It has been nearly 4 weeks since I broke my rib. I have gone on a couple of bike rides and runs this last week and have been feeling better and better. Today however, I was feeling so good and so motivated I went to the pool to swim a few laps.
I walked into the lobby of the swimming pool and that warm chemical smell of chlorine washed all over me. Man I missed that smell. In the locker room I put on my suit, cap and goggles. Then I marched out to the pool deck and claimed a lane. I hopped in the pool and the water felt so incredibly good after being in that hot New Mexican air all day. Man I missed that feeling. Then I pushed off the wall in streamline and... SWEET MOTHER OF PEARL! Man I didn't miss that sharp stabbing pain. I guess 4 weeks is still too soon to start swimming.
Since I was already in the pool I practiced my kicking, bubble rings and a little light breast stroke. After a half an hour I hopped out feeling as though I just wasted my time. Oh well, swimming is over rated anyway, especially in triathlons.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
California: Part 2
After the amazing Redwoods photo-journey (which can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamblalock/sets/72157624666898550/), I drove back to Santa Rosa to pick up my mom and Brianne from the airport. It was great seeing my mom finally and yeah, I guess I was even glad to see Brianne, though I saw her three days before. Brianne flew into the San Francisco airport at the last minute which was a little ways away but it gave my mom and I the excuse to see San Fransisco and drive across the Golden Gate Bridge.
Brianne was doing the the Vineman half ironman aqua-bike and I was doing the full Vineman ironman, Except... I don't know if you remember this but, three weeks ago I fell off my bike and was seriously beat up beyond anything ever holy. Now because I was not racing I got to watch the race and cheer Brianne on. Brianne had never raced a 1.2 mile swim and a 56 mile bike ride so she was a little intimidated but she did terrific. She even won her age group and was probably the top 3 out of the water and top 10 over all female. Good job Brianne!
After Brianne's race my mom flew back to Spokane and Brianne and I had a day to do whatever. Since I didn't really get a chance to see the ocean while visiting the Redwoods and Brianne is a big fan of water in general, we decided to go to the coast for the day.
We drove over to and then up Highway 1, right along the coast, stopping at a couple of neat beaches and hiking trails. All along the coast there was a thin high fog which made the geography feel as though you were walking through another country (mostly Scotland comes to mind). It was pretty fantastic and I couldn't remember the last time I had so much fun with Brianne.
Pointing at the waves braking on the rocks.
One of my favorite things to do is pretend I am Mickey Mouse in Fantasia building giant waves and altering the course of the universe.
Brianne was doing the the Vineman half ironman aqua-bike and I was doing the full Vineman ironman, Except... I don't know if you remember this but, three weeks ago I fell off my bike and was seriously beat up beyond anything ever holy. Now because I was not racing I got to watch the race and cheer Brianne on. Brianne had never raced a 1.2 mile swim and a 56 mile bike ride so she was a little intimidated but she did terrific. She even won her age group and was probably the top 3 out of the water and top 10 over all female. Good job Brianne!
After Brianne's race my mom flew back to Spokane and Brianne and I had a day to do whatever. Since I didn't really get a chance to see the ocean while visiting the Redwoods and Brianne is a big fan of water in general, we decided to go to the coast for the day.
We drove over to and then up Highway 1, right along the coast, stopping at a couple of neat beaches and hiking trails. All along the coast there was a thin high fog which made the geography feel as though you were walking through another country (mostly Scotland comes to mind). It was pretty fantastic and I couldn't remember the last time I had so much fun with Brianne.
Pointing at the waves braking on the rocks.
