B. King Museum.

We found the little town full of visitors and the downtown section closed to traffic. The streets were lined with food stands, crafts for sale, and musicians. The new museum was a bit too crowded for us, so we didn't go inside. We make it to Indianola several times a year, so we'll be checking out the museum on another trip. My sister ML later told us that there were probably some high profile entertainers there like Eric Clapton, but we didn't notice anything special but 3 large customized busses from the Gibson Guitar company.

Wifeunit had to sign the big birthday card, ending our adventure for this day.

Weather and the Weekend - Part 1

2008-09-16T19:42:00.004-05:00

The weather here lately has been influenced by a couple of hurricanes. Not unusual for this time of year, but more creepy than in my memory since Hurricane Katrina changed so much of our world in the Gulf States. I read an email at work that mentioned an Ohio city was experiencing power failures and school closings from Hurricane Ike this week.

Ike was a factor at the Delta State University Triathlon this past Saturday. It was windy and humid. I had a great swim - it was a 500 yd pool swim - and I was one of the first out of the water. I even had to get spectators out of the path to the transition area. The bike ride was really strange, with a 25 mph wind from the hurricane blowing from the southeast. The ride was an out and back zig zag route, so half the time the wind was helping, but boy when it didn't it was a struggle. One of the guys who finishes in the top 5 every year said his bike leg was 6 minutes slower than his worst. I ran poorly in the high temps and humidity, but enjoyed the race. Everyone involved in this race seems to have great fun, even though they seem to have trouble with the timing and awards. This is not an official USAT race, just a fun thing put on by the DSU Swim and Dive Team.

Ag Museum

2008-09-08T05:01:00.007-05:00

I began this beautiful Sunday with some canoe paddling to a spot at least a half mile from any houses, at the east end of Pelahatchie Bay in the middle of the huge expanse of lotus pads. The weather had the first touch of Fall about it, and the forecast promised low 80's for the day. This spot in the pads was so quiet. There were very few boats out. I think the high-tech fishermen with their obnoxious bass boats must have gotten interested in college football or dove hunting. Or maybe they knew the water was a little muddy from Hurricance Gustav last week. The only sounds were an occasional flock of geese honking by or the sound of a far off truck with obnoxious loud tail pipes. Must have been the fishermen heading for the dove field.

Later, Wifeunit suggested we go to the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, where this weekend the Celtic Fest was going on. We paid the surprising $24 for two of us to get in and found the fest pretty weak. There were some interesting people playing unusual instruments but not much else, so we decided we'd seen enough.

We were headed back to the truckster when Wifeunit picked up the scent of a horse, her favorite animal. I picked up the scent of what the horse leaves on the ground. Anyway we had to investigate........

Here she's getting some of that horse smell on her, and she may not wash her hands for days.

Another irresistible critter gets as much massage as possible through a fence.

Wifeunit got a sloppy kiss from this guy, but I missed it. You can still appreciate his good looks and charm.

A goat. No less important, loved and admired.

This was the only farm animal Wifeunit didn't notice or spend time with. I could only think of my chocolate milk.

Best of all, the family had a great day!

One Year Totals

2008-09-03T05:05:00.002-05:00

I've been recording my workouts on the Buckeye Outdoors site since September 1, 2007. Results....

450 miles of running

120 miles swimming

770 miles biking

1340 miles total

I know some of you readers may have done twice that distance. Actually two of you for sure, but I'm still pretty proud of myself. Blogs are all about bragging sometimes.

I'm about to check the radar again and decide whether to run in these remnants of Hurricane Gustav.

The Fun of Triathlon

2008-08-23T17:57:00.007-05:00

The Cotton States Triathlon in Lake Providence, Louisiana has survived for a 23rd year. The 24th is in question. The down home friendly nature of this little race is what makes it dear to me. It's perfect for beginners and comfortable for those of us who have no high ambitions to qualify for Kona, or even spend the grueling hours to train for an Ironman. The race is a major fund raiser for the small farm town of Lake Providence and deserves to survive.

The swim and transition area are across the 2 lane highway from the host Lakeside Motel where room rates are $30 regular and $35 for deluxe. Signs in some read, "Please Don't Clean Fish in Room".

The phenomenal fellow Flowood Fighting Flounder, KE, in her second full official triathlon without being on a relay team, won Top Masters Women. She was awarded one of the coveted Cotton Bale trophies pictured above.

Fish Fear Me

2008-08-17T17:06:00.005-05:00

On my rest days, I love to get out on the water in the canoe and paddle silently around Pelahatchie Bay, early in the morning before many boats have messed up the glassy surface and the wind is calm. This old canoe has been in the family for over 40 years, and paddling it around remembering its long life is part of the pleasure. It's aluminum and makes a little noise when the water is choppy, but it's like driving an old classic car or swinging an old golf club, maybe like using an old baseball glove that's been put away for years.

This day was a bit overcast but calm, and there was hardly a ripple as far as I could see. I remember being taught canoeing skills in Boy Scouts, and the importance of being very quiet, not banging the paddle against the gunwale. My uncle and brother and I would sometimes paddle out at night with a bright light and sneak up on beavers. We could get within just a few feet of them if you kept the light in their eyes, then the tail would slap on the water and they'd be gone. That was a thrill for a 10 year old boy.

Approaching my favorite fishing spot, I don't see the alligator on this day. It's only about a 5 or 6 foot gator, and keeps a good distance from me. It will disappear under the water when you get too close. I always take my camera and fishing stuff, since you never know which you'll have the most luck with.

Here's proof that I do actually catch fish while I'm out. I mostly fish with a fly rod since it's the most fun and you don't have bait to hassle with. I rarely keep any fish, mostly since they're too small, or I only catch a few on each trip.

I'm out for a couple hours at the most, since the wind will pick up to a point that makes handling the canoe a bit of a challenge.

Feeling Good in August

2008-08-17T16:34:00.002-05:00

All my injuries have finallly healed and I'm happy to be back to my modest weekly workout schedule - run two mornings 3 or 4 miles, swim 2 mornings 2000 + yards each day, a Friday high paced spin class, and a bike ride on the weekend. I should be in plenty good shape to drive over to Lake Providencc next Saturday for the Cotton States Triathlon. Depending on who shows up in my age group, I might even win one of those miniature trophy cotton bales. I wrote about this tri last year, and this year I hope to get some pictures so you readers eagerly awaiting more exciting news can fully appreciate the awesome wonder of this event.

Fun T-Shirts (4)

2008-07-27T11:27:00.003-05:00

I guess since I'm better at swimming than biking or running, it is, by far, my favorite of the three triathlon sports. Most of my childhood summers were spent in and around a pool or lake. We lived across the street from a park with a swimming pool, and later spent lots of days at our lakeside trailer fishing, canoeing and swimming. My sister, ML has made a career of swimming. She's taught swim teams, led water aerobics and arthritis therapy, and has been an aquatics director at several venues. Swimming is fun, and you don't get too hot, (although I have been known to sweat during some of our Flounder swim team workouts).

Here's our Flowood Fighting Flounders Masters Swim Team uniform T-Shirt. This is what we wear to intimidate the other teams at swim meets.

Our team is registered with US Masters Swimming, and we compete in the Southern Masters Swimming Dixie Zone. We got a nice warmup jacket at the meet in New Orleans last December.

We're participating in the USMS 2008 Check-off Challenge, wherein you complete 18 different events using each of the four strokes - freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly - at various distances. Some are routine for most swimmers and quite easy. Others are a bit more challenging, such as the one remaining event we haven't completed, the 200 yard butterfly. Last Thursday we checked off the 400 individual medley, a feat I wouldn't have dreamed possible a year ago.

A fun thing our local YMCA sponsors is the English Channel Challenge. You simply record your swim distance each day on a big chart, and if you complete the English Channel distance within a specified time frame, you get a free T-Shirt!

