Inspirational post borrowed from another first time Ironman finisher

I read this in a newsletter from TrySports. It was written by one of their employees, a 45 year old who just completed an Ironman event this past August. As I near the end of my training for Ironman AZ, this reminded me of what got me into this endeavor, and what has gotten me through it. 

By Terry Collins, TrySports Wilmington:

"What inspires me?  It seems that these days, I'm asked this proverbial question quite often.  Just to give you a little background, I decided at the age of 45 to complete my first full Ironman this past August in Mont Tremblant after just two years of competing in the sport of triathlon.  What was I thinking? Could I do this?  I took a huge leap of faith and decided that I had to give it a try!  At this point in my life, I didn't want to risk not knowing what I could have done.  This season hasn't been without difficulties as I sustained a broken collarbone from a cycling accident.  As you can imagine, I needed the encouragement of many others to get me through some tough times.  Again, the question beckons, what inspires me?  Here are a few.....

I'm inspired by my training partner who motivates me and holds me accountable, even when I don't want to complete that tough workout!  Before the start of the Ironman, his words, "Be confident - you can do this", gave me the courage to start that incredible day. 

I'm inspired by my fellow TrySports co-worker and good friend who messaged me before the start of the race and said, "We are with you".  Those words kept me going during my lowest points in the race.   

I'm inspired by my coach as she will complete her 9th Ironman this year! Her words of encouragement kept me going through injury and the tough times. It's because of her that I write the words, "Your life is now" on my arm before every race.  

I'm inspired my fellow TrySports co-workers.  You not only encouraged me along the way, you encourage others and embody the spirit of believing in yourself to reach that goal.  

I'm inspired by my fellow athletes that I see on "The Loop" at Wrightsville Beach swimming, biking, and/or running every morning before the sun rises.  While you have may have full time jobs, families, and other commitments, you are out there giving it everything you have.  

Maybe you are thinking about completing your first 5K, marathon, or Ironman.  You might be saying to yourself, "Can I do this?"  In the book Ironstruck, Ray Fauteux writes about the fear of lining up and starting on race day.   He says, "There are hundreds of athletes who will feel the same as you on race morning.  That is one of the things that makes this event so amazing.  You are all on the same journey together."  It could be that you want to get in better shape, improve your overall health, or get a faster time.  Whatever your goal, know that you are not alone.  Many others have overcome adversity to make it to the start line, and you will, too!  Along the way, you will become the inspiration for others to begin that journey and take that leap of faith as I did.   So when I'm asked the question, "What inspires me?" -  I'm inspired by YOU! 




Keep believing and achieving!"












Terri Collins
TrySports Wilmington

Race Report: Carolina Half Ironman 9/29/13

This past Sunday, I competed in the inaugural Setup Events Carolina Half-IM, the first long course race based in (or near) Charlotte, NC. With time to reflect back on it, I've decided I enjoyed it, even though parts of it were pretty darn hard.

My goal was to use this as a training race, to practice and prepare for Ironman Arizona in about six weeks. I intended to just settle in, focus on fueling, and take it easy, without trying to push the pace or hit a time goal. However, after getting on the bike, that old competitive spirit kicked in and I wrestled against pushing myself versus holding back for what I knew was going to be a tough run. I ended up going a bit harder on the bike than I wanted, but still seemed to have enough left to have an OK run. My run was still pretty bad, but I ended up taking 10 minutes off of my previous PR at this distance, which was on a flat course at the 2003 Blackwater Eagleman.

Age Group Results
6:01:05, 15th out of 32

I was surprised to place in the top half of my age group. This is a big improvement over most of my previous events where I was in the lower 40%. I attribute this to following a great coaching program from Jamey Yon. The next guy up was 10 minutes ahead so I'll have my work cut out next year (if I do this one again.)

RECAP:

Taper Week: Went in to see Dr. Bradberry at Greenapple for a mild case of metatarsalgia and a sore hip. Flew out early Tuesday and spent Tuesday through Thursday in Chicago, IL. Swam Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the Buehler YMCA in Palatine. Felt really good all week and concentrated eating clean and not pulling anything.

Friday night we headed up to Boone for Parent's Weekend at Appalachian State and we spent all Saturday on our feet hiking both the campus and some trails. Despite complicating my preparation, I knew where my priorities needed to be. We didn't get home until 10pm and then I had to prep my bike and bags. Didn't get in bed until midnight for a 4:30 wakeup...not good.

RACE DAY:

After 4 hours sleep, we drove to T1, got my packet and racked my bike, then headed to T2. I was definitely feeling the lack of sleep but also the typical pre race nerves and was ready to get it done. Then, a lack of shuttle buses caused me to get separated from Elizabeth and ended up in T1 without cooking oil spray and my whole gear bag.

SWIM:
37:31, 12th out of 32: 

This was my first beach start and I don't know if I prefer it one way or the other over the other kind. Due to the shuttle thing, I didn't get to do a warmup but tried not to think about that.

I felt really good right away from the start and was able to settle my breathing down within a few hundred yards. I didn't feel either fast or slow but kept up with what I thought was the middle of my pack. I stayed with the pack through the two turns, only getting slightly off course twice. After exiting at the boat ramp I glanced at my watch which read 36:34 and immediately thought I must have accidentally paused it. My previous best swim in a half-IM was about 43 minutes.

T1: 

5:22, 14th out of 32

T1 was about 1/4 mile up the road from the water exit and I made the mistake of only peeling my wetsuit top down. It would have been smarter to shed the whole thing. Plus I got a sleeve caught on my watch and that added precious seconds. I could probably shave a minute off next year.

BIKE:
3:00:29, 17th out of 32

I was actually shocked at placing relatively low on the bike leg, normally my best segment. I will say that nobody passed me on training wheels, that is, everyone that passed me had aero race wheels, which I didn't...but I'm not making excuses. The bike is probably the area where my training has lagged the most due to all my mid week traveling.

This was a course with relatively few fast stretches. Lots of turns connected by pretty rough asphalt. Also lots of rolling hills with 2 or 3 out of the saddle climbs, especially in mile 55.

My fueling plan was do the same as on my last few long rides. Lots of Gatorade and Hammer Gel with one or two energy bars. I downed a NOW bar (280 calories) in the first 25 miles then switched to just Gatorade. I need to get a better Bento box and gel flask holder for my bike. Mine didn't work well with all the short segments and turns.  

Eric Banks Carolina Half IM Bike Splits 9/29/13

I finished the bike feeling really strong though and was more than eager to start the run.

