Getting Bumped

The makeup lunchtime swim did not happen because of a high school swim meet that was going on. I didn't even think of checking the schedule online, so live and learn. I got bumped by a bunch of high schoolers!

We watched The Polar Express with the boys tonight, and enjoyed it very much. We've had this movie out before, but for one reason or another I'd never watched it. Both of my guys really liked it, but the younger one especially since he didn't remember watching it a couple of years ago when he was only two. Now that he's four he really understood the movie and was riveted throughout the whole thing even though it ended way past his bedtime.

The only exercise I managed today was push ups as part of that whole getting to 100 by Christmas thing. The sets went 22-30-20-20 and then I maxed out at 46 to end the first week of the plan. Tomorrow morning I'll be heading out for an easy 8k, and then we're off to pick up the "new" car. I received a call from the dealer today to update us on the results of the safety inspection, and was pleased to hear that the tires did not pass so they put a new set of Michelin's on for us. I must admit that even though it was obvious as anything that the tires were pretty much devoid of tread I was expecting the mechanic doing the inspection to pass them. Perhaps I have become too cynical or something, but used car dealers have a bad reputation and this experience seems to be the exception to the rule. They also changed the wiper blades, did an oil-lube-filter job on it, and although they couldn't fix the cable that runs from the lever by the driver's seat to the trunk lid in time, the part has been ordered and once it arrives they will install it for us. So far I have nothing but positive things to say about Pickard Lane Leasing of Bolton, Ontario. I just hope the car proves to be a good one.

Without Limits (Except when it comes to facial hair)

Last night I watched the movie Without Limits. I picked it up on Tuesday while grocery shopping for $5! How could I lose, right? Naturally, I couldn't and the movie did not disappoint. I enjoyed it very much, though I would not call it cinematic genius or anything. I could have done without the whole college crush angle, but the race scenes were great and Billy Crudup is Pre reincarnate - the resemblance is eerie! My main impressions were that Steve Prefontaine was a tremendous runner (duh!), Donald Sutherland is great and still Canadian (duh?), Monica Potter shares a first name with my wife (duh?), and I can't grow a mustache so will never be able to play Steve Prefontaine in another movie about his life (d'oh!). Yes, that's the only reason why I couldn't play Pre. What? Lack of speed? No muscle tone? CGI people, C.G. friggin' I.!

(I do realize that facial hair is easily done with makeup, but that would cheapen the whole thing don't you think?)

Anyway, after that movie I am even more motivated to run, and visit Oregon again cuz the view from Bill Bowerman's fictional home was awesome! However, I am sticking to the new plan and did not run today. Instead, I made my way through the rain on my bike to the swimming pool for another lunchtime swim. The process can be summed up with "wet-dry-wet-dry-wet-dry". I sound like a broken record here, but once more the thing lasted 2000m in 30 minutes, and I am NOT getting any faster... Maybe if I could grow a mustache like Mark Spitz then I might be able to play him in a movie, and gain some speed? Hmmm... Damn lack of facial hair has been holding me down all this time and I am just waking up to these shackles! But at least I save on expensive razorblades. Is it just me, or are these things made of oil or something because the price of a set of blades has gotten ridiculous! I say they're the reason the economy is tanking like the Exxon Valdes, not sub-prime mortgages. Unless, of course, you have to borrow money to buy disposable razor blades...

This afternoon I was supposed to get another treatment at the chiropractor's, but they had my office phone number noted incorrectly and so I never got the message that he was sick. Two issues with this thing: 1. for some reason, to them my "4" looks like a "5" on the form I filled out (and apparently it's my fault!), and 2. they can't refund the charge onto my credit card for the prepayment I made for the session! Say what? Your swipey machine thing is somehow missing the minus sign or something? There is nothing that sours me more on a business than poor customer service. Good impressions last until the next visit, bad impressions last forever and some people just don't get that.

Anyway, tomorrow is another off day, and perhaps I will try to elaborate on my developing racing plans for 2009. If you haven't noticed, the list on the right side of this page is growing and I am getting more and more excited about the prospect of running lots of races next year. The question remains, how much is too much?

Movie Night with the Boys

We watched Kung-Fu Panda tonight, this being the not too uncommon "movie night" for the boys, and it was a lot of fun. I don't know how much of the movie either one of them actually got, but there were plenty of parts that they absolutely found hilarious. Lots of physical humour, as much as that is possible in cartoon form. I also found it quite funny. On a more serious note, the one line I think I will always remember from this movie is, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery, and today a gift. That is why they call it a present." Hmmm...

On the running front I have no news. The foot is sore, but mostly from the plantar fascia that the good doctor rubbed the hell out of yesterday. I am looking forward to finding some new shoes since the more I think about it the more I am convinced that my current pair is not helping matters, but rather exacerbating the problem. Also, thank you all for your kind comments that reinforce the idea that the right footwear helps to prevent injuries. There are some articles out there about the myth that expensive running shoes are better than cheap ones, but these "studies" are debunked by some sound arguments. In the end, a cheap shoe may work for you, and if so then great. It's kind of like a good cheap wine to a wine drinker - if you like it then the lower price just makes it that much better, but has nothing to do with the taste.

G'night!