One of my favorite things to do is pretend I am Mickey Mouse in Fantasia building giant waves and altering the course of the universe.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
California: Part 1
After arriving in Santa Rosa airport I grabbed my rental car and shot north. My goal was Eureka and ultimately Redwood National Park. In the morning I headed up to the Lady Bird Johnson Grove. Absolutely amazing is all I can really say! In fact words do almost nothing to describe the Redwood's shear size and beauty. The Lady Bird Johnson Grove sits atop a ridge so the redwoods were not nearly as big and lofty as their lowland friends but that didn't matter because the real treat at this grove was the fog. I've seen pictures of redwood trees in fog but to see it in person was pretty ethereal.
The next grove I visited was the tall trees grove. Instead of situated high on a mountain, the tall tree grove was at the very bottom of the valley along Redwood Creek. These trees were, yes, tall. Protected from the wind and given a consistent water source most of the mature trees were well over 300 feet. Some were listed as being 320 to 350 feet but which ones remains a mystery, although I have my speculations.
The last (but not in the bit least) grove I visited was the Prairie Creek Drainage Grove(s). These trees were much closer to the coast than any of the others. Being so close to the ocean meant that the trees were bathed in constant fog and moisture and the results were BIG trees.
I asked a park ranger where I might be able to find the Illuvatar tree, the Lost Monarch tree, or the Del Norte Titan tree. These mysterious "lost" redwoods rival the size of the Giant Sequoias (in fact there are only a dozen or so Giant Sequoias that top these great Redwoods.) The park ranger laughed and said, "I don't know, but if you ever find the Illuvatar, let me know where it is." So if a park ranger doesn't know where these legendary lost trees are, then there must be only a handful of people who know where they are. Anybody who is a big tree fan knows these trees by name and knows that they are something special. However, practically no one has ever seen them. They are lost spirits in the fog.
The next grove I visited was the tall trees grove. Instead of situated high on a mountain, the tall tree grove was at the very bottom of the valley along Redwood Creek. These trees were, yes, tall. Protected from the wind and given a consistent water source most of the mature trees were well over 300 feet. Some were listed as being 320 to 350 feet but which ones remains a mystery, although I have my speculations.
The last (but not in the bit least) grove I visited was the Prairie Creek Drainage Grove(s). These trees were much closer to the coast than any of the others. Being so close to the ocean meant that the trees were bathed in constant fog and moisture and the results were BIG trees.
I asked a park ranger where I might be able to find the Illuvatar tree, the Lost Monarch tree, or the Del Norte Titan tree. These mysterious "lost" redwoods rival the size of the Giant Sequoias (in fact there are only a dozen or so Giant Sequoias that top these great Redwoods.) The park ranger laughed and said, "I don't know, but if you ever find the Illuvatar, let me know where it is." So if a park ranger doesn't know where these legendary lost trees are, then there must be only a handful of people who know where they are. Anybody who is a big tree fan knows these trees by name and knows that they are something special. However, practically no one has ever seen them. They are lost spirits in the fog.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
California
Two nights ago some more thunderstorms popped up around Las Cruces. The last two times I went out to intercept the storms they fell apart like a big old Jenga tower. I got nothing. The storms were looking promising this time but I didn't want to chance it again. Taylor mentioned that if I was going to go try my luck shooting lightning, he would be willing to go. So, I decided to go. The storms did their best to taunt me by keeping their distance and sending lighting strikes everywhere but in my field of view but if there's one thing lightning has taught me, it is to be patient. Eventually I was rewarded with a couple decent shots but nothing spectacular. The wind was also very strong and I was having trouble keeping the tripod stable so the city light look a little blurry but the lightning came out clear.
Las Cruces lightning. My other photos can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamblalock/
Other things I am up to besides enjoying the wonderful weather is I am leaving for Santa Rosa, California tomorrow. The original plan was for me to try my hand at the Vineman Ironman Triathlon (my first full ironman) but since I broke my rib two weeks ago, the race is just not going to happen. I tried to change my flight to a later date but the penalty fees were crazy high. Then I tried to get a refund on the race but rules are rules and I was too late to get the refund. Now I really have no choice but to show up five days before the race that I am not going to do. At least I don't have to worry about shipping my bike now.
