Spring has arrived

Its time for a batch update seeing as how I've not updated since the 10K race.

1. I participated in the Fredericksburg Off-road Duathlon (FORD). The FORD is a 2.8 mile trail run, then a 10 mile mountain bike, then another 2.5 mile trail run. It was extremely challenging, so I didn't do so well. I injured my knee a few days prior while doing some trail running, and it seemed to have impacted my performance. Lets just hope it heals by the time I start my marathon training.


2. I've worked from the DC office all week. I'm dead set on moving up here, see the next few items for related details.

3. I've put my house on CL (craigslist) for rent. I've had multiple hits and have already scheduled two people to come by and look at the place.

4. My boss told me she was going to put in the paper-work to see what is involved from an administrative standpoint on the move.
(end move related items)

5. I recently spent a week and a half in Phoenix for work. I got to visit my uncle's family while out there, and he even gave me his Ninja 1100 for a few days! The trip was a good break from the monotony, but also served was a warm-weather tease.

6. Earlier this week, I taught my gf more geek-speak than she ever cared to know. She's picked it up quite well and her usage has been spot-on thus far.

7. I dislocated my shoulder a couple days ago while putting on my jacket. WTF. I blame the late arrival of Spring. As usual, it reduced me to a sobbing lump on the floor until I got it back in the socket. And when I did, it popped right back out. WTFx2! I suppose I shouldn't have moved it immediately after.

8. I'm signed up for a mountain bike race this Sunday, the Twisted Tire @ Poor Farm Park. Lets see if the shoulder (and knee) will cooperate.

9. I'm excited to get back on my motorcycle after having fixed a few oil-leaks that developed very late last riding season. Riding that Ninja was such a tease. It got me thinking I need to sell my bike and a bunch of other useless crap lying about my house and buy a real motorcycle. Then I come back to reality and realize I need to pay-off debt.

10. Muddy Buddy is fast approaching (May 2). I'm ready, shoulder AND knee willing. I'm guessing my Buddy (brother) is equally ready, less the gimp.

11. Next weekend I had the following on my calendar: Guster concert, dinner with my gf's parents, National Duathlon Festival (read: bike races), and finally my first Autocross of the season. Now my calendar reads "work :( FML". [edited: I removed a ton of text that was basically just me complaining. I don't want to get fired for blogging, so the text has been removed]

12. In the past week, I received two parking tickets in DC. One for $100 and one for $30. Sucks, but oh well, shit happens.

13. I went to the Washington Nationals game last night with my gf and her co-workers. It was the Nat's 1st win of the season. I guess since I'll be moving up here, I'm going to be a fan. I already found myself wanting to spit at the Phillies fans that were at the game. Perhaps it was just my hate toward Pennsylvania athletic teams.

14. After work today, I'm going to go for a run and waste the evening hours away on a patio somewhere drinking a few cold ones and enjoying the terrific weather. Saturday will consist of copious amounts of sun-soaking also.

Monument Ave 10K

Last year, I ran my first ever 10K. My only goal was to run the entire 10 kilometers. I was shooting for 1-hour finishing time, but ended up finishing 1:08. This year, after 10 weeks of training with Team in Training and raising money for LLS in honor and memory of Amanda A., I finished the 10K in 53:55! At the start of my training, I set a 60-minute goal. The Saturday before the race, I decided to up my goal to 55 minutes, a time I hovered around during my hard training sessions. I did it!

A special thanks to all those that supported me with donations and moral support!

I was so moved by the support, had so much fun, lost so much weight, and feel so good about myself that I've decided to run a marathon! I'm signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon in DC on October 25th! 26.2 miles is more than 4 times the distance of a 10K, so I have my work cut out for me! I have various other races lined up to help prepare for the marathon, a half-marathon sometime this summer, and the Army 10-miler on Oct 4. Again, I'm running with Team in Training. Again raising money for LLS. Again, in memory of Amanda.

Amanda A., you are missed

My good friend and racing companion, Adrian, suffered a one of the most terrible losses imaginable--his wife, Amanda, recently lost her battle with Leukemia. Amanda was such a wonderful person, she is already missed.

When I had a house-warming party, Adrian and Amanda brought a present with a hand-made "welcome home" card. I only noticed the lack of bar-code and branding after a few days. That is my favorite memory of her!

She had impeccable taste in movies, too. She loved to talk about movies and I quickly learned to take movie recommendations from her seriously. When her facebook page demanded people to see Slumdog, I told myself it would be the next movie I saw in the theater, and it was. Later that night, it stole all the Oscars.

It was evident that Amanda and Adrian were really, really happy together. They had a very healthy respect for one another as spouses-- I learned a lot from watching them. I mean, how many husbands are allowed to buy a car and turn it into a racecar!? Her response, "Psh... its HIS money; I don't care." During one of my visits to her while she was in the hospital, she asked me to simply keep Adrian occupied with car-stuff. She was that self-less.

Adrian blogged that Amanda didn't think she mattered to this world and thought she was destined to be forgotten. Well, I will certainly never forget her. My direct interactions with here, while limited (most of my time was spent with her husband), made long-lasting memories. She touched many lives. She mattered.