T2: 
1:28, 7th place. 

No issues here. Shoes stayed on the bike. Clean dismount. Right out of the traps onto the run.

RUN:
2:16:16, 17th out of 32.

I knew this was going to be tough but didn't preview it so I just mentally approached it as a strong training run. The first two miles around Bailey Park flew by and I was optimistic that I was going to easily break 2 hours. Then the fun started in mile 4.

For the run, I took water and Heed at the first few stops until we entered the Davidson College Cross Country trail system around mile 5. Then my legs started to get heavier and I craved coke and water at the next few stops through mile 7.5, the turnaround point.

Exiting the woods around mile 9, I could sense the finish and was able to crank the pace up a bit. By that point I was taking two water cups and dumping one on my back. Things went well until those last two brutal hills in mile 12 where I had to take a couple of walk breaks.

Eric Banks' Carolina Half IM Run Splits 9/29/13

In summary, I was pretty spent at the end but semi-happy with my results. On the one hand, I was glad to get a PR and to have a really great swim. On the other hand, I was disappointed I still didn't make it into the 5:30 club. Oh well, as they say, there's always next year!

If You Want Success, Follow The System!

I've probably heard this advice over and over hundreds of times in very different contexts, but for some reason, I still mainly try to forge my own path toward whatever goal I've set. Then, I wonder why the path has been so difficult or why I've failed to achieve my goal.

I suppose part of this stems from hearing the Frost poem about "taking the road less traveled" too many times. There is a part of me that believes that I have to "earn" my success through adversity as opposed to taking a tried and true path. In other words, my ego prevented me from "merely" following someone else's system.

But I'm now following a "system" to get me in better shape for triathlons and improving my results and I'm seeing the results of following it.

Switching to a more neutral running shoe, the Brooks Ghost.

I've worn Asics 21xx series for years starting from when they were the 2060's up until my just retired 2170's. These are a stability shoe with a medium amount of pronation control. My running style, if you can call it such, as evolved over the years from a flat footed heel striker to now more of a forefoot striker. I think this is good although being a forefoot striker puts a lot more stress on my calves (soleus and gastrocnemius.)

According to "Born to Run", the book that rewrote...the book, on running, the forefoot striking style is how we were "born to run" so once you're adapted to it, it should work better for you.

What I've found is that my shoes wear, and my feet hurt, right under the 2nd ball joint of both feet. Most people push off of their big toe joint so they have a lot of shoe wear, and callouses, under that joint. I'm a little strange I suppose.

On the advice of my chiropractor (whom I was seeing for a calf strain) I decided to try out a more neutral shoe. After trying a pair of Newtons and an Asics Gel Kayano, I went with a pair of Brooks Ghost. This was on Monday of this week (today is Wednesday.)

I went for a quick 3 mile run on Monday and immediately felt much more stress on my calves. This is because the sole is more flexible than my old Asics. My forefoot felt a lot better cushioned however I still felt most of the impact and push off on my 2nd ball joint. I think this is a matter of my style and I may be able to shift slowly more over to my big toe over time.

I did a 5.7 mile hill workout today and felt pretty awesome so fingers crossed that this was a good shoe choice.

5 Tips For Avoiding "The Bonk" On Long Bike Rides

I don't know if its due to my advanced age (46) or the fact that my nickname should be "Heavy Sweater" but  I've become an expert at "bonking" on long training rides.

By "long rides" I mean those over 30-35 miles and lasting 2:30 to three hours or more. (I'm still building up my fitness and stamina for anything longer.)

My "bonking" usually sets in around the 20 mile mark between an hour and 1:15 into the ride. If it's a hot day, I'll start to feel like my legs just can't turn over as quickly and I'm not light on the pedals. By mile 30 I'm usually well off the pace. By mile 40 I'm barely moving up the hills and may even weave a little.

Here are my sure fire ways to guarantee a "bonk:" 

1. Do not eat anything before the ride.

2. Do not carry any sports drinks.

3. Do not carry any solid food.

4. Do not carry any energy gels.

5. Do not apply sunscreen before setting out on the ride.

So, logically, here is what I've been doing to prevent such misery:

1. Prepare my fueling plan the night before. Figure out what I'm going to eat before and during the ride. Eat at least 200-250 calories before the ride. Drink 16oz of water and S-Caps if it's above 75 degrees and humid.

2. Mix up 2 pretty strong bottles of Gatorade. Put one S-Cap or Endurolyte in each bottle.

3. Make sure I have at least one Clif bar to eat at around mile 20.

4. Carry a full flask of Hammer Gel (Montana Huckleberry or Vanilla) and draw from it every 15-20 mins. 

5. Put sunscreen on the back of my neck, arms, face, etc. prior to leaving the house.

Figure out your own requirements by listening to your body. Spending a little extra time on your fueling plan can do wonders for helping you avoid "the bonk."

I am improving

When I re-started my triathlon training program this past January I guess I thought it was mostly going to help me build stamina and endurance, but I never thought I would be fast. I'm starting to doubt that now...that I will remain slow, that is.

I've never been a fast runner By any stretch of the imagination. When I was doing a few tri races back in the early years of the century I think I got a 5k PR of around 25 mins and a 10k in the low 50's. but being out of shape and not really training for almost a decade has taken its toll on me. In January, the best per mile times I could muster were in the 10:30-11:00 minute range. 

The last two times I've run though I've averaged in the lower 9 minute range which I have to say, seems very surreal to me.

When I look back and assess what's going on, I'm excited to report that I've actually felt like I'm making progress. What I mean is that my pace was the same for many weeks and months as my body adapted to the shock of running. Actually, my body rebelled at the added demands. First, my knees ached so badly that even walking was painful. I applied ice and rubbed the tops of my Tibia hoping that it was just tendinitis. Luckily, it was. Unfortunately I strained a calf muscle about half a mile from finishing a short 4 mile run.  Lots of ART therapy and stretch training seems to have fixed it, but it still is painful.

The Anarchist

“The lenses inside of me that paint the world black / The pools of poison, the scarlet mist that spill over into rage. The things I’ve always been denied, an early promise that somehow died / A missing part of me that grows around me like a cage.”

Who hasn't felt this way at some point in their lives? Whether stuck in a dead end job or a toxic relationship. The frustration of unrealized potential can indeed spill over into rage. As we age, the pain of knowing there is a missing part of you only grows stronger. It's testimony to the importance of finding your self at an early age. I believe true satisfaction is achieved through being self-less that is, to live to give of yourself.

What if I don't fail?