Fun T-Shirts (3)

2008-07-20T11:37:00.010-05:00

Here's the T-shirt design of our local big bike ride. Paul and I do the metric century - around 66 miles. On my first ride I was very new to cycling and had just bought my bike a few months earlier. I had a flat tire nearly every time I rode. So on the 06 Century ride a had my usual luck and more, changing a probable record 6 flat tires. Now, you may be thinking "wasn't there something obvioius that was causing the flats?" Well, we had a SAG group from a major bike shop patrolling the route, and the guys just kept giving me new tubes and eventually a new tire. They even did the fix a couple times themselves. As it turned out, the lining around the rim was plastic and very old, and had cracked unnoticeably. After only a short while under pressure, the liner would cause a split in the tube, and POW!! - another flat. Soon after the ride I purchased new liners and another new tire to match my freebie.

Fun T-Shirts (2)

2008-07-19T04:53:00.004-05:00

The Heatwave is our hometown race. Three years ago, the week after I did my first "beginner" tri, I volunteered to help at the Heatwave to get an up-close feel for what it was like. Finishing the next year's Heatwave was my goal, and I began training, a routine I continue today. Since then I've done the race 3 times.

It's an Olympic distance race (sort of). I think the bike leg is a mile or two short.

There have been problems with the routing of the bike and run legs and with the local traffic, and a buoy even broke loose once on the swim leg, causing swimmers to chase the buoy some extra distance as it drifted wider from the original course. I would love to say it gets better every year, but there always seems to be some problem that goofs something up. This year everyone had vastly improved swim times because the course was not laid out accurately.

Fun T-Shirts (1)

2008-07-18T16:51:00.009-05:00

All my triathlete friends rave about the health benefits of our sport and look forward to the thrill of competition, but don't be fooled - we all do it primarily for the cool T-shirts! I thought it might be fun (at least for me) to post pics of most of the recent shirts Wifeunit and I have collected.

This one was from my very first tri, a short beginner race created by the Jackson Triathlon Association. The race got me hooked, of course, but I realized it would take lots more training to move up to a longer distance.

I trained for a year and did the second SUTS without much problem.

Now I help out at the race as a volunteer, and it's almost as much fun as being out there with them. And we all know you've got to give something back.

Getting Older

2008-06-29T09:18:00.005-05:00

I hate to be a whiner about my physical ailments, but my body has been letting me down lately. I know I've asked a lot from it in the last 3 years since I've been doing triathlons. After the two half-marathons this past winter, I was excited about improving my running times at the summer triathlons. Thanks to a knee that would not cooperate, I had to take 3 weeks off from my running and the half-marathon endurance gains evaporated. My knee problem also caused me to miss the Memorial Day Weekend Annual Red Creek trip with ML and the river gang. Next, I had a blood pressure problem the week before the Heatwave Triathlon and worried that I wouldn't be able to participate, but my doctor changed my prescription and said, "if you've been training all this time and have that lifestyle, doing that event is where you need to be." Well, Heatwave was pretty tough for me this year with the knee not back to 100%, but I was happy just to be there.

Here's a success story: Fellow swim team member KE did her first complete tri, the Soak Up the Sun Triathlon and won her age group and beat the times in the age groups above and below. She did the bike leg on ML's 20 year old Peugeot, only having ridden about 30 miles on the bike before the race. (I will add that she can hang with anyone in our advanced spin class). The following weekend she does the swim leg on a relay team at Heatwave and her team wins the mixed relay. That was her second Heatwave relay victory. Her triathlon career stats - 4 races - 3 1st place finishes. Note the eager participants checking the results posted behind me.

Above is the complete Flounder team with Paul's daughter, who cruised through the swim leg at an amazing 10 minutes, 20 seconds , a top 30 finish in a field of over 300. KE was in the top 50 at 11:13, and I made the top 100 at 12:35. Paul rode the bike leg this time.

My next injury, a sciatic nerve flare-up has caused me to miss 2 weeks of workouts. I've had bouts with sciatica before but one morning the pain had me crawling back to the bed. Wifeunit built me a pallet in the back of my 4Runner, and I crawled in and laid out for the trip to the ER. They gave me a shot and some drugs and I'm almost 100% again. I'll see a Physical Therapist Tuesday and go from there.

One thing I did while resting was take another field trip with the Jackson Audubon guys to Harrell Prairie, a big open area in Bienville National Forest with some unique plants and good birding opportunities. The trip gave me a chance to practice with my new digital SLR. Now I don't have to tolerate the inconvenience of getting film processed at Walgreen's.

Also, several cyclists helped support a local Half Marathon yesterday. We just rode along with the runners, helping them be seen on the lonelier stretches of road and ready to call in medcal support on cell phones if needed.

Flounders Open Water Swim

2008-06-22T15:11:00.003-05:00

Our glorious Flowood Fighting Flounders Masters Swim Team has once again challenged the waters of Lake St. John and emerged victorious. May 17th we rode to KE's family's house on Lake St. John and swam across and back. We're not sure of the distance, probably a little over a half mile across. We don't go straight across since the best building to sight on is up the lake a little from where we start. When you're in the water looking for a landmark a half mile away, bigger and brighter is better. It's an odd feeling being so far from shore just swimming and not seeming to get any closer to the other side, but persistence pays off and it's over in about 20 minutes. Then we explain to the somewhat shocked onlookers on the other side that we're just swimming across and "thanks for letting us rest at your pier", and we're off again for the return leg. Another 20 minute swim and it's over. After a cool lunch and fun conversation with the family, we're headed for home.

Red Creek Cleanup

2008-06-22T09:35:00.004-05:00

April 26th was the annual DeSoto Ranger District Cleanup, a big effort by volunteers to pick up trash at the many recreational sites in DeSoto National Forest. Dozens of people organized into teams at different locations work together to restore the natural beauty that some have chosen to treat like a garbage dump. Niece Bethany was our team leader, and our group cleaned the boat launch area at City Bridge on Red Creek. We also canoed down the creek and picked up as much trash as practical, though cleanup from a canoe can be a precarious task at times. ML and I worked together and had a good time, but my knee injury decreased my mobility and made a lot of my efforts painful.
A misunderstanding about our canoe take-out point and some nasty thunderstorms in the area made the mission potentially miserable, but luck was on our side and Bethany used her local connections with camp owners on the creek to get us out of the storms and back to our cars safely. The canoes and johnboat had to be towed out of the forest for 3 miles over slick mud trails. This was quite an effort and may have been the only time I will ever be thankful for an ATV being on hand.

Natchez Trace Century Ride 2008

2008-06-21T16:10:00.003-05:00

Saturday, April 12th, Paul and I and 300+ other cyclists participated in the annual Natchez Trace Century Ride. The ride is hosted by the City of Ridgeland and is very well supported by the local bike shops and other sponsors. Lots of snacks and water along the way, a good meal afterward and pretty nice T shirt make the entry fee worth while. A cyclist can ride north on the Trace to turnaround points to total a 10 mile, 25, 50, 100k or 100 mile out and back. Paul and I do the metric 100, or about 66 miles. This was my third ride since I began cycling, and it gets better every year. The experience of starting a ride with hundreds of other colorfully dressed cyclists is unique and exciting. On the down side, we continue to have groups of riders from out of the area who will not obey the rules, riding in 2 and 3 abreast groups, making it dangerous to pass and in clear violation of the parkway "single file" rule.

End of Spring Update

2008-06-19T06:31:00.008-05:00

I'm hoping to do a better job of updating this blog, at least for the next few days. There are some notable events that need to be documented, mostly for my benefit. I went to our kitchen calendar and made a list of the items we had marked to remind me of what has happened lately.
Late in April a major storm roared through the Jackson, Ms area. There were 5 tornadoes officially reported, causing extensive damage to many areas. The storms were not so strong to be deadly and devastating, but more widespread and destructive to property than usual.
We were not completely spared, as one of the many huge pine trees behind the house was blown toward the house but was caught in the upper limbs of other trees. The situation was dangerous, since a subsequent moderately windy storm could easily cause the tree to fall onto the house.
To the rescue comes my brother with his years of knowledge and cool equipment, climbing 60, 80 feet into the treetops, fastening ropes to trunks, over limbs, down to an anchor point, and the two of us lowered a huge tree to the ground in pieces, neat as sausage links.

Spring Fever and Injury

2008-05-11T18:29:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted in nearly two months and here are my excuses:

It's no longer winter and it's fun to be outside.