Brianne decided to do the Vineman half-iron aqua bike but she will not be showing up until Thursday (I hope). My mom is coming in on Wednesday so that will be very nice since it was Christmas when we were last together. So from Monday to Wednesday I have all to myself. "What will I do", I kept thinking. "Should I go to Yosemite National Park. Yeah, but it is the peak vacation period and there will be 2 billion people there no doubt. What about Big Sur, California. I like the ocean but I don't know." Then I remembered Santa Rosa is only three and a half hours south of the Redwoods. The option of seeing ginormous trees AND the ocean was enough. It's settled I will drive up to see the mighty Redwoods for a few days.
Also a little update on the rib: So I went for a 50 min. ride this morning and things felt okay. I was thinking yeah. I probably could ride the 112 mile ironman bike course and even run afterwards. However, all that twisting, jerking, and thrashing involved in that 2.4 mile swim didn't sound fun at all, or even possible. I am confident I have made the right choice not to race on Saturday. Oh, so back to the bike ride this morning. Yeah it was okay but still a little rough. Coming out of the saddle is sketchy and at one point my chain slipped forcing me to put all of my weight on my arms for balance and man, my rib sure didn't like that! But it is getting better and pretty soon I will be back to 100%.
Las Cruces lightning. My other photos can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamblalock/
Other things I am up to besides enjoying the wonderful weather is I am leaving for Santa Rosa, California tomorrow. The original plan was for me to try my hand at the Vineman Ironman Triathlon (my first full ironman) but since I broke my rib two weeks ago, the race is just not going to happen. I tried to change my flight to a later date but the penalty fees were crazy high. Then I tried to get a refund on the race but rules are rules and I was too late to get the refund. Now I really have no choice but to show up five days before the race that I am not going to do. At least I don't have to worry about shipping my bike now.
Brianne decided to do the Vineman half-iron aqua bike but she will not be showing up until Thursday (I hope). My mom is coming in on Wednesday so that will be very nice since it was Christmas when we were last together. So from Monday to Wednesday I have all to myself. "What will I do", I kept thinking. "Should I go to Yosemite National Park. Yeah, but it is the peak vacation period and there will be 2 billion people there no doubt. What about Big Sur, California. I like the ocean but I don't know." Then I remembered Santa Rosa is only three and a half hours south of the Redwoods. The option of seeing ginormous trees AND the ocean was enough. It's settled I will drive up to see the mighty Redwoods for a few days.
Also a little update on the rib: So I went for a 50 min. ride this morning and things felt okay. I was thinking yeah. I probably could ride the 112 mile ironman bike course and even run afterwards. However, all that twisting, jerking, and thrashing involved in that 2.4 mile swim didn't sound fun at all, or even possible. I am confident I have made the right choice not to race on Saturday. Oh, so back to the bike ride this morning. Yeah it was okay but still a little rough. Coming out of the saddle is sketchy and at one point my chain slipped forcing me to put all of my weight on my arms for balance and man, my rib sure didn't like that! But it is getting better and pretty soon I will be back to 100%.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
I Found Some Clouds
First off, I would just like everyone to know how well I am doing keeping my blog up to date. Yes you all should be very proud of me. Second, the main reason for this post is to mention that yesterday some great thunderstorms erupted around the area. That afternoon I needed to head down to my Leyendecker Farm plot to check on things and take pictures of my cayenne chile anyway so I was in luck when the storms fired up. The storms looked very intense from far away but as I got closer they seemed to loose their vigor. By the time I got there all that was left of the storm was some interesting mammatus. Later on that eventing after dark, I drove back out to one of my favorite high points in the desert to try and get some photos of lightning but the storms were just too far away.
Mammatus.
This crappy shot is all I managed to get from the storm. Isn't it creepy looking?
Mammatus.
This crappy shot is all I managed to get from the storm. Isn't it creepy looking?
