In considering the future.......

I would like to thank the two or three of you who stop by from time to time for stopping by from time to time. You have probably noticed that there haven't been any posts in a while. It's not for lack of stuff to talk about, there has been plenty. It's for lack of motivation to write about it that has kept you in the dark. As I  look forward to the dawning of a new year I am not sure that I will continue blogging. I can't say I won't, but I can't say I will. Either way, I will let you know for sure in a few days. Until then, I hope you all(both of you) had a great holiday and hope you have a prosperous and joyus 2012.

Head for the hills....

......unless you live in south Louisiana. You see, we ain't got no hills. This has its benefits, but at times like these it also has some drawbacks.

Drawback #1- The Mississippi River is a very large river. From time to time it likes to explore the area outside of its banks. I assume it's a tribute(ary) to Lewis and Clark or Hernando DeSoto. Either way, it likes to leave its mark on things. That mark being lots and lots of water. As i am sure that we have all heard about the river, levees, spillways and communities being flooded ,I will skip ahead..

...skipping.......

...skipping.....

...so for those of you living near the areas being flooded, beware of snakes, alligators, bears, and wild boar that are being diplaced. And for swamp people who are also easily startled and just as dangerous.

Drawback #2-  I am supposed to be doing some cycling in a mountainous part of Virginia in July and there is nowhere to train for this down here. Sure there are some places about 45 minutes away that have "rolling hills", but these are what the British announcer that calls the Tour de France refers to as "tickles" as they are certainly not real "hills'.

I am trying to find ways to simulate hills but my options are limited. There are certainly no natural features and I really dislike riding on a trainer. A few months ago I found a perfect 10 story parking garage to climb but you never know when the security guard is gonna be there to kick you out, and I try not to be a trouble maker.

So, if you have any ideas or suggestions for a flatlander like me, feel free to share.

Sadie de Mayo- year 5

Happy Adoption day to my beautiful sweet angel of a puppy dog, Sadie!!! 5 years ago today I brought her home. She has grown 70 lbs since then. From her pink nose, to the floppy ears, to the white tip on her tails she is the seetest and most beautiful dog i've ever seen.

She is my best friend. That's right my best friend is a dog, and i'm OK with that.
Thanks to Beatrice(Sadie), these have been the best 5 years of my life.

NOLA 70.3

2 weeks ago I participated in the Ochsner New Orleans Ironman 70.3. I was really excited to compete in this event, my first attempt at this distance. 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, 13.1 mile run. I was super excited that it was to take place in New Orleans, one of my hometowns. Even better, a lot of it went through New Orleans East(aka: the old neighborhood). I felt like I had a homefield advantage and that all my family gone before me would be there to guide me by spirit. I knew i would not be defeated that day.

Saturday i picked up my race packet and checked in my bike. My bike was definitely on the low end of the financial spectrum in the field. Even so, I felt pretty uncomfortable leaving Betty White(yes, that's the name of my bike. also sometimes called the prancing unicorn or ragin bull). Luckily, she was there waitning for me when I arrived Sunday morning.

As I was walking into the transition setup area I heard rumblings in the crowd that the swim was being cancelled due to bad conditions on Lake Pontchartrain. These rumors were confirmed by the voice on the loud speaker. My heart immediately sank(or is it sunk?). I felt defeated before I even started. I thought about it for a while and decided to change my outlook. It's better to choose on the side of safety than have a competitor or safety patrol volunteer be injured, or worse....

All i could do was compete in the race set before me, and thats what I did. My plan was to average a little over 16 mph on the bike ride. I averaged 18.1 and finished in 3 hours and 5 minutes. Thats about 25-30 minutes faster than I had planned. The ride was tough though. The first half of the ride was almost directly into the wind. As the route was along or near the lake there was very little to break the breeze. I kept telling myself just to keep pedalling and get to the turn around. It was like riding in a wind tunnel. But, I survived and reached the turnaround. I jetted back to the transition area and was super excited when i realized what my time was.

I got throught transition pretty quick and got out on the run. I felt like the run would be my weakest area. I trained pretty hard for the swim and bike, but knew I could have trained harder for the run. I passed a lot of people on the bike and i quickly began to see some of those people pass me on the run. It didn't hurt my pride. I was happy for those people. But, I had a plan and iIwas going to stick to it: find a comfortable pace and keep rollin'.

I found my groove and just kept going, running the entire 13.1, except for a couple powerade stops that I walked through because I feared I would spill orange powerade on my new shoes(that makes more sense if you know the love affair I have with my running shoes). I never doubted that I would finish and did finish the run in 2hrs 55mins., about 10 mins faster than i anticipated.

