Pick #316

Steely Dan - "Dirty Work" from Can’t Buy a Thrill

My Updated Bio Stats

I learned some things about myself as a result of participating in a research study.  The study is trying to determine the effect of a supplement product on delayed onset muscle soreness.  The focal point of the study is making me run downhill for an hour (on a treadmill) then measuring how sore I am the following three days.  Before we get there, they are doing some blood work and made some biometric measurements.

...I'm 6'1" tall!  Thought I was 6 feet flat.

13.9% body fat!   I have about DOUBLED my body fat since the last study I did.  I used to be at 7.3%-7.5%.  Perhaps this is due to a different person testing me.  All three readings were performed with the caliper method, which has a fairly wide variance.  I doubt that I was ever really down at 7.5%, probably closer to 9%.  I'd like to think that I'm not at 14% right now but I've not been training so much and my diet is pretty crappy compared to other times in my life.

My VO2max went from 77mlO2/kg body weight/minute a few years ago to 64 today.  I have to do another VO2max test and I hope to get at least a couple points higher.

Unappreciated for Tri the Rez

I had requested free entry to Tri the Rez this year, but the Triathlon Club at FSU has declined my request.  We had a little meeting tonight to discuss why.  Basically, the club does not think that I deserve a free race entry just because I founded the race and served as race director for two years.  The race earned $100 the first year, $1,000 the second year, and $5,000 last year.  I was not race director last year, but much of that money is due to the reputation that I built in the first two years.  I did race for free last year and it was amazing.  I got race number 1 and the best spot in transition.  It was the most fun I've ever had in a race because I got to see my course in action.  I think it is completely fair to get  a free race entry at a minimum for each year I was RD.

Let me also mention that I took a big gamble on this race.  The club did not have any money at the time, so I financed Tri the Rez the first year on my credit card, hoping that I could attract enough entry fees to cover the costs.  My gamble paid off and the club was the beneficiary.  I cannot believe that they told me that I should not be rewarded for this past gamble.

The club sees this race as a fundraiser and thinks that letting me race for free will detract from the profits the race earns.  They're right about that.  I predict the race will make $8,000 this year.  It would have made $0 if I had not started it.  When I asked what they would do with the extra money they made from my entry they did not answer.  When I asked again, the question was evaded again.  The race would not be harmed in any way by giving me free entry.

In all the service that I did for the club, Race Director was the toughest.  It's way harder than president or treasurer.

I don't care about the money, but a nice gesture would be great.  Turns out that I ended up with a $15 discount versus what everybody else pays right now...how generous.  I told the officers never to ask me for anything else to help "the club."  I will still help individual members as I always have, but this feels like a giant stab of betrayal from a club to which I have given so much.

I really wish I could go on a run and think about this/cool off, but I'm a participating in an exercise research study tomorrow and I'm not allowed to run! #firstworldproblems

Battle of the Bridges Race Report

Got a bit of free time so I'll give a race report from this morning.

Although Battle of the Bridges has sprint and "olympic" distances, the olympic bike is 26 miles (but Jimmy said his cyclocomputer read 27 miles!!).  I finished 3rd in my age group, 15th overall (out of about 160 men who did olympic distance), and 2nd for FL State.  Jimmy beat me by about 36 seconds...most of that coming from the swim.  I saw him on the run and tried to catch him, but he stayed strong.

Age group results.  Overall results.

I got up early and my mom made me breakfast :). We left on time and got to the race with plenty of time to spare.  Unfortunately, I had to rack my bike by the seat.  The swim start was gentle at first, then bottlenecked and I got sandwiched between a few guys.  I swam a bit off course because it was hard to sight on the buoys before the sun rose.  I also must have completely missed a sight buoy because I thought I was supposed to go straight at the first turn.  I had a bit of difficulty in T1 because my helmet buckle went in funny and I had to get it out then re-buckle it properly.  I also wiped the condensation from my sunglasses while I was there.  I flew on the bike course...well, it looks like I averaged 21.9mph, but there were some bridges on the course.  I left my legs on the bike course and my glutes hurt a lot for the first 2 miles of the run.  I ran in 45:12 which I thought was terrible, but the winner ran in 41:35 so I don't feel too bad.

After the race, I went on a service call with my mom &; dad then to lunch at Long Doggers, where we had a $10 coupon.  After that, we went to the beach and I transferred all the pictures he had taken to my computer.  Got dropped off at Alison's house and we're carpooling back to Tally in maybe an hour.

Pick #315

Cold War Kids - "Hang Me Up to Dry"

Fine the Candidates

I decided while watching the debate last night that presidential candidates should be fined for every provable falsehood that escapes their mouths.  They can be given some leeway with percentages, maybe a +/- 5% band...for instance, no fine if they say something decreased 30% and the actual figure is 34%...but there is a fine if they say it decreased 80%.

The fine schedule would have to be written in a firm way, but somehow account for the size of the misinformation.  The fines collected could be contributed to something that all candidates agree on like medicaid for the current candidates or "education" for everyone ever running for office.  Maybe it could be applied to our national debt.  Whatever the case. they appear to need incentives other than looking foolish upon review to keep their tongues in check.

Body Image

I just saw a flyer about a course that "will trace the evolution of the 'ideal' American woman from the pre-colonial period to the modern era..." and talk about "the pervasive cultural pressures stressing conformity to a single norm."

I'm certainly not an expert in the field, but I will argue that there are currently cultural pressures stressing conformity to multiple norms.  Take a look at "hipster chicks" with their tattoos, piercings, and atypical hair styles versus "sorority girls" who all need to be tan with blonde hair.  "Guidos" from Jersey Shore follow a different aesthetic than the "girl next door."  Athletes have different ideas of ideal, even among themselves: swimmer girls have wide shoulders and runners are thin.  Triathletes fall in the middle while roller derby girls try to get bigger.  "Nerdy girls" wear glasses and cardigans and "rich girls" wear expensive clothes and jewelry.  There is obviously not one standard.  In fact, there is a scene in Scrubs where JD is dating a black girl and asks Turk for advice.  Turk says that the only thing different about dating a black girl is that when she asks you if her butt looks big you reply "hell yeah!"

Any woman can be beautiful.  Self confidence is a major factor in projecting that beauty for others to see.  I think that each girl should do whatever makes her feel the best and most beautiful without trying to adhere to a single norm.  "Hippies" won't want to dye their hair blonde and wear expensive jewelry...in fact, that might not be the best option for them.  However, some girls will want to pull a mix-n-match of things that are found to be appealing by other groups.  A girl who is nerdy, athletic, and has tattoo sleeves can be very attractive.  I don't believe that there is a single norm, nor should there be.  Everyone ought to pursue their own path to beauty, even if that path does not lead very far.  Those without interest in beautification need not invest much time or effort in pursuit of physical appeal to others.