Nice spring weather makes me want to do things other than write blog stuff

I hurt my knee and I've been depressed about that

Sometimes the blog side of me goes away

My knee has really been the main problem for the last month or so. My left knee was really sore, but now it feels about 90% back to normal. I'm wearing a brace thing whenever I swim, bike or run and it seems to help. I really don't know for sure what caused the injury, but I suspect it was some speed drills I was doing, plus the delay in giving the knee a rest after it started to feel sore.

Anyway, the bike season is finally here, and I've enjoyed a couple nice group rides - the Jackson Metro Cyclists Flora Ride, and Ridgeland, Mississippi's Natchez Trace Century Ride. Paul and I did the 30 mile Flora ride and the metric century (60 something miles) on the Trace ride.

The Flowood Fighting Flounders Masters Swim Club - all three of us- have set a goal to swim a 200 yard butterfly by the end of 2008. When we began our quest in March, we were struggling to finish a 50 yard distance. Now we are up to a modest 75, but we do 2 with about 30 seconds rest followed by a 50 yard. We hope to make it to 100 yards by the end of June.

Wifeunit and I have started another hobby, Geocaching, that fits right into our birding and road trips. If you're not familiar with the sport (as some call it), check it out here: Geocaching.com. It could be considered a nerdy, goober thing to do, but so is birding to many. We've found that the fun and knowledge gained, plus the interesting people we meet have been very rewarding.

Speaking of birding, last weekend I joined a few Jackson, Ms Audubon Society folk for a field trip at Mayes Lake and we were able to view and identify a good number of beautiful birds passing througH the area on their annual migration journey. Call me a nerd, but I really get a thrill out of seeing a new specie of bird for the first time.

Well, ribs are on the grill and a fine weekend is almost done.

Mid March, Spring Arrives

2008-03-17T06:11:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe it's been a month since my last post. We've been busy as usual, but with mostly mundane household activities. I cleaned out a storage building, we moved stuff out of a rental storage into the clean one, etc.. We've been to a home improvement products show and a garden show.

I've cut back my running and increased the bike rides since the weather has improved. I'm still doing 10K distances for my runs, but this week I decided to run one of the local 5Ks. It seems there's at least one going on nearby every weekend. And as I suspected but hoped differently, the ability to run a half marathon does not translate into any speed gains in a 5K. The race just ends sooner.

This race precedes the parade that has become somewhat famous. Revelers come from all over the country to participate in the parade and festivities associated with Jill Conner's Sweet Potato Queens. I knew Jill in Sunday School as a child, and I participated in the first Jackson St. Paddy's Day parade 26 years ago, when it

consisted of one flat bed truck followed by a few dozen people drinking green draft beer. So I really don't get caught up in the spirit too much. A nice afternoon nap is more appealing.

Mercedes Half Marathon

2008-02-15T08:11:00.003-06:00

It must have been an omen. I chose another back roads route to our destination and we spotted a Bald Eagle circling overhead about 5 miles into Alabama.

We spent the Febraury 9th & 10th weekend in Birmingham, Alabama for the Mercedes Marathon. What a fun race this was! We had great weather, 35 degrees and a clear sky to enjoy a tour of downtown Birmingham and the surrounding neighborhoods. It was really exciting to take off running without any idea what lay ahead - really a fun adventure. I only ran the half marathon, and I didn't get a PR, (2:18) but this course was not flat. Check the website for course maps and elevations if you're interested. I hope we can do it again next year.

We stayed at the Redmont Hotel, a restored, very old building with some interesting history, and at least one toilet that didn't work very well. The race host hotel was full, but the Redmont was only three blocks away from the start. Packet pickup, race support, roadside cheering and water stops were great.

Mardi Gras 2008

2008-02-12T19:17:00.001-06:00

Our annual trip to the Gulf Coast for the Pascagoula Mardi Gras parade was one of the best. The weather was ideal, and ML brought some top-notch muffulettas for lunch! Here's a few pictures of the characters we shared the day with.

Another Half Marathon Ahead

2008-01-27T12:18:00.000-06:00

Looks like another weekend road trip is on - I'm now registered for the Mercedes Half Marathon in Birmingham on February 10th. I feel more ready and relaxed for this one than I felt for the Mississippi Blues event a few weeks ago. I've continued my training plan and made a few more long runs. Which leads me to this rant about dogs....

All you runners and cyclists will relate to this problem. I planned my recent 8-mile run as an out and back with a water stop and turnaround point at a nearby public park and boat launch here the Ross Barnett Reservoir. While running in the park a car passed me and stopped up ahead in a parking lot. I noticed it was a man and a huge black and white Harlequin Great Dane. I ran past them before they got out and proceeded to my water stop at the bottom of the hill by the boat launch. On my way back by, I see the man is bent over the back seat as if he's cleaning the carpet, and the huge dog is trotting around the park loose. I'm now thinking surely this dog is nice and friendly or he wouldn't be running free. Do I keep running past him and bet the skin of my arm or leg that he'll leave me alone? Just then a guy on a bicycle comes by and the dog pays little attention. Good. The dog must be well-trained. So here I go, walking, not running, past the dog and his master still buried in the back seat of his car. Now the dog thinks he's spotted something interesting - me - and I can barely hear a low growl. The guy gets out of his car and shouts at the dog "Rommel!". Rommel takes a few steps closer to me and growls again, so master yells at him and grabs him by the collar. I move on down the road, wishing the park patrol would come by so I could report this guy.

There is no reason anyone should have to feel intimidated by a dog of any size while using a public park or street. I am a dog owner and animal lover by nature but I am not so fond of people who allow their pets to run free. Everyone thinks their own dog won't bite anyone, but that view frequently changes to "he never attacked anyone before". A roommate and I once had a well behaved German Shepherd who welcomed everyone with a wagging tail and lick on the hand. Then one day he decided he didn't like a certain visitor and the lick became a bite. Not a serious bite, but enough to make us keep him restrained from then on.

I dislike people who let dogs run loose almost as much as those post-teen pre-adults with loud exhaust pipes. End of rant.

Mounds of the Southern Delta

2008-01-27T11:30:00.003-06:00

Wifeunit and I are game for almost any weekend excursion, and recently took the opportunity to join about 20 others for a guided tour of several Indian Mounds in the southern Mississippi Delta. We were led by a local expert from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, following in a convoy of cars winding around country roads, stopping on the shoulder to peer at what locals might regard as a "big ole dirt pile". I think the most fascinating thing I learned was how common the mounds are, and at least in Mississippi how many are not protected and exist on private property. At one site the mounds were near the road in a recently plowed field, allowing us to find pieces of pottery just off the shoulder.

The field trip was a nice way to spend a Saturday mostly outdoors, and to me, way better than watching TV or shopping.

Mississippi Blues Marathon (and Half)

2008-01-13T17:30:00.000-06:00

Here's a few photos of my first half marathon, the inaugural Mississippi Blues Marathon. I was really impressed with the way the race was organized. I've read some really good reviews from around the country and I appreciate every kind word for this home town event. The volunteers were fantastic as were the people who came out to cheer us on. Read better reviews than mine at The Athena Diaries and Bill Anders' Photos & Tri-rambles. Thanks to everyone, especially Wifeunit for her constant support and the way she seems to enjoy my hobbies.

Pictured below are some Jackson, Ms area triathlon friends hanging out before the race - another reason I like this stuff so much - the people.

Here I go at about mile 11, not feeling too sporty, but there was an incredible amount of support along the course. I didn't even know these guys.

Here's the guy many of you have heard about, looking good in pink at mile 24.

I owe a special thanks to the runner below, MC, 10th female finisher overall, who got me started in a fitness lifestyle and continues to make me challenge myself.

After the race, another supporter and friend, and better runner than me, KayVee.

New Year's Eve 2007

2008-01-13T17:24:00.000-06:00

Here's part of the group I mentioned last year, with more party hats and toys. We made our last trip of 2007 down to the Gulf Coast again for this annual celebration. It was great as usual! Next time we go down will be for Pascagoula Mardi Gras.