A few months ago I attended an excellent presentation by an inspiring leader in the direct selling business. The gist of it was, get over your fear...take action. Sure, you may fail. But what if you don't?

Yesterday while running that phrase came back to me in a big way. As is often the case when doing something uncomfortable...alright, painful, I have to pysch myself up to keep going. 

I realized I have to keep running instead of stopping. What if I just keep running even though my aching legs tell me to stop?  I will be prouder and happier with myself and feel better about my upcoming triathlon race.

l also realized I can apply that question towards any aspect of my life when facing a decision on whether or not to take action.

For example:

• I'm afraid to call that difficult customer because he might think I'm being a pest. But what if he gives me another order?
• I'm afraid to tell my neighbor about this great new product I'm using because he'll think I'm trying to push it on him. But what if he wants to try it and it helps him?
• I'm embarrassed to share what I'm doing with a close friend because he might ridicule it. But what if he thinks its pretty cool that I'm trying to better myself?
• I'd better not start that business because I might lose my life savings. But what if I don't? 
• I'm not going to sign up for that half-marathon, what if I can't finish it? But what if I can?
• I'd better not try and fix the car myself because I might not be able to figure it out. But what if I can?

Most of our fears are irrational but hold us back. Next time you are afraid to try something, think about the opposite of your fear happening and dwell upon that! Attitude can be a very powerful motivator!

Man of Steel Trailer #3

The third trailer for the new Zach Snyder movie, "Man Of Steel" debuted last night and I can't wait to see this interpretation of the Superman story. The theme seems to center around the age old concept of destiny vs free will, which is a common thread from one of my favorite song writers, Neil Peart, of Rush. Following that theme is the sub-theme of the father son dynamic. Fathers always want their children to have a greater impact on the world than they themselves had. In this way, fathers wish for their sons to fulfill great destinies.

The movie is a complete reset of the Superman story and may be hard to grasp for those who like me, were children when the Christopher Reeve, richard Donner films came out with Krypton being an crystalline ice world. this carried through even to bryan singers Superman Returns.

First, the Kryptonian science and technology seems to be very organic as opposed to cold and icy like in previous superman movies. The trailer showed creatures or ships flying with lots of wing like movement.

Second, Kal El appears to be some kind of different Kryptonian even before being sent to Earth. The early peeks indicate that he may be an illegal birth, a natural born child as opposed to a genetically engineered person, again, born with free will instead of a destiny.

Third, the earlier films seemed to gloss completely over the fact that Supermans existence proves that we are not alone in the universe. He is the first visitor from another planet and his discovery would have enormous impacts on Earth. Again, his destiny would inpart, be to establish first contact with extra terrestrial life.

I can't wait to see this movie!

Attitude

Which comes first, the champion's attitude or the championship? Having a goal, then committing to work towards it every day with relentless, unwavering focus- This is what separates champions from the pack.

IM AZ: Kicking it into gear with Advocare

I've been trying several Advocare products over the last few months to see if they can help me achieve the fitness levels I will need in order to complete IM AZ later this year. So it's been a lot of experimentation. I'm pleased to say that I believe some of the products have made a difference and some, not so much. But there are more to try.

Arginine Extreme is probably my favorite product so far. I take it 15-30 mins before a strenuous workout and it allows me to push through barriers which would have stopped me a few months ago.

Spark, their most popular product, helps me wake up in the morning and get in the right mind set. It's more of a mental booster than an actual performance booster. I read a masters thesis on the ergogenic effects of Spark (their were none) so that makes sense. But I still think it helps me to face those early morning run/bike/swims better.

I'll figure out how to add this countdown clock to my blog...tomorrow.

http://www.timeanddate.com/clocks/countdown.html?n=884&iso=20131117T070000

It IS up to you...but get help

Popular motivational saying that goes something like to be me. It is thank you for 1 million. It is up to you to take action.
You are the one who must decide to take action. But you have to remember that you do need help and there's nothing wrong with asking for help.
Set a goal then get help doing it. Don't let your help down stay committed.

24 day challenge: day three

Today is the third day of my 24 day weight loss challenge. I've lost about 2 pounds total so far. I don't know whether this was a good idea but I also hired a triathlon coach and started working out just yesterday with him.
I'm doing Ironman Arizona in November which is only about 11 months away so I hired a coach to get me into shape in a hurry. Actually I'm not worried about finishing but truth be told my ego wants to finish certainly and under 16 hours but definitely under 14 hours and if I can finish under 13 hours even better I know guys who are in really good shape Billybrook 1012 hrs. so I have no delusions that I'm going to be able to break 12 hours however maybe 13 maybe 14 I think I'll be happy if I can break 14.
So that being said I guess I'm not terribly concerned about losing weight for the next 24 days but I am concerned about working out consistently getting through these workouts and getting enough sleep and getting enough fuel in my body I figure the weight-loss will come naturally.

After all right now my body is at an unnaturally heavy weight. For the longest time I was at about hundred 95 pounds probably for the last six years. Just in the last few months I have let it creep up to close to 200 pounds. My goal is to get down to about 170 pounds but also to be very fit lean and strong at that way I don't want to look emaciated or week or have a lack of energy at that weight.
My coach sent me today's workouts last night and they are too bad I think he's ramping me in slowly. Today I have to cycle and swim.
I rode the trainer for an hour. He broke up that our into 10 minute segments of accelerations and recoveries which I really liked.
The pool work out the 1500 yards looks to be kind of similar with a warm up some drills simple buoy and cooldown I'm really looking forward to getting back in the pool

American girl doll to the hospital

Caroline is currently spelling out every word. It is a very cute phase. She listens to everything you say and then spells out the words back to you.

She's also turning out to be an incredible reader reading everything at the second grade level already.

Teachers don't even ask her give her the same test they give everybody else. They're doing a sight word challenge right now and they make her spell the sight words in addition to just saying the.

Somehow Callie the dog got a hold of Caroline the American girl doll. Callie unfortunately chewed off one of Carolines hands. Elizabeth found out that there is an American girl girl doll hospital at their headquarters in Wisconsin. And that for a mere $60 Caroline can be rehabilitated rehab their urgent care center and sent back (in a hospital gown) as good as new.

Ironman Arizona 2013

I got in! Even now the enormity of the challenge ahead of me is thrilling, yet terrifying. I'm not afraid of the race itself, but I am afraid of me losing focus, motivation, and not doing my training like I need to. Probably a good reason to hire a coach.