All together I finished in 6hrs and 5 minutes.

The time in the picture is off because I started an hiur after the pros.

I was very pleased with the way it turned out. But, as much as I want to say I completed a 70.3(miles) the fact is I only did 69.1. I couldn't bring my self to buy a shirt or even a sticker for my car. Don't worry, I'll get that badge of honor next year, and I'll get it even faster. My preparation has already begun.

Team Pegasus 2011 was formed as Mom and Tom came out for support me in this endeavor, as did Kelley and her Dad who drove down from Ohio. There were also lots of early morning texts from my Dad offering encouragement. Thanks to you all.

Special Thanks to:
Kelley-  For being the most supportive and encouraging GF ever, and for being an excellent nutritionist.
Mom and Tom- for your tireless support of my crazy ideas and for your knowledge of the NOLA back streets.
The Commander, Kelley's Dad- for letting me ride my bike in your garage during the Christmas holidays, and for driving 16 hours just to see me(because I know it had nothing to do with your grandsons 1st birthday)
Steve, My Brother- for being encouraging in my training and always making me feel like I am Awesome.
Steven,  "The Freight Train" -my excellent cycling partner. Thanks for pushing me on our training rides and for doing all the talking on our runs.
Heidi, "Wildcat Safety Coordinator"- for amusing me on those long bike rides and making sure we had safe routes to ride on.
Dad- for being there at my race last may and for your early morning race day texts, a good boost of confidence.
Sadie& Lily- Great running partners, and Brady too.
Bent Rim Bicycle Club- Roll Tide!!!
and finally...

Emile Zatopek, "The Human Locomotive"(also known as the man in the little picture frame)1952, Helsinki, 3 gold medals. Unstoppable!!!

Unstoppable

It's 4 days until the New Orleans IronMan 70.3

I feel ready, most of the time. But as I have never done this distance I sometimes get overwhelmed by it. Sometimes I wonder if...

But then I cut my self off and remind myself that I am "Unstoppable".

That's my mantra, "Unstoppable".

One word that says it all. One word that keeps me going.

Unstoppable

One word that reminds me of all those who were not, and how I will not be one of them. One word that reminds me of those who overcame, fought through, and earned their glory.

Unstoppable.

Looking back on my training I can see where I could have done more, worked harder, not skipped a session. But I also see many days where i was worn down, tired, and sleepy. On those days I dug down deep, and got in my workout. On those days I was unstoppable.

I think of the days when my legs were tired, still I pounded out a 40 mile ride. The days when my knee was sore, still I ran for an hour(followed by ice). The days when my shoulders, neck, and arms were tired, but I still swam a mile. On those days i was unstoppable.

I think towards Sunday. Will Lake Pontchartrain be smooth as glass or will it be like swimming in a washing machine? It doesn't matter, I am unstoppable.

Will the bike course be like riding into a wind tunnel on the way out, only to have the winds shift when i reach the turn around so that I ride into the wind the whole way? It doesn't matter, I am unstoppable.

While running, will the temperture shoot up to the low 90's in the afternoon, as it often does in NOLA? It doesn't matter. I am unstoppable.

I don't claim to know much, or to be an expert at anything. But I do know that I have worked hard. Though I may not finish fast, and I will likely win  no style points, I know that i will finish. Because there is only one word that will be on my mind for 70.3 miles.....

Unstoppable.

A scary thought

A very scary thought just crossed my mind. I was sitting in class a few minutes ago watching my class prepare for their graduation exit exam. They were supposed to be working in groups, review a key concepts packet. What they were actually doing was everything other than what they were supposed to be doing. I waited a few minutes to see how it would go, they got worse and worse, louder and louder as the minutes went by until I finally, what's the word? Exploded on to them verbally about what the were doing, and what they will be doing the rest of class. I'm pretty good at that and so they went from groups to individual study time and class ended a short time later without incident.

But, as they were working I thought to myself, "I am gonna hate to see what its like when their kids get this age."

Then the really scary thought popped into my head. Most of the parents of these kids are in my general age group. We always say things weren't like this when we were in school . But these kids had to get this behavior from somewhere.

Did my generation drop the ball?

Maybe, maybe not. Alls I know is its getting worse and there seems to be no end in sight.

Crap, thats an even scarier thought than the other one.