Christmas Adventure

2008-01-13T11:32:00.000-06:00

My family finally broke with tradition after decades of spending Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day at Mom's house. ML and Harry from the Gulf Coast had problems boarding Lilly, the (big boxer) dog, so we agreed to move our Christmas celebration up to Saturday, December 15. This news promptly put Wifeunit in action: Time to plan another road trip! So after tending to some gift-giving, we would be free for several days of time to ourselves.

Gift giving includes my favorite little treat, Oma's Own Peanut Brittle. I happen to know Chef Rene, the creator of this culinary masterpiece, and gladly vouch for the outstanding quality of his product. Though his website does not mention this, I am told that the peanut brittle is sometimes prepared while recordings of Beethoven symphonies are played, possibly another secret flavor enhancement.

Our Christmas adventure destination was Hot Springs, Arkansas, a mere 5 hour drive away. I really don't mind driving on these trips, particularly when it's on a route I've never taken before. You never know what interesting things you may find on the road.

This sign is actually in Flowood, Ms. not far from my home. I think I know what is meant by "clean dirt", but it still seems a little strange.

Farther along on Louisiana Highway 65 north of Tallulah is the little town of Transylvania. Maybe it's a great place for a Halloween visit. It's really just a small farm community near the Mississippi River with a distinctive name. I like the bat touch.

Driving on a beautiful December afternoon through the flat expanse of northeast Louisiana and southeast Arkansas is a great chance to break the boredom by counting hawks. We counted 64 Red Tailed Hawks, along with several Kestrels and a few Northern Harriers.

We checked in at our hotel, the Embassy Suites in Hot Springs before dark. Not being certain what restaurants would be open during our stay, we were determined to experience some "fine dining" before Christmas Eve left us with just a room service menu. We even dressed for the occasion - including coat and tie for me - just to celebrate. We chose the Belle Arti Italian Ristorante on Central Avenue, the main drag through Hot Springs' Bathhouse Row and the National Park. The food was great, the service good and there was even a pianist sharing his versions of Christmas music. We could have skipped the fancy clothes, though. Soon after we ordered, a young couple was seated near us, he wearing a camo T-shirt and hunting cap and she with a gym jacket. She eventually made him take off his cap. Oh well, we still felt special and really enjoyed our meal.

For Monday, Wifeunit scheduled a spa visit for both of us. I would get the "Gentleman's Package", a hot tub bath, massage and pedicure, while she had the full menu including something involving seaweed. That was nice and a first for me. I might try it again sometime.

Hot Springs at Christmas was very nice. The weather was cold and clear, and we walked around the shops and down the park terrace trails. Of course we had to see the cheesy tourist attraction, the Josephine Tussaud Wax Museum. It was bad enough to almost creep me out, but kind of fun. I still had to keep my half-marathon training going, so early Monday I ran from the hotel to about halfway up Hot Springs Mountain. On Wednesday I set my sights on reaching the tower on top of the mountain. It was difficult and I had to walk a few times, but coming down was exhilirating. It was about a six mile out and back, and I coasted down the mountain all the way to the hotel.

We had our Christmas Dinner at the hotel, a "reservations only" special menu. My selection was prime rib and it was yummy. At night we watched movies in the room, "Ratatouille" and the latest Harry Potter. The trip was almost perfectly relaxing, except that it rained the entire way home. I recommend a trip like this just for a chance to relax and be pampered. It's not an exciting place or particularly special, but it has some nice features and the mountains are pretty. I think we'll go back someday.

Business in New York

2008-01-06T16:01:00.000-06:00

The image was taken from Rob Gardiner's site, NYCLondon

I have a wonderful job. It's the only job in Mississippi or even close by that is suited to my unique mix of education and experience. It is very stressful at times, rarely boring, and rewarding in many ways. One of those ways is the requirement for me to travel to places I probably would not go at my own expense. So I really felt rewarded to be included in a group from our company making a trip to New York City.

I barely recall visiting the New York City area as a child, so that doesn't count. This was my first real trip to the Big Apple. We stayed on 42nd Street at the Tudor Hotel and it was fabulous. Getting settled in my room I went to the windows, (I was in a corner room) and opened the blinds to the lights of the city forming a dazzling canyon in two directions. I wasn't very high by New York standards, but the 17th floor is pretty rare at most Holiday Inns.

Before our first meeting on Tuesday morning I found myself scurrying around the sidewalks of Manhattan in the cold wind, Madison Avenue, 42nd Street, etc. looking for a Kinkos or Staples to buy a computer gadget. Dressed in a suit and tie with a warm overcoat, I felt like I fit right in with all the people rushing around. I remember waiting to cross 3rd Avenue and being totally amazed at the traffic speeding by - 6 lanes of 40 mph taxis going the same direction - then they stop, we walk across - quickly.

We ate at wonderful restaurants, most notably The Palm Club, a loud, crazy place with cartoons and caricatures on every wall. With a few hours to spare one afternoon, a few of us wandered about and saw Rockefeller Plaza with the big Christmas Tree lit and skaters circulating on the ice rink. We visited the storefront windows with holiday themes and characters. It was a fine experience!

Swimming in New Orleans

2008-01-06T09:41:00.000-06:00

Less than two weeks after returning from our Tennessee trip, we were back on the road, heading south to New Orleans. The occasion was the Southern Masters Short Course Meters Championships at Tulane University. This is the same event that has been held at Delta State in past years, but the new SMS board polled the membership and found most were in favor of changing to a rotation between Delta State and New Orleans.

We had originally planned to arrive in New Orleans early Friday afternoon since I entered the 1500 meter freestyle event scheduled for 7 pm. High priority issues at work kept me until 4 pm, so we didn't arrive at our hotel until after 8. We stayed at Le Richelieu, our honeymoon hotel. It's a small, very old building with few modern features on the edge of the French Quarter near the French Market and Esplanade. It's also very quiet and has a cozy atmosphere.

We met the rest of our group, my Flowood Fighting Flounders teammates, and enjoyed a late-night meal at Tony Moran's Restaurant. Kate and Paul, two of our four FFF team members had been at the swim meet for the 1500 meter event. Our fourth member, KB, was visiting family and would meet us at the pool on Saturday.

A good crowd of over 120 swimmers represented about 20 masters swim teams from as far as Dallas and Fort Myers. We were getting set to swim the mixed 200 relay when KB began to feel bad, complaining of numbness in his arm and weakness. KB had only been swimming with us a few times at practice. He is in his late 60's and seems quite fit, but back problems limited his participation. We quickly scratched from the relay event and Kate had KB take some aspirin she had in her gear. We returned to the hotel and later learned from KB's family that he had suffered a heart attack and underwent surgery at Tulane University Hospital that afternoon. The doctor credited Kate's aspirin with possibly saving his life and certainly lessening the damage.

Paul and Kate left New Orleans that afternoon but Wifeunit and I stayed another night since I was swimming two more events on Sunday. We ate again at Tony Moran's that evening since Irene's had what is their usual 90 minute wait for a table. We ate a nice breakfast Sunday morning at the hotel's tiny restaurant, I swam some more at the meet, and we headed home at 1 pm. A whirlwind weekend and great time with the FFF team.

Tennessee Trip - Knoxville and Home

2007-12-30T10:07:00.000-06:00

On our last day in Tennessee we drove to Knoxville, home of Big Jean, my life-long friend and mentor. My parents were, of course, most responsible for my childhood development and raising me with honorable values and work ethic. But Big Jean has had a different type of influence on my life in the 38 years I've known her. I was her daughter's boyfriend in my teenage years, a time when nothing my parents had to say meant a thing to me. She was a worldly and wise figure to me, and though I was not to pursue a college education until much later, she recognized my curiosity and potential and steered and encouraged me to better things. The opportunities I have had in my life are largely due to "going through open doors" she pointed me toward.

We drove the interstate from Chattanooga north and I was amazed at the never ending suburbs approaching Knoxville. I'm really sick of the urban sprawl around my home in Mississippi, and I have to remind myself that my neighborhood was built in the 70's in a pristine forest by the water, I'm sure to someone's angry dismay.

We arrived at Big Jean's shortly after noon. Big Jean seems to always be in great spirits, in spite of current health challenges. We enjoyed a burger at the famous Litton's Market & Restaraunt, shared a short but wonderful visit and headed back south towards Chattanooga. We decided to try to make it all the way home, and arrived at around 9 that evening.