Let's review this in 2016

http://www.thedaily.com/article/2012/11/08/110912-news-obama-promises/

P90X Day 1 & Out of the Mouths of babes

Chest and Shoulders and Ab Ripper X. Filled out my worksheet but man, my numbers are pretty pathetic. Well, I gave is close to 100% anyway. My pull up station is junk and I'm going to build a solid wood one in the back yard. Will update this with pics.

This new chapter in my life is courtesy of my ex company being acquired. I have a few weeks of freedom which I've never really had in my adult life.

There are a ton of things for me to do and I'm still in the process of organizing them around a central theme or direction. Lots of busy work without a goal will make the time disappear and at the end I'll be in a bind looking for a job.

My daughter said something quite interesting to me last night. I broke the news that I was without a job for the first time in my life. Her reply was "That's good because it didn't seem like your job was very much fun." Her words didn't resonate until I was in the shower a bit later when her observation suddently struck me like a bolt out of the blue.

She's absolutely right, it wasn't fun and that, perhaps, was one of the problems. I'm middle aged now and still very healthy but one can never take that for granted. So I guess that begs the question of just what would I consider a fun job?

• Bicycle Cop
• Race car test driver, mechanic
• NASCAR official
• River guide at the USNWC
• Bike shop mechanic
• Velodrome racer
• triathlete (too old to be pro)
• personal trainer
• Politician? (Ugh)
• Real Estate Investor?
• Contractor?
• bulldozer owner/operator?
• Tax preparer?
• professional organizer?

I can probably easily narrow down that list and perhaps that is really my first mission. For now, however, I have to finish this double gate I started yesterday. 

First class cads

I'm waiting respectfully just beyond the first class chute at a gate. I'm in first class thanks to an upgrade so wanted to be close to the front to make sure I get a good overhead spot. About six people went around me to stand actually inside the chute. When the incoming passengers disembarked, these people crowded their exit path. I

Where have our manners gone?

Audi A6 2.7T Gauge Cluster Computer Display Repair

The instrument cluster, gauge cluster, on my 2000 Audi A6 2.7T has been steadily losing pixels over time. If the car sat out in the hot sun, the entire LCD pretty much vanished and was unreadable.

The picture below shows what mine looked like (on a good cool day) vs the photo on the right of a perfect display:

After searching a little on ebay, I found out that you can purchase just the new LCD screen for about $60. I thought, surely if they're selling them on ebay, they must be pretty easy to change so I bought one (see next photo.) This was one of those mistakes for which you wish you had the benefit of hindsight.

Long story short, I found out that I can't solder a ribbon cable to a PC board and was left with a completely bright red center LCD display:

A little searching on the internet brought up www.modulemaster.com. This company specializes in repairing failed ABS modules and, to my delight, Audi gauge clusters. In fact, the picture at the top of this post is from their site.

First, drop the steering wheel all the way down and out.

I popped out my cluster by removing the u-shaped trim panel just above the steering wheel. It is held on by two spring clips on either side. Pull it straight out as bending it upwards may break the plastic tab that holds the spring clips.

Next you'll see two phillips screw heads above the steering wheel along the bottom edge of the cluster. Use a pretty large (#3) screwdriver as these are usually stuck. Use a magnet to make sure you don't drop them inside the dash.

Next you'll need to pull the cluster straight back by gently gripping the bottom edge and the two reset "sticks."Again, take your time and wiggle it until it slides forward.

Now, angle the cluster until you can get access to the 3 electrical connectors on the back (Blue, Gray, and Green.) Each of them has a little purple locking handle that you'll need to pry up with a small screwdriver. Gently pull them up and the connector will come right out.

Then, lean the cluster back and you should be able to work it out. Your dashboard will now look like this:

Now the easy part. Fill out the repair request on Module Master, ship it to them, wait a few days for them to receive it, fix it, and call you back with the total. They'll ship it back to you promptly (I got mine in two days.) It came in a big box with tons of packing, wrapped like a papoose, good enough to survive a 10,000 ft drop:

Reverse the steps above to install it (take care to open the purple handle on the connectors completely so that they will seat properly, the purple handle should close easily) and you should be rewarded with the following now perfect display. (My check engine light is another matter, the secondary air injection system pump is bad again) :

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/romney-gets-trump-nod-and-gets-off-stage--fast/2012/02/02/gIQAlGe8kQ_blog.html

When I heard the rumors this morning that Donald Trump was about to endorse Newt Gingrich, I was somewhat relieved for Mitt Romney. First, I should say I was a little surprised, that anyone would care who Trump, originally known as a businessman but these days more for being a celebrity, would endorse. But my relief was centered around the fact that lately crazy shallow minded hypocrites like Herman Cain are enthusiastically endorsing Newt. I thought it would bode well for Romney to have the hard core conservatives line up behind Newt...thereby keeping Romney attractive to the moderates.

Vanity Fair "The Dark Side of Mitt Romney"

I found this hatchet job on Mitt Romney to be illuminating, not from the standpoint of Romney's faults. But from the predictable attempt at positioning his steadfast character, analytical approach, and overall business success as negatives.

So let me get this straight, the man analyzes under-performing, sick, and dying companies then makes a calculated decision about how to invest, which paid off for his investment about 2/3 of the time and made millions for his investors, and this is somehow evil or dark? He pores over tons of data to identify redundancies and inefficiencies, yet this is not the kind of person we need in Washington? Its laughable.

Dell TouchPad suddenly stopped working

I went out of town the other day, which means something is going to go wrong in my house that I'll have to fix when I get back.

This time it was the touchpad on my wife's Dell Inspiron N5030 stopped working suddenly. The backstory is that she and my daughter were trying to find some funny kid videos on the internet when it suddenly stopped.

I hooked up a mouse and it worked just fine, but sure enough, the touchpad was completely dead. I suspected a hardware failure until I googled "Dell touchpad not working." In no time, I found the problem listed along with the solution on this link:

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?docid=424135

Luckily, it was just the touchpad enable/disable key which is located just to the right of the F12 key. It allows you to toggle the touchpad on/off. A very useful key for those who inadvertently hit the touchpad when typing text.

Garmin Edge 500 Mounting Tabs Broke Off

I attempted to replace my Edge 500 on my bike mount this morning as I've done hundreds of times since getting it in April of 2010. To my dismay, it fell off and when I checked the mount the two little mounting tabs (ears) on the back of the case were inside the bike mount. My heart sank thinking about having to trash a perfectly good unit.

A brief internet search reveals that more than a few other folks have had the same issue.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_printable;post=3140886;

I just emailed Garmin product support in the hopes they'll replace it for free. I'll post their response later. Fingers crossed!