Oxbow Triathlon 2011 report

This past weekend i competed in the Oxbow Triathlon in New Roads, La. Unfortunately I have no pics to post but I will give you the low down anyway

I completed the swim 4 minutes faster than last year, completed the bike 10 minutes faster than last year, ran 4 minutes faster than last year, and was faster in the transitions for a total of beating my previous time by 20 minutes. I am pretty excited about those results and feel like I have gained a lot of confidence in my abilities. That confidence will come in handy in less than 2 weeks when I competed in the Half-IronMan in New Orleans on April 19th.

For now, it's time to get in these last couple of workouts, taper, hydarate, and eat right.  At this point, the hay is in the Barn(I have always liked that expression).

For You Know Who

I just wanted to let you know that you are on my mind, because you can be so kind.
I hope the words might be worthwile, and maybe even make you smile.
Everyday when i get home, I realize that I'm alone.
Sure, Sadie and Lily are there, but i can not find you anywhere.
and speaking of Sadie, she such a sweet angel true, and even sweet baby Lily too.
But this poem is not for them, but for you. this is my ode to you know who.

My New Nickname

Yesterday was a busy day for me. I had a lot going on at school and worked really hard to keep the kiddos motivated and interested in learning about the "conflict in Vietnam". After school I had to drive a couple of the students to moot court practice at our local HBCU, then dash over to the Y to put in my laps at the pool and then make it back to school for an event called "family literacy night", where I(and some students) dazzled some parents with the wonderful things we have been doing in class.

But that's not what's important. What's important is what happened at the swim. I swam 2500 yards, or 50 laps, or 100 lengths of the pool. It's a little over a mile. I have swam this distance several times. But, yesterday I swam it 3 minutes faster than normal. No, I wasn't trying to. I was just cruising along at a comfortable pace. I guess these workouts are paying off. The beauty of it was not only that I did it faster, but that it seemed more effortless. I felt fine afterwards. And so, A new nickname popped into my head, but I will get to that in a second.

I claim several cities as my home towns. I have lived in Baton Rouge for a couple years so it is home now. My family has it's origins in New Orleans, so that's where my roots are, I spent many years in Slidell, LA. And Moms still resides there, and I lived for about 9 years(in 2 different segments) in Tuscaloosa, AL. So, you can see how I might claim different places depending on the situation. Well, Nothing catchy popped in my head that pertained to swiming and any of the Louisiana towns. But, There was one that popped into my head that pertained to my years in T-Town.

"The Tuscaloosa Torpedo"

Awesome, I know.

Runners up were:
The New Orleans Drunken-Hurricane
The Slidell Slug
The Baton Rouge Manatee

I think I made the right choice.

So Aggravated

I love being a teacher. but these kids are driving me nuts. I could give you a list of a hundred things I love about teaching and a hundred that aggitate me. But, I know you don't want to hear all that. I will just tell you about one thing. Today, my students, my little thugs geniuses, took the first part of their graduation exit exam. They can not graduate without passing this test. I had no idea as to what was going to be on the test (the state doesn't tell us any specifics) but I focused on a few key concepts from each unit and really "hammered" on those things as we went through the year. Since taking the test this morning several students have stopped by to tell me that they thought they did well and how "easy" the history questions were and to tell me that the rules I gave them for answering essay-like questions really helped. "It was the exact stuff that you said would probably be on there". Well, I'm glad someone was listening because for everyone that said that, there was another who swore we never talked about "that" stuff.

My reply to that was: "You are correct. WE never talked that stuff. I talked about it while YOU did everything else that YOU could possibly find to do other than pay attention to what WE were talking about".

On the brightside, repeaters make it a lot easier to learn the names of my students at the beginning of each year.

Fishing trip

 My homeboy and I took the kayaks out fishing Saturday on False River. It was a beautiful day.

Only one fish was reeled in. A nice bass. We didn't mind the low fish count as neither one of us have much idea what we are doing. But, we learned a lot and look forward to improving our angling skills. I have also decided that for as long as I live, when I walk into a fishing store like Bass Pro Shop or Cabellas or Chagrin River Bait and Tackle, I will always say that I am new to fishing. It seems that experienced folk like to share with newbies. So, I will use that to my advantage to gain insight and access to the secrets that fisherman are so reluctant share.

Score for this trip: Me 1-Fish 0(as I remained upright the whole time).

My newest toy

So, one of the things that I have been wanting for the last 10-15 years is a kayak. I have been kayaking a few times and loved it (canoeing as well) and after kayak fishing with my buddies last summer decided that the time was rapidly apporaching to scratch this one off the list of things I always wanted. I would tell you more about that list but will save that for another day.