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
You Know What? I Really Like Not Training!
Today is day 9 after my big bike accident and honestly, I don't really miss training that much. Everyone has been super supportive and concerned for me. I really appreciate them for that. There words of encouragement involved stuff like, "You will be back on your bike before you know it", "You can do some weights now to increase your strength for when you return to training", and "Now you can properly have a rest week to let things recover so that when you come back, you will be even stronger." All of these words of encouragement are heart-felt but truthfully, I am enjoying myself so much doing the other hobbies I used to do before training I don't miss it all that much.
I am still actively involved in triathlon however, but in a more indirect way. Currently I have decided to volunteer to be the running coach for the NMSU Race Club. Last year was fun but there seemed to be no structure in the workouts or meaning behind them. I am looking forward to creating the ultimate 5 and 10K running calendar. I am confident that I can get everyone in the club to take big chunks off of there current 5 and 10K PR's. Yak yak yak. We will see.
The other day Taylor and I went to the Home Depot for some minor supplies and I passionately stumbled on some amazing Cattelya and Vanda orchids for sale. Yes you heard me correctly, Vanda orchids, the most exotic and beautiful of all the orchids as far as I am concerned. Remembering my obsession for these rare and gorgeous plants I bought one of each. I didn't care if I spent my last dollar on them, I just had to have them to play with. I also bought some tropicals and a nice palm for the tropical garden that is coming together nicely. Next I might get a fountain of some sorts.
Vanda coeurlea 'Blue Magic'
At Barns and Nobles I bought a sketch journal and am excited to start drawing and sketching again. I am pretty rusty with my hand eye coordination after 6 years off but it will come around. And if it doesn't oh well, I am fired up to start intimately observing the world around me once again.
Also, our yard is starting to finally come together and the plants and grass are growing madly because of the little bit of water they are receiving. In the desert, if a plant so much as "senses" moisture it puts on the most dramatic display of growth ever. All this growth persuaded me to buy a push mower (which not only works better than a motorized mower, but is way more fun to operate). And then last night I caught a baby gecko! Yes our yard it becoming so much of an oasis that the lizards and geckos are having babies!
Oh, and I guess I can give a brief update on the chin and rib. So I had my stitches taken out yesterday. That was nice. My scab came off. That was even nicer and way to satisfying. My rib still aches pretty bad but it is, for the most part, getting better (slooooooooowly though). I think I may have broken more than just one rib while I'm talking about it. I for sure brok the number 9 rib but a rib more on the side and up a few ribs feels very achey and bruised too. I should get the x-ray so I can have a look for myself.
I am still actively involved in triathlon however, but in a more indirect way. Currently I have decided to volunteer to be the running coach for the NMSU Race Club. Last year was fun but there seemed to be no structure in the workouts or meaning behind them. I am looking forward to creating the ultimate 5 and 10K running calendar. I am confident that I can get everyone in the club to take big chunks off of there current 5 and 10K PR's. Yak yak yak. We will see.
The other day Taylor and I went to the Home Depot for some minor supplies and I passionately stumbled on some amazing Cattelya and Vanda orchids for sale. Yes you heard me correctly, Vanda orchids, the most exotic and beautiful of all the orchids as far as I am concerned. Remembering my obsession for these rare and gorgeous plants I bought one of each. I didn't care if I spent my last dollar on them, I just had to have them to play with. I also bought some tropicals and a nice palm for the tropical garden that is coming together nicely. Next I might get a fountain of some sorts.
Vanda coeurlea 'Blue Magic'
At Barns and Nobles I bought a sketch journal and am excited to start drawing and sketching again. I am pretty rusty with my hand eye coordination after 6 years off but it will come around. And if it doesn't oh well, I am fired up to start intimately observing the world around me once again.