Clinton Warns Tehran Against Iraq Encroachment - The Wall Street Journal.

It's nice to see the Obama administration warning Iran not to meddle in Iraq. On the other hand, if they can't resist, maybe our Nobel peace prize winning President will wipe the iran's nuclear program off the face of the earth.

The best outcome, of course, would be another Iranian green movement, which predates the Arab spring. Of course, maybe this time NATO would help.

I thought you would be interested in the following story from The Wall Street Journal.

Clinton Warns Tehran Against Iraq Encroachment

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204777904576649033562607332.html

The Wall Street Journal for iPad provides a new way to experience the Journal's award winning coverage, blending the best of print and online. Special features include:

• "Now" Issue featuring updated coverage throughout the day, with top article picks from Journal editors
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Click or tap the link below to download The Wall Street Journal from the Apple iTunes App Store.

http://www.wsj.com/ipad

Sent from my iPad

Acurite Wireless Thermometer, not dead yet

I own an acurite wireless thermometer that I purchased at Home Depot for around $16. It's worked flawlessly for a couple of years and mainly helps me figure out how to dress for my 4:30 am bike rides. I confess it's also been the cause of more than a few blown off rides, but I digress.

I learned that when the battery in the outdoor wireless sending unit fails, you can't just replace the 2 AA's. The indoor display and the outdoor sender will lose synchronization if you just replace the sensor batteries.

The proper battery replacement procedure is to remove the batteries from both display and sensor. Then put fresh batteries in the sensor. Next, within six minutes, put fresh batteries in the display unit. They should magically pair up immediately. If they don't, make sure both components are within 100 feet and repeat the battery replacement procedure. Good luck!

Obama's Team Ramps up attack on Romney

I guess this means Obama's team think Romney is going to get the GOP nod this time.

Axelrod fails the Pinocchio test with his rebuttals of Romney:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/the-obama-campaigns-spin-on-the-romney-tax-plan/2011/10/16/gIQAbIYUqL_blog.html?wpisrc=nl_pmpolitics

This past Friday, in a neighborhood just a couple of miles away from my own, a man was shot and killed while walking home from the coffee shop. A suspect was just arrested last night but we still don't know why he killed his victim. It appears to be a random attempted robbery.

This is another of those tragic cases where some punk who has never contributed anything worthwhile to society robs it of someone who has. I've posted Dr. Barber's obituary as a memorial to all his achievements and contributions. RIP Dr. Barber.

Robert Latimer Barber
Dr. Barber, 64, of Charlotte was taken from us April 22, 2011. His passing was tragic and sudden.
'Bob' was born July 14, 1946 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to the late John Marr Barber and Mary Jane Latimer. Bob graduated from Highland High School in Albuquerque, NM and went on to pursue his undergraduate studies majoring in economics at the University of New Mexico. He was a proud member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity like his father before him. Upon graduation in 1969, Bob worked at the family business, Ward Anderson Printing Co., as the assistant to the President. Bob later returned to UNM to complete a Masters of Arts in Public Administration in 1977. He worked for the Public Service Company of New Mexico from 1968 to 1985. Starting in the finance dept, he worked in audits, plant accounting, project management, and finally as Asst to the Senior VP for Financial Planning.
In 1985 Bob moved to Greensboro, NC after reconnecting with and later marrying his high school sweetheart Phyllis Allran. They were married for 10 years before her sudden and unexpected passing. In North Carolina, Bob got his start in health care, holding positions at Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, the Nalle Clinic and Mercy Hospital prior to joining Carolinas Healthcare System where he enjoyed a 19 year career. At CHS, Bob served in various capacities within the system including Managed Care, Finance and Administration. Most recently, Bob held positions as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer at CHS affiliate hospitals.
Bob proudly served to protect and defend his country, joining the NM Air National Guard in 1968. In 1979 he transferred to the Air Force Reserves with a promotion to Major. His many duties included: Supply Systems Officer, Disaster Preparedness Officer, and Administrative Officer to Commander of the 150th Communications Flight. He served the people of NC coordinating relief services as the Air Force Emergency Liaison Officer and played a prominent role during the flooding related to Hurricane Floyd. Bob was a highly decorated officer having been awarded the prestigious: Legion of Merit; Meritorious Service Medal (two awards); and Air Force Commendation Medal (three awards). Bob retired at the rank of Full Colonel from the military after a 33-year career.
Bob's own professional education culminated with the completion his Doctorate in Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1999. His commitment to the education of healthcare finance and administration professionals led him to adjunct faculty positions with UNC-Charlotte, MUSC, Pfeiffer University and the doctoral program at Central Michigan University - often times teaching for multiple schools in the same semester.
Over the years, his professional dedication lead to involvement and leadership positions in numerous organizations including National Guard Association of the United States, the Institute of Management Accounting, Institute of Internal Auditors, the National Association of Accountants, the Society for Management Information Systems, and Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). For HFMA, Bob served as president of the North Carolina chapter and was recently appointed to the national Board of Examiners. In addition he received numerous HFMA awards and commendations, including the prestigious Muncie Gold Merit award Founders Medal of Honor. Bob was devoted to a combination of community service and a host of hobbies. He was enthusiastic about motorcycles, classic cars, crossword puzzles, NASCAR, genealogy and NM Lobo's athletics. In New Mexico Bob competitively raced Corvettes and served on his state and national Corvette association. Bob also enjoyed competitive running and participated in events from Charleston, SC to Spokane, WA. Bob proudly gave his time to a number of service organizations including Jaycees and United Way. Bob had a special commitment to Rotary ClubInternational, serving as a life-long Rotarian, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
But above all, Bob was a dedicated family man. He met and fell in love with Debbie in 1997. Bob and Debbie married a year later at First Presbyterian Church, where they are members. His family grew to include her two sons, Eric and Brian Hartley. He embraced them as his own and served as a trusted mentor and friend while sharing in their growth and development as young men. Although tragically cut short, Bob and Debbie enjoyed a full life of happiness, laughter and travel.

At some time, maybe after a Windows security update or something, I noticed my hard drive was running constantly. Fearing that it would burn out, as well as drain my battery more quickly when unplugged, I searched the web for answers. I knew that it was some type of software "switch" that had been flipped. I tried stopping several processes to no avail. Finally I found this link which indicated it might be a Windows Search Index issue:

http://www.iishacks.com/2007/06/19/disabling-windows-search-in-vista-stop-hard-drive-running-constantly/comment-page-1/#comment-18475

After disabling Windows search, my hard drive seems to have calmed down significantly. Now it seems to be periodically accessed instead of constantly. Try it and let me know if you have similar luck.

