Sunday, February 8, 2009

Keep in mind....

This past week the Seattle - Ballard area lost a cyclist in a fatal car/bike accident. I didn’t know him, but know plenty like him, myself included. It’s hard to understand how any day can be your last.

When I’m out running, biking or swimming I always have in mind what can be lost or what I have to get back to. I have to say that it’s never far from my mind, out on a ride or during a swim as to what I need to focus on to get back home. I feel for the mans family and can’t imagine what their days have been like to go through.

Starting another training season hundreds and thousands will be out filling the streets, getting their miles in and it’s a risky part of training. I’ve had cars cut in front of me close enough to smack their side panels and trunks. I’ve been a hood ornament 3x on a car hood while running and when that happens everything in your body wants to scream, ‘this is just not worth it’.

Is doing better in a race worth risking your life during training? I guess you could say the same about paying your bills by driving to work. In the last 2 weeks there have been 3 major fatal car accidents 2 on the freeway and 1 on a major street near by.

I guess I just want to tell all my fellow bike riders out there to be safe and remember there is no guaranties on safe passage.

Also to my car driving peeps: Their bikes, the average bike holds a cars progress up by 3 seconds. Now is 3 seconds worth a brother, sister, son, daughter, mother or father life?

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Another week...


Training started again on the 1st. I've been feeling pretty good on runs and got in the pool for the 1st time in a long time. I think the last time I swam was in the Kirkland Tri.

The water felt good and I actually was reminded at how much I like to swim. It was a short twenty minute swim and the lesson was - Don't swim without ear plugs!

I was a bit dizzy during the swim from getting water in my ear. At first I swam through it then tried to get out of the pool and ended up sitting at the edge trying to focus on staying upright. Walking to the change room I was bumping into the wall then walking too close to the pool, then back hitting the wall. Once I made it back to the locker room and sat for a few I was OK. Which was good because I had to bike home.

Nothing much else right now as far as training, just trying to get back in the swing of things.