BLADE: Space Coast Classic

[This entry is ATF.]

I should have run. I could have run. Frick, but I had a good Sunday run (ATF), so s'okay nonetheless.

I woke up all unhappy again because of it was the second night of not-so-good sleep. Plus it was 6:15am, and it wasn't even counting towards my mileage this week.

Anyways, I got to Windover Farms around 7am, 1/2 hour before the race. I couldn't find the RD, so I just got back in the car and followed the course to the first water station. The Gatorade was mixed and the cups and extra jugs of water were there by its lonesome. I kept the car radio going and proceeded to fill the cups - half of them with mix, half of them with water. Circa 7:20, the baton-twirlers (3) and a couple parents showed up. Being in their mid-teens, they weren't as enthusiastic to help as the little kids. Being early in the morning at a race that I really wanted to run in, seeing that there were enough help there was hard to swallow. There were four people in my age group running in the race, so I'll be at most 5th in the standing after this race... and that makes me not smile so much.

Anyways, I took some photos of the runners as they passed by -- didn't so much pass out water. I did make a quick walk-through to pick up the discarded cups, which was met with a lot of thank-you's, so yay's and you're-welcome's to the runners... they are so nice. After 30-minutes (gun-time), we all cleaned-up/packed-up and headed to the finish line. I helped with the timing, and while there, took some pictures of people I knew as they finished... got some good ones. And I'm glad to have gotten a picture of Steve since Kelly had missed it.

Yeah, there were a lot of "Did you run?" and "Why didn't you run?", which I guess was fine. This was a known sacrifice... and it was my own hope of possibly running that bummed me out. It would've been a PR, but there'll be opportunities in the future for finishing my first 15K.

It was cool to see Dave and Robin back at the pavilion and to see Rebecca and her baby girl; and it was nice cleaning up the area with Sue. I managed to finish up the 256MB CF card. This time, I'm not rushing to send out photos/links-to-photos - I just can't handle it... hopefully it won't turn into one of those things that bugs me ALL FRIGGIN' WEEK.

Anyways, I did manage a number of really good photos from the experience. Here are a few:

Steve making the turn at mile 2:

The Hawaiian girls:

Air Force Guy presiding over the finish chute:

Little Girl waiting for the kid's race to start:

Doina finishing:

Dave and Robin. (Hey Dave, are you flirting with me?! jk)

Me and my oranges:

After everyone left, I took my blades for a 40-minute-ish ride around the neighborhood - guessing 5 1/2 miles. I was tired, hungry, and fidgety. I didn't have the same confidence I had at Gay Skate since I was on real asphalt sans wrist-guards plus my knees wouldn't've been able to handle anything resembling a fall. So it was a mixed-bag experience. I spotted three cranes in a person's front lawn; one of the birds had an arrow sticking out from its hind quarters... and my opinion about the general population falls.

And the rest of the day didn't do much to make up for it.

Needing to use up a $5 Best Buy coupon, I headed down Wickham, but decided to stop by the Asian grocery store off on Sarno. I ended up buying a few things that I pretty much immediately regretted buying:a lychee drink that didn't live up to the kitsch-factor I had put on it, homemade-puto that I knew I wouldn't've liked, and coconut-filled buns that smelled worse than ass (once I got home, I warmed up a couple and all that did was spread and imbed the odor into the house... yay).

Next was Best Buy. I get to the parking lot and it's packed. In driving up and down the one-way lanes, I end up flicking off a guy for going the wrong way and having the nerve to give me the "what's up" gesture... yeah, so I flicked him off. He tried to confront me when I walked into the store, but I told him to look at the friggin' arrows on the ground next time: the parking lot lanes were one-way, asshole. My flicking off the bastard was justified. I was right, and I really wanted someone tell me that I was right (because I was).

Once I got home, I was through. Spent. Dead. I watched a few episodes of Gilmore Girls as I transferred race photos onto my computer, then showered and got into bed. It was 7pm. I cried a bit at the idea of loving someone who is situationally-unavailable, then I fell asleep - I needed an emotional release since I have a habit of refraining from sinning when I have a romatic prospect. And that was probably Tmi but that's fair game for this blog... the nugget of ooooh and aaaah that is rightly-deserved for actually reading these lengthy self-indulgent musings.