Now I just need to find out how to properly configure my range extending router.

Going All Caveman

I'm hearing more and more about the "Cross Fit" movement and though I don't know much about it specificially, it sounds like something I would enjoy. I understand it involves weight training as well as agility movements which is something lacking in pure endurance training.

To go along with it, I read somewhere that the Paleo diet is a fave amongst the Cross Fit set so I bought the book last night. So far it sounds really intriguing though not really revolutionary. The basic concept is that you eat lean meats, fruits and vegetables and stay away from salt and dairy. Pretty much common sense if you know anything about nutrition. The nicest thing seems to be the suggestions for meals and weekly plans for getting you off of the grain-based, high carb eating and transitioning over to the Paleo diet. I'm going to commit to doing it for 3 months and see what happens.

Nutcracker music driving me nuts

The worst thing about being a character in the party scene of the Nutcracker is that the music gets stuck in your head. For many weeks on end, for hours at a time, we rehearse the party scene. The dances are all cued by the music. So not only do we have to listen to it, but we have to associate where we are on stage and all of the different dance moves to it.

I think the only way to flush out the constant music playing in my head is to replace it with other music.

I listened to "Guilty of the Crime" which is on the Eagles "Long Road out of Eden" CD and it did a pretty good job. Its catchy. Other music would probably work just as well, but I don't have a lot of time to listen to music.

Appigo Todo will not sync with MS-Outlook

I love using "Todo" from Appigo on my iPad. Recently it stopped synching, probably due to a software update on either my laptop/desktop or on the iPad itself. Efforts to reinstate synching proved mostly futile.

I finally got it working again after checking a few things (in no particular order.)
1. Verify the IP address is the same on both the iPad and Laptop. Actually the last field of the IP address can be different:
PC: 192.168.1.167
iPad: 192.168.1.69

2. Verify your PC firewall is not blocking Appigo Sync. Find out the port used by Appigo sync from the preferences screen. Then enter the IP address and port number into a new web browser window.
Example: http://192.168.1.167:51438

3. After doing both, my iPad could still not "see" my laptop/desktop. So I did a manual configuation in Todo, Synchronization. Voila! I was able to "see" my iPad on the PC client and I proceeded to authorize it and re-synchronize.

All appears to be right in the world again!

How do I back up my iPad data, not just the apps?

iTunes performs a backup when I connect. I'm not worried about losing music or photos as the originals all reside on my computer. However, I use my iPad for note taking and todo lists and must have backups of these files. I'm not sure if iTunes backs those up. Anybody know?

iPad Wi-Fi Weird No Connection Issue

http://ipadtouchworld.blogspot.com/2010/04/ipad-wifi-network-problems-weak-how-to.html

All of a sudden this morning my iPad wouldn't talk to my home Wi-Fi. My internet service is through AT&T U-Verse and my TV was fine. I could also connect my laptop to the internet just fine. But the iPad refused to connect even after 1. powering it on/off 2. doing a network settings reset and 3. doing an "all reset." I still suspected it was the iPad.

Then I noticed I couldn't print to my networked printer from my laptop. So I tried using my Verizon Wireless Mi-Fi card with the iPad and voila, it connected right away. So therefore I decided to reset my home router/modem.

I reset my home modem/router and all was good again.

NASCAR Hall of Fame Preview

 

We were fortunate enough to get a preview of the new NASCAR Hall of Fame this past weekend. Being a car guy and racing fanatic since about the age of 10, I was naturally thrilled. The HOF did not disappoint! There is plenty to do for both young and old. I bought a charter membership and will be spending a lot of time there in the future.

iPad: Use BOTH Google Calendar AND MS-Exchange Calendar

Just got my iPad yesterday and was frustrated that I could only have my MS Exchange calendar on it. Then I found this: http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=151674

I've said it before...Google is going to take over the world!

24 hours with iPad

I've had my new iPad now for 24 hours (it sat unopened in my house for a week while I was on vacation.) So far its everything I expected and I consider it a game changer. Why? For several reasons:

1. The mobile web on handheld devices has never been a satisfying experience. For years we waited patiently through WAP sites, text only mobile sites, painfully slow throughput (anyone else remember CDPD?)
2. I don't consider using a laptop to be a mobile experience unless you're in a passenger seat (Northwest pilots excluded.)
3. There's always been the need for a middle-device between a laptop and a handheld PC. I've craved a device that is big enough to read standard web pages but small enough to slip into a folio.

My hopes were raised when Bill Gates showed the first tablet PC (was it back in 2003?) But were dashed soon after when the devices themselves were still very bulky, very expensive, and had lots of quality problems (Gateway computers anyone?)

Los Gatos at dawn

Los Gatos, CA, is a beautiful little town. Mostly residential cottages and upscale and boutique shopping. Sort of reminds me of Carmel by the sea, but bigger...and not by the sea.

I stayed at the Los Gatos Hotel which also has an excellent Greek restaurant called Dia Deko and a spa. Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt apparently are regulars...although not at the same time unless they can first notify some paparazzi (in reference to their "coffee summit" of last weekend.)

Los Gatos is another place to add to my list called "Places I've been for business that I would love to re-visit with my wife but not for business."

Well Done, Los Gatians!

Google Perplexed

I flew in from Charlotte yesterday morning for a lunch meeting with an acquaintance at Google. Being a huge fan of Google (Don't Be Evil) for many reasons, I was very excited, to say the least, about setting foot on such "hallowed" ground.

I think it is safe to say I was impressed, but not overwhelmed to be there. I don't know if I had built up some kind of mythology about the place that was going to just wow me. I guess I was a little let down though but maybe my expectations were just too high.

It was a fun, vibrant, college-like atmosphere. I was there during lunchtime and young employees were bustling around. It was an overcast day so there was nobody on the volleyball court. I did see a few of the many fun objects d'art such as the dinosaur skeleton and shark fin. To be fair I also didn't actually go inside any of the offices, just one of the restaurants and we sat outdoors.

Don't get me wrong, I would still love to work there....and live in the south bay area. It's pretty nice, even with all the snails.

Garmin Edge 500 - Problem communicating with device

I got a brand new Edge 500 yesterday and went for my first ride today. Being very experienced with the Forerunner 305 I was looking forward to using this bike-centric upgrade.

