That Halloween Shuffle

So I was minding my own business, traveling south of Inman Middle School toward Ponce when some young guy in his 20s passes me.

But, he doesn't realize that it's all uphill on that road to Ponce. So I step it up and dust him.

I turn up the road to a double set of even harder hills, in case he wants to give chase.

But I end up all by my lonesome. It really pays to have confidence running hills.

New skillz, old friendz

So when I got home I had about a half-hour left to get my bike over to the bike shop so I could get my flat tire fixed.

I wheeled it to my car and was about to take the rear tire off with the quick release when I noticed ... the brakes aren't quick-release. You have to hex wrench those puppies off.

I mean, I could take a deflated tire off but there would be no way I could put an inflated one back on again without loosening the brakes apart.

So I wheeled the bike back to my apartment and figured out how to do it. I tested putting the back wheel back on a few times before just taking the tire to Atlanta Cycling, where they kindly changed the tube in the tire for me even though it was their closing time.

Elated, I came back home and put the tire on and reset the brakes. And wheeled it around the coffee shop for a test spin. Only thing, the brakes didn't slow the bike down.

I hadn't set the brakes properly, or tight enough. I finally did, but now I'm carrying around a hex wrench on my keychain, not willing to trust my handiwork.

But the main thing is I'm really proud of myself that I figured it all out. I love having grease on my hands. I credit poker's analytics for giving me the patience to figure it all out.

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Also today, I ran into my old friend Sara on the PATH trail on the way to work. I love the connections biking to work gives you as opposed to the car commute!

Good to have a spare

This morning, as I was about to wheel out the door, I noticed that my rear tire was flat.

So I had to pump up the tires of my Cannondale mountain bike.

What a difference! It's low to the ground and not nearly as fast -- a road bike passed me and I could not keep up!

My legs ached as if I hadn't been biking for a while.

Guess this will ensure that I get my other bike back on the road.

Hot/cold

It dropped about 10 degrees in between tonight's run.

Take the A-Train

Oh, forgot to mention -- this is a nifty way of finding your way around the city, on foot, on public transportation, or on bicycle, or a combination of them all.

Link here.

The limits of windbreakers

Rode this morning (7-7:30 a.m.) and it was 46 degrees, at the very edge of comfortability with my windbreaker and a T-shirt.

My new Cat Eye Opticube did well, as did its little cousin, the blinky LED.

Surprised to see dog walkers on the PATH before daylight.

Running to a natural beat

Took off my headphones running down Virginia Avenue tonight as the hill picked up the sounds of the bands playing at Grady.

Temp: 58 degrees
Gear: T-shirt, shorts (was cold again for first 8 minutes but was fine later)

First for the season

Went out tonight for a run- had to wear a windbreaker but took it off about 10 minutes into the run.

Temp: 56 degrees

New toys

Went to REI today because my Cat Eye 1500-candlepower Power Opticube wasn't working properly when I rode to work on Sunday.

So I bought another one of those, plus a 3-LED front headlamp, the kind that flashes.

Also found some gloves and a thermal skullcap, which my helmet fits over, for the winter commute. It has enough room so I can pull it over my ears.

Yay!

One year anniversary

I was looking through my old running logs and it turns out that today is the one-year anniversary of my running push last year.

For the last 365 days, I ran 1,170.37 miles, missing only six days of running.

Here's to more miles! W00t!

Going long and seeding clouds

Yesterday I just had the urge to run for a while. So I started out from home, down Virginia to 10th Street and onto the famous Peachtree. It's great to run through different areas, not only for variety but also because you see lots of things you wouldn't normally see, especially in a car.

A big portion of Midtown on Peachtree between 10th and 14th streets is under construction, one area with just a big gaping hole like when I visited Ground Zero in New York a year after the terrorist attacks.

I made my way down past the art museum and to the Borders where I would usually go on those runs to take advantage of the water fountain and read poker books.

I was glad though that I made a slightly longer-than-usual run for Day 290 -- my ankle didn't hurt, my newer shoes felt fresh.

Best of all though was being able to take down half a pitcher of Leiny's Sunset Wheat with a rack of ribs with Sham later on at Manny's. (No way did either one of us finish the rack + 1/2 each that the generous staff gave us)

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This morning I was halfway through my commute to work when I felt drops of rain. Short of me deciding to wash my car, being outside on a bike with no windbreaker is like cloud seeding for the chance of rain.

Luckily though I was able to make it to work without a lot of rain pouring down. Going home will be another story, however...

Indian summer

It's gone back to being (to me) unseasonably warm, I rode without windbreaker this morning to work.

The running's been okay as well. I went back to my newer A5s and did some huge hills last night, choosing to wait until it was cool outside and also wanting to not take the routes of all the other runners out on Highland.

Day 287-288- ankle

On the last two days of running, my left ankle has almost felt flat, that is not giving me very much bounce in the beginning of runs.

I switched from a newer pair of Clone Trooper shoes (106.8 miles) to my older pair (333.8 miles) but I think I may break open one of my six fresh spare pairs.

We'll see how it goes.

Passing lane

Tonight I was making my way down Virginia Avenue near Inman Middle School when some kid with earphones passes me.

When he was about 30 feet in front of me I discovered his rate of speed wasn't nearly so fast anymore.

So I dusted him. At the stoplight I cut up the ginormous hill behind the school so if he wanted to pass me again, he'd have to really be sucking wind.

But nothing. If you're going to pass people, you need to put it out of reach or look silly when you're re-passed.

Chilly chilly

Riding into work today I wished I had light gloves to cut the wind. I wanted to pull the sleeves of my windbreaker over my hands but that kept me from using the brakes so I didn't do that.

Ran yesterday from home to Emory to grab food at Doc Chey's. I feel like my running legs -- especially on the hills -- are back and my range is extending again.

The chill is near

My run for Day 283 yesterday was super race-pace, I was like one of those horses that freaks out from the starting gun and you never see again. I couldn't stop running fast!

I think it had to do with my new running shoes having about 90 miles on them, so they are finally broken in, the colder weather making it easier to run without redlining, and two days off from the bike so my legs wanted the same effect as cranking up huge hills.

In the nick of time

I was on the Freedom Park bike path, about the same place where I discovered my flat tire in June, when it started to rain.

Of course I didn't have any rain gear. Didn't really need much since it was just sprinkling.

But I made extra care to bike home safely, and I did.

The running, the biking

Exercise has been so much better now that the weather is much milder. A few weeks ago, I experimented with not using my iPod like I'd been doing for all of my life except this year, but recently went back to it.

I like being able to listen to music. I just don't wan't to lose my hearing because of it.

Biking has been fun as well -- I've made a few trips into Decatur and several to work the last few weeks. I like saving gas and getting a little more exercise in when I ride to work, something I have to do anyway.

Saw some older guy this morning who was headed to Georgia State.