The last couple weeks I have been doing some recon work on this topic and identified several possible crafts that would meet my needs. I was looking for something versatile, durable, and most of all, inexpensive.

I narrowed the search down to 2, and with one being 70 bucks less than the other, a decision was made.

My homeboy(who was also in the market for a suitable floatable) and I metriculated our way down to Cabellas in Gonzales, LA last night and procured ourselves a couple schooners.

The Jeep was more than happy to assist in the recovery and extraction of said water craft from the afore mentioned outfitter

Needless to say, there was much talk of a mysterious illness around the house that was going to prevent me from going to work today and how getting some fresh air out on one of the many local rivers or lakes should clear up that dreaed plague. Alas, when i arose I felt as though I could manage through another day at the education factory. As the kids have been taking their test on the cold war today I have been doing research for my upcoming war that I will be declaring, effective Saturday, on the south Louisiana fish population.

If any of  you out there no any good spots to find  or would like to team up to defend our local waterways from these submarinous insurgents, Let me know. Your support in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Finally, I would like to thank my uncle, his name is Sam, for funding my operation to liberate the kayak from its captor. Now if i could only get you to send aid to rescue a riding mower being held unjustly from a local penetentiary, I would gladly allow it to roam the open range of my yard so that it may live peacefully the remainder of its days.

Gonna be a long week

I have a tough workout week ahead of that leads up to a recovery week next week. But, That's not what makes it tough. My Boo is gonna be in Cleveland all week, and frankly, I miss her already. I'll do my best to keep myself occupied. But, it's true, "there ain't no sunshine when she's gone".

You Gotta See it to Believe it!!!: make it happen part 2

Wow, I must really be getting fancy if my blog post are turning into multi part mini-series.  Perhaps I just have too much free time.

I am really proud of the fact that I have run a marathon, moreso because I did all the training required to finish than actually finishing it self. Currently I am training for a Half IronMan Triathlon on April 17th in New Orleans. As I think about it, as I often do, I think about how much training and preparation it takes to be able to finish that race, live that dream, and achieve that goal. 4 days a week it means 2 workout per day. 2 days a week it calls for a long run or long bike ride. there is only one day off from training each week. and that's on an 18 week plan. So, as you can see. many hours of preparation are involved.

The training isn't easy, but there are things that make it easer, or should i say, less-difficult.

Visualization.

When working out, especially when running,which seems to have become the most difficult of the 3 sports for me, I visualize about running the actual race. I visualize being passed by faster runners, then i real them in and pass them. I visualize family and friends on side the course cheering me on, and wanting to make them proud I push harder. But, most of all, I visualize the finish line. I clearly see the line, the ribbon, the cameras, and I see myself crossing that line and seeing all the hardwork and effort I have put in paying off. I see myself exhausted but smiling, worn down but strong as ever. I see myself looking back over the months of preparation and relishing in the joy of the accomplishment.

Sometimes, i even see sadie and lily coming out of the crowd to run the last mile with me(yes, I love my dogs).Visualization actually makes the workouts more fun. There is nothing like chasing down the leader and passing them just yards from the finish, or breaking their spirit by passing them a mile from the finish and pushing the pace, pulling farther and farther away with each footstep.

But my point to you is this: Visualize where you want to be.

See yourself there, and figure out what steps you have to take to get there.

If you can see it, you will believe it, and only you can make your dreams come true.

Weekly totals (9weeks to go)

Swim - 4750yds 1:48:09
Bike - 44mi 2:45:00
Run - 13.30 2:54:00

Swimming and the bike are going really well but I gotta start getting more distance on my runs. My current training plan tells me to run a certain number of minutes. I feel like I should start focusing on number of miles instead of minutes. I gotta go farther.

Weekly totals 2/6/11

Recovery Week
Swim- 3500m 1:20:00
Bike- 66mi 4:16:00
Run- 10.95 2:27:00

Used Cows?

What do you do with used cows?

While driving through Kentucky during Christmas break, the girl I like and I saw this sign for used cows. What do you do with a used cow? How used are they? How much do they cost?

But I would be remissed if I didn't tell you the lengths I went to in order to get this picture. The picture above is the zoomed and cropped version. The picture below is the original.

If you notice on the bottom right of the picture you can see the side mirror of the girl I likes car. And in that picture you can see the front bumper and headlight of the 18 wheeler that i was slowly swerving in front of at 70 mph.

The lengths I will go to amuse the readers of this blog are endless. Though it nearly was the end of the author.