I had a lot of trouble getting my files uploaded though. I normally use SportTracks but it doesn't seem to have support for the Edge 500 (as of 3/17/10.) So I tried GTC (Garmin Training Center.) Out of habit, I used the self-update check to see if there was a later version of GTC. It found a later version and installed itself. I was to find a problem with this later though.

First, I forgot I had to add the Edge 500 as another device so it took about an hour on/off to get to that point.

After you add it to your device profile you'll see this:



The next obstacle was that GTC failed to see the device. I tried using different USB ports, etc. I even connected my 305 and it popped up just fine. So after typing "Garmin Edge 500 - Problem communicating with device" into Google I found a post indicating that the GTC version might be the culprit.

Since I had already done the version upgrade I didn't think this was my issue. But I checked the version I had running anyway (Help, About) and to my surprise it was version 3.4.3. I know that I downloaded version 3.5.3 earlier.

Long story short, the software upgrade did not uninstall the previous version. I had to manually go to the program (program files, garmin, etc.) and created a desktop shortcut for the new version. After double-clicking that shortcut, I checked the version and got this:




Surprise surprise, my Edge 500 was found and my files were uploaded. Now I can get back to work on my training.

Bicycle Advisory Committee Appointment

BAC

I found out about an opening on the Charlotte Mecklenburg DOT's, Bicycle Advisory Committee a few months ago and, always having an interest in service, decided to apply. I have known councilman Andy Dulin since about 2001, when we both were doing triathlons. In fact, we did quite a few training rides together out in Mint Hill and even on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We suffered through the 2002 edition of the Bridge to Bridge incredible Century...which was so harsh it prompted Mike Magnuson to write a book ("Heft on the Bike.")

I inquired to Andy about it for several months but it never seemed to show up on the Council's agenda. Surprisingly, the other night I received 2 or 3 Twitter Tweets congratulating me on the appointment. I went to Andy's Twitter page and sure enough he Tweeted the news!

I'm both proud and nervous about this appointment. My goal is to expand the use of bicycles in our city not only for transportation but for recreational and just short errands. Too often I see folks jump in their car to drive 1/2 a mile when it would probably take less time for them to jump on a bike.

Thoughts on "Capitalism: A Love Story"

My wife and I decided to see Michael Moore's latest movie this past Saturday afternoon. Neither of us is overly active politically although we are of course very interested in the economy as well as curious about various points of view. Mr. Moore has always been controversial, at least to the majority of Republicans and certainly to conservative talking heads. But I found his old TV show, Real Life or something like that, very funny. He's always funny when interviewed and besides, only the truly wise look at all sides of issues. Only the narrow minded cling to their own idealogy or dogma in the face of criticism.

Although the title is Capitalism, I had no advance knowledge of the movie's theme. Was it going to be an argument against the economic theory of capitalism or a defense of socialism? Actually, I believe its mostly an indictment of greed and the profit motive as the cause of our society's downfall, and the financial meltdown of 2008. If that qualifies as being anti-capitalistic then I suppose he's achieved his goal.

The main theme of the movie is that this era of greed, started in the Reagan years, culminated in the meltdown. Along the way the wealthy saw their taxes cut down from 90% (which paid for most civil projects by the way) and corporate profits were inflated while thousands were laid off. Moore uses many powerful examples of the pain caused by greed to support his theme

* Rome fell due to the wide disparity between the rich and poor. I can accept this.
* Moore blames the failure of GM on capitalistic greed. If that is what made them make shoddy products in the face of Japanese competition without dealing with their cost problems then I can agree with that. However, I've followed the car industry since the '80's and remember one folly after another. (Pontiac Aztek anyone? K-Car? GM X-car? GM diesels?)
* Wall Street controls the Presidency (a clip of Donald Regan admonishing Ronald Reagan is priceless)
* A family thrown out of their farmhouse because their loan payment went from $1500 to over $2700. Moore doesn't explain what caused their loan to adjust. I guess the implication is that some predatory lender swindled them into an awful loan. I agree these folks were probably victimized and lured into a loan product that was terrible for them.
* So-called "Dead Peasants" insurance. Apparently your employer can take out a policy (or place a bet) that a certain number of employees will die. This makes sense from a statistical standpoint and surprisingly it doesn't seem to be illegal. The whole concept definitely seems unethical though. He used Wal-Mart as one illustration. The closing credits stated that Wal-Mart has now reversed this practice. This was a very troubling part of the movie.
* The employees of Republic Windows in Chicago staged a sit-in to protest Bank of America shutting down their company. This part was inspiring. I agree that the banks were protecting their profits while driving people out into the streets. BofA should have worked more with the company to extend their credit and the company should have given their employees ample warning of a a shut down.
* A homeless family in Miami decided to occupy their former house. It is heartbreaking to see families living in a truck while houses sit idle. They were probably victimized by a predatory lender as well. Their lender should have worked harder to come up with a solution for them. There should be more loan modifications and fewer foreclosures. Were they right to break back into their house? No. But this is not a singular problem. Their whole neighborhood was in foreclosure. Clearly something larger is at stake than just one house.
* Moore makes a leap though to claim that the Obama wave was driven by the "have nots" or the downtrodden and disenfranchised railing against the rich. Obama had a lot of rich supporters including Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. I think the Obama wave was mostly a social revolution IN ADDITION TO anti-George Bush backlash. You have to admit Bush's wars, bumbling ways, and alienation of practically the entire world made him extremely unpopular. Despite that Obama's win was not an overwhelming mandate. Certainly class uprising was a factor but don't discount anti-Bush, anti-Conservative sentiment and the desire among the liberal factions to make a statement about our country be electing a minority president. Look at the HUGE financial juggernaut behind Obama. Remember the $25,000 a plate dinner that Barbra Streisand hosted? What about Oprah's refusal to give air time to the other side? I am glad about the revolution and I am glad he is the President but let's not make his victory more than it was.

All in all I believe Moore accomplished what a good storyteller or movie maker should. He makes you think. He exposes the evil that most folk think just can't be out there. He makes the statement that capitalism is evil which I don't think he proves conclusively. But he definitely shows that evil is out there in the corporate world and that it is beyond time for people to recognize it and fight it. Something has to be done and he doesn't say that it needs to be communism or socialism, but right now we have greed, unregulated greed, running amuck. We have wall street honchos (such as Henry Paulson, worth $700million) operating at the highest levels of our government. In this, I have to agree with Moore that something must be changed.

Miscellaneous Musings

I just bookmarked the NPR mobile site (m.npr.org.) Now maybe I can start to become as smart as my ex-conservative friend who listens to it all day. Sheesh.