It was a great trip, and I'm glad I do this blog so we'll have a means of enjoying the memories.

Tennessee Trip - Chickamauga Run

2007-12-29T08:44:00.000-06:00

Even on a holiday weekend vacation there is no escape from the half-marathon training plan. I needed to do an eleven mile run while we were in Chattanooga. So, before our trip I Googled the Chattanooga Running Club and found that a marathon had just been held at the Chickamauga Battlefield nearby. Then I found the blog, Georgia Runs, and was assured by Brian's description that it would be a great place to run.

After our Rock City/Ruby Falls adventure we drove to the park and asked at the visitor center for maps and distances and found there are numerous possibilities for running and hiking. The park is full of trails and narrow roads, including a well-marked tour of the battlefield monuments and features. The tour is about 7 miles, so we used the truckster's odometer to measure along the route and continued another 4 on our own. It worked splendidly. Wifeunit had her map with my water stops marked and approximate times and distances.

Early the next morning the weather was great - 35 degrees and clear - and I started my run. Wifeunit listened to a book on the car CD player and drove off through the park, lying in ambush to snap pictures of me and the other creatures. The deer in the park are remarkably tame, surely aware of their relative safety from hunters. We sometimes saw herds of 20 or more in the open areas of the park, grazing calmly like cattle on a farm.

I found this to be my most satisfying run so far. There was almost no traffic to deal with, while the curves of the roads, the deer and historic monuments took my mind off the work of running. I don't use an Ipod, so any distraction from the grind is great. The park has only one bothersome short steep climb, a beautiful spot known as Snodgrass Hill, but the rest of the road is mostly flat and easy.

After the run we retreated to the hotel, ate a quick lunch and took nice nap. The remainder of the day we spent at the Chattanooga Aquariums. That night we ate at a fabulous restaurant near the hotel called Niko's Southside Grill. If you're staying in downtown Chattanooga, give it a try.

Tennessee Trip - Tourists in Chattanooga

2007-12-28T11:32:00.000-06:00

Our drive continued from Iuka, Mississippi to Chattanooga, Tennessee via the Natchez Trace and Highway 64. I avoid the interstate highways whenever possible. I hate the big trucks and traffic, and it just seems less stressful to take a back road. Hwy. 64 isn't exactly a back road, but it's the way I chose to go. As we left Mississippi we encountered patches of heavy and moderate rain all the way to Chattanooga. I had planned to take a back road into the city, but because of the weather and darkness, I thought it safer to take I-24 for the last 20 or so miles into the city. Ten miles from town the traffic on the interstate came to a complete stop. We spent the last hour of our day-long drive in gridlock, within sight distance of our destination.

The Chattanoogan Hotel is a nice place in the middle of downtown. Since it was a holiday, there was hardly any traffic, and nobody at the bar. What a great end to a long day - chatting with the bartender while sampling microbrewery draft beer and appetizers.

The next day was spent doing what tourists do, seeing the cheesy attractions. Unless you're like us, children of the 50's and 60's with more curiosity and spending money than good sense, you will avoid Ruby Falls and Rock City. In the South during the 1960's, a traveler on the old highways could count on finding "See Rock City" painted on the side or roof of a barn along the way. (Follow this link if you'd like to know more http://www.two-lane.com/seerock.html ).

Neither of us had ever seen these legendary wonders, but we both had vivid memories of the roadside advertising. Now that mission is behind us, and we have a "See Rock City" birdhouse on the basketball goal post in the front of our home.

We had a great time, though. I was surprised at the number of Asian tourists, particularly Japanese. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. Pictured below is Wifeunit capturing a rare moment - a Rock City Gnome, carelessly vulnerable to keen-eyed tourist photographers.

Here's a look at one of the breath-taking dioramas depicting one of the industrious "3 Little Pigs". There were lots of these Mother Goose/Fairy Tale characters around. It took us minutes to appreciate the beauty of it all.

Tennessee Trip - Toenail Cemetery

2007-12-21T14:49:00.000-06:00

Another branch of Wifeunit's family has inhabited the northeast corner of Mississippi around Pontotoc, Biggersville, and our next stop, Iuka. We were in search of the elusive Toenail Cemetery, where we hoped to find the gravesite of great-grandmother Akers. There was some doubt whether "Toenail Cemetery" actually existed. Well, it does. It has since been renamed Mt. Evergreen, and it's full of old markers from the 1800's, many too weathered to read. We learned there are Confederate soldiers buried there who were killed at the Battle of Corinth nearby. We didn't find the Akers gravesite but it may be there, just not identifiable.

The word "Toenail" is barely legible in the photo above, just below the cross in the wrought iron arch. We hope someday to find out the significance of the name.

Tennessee Trip - Birmingham Ridge

2007-12-21T14:09:00.000-06:00

We loaded up the family truckster and hit the road again for the Thanksgiving weekend. Chattanooga was our destination, but on our way up the beautiful Natchez Trace we stopped at Birmingham Ridge north of Tupelo. Wifeunit has stayed in touch with family living there but has never visited. Those family members have been part of the land for several generations. We had intended to call and announce our visit, but couldn't catch up with anyone. So driving in a light rain we decided to just go down what we thought was the correct road, just to get a look at the area. I said to Wifeunit, "That might be their house up ahead. We won't stop unless we see someone outside." There on the front porch, staring at the falling rain were the relatives we had sort of hoped to see, but now we were caught staring at them. I could do nothing but turn around and go back. We had a nice visit for an hour or so, while other relatives from around the ridge must have noticed our presence and dropped by to look at us. If you're guessing this was a rural area, you are correct.

Chattanooga Thanksgiving Trip

2007-11-25T18:19:00.001-06:00

Coming soon will be photos and commentary from our Thanksgiving road trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee and points beyond, but for now I will just say we had a great time. I want to break up my report into topics with pics, and that will take some time.

To my Tri friends: I was able to work in my 11 mile training run for the January half-marathon while we were away, running at Chickamauga Battlefield National Military Park. Thanks to Wifeunit and some great weather, it was the best run ever!

November Already

2007-11-18T06:25:00.000-06:00

I can't help it. I hate cliches, but time really flies when you're having fun. Fun has been had, like on the first November weekend when we drove again to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the Peter Anderson Festival. It was the best we've been to. It was a super nice day, the crowds were big but not so big that you couldn't navigate freely. Best of all there were more food and beer vendors than ever before. Food and beverages are essential in my role as pack mule during these events. We met up with ML, Harry and Mike using cell phone technology, browsed the hundreds of booths, ate tasty food and didn't spend much money!

Yesterday and last weekend, my friend Paul and I were back riding the Natchez Trace south of Clinton. We rode 52 miles last week and 60 something yesterday, beginning just south of I-20 to Rocky Springs and back. The weather was a little cool at first but warmed up to perfect later. At the Rocky Springs stop I noticed a small, thin man with binoculars hanging from his neck, gazing around and up in the trees. I knew he had to be a birder, so I leaned my bike against a tree, walked over and introduced myself. He was camping in the park in a converted van and had been travelling the Trace for a couple of days. He was from Joshua Tree, California and had hoped to see some eastern birds on his trip through the South. We discussed Red Headed Woodpeckers and Black Vultures, and he was surprised to learn that we nearly always see wild turkeys on our rides. He was really impressed when I told him we had seen a Red Fox only an hour earlier.

My half-marathon training is still on schedule. November 9th I ran 9.6 miles without too much difficulty. I did get pretty hot - the old "Pink Barney" look - and was chafed at all the usual spots. I had to go to work for a while after my run, and I felt pretty worn out for the day. I'm scheduled for 11 miles next Friday, but we'll be on Thanksgiving vacation in Chattanooga and Knoxville. I guess I'll take my running stuff just in case there's an opportunity, but I may have to take the next Monday morning off work to get the run accomplished.

A swim meet in New Orleans and a business trip to New York are on the December calendar, along with visits from family for the holidays. Time marches on...quickly.