So "yay" and "good-for-you" for getting this far. And in hindsight (since this entry is ATF), it just set me up for a better Sunday. I really needed the sleep.

EVENT: Gay Skate!

What a night of exercise... with this and with running. I wore my fabulous brown and pink flower-print beach shorts I bought from Wal-Mart ($5, holla!). Totally comfortable because I went commando (it's a pair of swimming trunks, if that matters... tmi nonetheless, I know I know). Anyways, I wore my own blades and practiced the knees-kissing, crossovers, skating backwards, and my transitions front-to-back/back-to-front. I fell a few times, but they were worth it if I got a laugh or two. I'm taking one for the team. I saw the officers (Lee, Daniel, and Jeff) and also got to meet a few new people: JC and Troy, Sandy, Donnie, and Patrick. I had a nice time... knees are a bit banged up from the falls... and had someone in mind all night. It gave me confidence and comfort, and I couldn't ask for any more.

BLADE: 4 miles, WM&tA

         
Today, I bladed to Wal-Mart to pick up the new and final book (the Thirteenth) in Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. This excursion was my adventure for the day.

It was my first time taking my blades out for a utilitarian purpose (... somehow that doesn't sound right...). I brought a change of shoes and some money in my mesh backpack, tightened my blades all the way this time, and took off. I still felt slow... like I was using a mountain bike for a road race, but I figure that I have a few months before it really matters.

After WM, instead of heading home, I decided to head to the Avenue. Yesterday, I gave up stopping at the Q-Cup in Orlando for a bubble tea, so I decided to treat myself with some bubble tea at the Asian Too -- lychee slushie. Then I headed back... in orange shorts and a yellow vest, drink-in-hand... I felt chic.

At the roundabout, there was a crowd of a dozen vultures working on an armadillo that had been hit. It was interesting to see them deal with oncoming traffic and vice versa. I had to take a moment.

So that's today's adventure... was going to head out for a show, but I feel like I've spent so much money so far this weekend, and tomorrow's pride in Orlando. The rest of the day is for domestic dutes.

BLADE: 26 miles @3:02, WOT

[This entry is ATF.]

Above is a map of the West Orlando Trail.

The night before, I had somewhat spontaneously planned on this mini-adventure for after my quick visit to Disney -- the West Orange Trail was something healthy and a chance to explore an unfamiliar part of Florida. From BV, I took the backroads, which was a refreshing drive. And it led me to Winter Garden and to a Publix where I picked up some lunch (chicken strips and papas). The people there were very friendly, and in the produce section, I swapped smiles with a super-hot cop -- for a moment, I considered moving to Winter Garden.

[hey... I was in a new town. I made good-and-proper eye contact with people, feeling totally confident. :) ]

After a detour into Clermont, I found the County-Line/Killarney Station, Mile 0 of the West Orange Trail. I bought a couple of GU's at the bike/blade shop&rental store, had my lunch, then took off onto the trail.

I was planning on blading 5 miles out, 5 miles back, but that went by so quickly, I decided to go to mile 7, then 9, then 13. The trail was beckoning me to go a little farther, a little farther, a little farther... there were changes of scenery: blading by people's backyards, through a small town, on country trails, behind a golf course... with every half-mile dutifully marked and posted. There were a number of places where I could fill my bottle back up with water, as well as plenty of benches along the way. I just couldn't help thinking about how Melbourne could really use a trail something like this.

Having bladed 2 miles at the most, I realized that I was semi-delusional to go for an impromptu inline marathon. My legs were rough on the way back and the last 6 miles were torture. I didn't stop though, and it was worth it -- 26 miles in 3:02 comes out to a 7:00-minute-mile [even] pace! I'd only have to do that and/or better for Disney next April. I'll have more training by then, and I'll probably have someone take a look at my shoes. I shouldn't be struggling that hard to maintain a 7-minute mile pace. Oh well.

The whole trip was a very nice one, especially when you were well-fed, well-hydrated, well-wornout, and have interacted with friendly andr super-attractive, smiling people. I stopped at a 7-11 on my way home an got myself a small, pink slushie. I passed out on the floor once I got home. It was a good day.

Here are some pictures from the trail:










And back to Mile 0: