WEEKEND RECAP

Thanksgiving day didn't start out too great. i was all set to head to Griffith Park for two different meet ups and activities, but i got a late start:

fog on the highway

10 seconds later

yes, it's true. people in L.A. cannot drive under any adverse weather conditions. there's just one speed here: FAST AND IN A HURRY (while on the cell phone). so when it's foggy or it rains, people do not know how to adjust for such conditions, and our already congested highways get all backed up because idiots cannot slow the hell down and then ram into each other. i got stuck in this foggy parking lot for about 15 minutes which made me late to my bike ride with fellow iron maidens, Cindy (IM Germany) and Juliet (IM Arizona #1). i was actually planning to get there early and get some drills in before i met them, but instead i made it just in time as they were prepping to head out...

iron maiden Cindy

iron maiden Juliet

... just then Cindy realized that she lost the nut and spring to her skewer, so she had to head home to find another one. bummer. Juliet and i went on and warmed up with drills, and by the time Cindy met up with us again, it was time for me to say goodbye to them and head over to another spot in the park. i was meeting up with my friend Francis, his wife Lalee and their new baby, Ligaya along with the annual Thanksgiving Hobble Gobble Crew. we meet every thanksgiving morning for an easy run around the golf course. this year a few of us ran while the others walked and then ran back to walk in with them. it's all about friends and family and makin' room for the bird!!

(from l. to r.) Matthew, Mario, Elena, Mike, Lalee, Francis, baby Ligaya, me (sportin' my Brasil colors), Floyd, Voni, and Cesar

as the morning's activities made a nice deposit in the Bank of Burned Calories, it was now time for the big event. we call it Orphan's Thanksgiving, a tradition started years ago by my best friend, Gail, who's from Chicago and attended by me and my old roomate , Chuck, and whoever else wants to join in. all peeps who don't have family in L.A. are invited to eat Gail's famous meal, and some of us who do have family in L.A. still opt to eat there anyway. hey, family is relative, and these guys are my homies. all together, i think there were 12 orphans/guests this year. the best part of the night was that THERE WAS NOT ONE MENTION OF TRIATHLON OR IRONMAN!!! ok, maybe just one or two, but nobody made the usual big deal about it. i didn't find myself once reciting the usual "it's a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a marathon" explanation. really, i'm beginning to think that i'm somewhat of a bore. when people ask me what i've been up to lately, it's always the same answer: "oh you know, just swimming, biking, and running...." it's kinda refreshing to be around peeps who don't swim, bike, or run and talk about other stuff for a change.....

for full slideshow click here:



saturday, i headed out to coach my runners' 2nd to last run, an 8 miler, before we head to Honolulu for their marathon. as i was putting out the mile markers, i got this view:

6:30am

just when we thought we were clear of the wildfires, they start back up in Malibu again. at last count, roughly 50 homes had been destroyed. crazy. i thought i might have to cancel the run as the last time the fires whipped up, the air quality was too bad to run in, but as you see, the smoke was being carried out towards the ocean. here's what it looked like as i sent the 2nd group of runners out:

8:30am

that's the Santa Monica pier in the foreground and the Malibu fires about 8 miles away. it was eerie how everyone was carrying on as usual, running, biking, and surfing while this stood as our background. later, after my runners had finished around 11:am, i had to get a 3 hour ride in. i was hesitant to stay near the beach as the fires had been burning for several hours now and the wind could shift, but sure enough, everyone was still out and about, so i headed out towards the Ballona Creek bike path...

the end...

2 hours into the ride, i reached the end of the path and could feel the burn in my sinuses. just as i feared, the winds had shifted, and for the last hour heading back, i rode straight into a headwind of smokey air. yuck. still today, the fires have only been 40 percent contained. here's hoping they get it under control without any loss of life or anymore property.

and in the end, i'm thankful that i came away WEIGHING LESS THAN I DID BEFORE THANKSGIVING DINNER!!! really though, lots to be thankful for: friends both old and new, family, my two dogs, my health, two great jobs that i love (photographer and coach), a roof over my head that isn't going up in flames, etc. i've not really gotten into my past and what this Ironman journey is all about to me (more to come on that in the future), but i will say for now that marathon and triathlon have quite literally saved my life. i honestly don't know where i'd be today without having discovered my potential for a life of fitness. i don't even want to imagine.....