The Bear Affair

2007-10-28T08:20:00.000-05:00

After a quick discussion on what we should do for our Saturday entertainment, Wifeunit and I decided to get up early and drive the 90 miles to Rolling Fork for the Great Delta Bear Affair. There would be arts and crafts for her to browse and a choice of a 5k run, 30 mile bike or 60 mile bike for me.

I opted for the shorter bike ride in case my legs were still tired from Friday's run, and 4 hours of arts and crafts would test even the Wifeunit's legendary browsing endurance.

There were about 30 riders, some from Jackson Metro Cyclists and from Greenville and other Delta towns. I fell in behind the main group to see if I was able to hang with them. We were out in the flat countyrside, no hills and light traffic, turned south at Grace, cruising at a 20-22 mph pace. I was keeping up well until we made a turn onto Hwy 1 and the pack strung out into 3 or 4 smaller groups, including my group of 1 in the rear. I guess the strongest riders in front decided to test the rest of us on that stretch of highway through Mayersville. I caught up at the rest stop, which was also the turn-off for those doing the 30-mile leg. The 60 mile riders continued ahead to Fitler and Onward, then back north through Cary and back to Rolling Fork. I was the lone rider to choose the 30-mile, or at least any others were still far behind.

It was a new experience riding completely alone on a narrow road in Issaquena County. I had directions and a map, so there was no danger of getting lost, but I had no idea what the road ahead of me would be like. Well, if you're from that area you would guess what was ahead - cotton fields and an occasional farm house. Fortunately, I was able to sneak past a few large sleeping dogs, my only real concern. When I got to Hwy 14 to turn east back to Rolling Fork, a Sharkey County Sheriff's deputy was waiting at the intersection and asked if I was the last rider. I told him I was actually the first of the 30 mile group, but maybe last, too. I guess he couldn't decide what that meant, but he escorted me in his patrol car the remaining 4-5 miles into town. That was great not having to worry about the traffic blasting by from behind.

By the time I arrived back at the car, Wifeunit had already become bored with the festivities and had been reading at the nearby library. So we loaded up and were back home before 1 pm, napping the afternoon away.

A Crucial Test

2007-10-27T16:07:00.000-05:00

I used my Friday off (it seems I only use about half of them) to move into uncharted territory of my half-marathon training plan. In case you weren't aware, I've committed to the Mississippi Blues Marathon, January 5th, 2008. I'll only do the half. I've never run more than the 10K, or 6.2 mile distance required for the Heatwave Triathlon, and only that distance a dozen or so times. Now I'm up to 8 miles.

Last weekend at the PPP, I struggled in the 80+ degree heat to do 5 miles. Yesterday morning at 8:30 the weather was 49 degrees and clear, no wind. I mapped an out and back course of 8 miles that started at my driveway and conveniently made the turn at the tip of the boat ramp parking lot 4 miles later. I thought I could do it, but decided if I struggled badly I would give up on the long distance running.

I made it easily. My legs began to falter a little with less than a mile left to go. Now I'm even looking forward to next Friday's 9.5 miles!

October Report

2007-10-23T19:20:00.000-05:00

The Mitchell-Pittman team was once again on the awards podium (the clearing by the dirt road at Wolf River Canoes) to receive their first place trophy for Men's Team - Open Division at the Paddle - Pant - Pedal Triathlon in Long Beach, MS. The Gulf Coast Running Club has put on the race now for 28 years. It's fun and tough, and attended by seemingly the same small crowd every year. I know I'm going back as long as I'm able. There should be some photos from this year's race posted on the GCRC site pretty soon. Who doesn't love a post-race snack of cold beer and boiled jumbo shrimp !?

As I wrote a year ago, this is a busy season for us. Every weekend is booked with some sort of activity.

(Vickie D. King/The Clarion-Ledger)

WellsFest was nice and brought family up from the Coast.

A fish fry the next weekend with some neighborhood friends included fried bream and catfish and grilled trout. I hope we get invited back again.

Our Fall canoe trip was wonderful again, and I added some spice by assuming the trip was for one overnight camp while everyone else was prepared for two nights. A huge stroke of luck and great family enabled me to get back in time for an important Monday meeting at work.

I wish I had photos of all the images in my mind of these wonderful things -scenes of my friends and family fly fishing on Black Creek, a glistening armada of kayaks slinging arcs of water in the early sunlight on the river at the PPP Triathlon, the fall wildflowers along the roads we travel on our weekend adventures.

Life is good.

Summer Winding Down

2007-09-23T15:41:00.000-05:00

Fall has arrived on the calendar, but in Mississippi it's still summer for a while. We had a nice cool spell last weekend, which was great timing for the my second Delta State Triathlon. Cool weather allows me to run a little faster and not overheat.

I actually won 3rd place in my age group, and there were 6 of us. Jeff Skinner of Memphis won the overall male masters and he's in my age group, so there were really 5 competing for the 3 places. I think maybe someone was racing with his 13-year-old daughter, so maybe I only beat one guy. Whatever.

Something I discovered while looking at the pictures Wifeunit took of me at the race has got me puzzled. This triathlon included a 500 yard pool swim with a person counting the laps signalling with a red card when the swimmer made the final turn, or 19 laps. I am a faster swimmer than the person who shared a lane with me, and he was behind me each lap. But when I saw my red card and finished the swim, he was already out of the pool, and his bike was gone from the rack in transition. I wouldn't have noticed but for the pictures. Who knows what might have happened, but I'm thinking the girl counting our laps gave me my red card on lap 21. I was looking for it when I thought I was on 19, but it's easy to get confused in a race.

It's easy to get confused in a race and do stupid things, like the time I put my bike helmet on backwards. Fortunately, a transition worker saw me and I got it turned around before I mounted. At this last race I did one even better. I took off on the bike and started getting comfortable when I felt that my helmet was too tight. I checked for the pointy end being in the back, and it was. There was no way to take the helmet off without stopping, so I just tried to forget about it. When I finished the bike leg and pulled my helmet off I discovered I still had my swim goggles on. Fortunately, the red rings on my forehead went away after 10 or 15 minutes.

Wifeunit and I had a great time getting out of town for a change. We stayed in Cleveland Friday night, did the triathlon Saturday morning and drove to Rosedale, Greenville, Leland, Indianola and Greenwood. We stopped at the Greenwood airport to visit an old friend I worked with for 20 years in Jackson. We took the back roads, as usual, and wondered what it would be like to live way out in the country. Where do you go for groceries? Twenty miles away?

It's Been Really Hot!

2007-08-13T05:54:00.000-05:00

I left home Saturday morning at 4 am, on my way to the Cotton States Triathlon in Lake Providence, Louisiana. Even with a 10 minute train delay in Tallulah, I was racking my bike in the transition area by 6:20.

I finished the swim leg 1 second slower than last year. The bike leg was a minute and a few seconds faster. The run was awful. It was hot. I carried a water bottle to pour on my head and had to have it filled at the water stops. I've been training as usual, trying to push myself faster, but any gains I recognize on the home trail at 5:30 am temps are lost when I have to run in the sun after 8:00. My 5k time in a November race is nearly 5 minutes faster than in the heat.

Anyway, the Cotton States Tri is a fun race. The small town's Junior Auxiliary does a super job with what they have, and the local law enforcement is everywhere on the bike course. The turnout for the race was lower than usual, and I'm betting it was because of the heat forecast of 102 degrees for race day. I sure felt it.

Heatwave Classic Triathlon 2007

2007-06-09T10:03:00.000-05:00

The 1st wave of swimmers in the 2007 Heatwave Tri is about to start their 1/2 mile swim in the picture above. I was soon to follow in the 3rd wave. This was my second appearance at this event, the hometown race I consider the high point of my triathlon season. I'll do a few more but this is the big deal for me.

The swim leg was a great improvement for me over last year. I shaved about 4 minutes off my time, thanks to smoother water, a better strategy, and an additional 125,000 yards of swim training.

At right, 3 Legends of Swimming: myself, Niece of the South Woods, and Flowood Fighting Flounders Masters Swim Team Founder, K.E.. Of course we appear calm and relaxed, but what is really going on under that facade is what makes me love this stuff. A mixture of fear, excitement, determination and a strong desire to pee or throw up even though you don't need to. Swim finish times, respectively: 16:02, 13:35 and 13:47. Not bad at all.