"Dream On": make it happen part 1

"Dream on, dream on, Dream until your dreamscome true"- Aersosmith

"Some may say I'm a dreamer, but i'm not the only one"- John Lennon

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" -Dr. Martin Luther King

"And in the end, on dreams we will depend, 'Cause that's what love is made of " Van Halen

Yesterday and today I have been thinking a lot about dreams. Not the ones you have when you sleep, i can never remember those. I mean the ones where you dream of doing or accomplishing something. The ones where you dream of going somewhere you thought you never would. And like Lennon said, "I'm not the only one". We all have dreams. Sometimes they come true, sometimes. Sometimes.

Here's what I have learned over the years:
Dreams do not come true without action

There are things that I accomplished in the last few years that just a short time ago were just dreams. Things i used to think about but never did anything about. Had I done nothing they would have remained dreams. I always dreamed of being a teacher. But I wasn't always a teacher was I? No, I worked in restaurants, jewelery stores, delivering water,etc. Everyday that I went to work at those jobs I simply made the best of the situation. But, everyday I went to those jobs, I dreamed of what it would be like to be in a classroom teaching instead. Eventually, I get it through my thick head that I would never be satisfied if I didn't at least try teaching. So, I went back to school at almost 29 and got the degree that would get me in to the classroom I dreamed about. And I LOVE it.

I could've survived doing something else, but I wouldn't have been satisfied.

One thing I decided: good ain't good enough for me.

I dream about alot of things. There are so many things I want to do a places I want to go. So many experiences I want to have. But none of those things will happen if I just dream about it.

Last summer i went on a fishing trip with two of my best friends. I always wanted to stand in a mountain stream fly-fishing. Well, I stood in a mountain stream and fished, but I didn't fly-fish. Why not? because i didn't know how to. You see, there is an art to fly-fishing that I had not yet learned. I didn't possess a fly-fishing rod. So how could I possibly fly-fish? I couldn't.

And so, I was not satisfied. It was good, but good ain't good enough.

Now i own a fly-fishing rod and reel. I haven't learned how to use it effectively yet. But, by the time I travel back to Virginia in July you better believe I will know what I am doing.

I see it this way, some jobs require special tools to complete. If you have a dream and don't have the tool(or knowledge) to accomplish that goal then how will that dream come true? It won't, Knucklehead.

wanna fly-fish? get a fly fishing rod.
Wanna build a house? get a hammer
wanna go camping? get a tent
wanna be a musician? get a guitar
Wanna drive across a river? get a 4x4
Wanna travel to Sicily? get some information and a savings account
I think you see my point

So, Whatever it is you are dreaming of, it is YOUR responsibility to make it happen. So, make it happen.

You say: "But Scott, that's easier said than done"

I say: "Cut the crap, the only thing keeping you from your dreams is you. Get out of your way and make it happen"

Training numbers for the past week:
Swim: 4000yds - 1:53 (hrs:mins)
Bike: 81.3mi. 5:33
Run: 11.37mi. 2:31

You lookking for me?

It's been a while since I posted. Sorry. Now I feel like it's too late to tell you about my awesome Christmas trip to Ohio and all the snow related fun I had. it also feels to late to mention New Years/resolutions/recapping last year.

So...

I will try to get you quickly caught up with pictures

I took Kells to a Saints game against the Browns.She is from Cleveland but wore my old Dalton Hilliard Jersey. She jinxed the team and they lost. my poor jersey is forever tainted.
 I did let her ride home in the car, quitely.

Thanksgiving with the family was fun, delicious, and relaxing(obviously)

The girls are all doing very well.

Don't worry, Lily was sleeping on my bed when this picture was taken

Christmas in Ohio was a blast. My first sledding experience. I didn't die!!!

And yes, that is what I went down the hill on.

I even managed to get in my training rides.

 What you can't see are the bliazzrd conditions out the window.

And when there is to much snow and ice, have no fear, snowshoes are here.

I actually enjoyed snowshing a lot.

The accomodations were questionable but I still thought it right to invite over Kells Mom for the holiday.

Actually, we stumbled across this lean-to while snowshoeing

The hands on my shoulders are Kells Dads.

No. He is not helping me on the sled.

Yes. He is shoving me down the hill without any notice or instruction.

And yet, i still think he likes me????????

Kinda Cool

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I signed up For a Half IronMan Triathlon. Well, I just checked the website and it seems that I am on the participant list.

There is something kinda cool about seeing your name on a website like this. Sorta makes me feel like a pro or something.

15 weeks to go!!!