Also, our yard is starting to finally come together and the plants and grass are growing madly because of the little bit of water they are receiving. In the desert, if a plant so much as "senses" moisture it puts on the most dramatic display of growth ever. All this growth persuaded me to buy a push mower (which not only works better than a motorized mower, but is way more fun to operate). And then last night I caught a baby gecko! Yes our yard it becoming so much of an oasis that the lizards and geckos are having babies!
Oh, and I guess I can give a brief update on the chin and rib. So I had my stitches taken out yesterday. That was nice. My scab came off. That was even nicer and way to satisfying. My rib still aches pretty bad but it is, for the most part, getting better (slooooooooowly though). I think I may have broken more than just one rib while I'm talking about it. I for sure brok the number 9 rib but a rib more on the side and up a few ribs feels very achey and bruised too. I should get the x-ray so I can have a look for myself.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Emotion
What are emotions? Why do we feel? What evolutionary advantage has being able to feel given mankind? Why are some able to control their emotions while others let theirs run amok? I have wondered about these questions for just about my whole life but the last several days they have particularly been fresh on my mind.
I have never been truly emotionally strong. It is just the brain I was dealt I guess and I do the best I can. For years my parents wondered why I cried and was sad so often. It wasn't surprising that later on I was diagnosed with depression. It all made sense. My mother had it, my grandmother had it, and my great grandmother had it. It is unquestionably scattered throughout my whole family. I was just one of the lucky receivers of the "faulty" gene. Doctors though that perhaps by taking a simple pill once a day could solve most of my symptoms. Well it worked and mostly, I am a happy person who takes great pleasure in life. I remembered how awful feeling sad and depressed was and I never wanted to go back.
Obviously I am not happy and energetic all of the time. Like everyone I get sad, mad, angry, and irritated. I know I can not help the way I feel but I CAN help how I treat others. No matter how badly I want to punch or yell at people sometimes, I don't. I have self control. If I can do it, I assume others can too. Maybe I am being self-absorbed because, again, as I see it, if I can do it, anyone can. I'm not talking about climbing Mt. Everest, or solving String Theory, just plain old self control. Am I wrong?
I have only been emotionally involved with two people in my life and both of them had some trouble (my point of view) keeping their mood stable. Are all people (particularly girls) really that emotionally unstable? I don't have much experience to base my theory off of but I am not like that at all, even though I have been clinically diagnosed with depression. Why am I able to keep my emotions on a relatively controlled leash while others let theirs run wild and rampant? I just don't get it. Up down up down up down, Let's ride the roller coaster again. I am getting sick.
I have never been truly emotionally strong. It is just the brain I was dealt I guess and I do the best I can. For years my parents wondered why I cried and was sad so often. It wasn't surprising that later on I was diagnosed with depression. It all made sense. My mother had it, my grandmother had it, and my great grandmother had it. It is unquestionably scattered throughout my whole family. I was just one of the lucky receivers of the "faulty" gene. Doctors though that perhaps by taking a simple pill once a day could solve most of my symptoms. Well it worked and mostly, I am a happy person who takes great pleasure in life. I remembered how awful feeling sad and depressed was and I never wanted to go back.
Obviously I am not happy and energetic all of the time. Like everyone I get sad, mad, angry, and irritated. I know I can not help the way I feel but I CAN help how I treat others. No matter how badly I want to punch or yell at people sometimes, I don't. I have self control. If I can do it, I assume others can too. Maybe I am being self-absorbed because, again, as I see it, if I can do it, anyone can. I'm not talking about climbing Mt. Everest, or solving String Theory, just plain old self control. Am I wrong?
I have only been emotionally involved with two people in my life and both of them had some trouble (my point of view) keeping their mood stable. Are all people (particularly girls) really that emotionally unstable? I don't have much experience to base my theory off of but I am not like that at all, even though I have been clinically diagnosed with depression. Why am I able to keep my emotions on a relatively controlled leash while others let theirs run wild and rampant? I just don't get it. Up down up down up down, Let's ride the roller coaster again. I am getting sick.
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