My trusty bike awaits on the rack in the transition area. It's not fancy - an early 1990s vintage Dave Scott Ironman Centurion. I found it on EBay for $150, and then had Gary at Pro Bike go over it completely. He changed the handlebars, added aerobars and moved the shift levers, gave it a new paint job, new front ring gears, a new seat, cables and I bought a new set of tires. I am told the frame is still one of the best steel frames ever made. Not as light as the high-tech carbon and aluminum, but smooth and comfortable.

This year's bike leg was a little strange, in that we were mixing with stopped traffic while the inbound and outbound racers from the bike and run intersected. My friend KayVee's blog describes her experience with her usual entertaining skill at Tri 3X Fun. She adds that there was a timing and distance problem with the course also.

I was able to finish in 2:50:04, a 3 minute
improvement over last year. With an adjustment for the bike leg maybe I did even better. It was much hotter than 2005, so my run training only earned me a few seconds improvement. Running is my weak link, but I will continue to work at it. I have so much fun doing this stuff... I can't quit now.

Red Creek May 2007

2007-06-09T07:43:00.000-05:00

Our annual Memorial Day Weekend Canoe Trip was another great one. It was Red Creek again, this time from Ramsey Springs to Highway 57. This trip was two nights camping on the sand bars and some great water for a leisurely float. The only thing that kept this trip from being one of the best ever was the Saturday afternoon encounter with dozens of ATVs.

I consider ATVs, more commonly called 4-Wheelers, a scourge and a nuisance. Fun to ride, I'm sure, but the noise and damage they cause in the wild, peaceful outdoors is enough to make you wish they were never invented. They are an obnoxious vehicle whose primary purpose was to make the mighty deer hunter less inconvenienced by having to walk in and out of the woods with his equipment and kill. So what do you do with this expensive toy when deer season ends? Ride it for fun wherever you're allowed, and unfortunately for Red Creek canoeists, it is at an off-road park adjacent to one of the nicest scenic waterways in the South.

The ATV has two cousins, the Jet Ski and the Snowmobile. Both are very popular recreational vehicles and both bring the same obnoxious noise and disturbance wherever they are ridden. I believe there's a common thread connecting folks who love this kind of entertainment - ATVs, Jet Skis, Snowmobiles, loud exhaust pipes on pickup trucks, guns, killing animals for pleasure - all involve noise and mechanical devices anyone can purchase. No special skill or intelligence required. Dedication, discipline, hard work, study, practice, and talent bring rewards of personal achievement, as does a respect for nature and the knowledge gained by enjoying it as unobtrusively as possible. Not so a machine that abuses the environment and disturbs everyone but the operator.

Training Heats Up

2007-05-07T05:13:00.000-05:00

It's the peak of my training season. I train all year, but October through December are usually more relaxed and poor weather begins in January. February, March, April and May are devoted to my goal: finish the Heatwave Classic 5 minutes under last year's time. I have my first year of triathlon experience behind me and much more confidence. Last year I doubted whether I would finish at all.

Yesterday I tried a "brick workout" that taught me something. Paul and I rode 36 or so miles at a decent 18 mph pace, considering the wind. Immediately afterward, I ran through the woods to Rice Road and on to the trail which is the Heatwave course. It was 10 am, so the 90 degree heat was not far off. I ran the outbound leg up the hills to the Crafts Center nearly all the way, but the heat and my tired legs caused me to walk up the final hill. Coming back down was no problem at a good pace, but the hills and flats in the direct sunlight slowed me to a walk. I discovered that my time was as good or better than when I refuse to walk and struggle along at a tiny-stepped jog.

Four weeks from now will be the test.

Catching Up Winter

2007-03-24T16:38:00.000-05:00

I've been neglecting my blog again, having more fun reading other blogs that are way better than mine.

Pictures are always a good way to get this thing moving.

The scene above is from what younger folk would consider a pathetic excuse for a New Year's Eve party. And they would be right, but age has its rewards and among them is the enjoyment of family and friends with a little food and beverage, stupid hats and party favors.

Speaking of age, Wifeunit's illustrious mother passed away in January. She was highly regarded in many circles and lived a full and colorful life of 89 years. On one occasion following her funeral I was the recipient of some sage observations by one of her surviving friends. He leaned toward me and grabbed my shoulder, "Being this old does have its compensations - there are no ugly women when you're 91." Wifeunit had just mentioned how well he looked, and he replied, "You are more kind than you are accurate. For me, it's more important to feel good than to look good."

Moving on to February and Mardi Gras fun...

It's been many years since I stood on Canal Street with the crowds of revelers at the New Orleans Mardi Gras parades. I remember some of those experiences fondly, but with some amazement that I was not killed, maimed or jailed at some point. On one occasion I caught a young man with his hand in my back pocket after my money, and on others, men expressing a different interest in the front of my pants.

The Pascagoula, Mississippi Mardi Gras Parade is a much different event. The fun is still there without the hassles. There is a sense of Gulf Coast community at this parade and the many others across the area. The parades are smaller in scale and less elaborate, but lots of fun.

There are still the bead throwers on the floats, and the bead catchers.

Each year, our crew of semi-revelers gathers at an old-home-turned-office along the parade route. This choice property belongs to our great host and friend, and the gathering is a reunion of sorts for many.

You may choose to kick back and watch...

...or be wild like these hell-raisers.

Pets are welcome, though they don't all seem to grasp the spirit of celebration.

January is Warm

2007-01-14T16:34:00.000-06:00

This is what I think of when I'm suffering through the last long hour of work, or driving home in the bad weather and heavy traffic - Wifeunit and Dogunit curled up in their nest, awaiting my arrival. A cozy picture.

The weekend has been very warm and rain will arrive tonight or tomorrow, followed Tuesday by some colder weather. We may have temperatures below freezing, so I laid in enough wood for 2 or 3 evening fires to add to the cozy factor.

2006 Holidays - Life Is Good

2006-12-28T20:40:00.000-06:00

I remember really dreading the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays when I was younger, and now there are still some aspects of forced family gatherings that can be inconvenient. But as each season passes and I'm more in touch with my ultimate mortality, I have greater respect for the threads that link us to the past and future through family.

To my knowledge I have fathered no children and can't say I regret having missed the experience. I'm told a human being never really knows love until they become a parent. Whatever. I have made some effort to be an influence on a few young people I've been fortunate enough to share my existence with and hope the experience was positive for them as well.

Anyway, I enjoyed the family gatherings more this year than any before. I feel like I contribute a lot with my fried turkeys and a few modest but thoughtful gifts. Wifeunit has such a positive influence on my attitude because of hers, and I'm grandfather age now since ML has two grandchildren. Maybe they will remember me vaguely as I do my grand/great ancestors. All the young people seem to tolerate or even enjoy the experience more than I did at their age.

We continue the family gatherings and expect one another to attend in spite of those who may not otherwise make the effort to stay close. It's a good thing and our family owes this to our mother's persistence. She is the matriarch, humble and loving, and the underlying spirit of a group of characters now 19 in actual or proposed number, not including a few visiting cousins, etc..

I wish everyone could be as fortunate.

Catching Up On the Fall

2006-12-17T12:24:00.000-06:00

Two weeks after our trip to Wiggins, Wifeunit and I returned to the coast the first weekend of November for Oceans Springs' Peter Anderson Festival. We've been to the festival several times, and I've never seen a bigger crowd. That's a good thing for the Coast and the festival, but not so good if you don't like long lines for food and beer. In the past, the gang from the Coast has always met at the park after walking around the festival all day. We take camp chairs and visit, eat sweet potato fries, drink beer and enjoy the free entertainment at the gazebo. This year was so crowded, there was no place to sit, and the music was much louder than I remember.

We still had a great time, stayed in Gautier with ML, the Ninja Fairy and Lilly Saturday night, and stopped for a while at Jamie and Bethany's in Wiggins on our way home Sunday.

Later in November, I got out early on a cool bright Sunday morning and went in search of anything worthy of a photograph. I saw there were several Great Egrets roosting below the reservoir spillway, so I decided to try to creep up on them and maybe get a nice picture.

While creeping in the weeds, I spotted this little duck.

