So I’ve been a bit delinquent in my swimming these days… a grand total of 2 swims since my Lake O Crossing last summer. One at Christmas with my son, Dylan, who was back from University of Maryland (and who made me feel even more out of shape than I was… note to self: don’t swim with fast people when you haven’t been swimming!)… and once with my 15 year old daughter yesterday. We did a weenie 3k swim in which I drafted off her all the way… and then finished by racing a 50 fly, 50 back, 50 breast & 50 free… she soundly thumped me in backstroke and we tied in fly… but the old man still had it in free and breast! A proud, proud day… or as she put it “oh ya dad, impressive you can beat a 15 year old girl!” Whatever, I’ll take the victories where I can get them these days! 😉
But that’s not what I came here to talk about… I came to talk about what I’ve been doing while not swimming. Running. Well, running and drinking. Hey, this is a swimming AND tri group right?! I just needed a bit of a break from swimming after last year, but my appetite for the water is coming back, that’s what a winter of running will do for you! I wouldn’t recommend my program of training, but I like to mix things up… just for the fun of it.
Scott, David, Rick, Mark, Alex, Darren, Jackie, Brenda, Melanie, Peter & Rob
And speaking of fun and “training”… take our second annual Pub Run last weekend for example. As I pointed out to Melanie prior to the “race”, when she was concerned if she could keep up with this group of very speedy runners: “well, it is quite a serious and highly competitive race… and run at a torrid pace… so I’m not sure if is really fit for a girl”… but given that she can knock’em back with the best of the boys and is probably in better shape than me right now… we let her run too! 😉
I have no idea how far it was, I’d like to call it 5k, but I think I heard Scott say it was only about 4k. However, I’m sure if one was to trace my footprints in the snow the weaving would have added another km anyway! And the time? Well, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who even started their watch… and I did remember to stop it some time after the run finished… not sure when though… but it said 1:40. No idea how long it took us last year… so I’ll call it a PB! woohoo!
We started at “The Gingerman”… then off to our usual Wed night post-run watering hole, “The Kings Arm’s” for our first beer at each pub… then Scott took us on some crazy route that almost created a mutiny… the next pub was too close to the Kings Arms so he had to stretch it out to about 1 km… then we ended up at “The Southside Cottage Grill”… kinda got me all misty-eyed as we used to come here for years when it was Prime Time… or it coulda been the beers catching up to me… to the other pub of royal body parts, “The Queen’s Head”… it was one of the few places that had a
reasonable crowd in it when we got there and we seemed rather “boisterous” and got a few looks from the patrons that needed to do some catching up… but it reminded me of the immortal words of the famous poet… Billy Joel… “I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints… the sinners are much more fun”… and with that beer down we were soon
off to “O’Finn’s Irish Temper”… we always say we should go there more often, except that it’s far too nice for people of our sweaty stature… or as another favorite philosopher of mine, Karl Marx… oops, no… Groucho Marx, use to say “I’d never belong to a club that would have me as a member”… although the very friendly employees certainly made us
feel quite at home and wanting to come back! But alas it was time to move on… and back
to the start at the Gingerman again! As per last year’s experience we had all the spouses, friends and DD’s join us for a delicious, well-lubricated lunch at the Gingerman!
As you can see from the pics, Scott planned (or didn’t plan, depending on who you ask) a beautiful day in the sun and snow for the gang! A great bit of “training” and levity for the middle of February! Just good fun.
Cheers,
Rob