My friend told me yesterday that the moon is receding from the Earth at about 1.5 inches per year. I know that probably will affect the weather and tides here in a few centuries. I think its important to bring a little extra gas money just in case. Coincidentally, America seems to be getting farther from the "Son" every day. Think about that one for awhile!

Supply of Celebrities

Our nation's celebrities seem to be dropping like flies lately. Is the government doing enough to ensure a fresh supply?

Projects will help kids walk, bike to school - CharlotteObserver.com

Imagine kids walking and biking to school! Imagine lowering our country's out of control childhood obesity stats! Imagine a world free of Ho-Ho's and donuts! Imagine!

Projects will help kids walk, bike to school - CharlotteObserver.com

What does a total lack of ambition feel like?

I hate it when old men, I mean pretty old, call someone on the phone (like their wife) and when she answers they say "How You Doin'" like Joey from friends. It's just wrong.

I am writing this while sitting at an airport gate.

They say that character is how you behave when no one is watching. I think how employees act when they are not "on" also speaks volumes. I just passed two airline gate workers jawing with each other while riding (not walking) on a people mover.

Not only were they lounging on the people mover, but when I walked up behind them, they made no effort to let me pass. They continued their conversations about how hard their jobs are or some other blathering.

If I had an employee who moved so slow (well....not at all in this case) while they were on the clock I would fire them on the spot.

The other day I was wondering what it must feel like to have absolutely zero ambition. I think these two demonstrated to me that it feels pretty relaxing.

We are spoiled by our health insurance

John Stossel brought up an interesting perspective the other day. He pointed out that making insurance companies pay more is not the answer to the healthcare crisis. The problem is that we people have no stake in driving down the price of healthcare because it is free.

For comparison, he brings up that the cost of Lasik surgery has been driving down for years. Why? Because its not covered by health insurance. Make sense to me!

I started thinking that we treat our home and car insurance in kind of the same way. When something goes wrong with our plumbing or heating, we can a repairman, shop around for the best deal and go with one that meets all our needs. We don't call the insurance company! Imagine how much a plumbing or HVAC repair would cost if it was paid for by insurance? But if a tree falls on your house or something major happens, that is what insurance is for!

Similarly for your car. You don't charge tires, oil changes, and brake jobs to your car insurance provider. Insurance covers you in case of theft, accidents, etc.

Imagine if we applied that same kind of logic to health insurance. We'd shop around for the best prices on basic "personal" maintenance and minor repairs. Of course if we get cancer or some serious diagnosis then that is what insurance is for. That would save all of us money and make our system better because there would be price competition.

Of course the problem isn't this simple but this is the kind of mindset that would help. We need people to take responsibility for their own "maintenance" and basic upkeep. Insurance should be for unexpected, major, or catastrophic events.

Best product writeup ever?

BonkTown.com: Shimano America Dura-Ace Hollowtech Double Crankset - $223.99 - 53% off: "Shimano America Dura-Ace Hollowtech Double Crankset:

Mmm…sexy sexy. The Shimano Dura-Ace Hollowtech II Double Crankset is stiffer than a frozen boner, flashier than Liberace, and lighter and hotter than a pair of titanium panties. The sleek two-piece design, oversized spindle and hollow-forged crankarms trim every last gram of fat while simultaneously boosting system rigidity. Near-seamless construction means unmatched power transmission to the custom machine-lightened Dura-Ace chainrings, pickle-crisp shifting, and a lust factor that will parch the salivary glands of your comrades."

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Catching Up Today

OK, well yesterday.

Yesterday morning we were shocked to hear the pitter patter of little feet coming down the hall at around 8 am. You see Caroline woke up (again) during the middle of the night and Elizabeth put her in John's bed (since John was at a friend's house.) Caroline normally sleeps in a crib. She apparently woke up and realized she wasn't in prison and was able to slide to the floor upright. It seems like a small thing but it was definitely a milestone!

My email box this morning contained my long anticipated invite to Google Voice. I just finished setting up my new number, 704-759-6140, and can't wait to figure out how to use it. The VM transcription looks pretty cool!

On the personal side, its Tuesday and its been since Saturday afternoon that I last did any exercise. Granted that was the finish of a 140 mile bike ride that wore me out! I also did yard work for about 6 hours in the 92 degree heat on Sunday. So I guess I've actually only slacked off yesterday and today....and its only 9:20 on Tuesday. Perhaps I'm being too hard on myself. I'll get out and do something in the afternoon!

Monday....Yuck

Well, this is about day 5 of our P90X commitment. I hesitated and almost wrote "experiment" instead. But that sounded too indecisive and uncommitted. Today's video was "legs and back" and it was a killer. I rode 17 miles on my road bike right before the workout so that may have contributed to my weakness. I only got through about 40 minutes of the video before I was getting light-headed. That recovery/protein shake never tasted so good.

It's been an adventuresome past few weeks. I've been riding my new Trek Madone 5.2 road bike every other day which has been awesome. It feels great to get back out on it. I miss doing group rides but it will be awhile before I can hang with one and work it into my schedule.

I'm also on about the 4th week of my wealth building mentorship program with Donald Dy. So far we've restructured my debt and are now working on my strategic plan for the next 10, 5, 4, 3, and 1 years. This all very exciting.

Family wise, we went on a beach vacation for 4 nights/5 days to North Myrtle Beach a few weeks ago. We stayed at the Avista Resort which was pretty much perfect for our situation. There was plenty to do at the resort and the area around was OK. We did mini golf one day and everyone got a little sunburned. Caroline had a wonderful time in the sand and surf.

Speaking of Caroline, she is now 2 yrs and almost 3 months old. I continue to be amazed at her energy and her speaking ability. She speaks in complete sentences and is able to give commands, tell what she wants and doesn't want, and generally speak her mind at all times. Except when we want her to speak, like on the phone with Grandma or to other people. She has those shy tendencies that I remember from my own childhood.

Yesterday she rode her first carousel. It was in the center court of Concord Mills Mall. She was enthusiastic about doing it...as long as I was going with her. Actually, she agreed to accompany me. However, she protested against actually sitting on the horse and being belted on. Once the ride started and she was able to see Mommy go by, she got into it. She even started singing "up and up" remembering her ride on a real horse (named Rugby) from a few weeks ago. We rode it one more time and this time she did even better. Another fear conquered.

Now if we could just get her to sleep all night. Last night she woke up and said "I scared" for the first time. Heartbreaking to know that she's not only dreaming but entering the age of nightmares.