I sent this and another to an expert birder to see if he could identify it. He replied saying it was an Oldsquaw, or Long Tailed Duck, female. Turns out it's a rare or uncommon bird for Mississippi, and I was asked to submit my photos with some paperwork to the Big Birder of our state who keeps up with all the records.

On the first weekend of December we made another road trip to the Delta.

If you look closely, you can see my name on the big electronic board at Delta State's superfine swimming facility. Wifeunit and I and my 2 teammates from the Flowood Y Fighting Flounders went to beautiful Cleveland, Ms. again for the Southern Masters Short Course Meters Championship Swim Meet. It was my first official swim meet, and I finished just about where I thought in every event - dead last. That's ok though, since I may have won something in my age group. Everyone from age 18 to 80 competes in the same race. It was fun and gave us a chance to do some shopping at the famous pottery shops of the Delta, Peter's Pottery in Mound Bayou and McCarty's in Merigold. (I'll post another story about Wifeunit's long lost cousins of Mound Bayou when the photos are ready)

On our way back home we were able to spot several Northern Harriers, a bird sometimes called a Marsh Hawk. Harriers are apparently quite common in wide expanses like the Delta, but I had never seen one, or knew it if I had. I didn't get any pictures, but they're easily identified by their flying close to the ground over brush, listening for mice and birds to pounce on. They are more slender than most hawks, and have a white patch on their tail (coverts) that can be seen from a good distance. Below is a great pic from a Google search.

Photo: Mark VanderVen, Western Washington University (Link)

Thinking back, I know I'll always remember the trip for the nice, peaceful feeling I had driving home - the sun a fading red glow in the clear western sky, the Family Truckster all cozy and warm while the temps outside fell into the low 30s, cruise control set at 60 mph on Highway 16, listening to Garrison Kiellor's Prairie Home Companion, as I drove right past my exit to Hwy 43 and into the dark.

Busy Days

2006-11-29T05:56:00.000-06:00

I guess I'm not as interested in this blogging stuff as I thought. Two months have passed since my last post, and there's been plenty to write about. Wifeunit and I are always involved with some activity on weekends, and my job is stressful but exciting. Maybe this post will get me back in the groove.

We enjoyed a great weekend on Red Creek with our regular canoeing gang. The early October weather was beautiful. The water was low, making for some strenuous work at times, but it was a nice trip. The moon was full with a clear sky at night, making the sand bar nearly bright as day. Coyotes and owls were singing for us.

The canoe trip was October 7th & 8th. Two weeks later we were on the road again to Wiggins, home of my niece, Bethany and her husband, Jamie. Jamie and I were entered as a relay team in the 26th Annual Paddle, Pant, Pedal Triathlon (results) . The race was great fun, 4 miles of canoeing on the Wolf River, followed by a 5-mile run, then a 23-mile bike ride. We were a relay team so we partnered on the canoe, Jamie did the run and I rode the bike leg. Jamie also rode his bike for the fun(?) of it. The photo below features the 2nd place Pittman/Mitchell team (and some other guys who probably cheated).

A Terrific Weekend

2006-09-20T04:50:00.000-05:00

The work week is shorter when the weekend leaves you with a feeling of peaceful satisfaction. Wifeunit and I left home Friday at noon and drove to Cleveland, Mississippi, home of Delta State University. We went so I could participate in the DSU Triathlon and just to get out of town for a change. Our August wedding anniversary weekend in New Orleans was cancelled due to Wifeunit's mother's illness, so we were ready for a road trip.

The drive was nice - mostly light traffic and good weather. I got a Delta driving lesson from Wifeunit, which made sense to my stubborn self. When you need to pass farm equipmment on the long, straight, flat highway, and you can't see approaching traffic very well because of the mirage effect on the road, just get out there and go! If something's out there, you'll see it soon enough to whip back into your lane.

We made Cleveland in time to hit the Sharpe Street shops, the Crosstie District, diagonal parking, old style, small town thing. It's great that some of these towns in the Delta are still prosperous enough to preserve themselves. Many have just decayed from being abandoned. We dined that evening at the Airport Grocery, an interesting restaurant with old signs and assorted junk from rural yesteryear hanging about. Their junk looked authentic and in proper context, not what you see at some franchise eatery like Ruby Tuesday. The food was Delta home style - barbecue, okra, corn, catfish, etc., and lots of it. It's a very casual atmosphere, of course, and the price was great. All we could eat, 2 Coronas, tea and good service for less than $40. I had never heard of the place but it is apparently famous for hosting Delta Blues musicians. Blues just isn't one of my things, but the Airport Grocery just made my short list of favorite places to tie on the feedbag.

Our hotel accomodations for Friday night were a challenge for Wifeunit. We were in the room no more than 5 minutes before she had the front desk on the phone for a new bedspread without cigarette burns. Then, when the luckless employee came to deliver the spread, Wifeunit discovered a hair (maybe even pubic) on the sheet! Wifeunit, seasoned traveler that she is, has received free rooms and meals as compensation for innkeeper transgressions less than this.

Next morning, at the beautiful Delta State University natatorium, began the triathlon. DSU has a first-class swimming and diving facility.

The weather was a little warmer than I had hoped for, about 70 degrees at the start, but I'm sure it was near 80 for the run leg. The swim went well, 500 yards sharing a lane with the eventual Overall Masters Male Winner (whom I outswam, I might add). They even had lap counters, which helps tremendously.

I hopped on my bike too soon, before the mount/dismount line and got a warning and hopped right off. It's amazing that you can make goofy mistakes so easily after a hard swim. At one race I put my helmet on backwards. The bike course was mostly straight and flat, but really rough in some spots. I averaged about 23 mph going out with the wind, but only about 18 mph coming in. The turnaround was just a spot in the narrow road and I fell making the turn, but didn't get injured. I lost about a minute trying to get my Aerodrink container back in its rack.

The run was flat and easy but hot. I finished a little ahead of my training partner, Paulunit, since he's had a foot injury and can't run well. He beats me swimming and cycling every week. We were 2nd and 3rd in our age group, and Paulunit's wife gave me a new name, Pink Barney.

Fall Birding

2006-09-09T05:43:00.000-05:00

Wifeunit and I joined a dozen or so other Jackson area birders for the monthly bird walk at Mayes Lake last Saturday morning. We hadn't been on a walk since spring of 2005, I believe. It was nice to see our friends again and meet new birders. I didn't expect to see any unusual birds at this early time in the fall migration cycle, but we got a glimpse of some warblers and vireos we rarely see at home.

Early Mornings

2006-09-01T16:51:00.000-05:00

This page needs some color to brighten it up. This is an August sunrise from Wirtz Road in Rankin County near my home.

My early morning exercise schedule allows me to see some unusual things from time to time. I could say I'm in training for a triathlon in two weeks, which is true, but I will continue my workouts even after the triathlon. Since January, 2002 I've been getting up at 4 AM for some sort of exercise. I let myself sleep until maybe 7 on some Saturdays, but it's now a habit to be up before the sun.

My routine for the last few months has been a 5K run on Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 2300-2800 yards swimming with my Masters club on Tuesday & Thursday, and usually a 36 mile bike ride on Sunday morning at a 17-19 mph pace.

I've entered 5 triathlons and 7 or so 5K races and survived them all. That's actually the best I can say about my efforts, since I'm no speedster. Swimming is my strongest sport, and I owe that to my great friends in the Masters club and constant encouragement from my wife and sister. The cycling is fair, considering I've only been riding a year. My running is the weak link. Lately I've been really working on improving my speed and it's paying off, I think. With a little help from some cooler weather, I cut my 5K time down this week by over 1:30. I hope to run tomorrow or Wednesday under 30:00.

I ran a 5K last year in 26:57. The course was flat and the temperature was 39 degrees at the start, so my poor performance this summer hasn't gotten me too disgruntled. I think my training course is pretty demanding, too.

Next race: Delta State University Triathlon - September 16th

First Post

2006-09-01T15:58:00.000-05:00

It's been a nice week and a cooler day than we've seen in a while. A fine day to join the legions of bloggers and learn to record my thoughts and observations, post some photographs and share my favorite entertainment with anyone bored enough to stumble by.