Weekend Jones

I hate it when people use “TGIF” to describe Fridays. Its gives me a shiver reminiscent of the dreadful work environment in the movie Office Space. But, Ill admit that TGIF. There, I said it. It’s been a wacky week. I put some boo-koo time in this weekend, so I am taking advantage of our company’s “Summer Hours” Friday half day. I managed to drag my @ss out of bed this morning to run, but I had slight case of the trots, so I bagged it and sat on the couch until I had to leave for work. So I am going to give it another shot this afternoon lunch. I think I might stay in the city and run up and down Kelly Drive.The training plan is calling for an easy day today, short run, 3 miles. It has me scheduled for a rest day tomorrow (HA!) and then an 8 miler on Sunday. I’d like to try and sneak a MTB ride in somewhere, but I dont want to kill my legs if I am going to try and bang out a longer run on Saturday. I would actually like to push the distance closer to 10 miles. It’s supposed to be cool on Sunday with isolated T-storms. Good running weather, and I am going to head to Ridley and run the loop there, which is flat, relative to the course I have been running through Brookhaven, Media and Swarthmore.

I had an observation yesterday that made me chuckle in a semi-sadistic way. As I was sitting in Suburban Station waiting for the arrival of my train, I happened to notice an inordinate amount of obese women wearing running shoes. They wear the running shoes to help alleviate pressure on their feet. Here’s an idea: loose weight. I can draw a parallel to some of my own experiences that are near and dear to my heart: cycling. There is a subset of cyclist’s known as “weight weenies.” Weight Weenies are on a never ending questio to adorn their bikes with the lightest components on the market. In cycling, light = expensive. I’ll admit that the majority of the weight weenies are in great shape, good riders, probably racers, and are consequently looking for anything that will give them an advantage. It’s the small minority of weight weenies who arent in great shape, perhaps slightly on the sticky side, that mystify me. Here’s a guy who is 5’9”, probably bucking 220, 230, and he’s worried about finding a set of titanium pedals that weight 129 grams. Dude, loose weight. 400 grams is a pound. You just shaved half a pound on your ride by purchasing a pair of $150 pedals that functionally perform the same way the less expensive, heavier set of pedals of the same model. Save the $150 and loose 5lbs. It makes a work of difference. People can spend their money any way they want. I jus think its comical when I see a big dude on a 22lb mountain bike. There is a point of diminishing returns for the heavier rider. You can only out so much weight on a pair of wheels that weight 1500 grams. Those wheels are put under a lot of torsional stress that causes them to flex. The flexing is very noticeable in cornering. Enough flex will cause the bike to drift. You drift too much taking a tight turn at 15 mph on an MTB and you stand a good chance of loosing your wheel, flying off the trail, and hitting a tree with enough force to knock you silly. Additionally, putting a heavy load on a pair of light wheels increases the propensity of wheel failure. Heavy riders arent necessarily known for riding with finesse – they beat the crap out of their rides, further increasing the There are wheels on the market that specially crafted for the “Clydesdale” rider – heavier walled rims, thicker gauge spokes, perhaps a specific spoke lacing pattern (36 holes versus 32), etc. Light is good. Light is expensive. Much light comes at a trade off- durability and strength. Besides, you put a 220lb guy on a 22lb pound and he’ll still get out-climbed 90% of the time. Its not the ride, its the engine (although in all fairness, having a sweet ride certainly helps).

I am now on the way home. I wound up staying in the office for more or less a full day. We had a staff meeting around lunchtime, and after the meeting was over, I chatted with the CEO and CFO for a good while. I am on the fence about running. We had pizza at the meeting, and I wound up shoveling down five slices. Needless to say, running would probably not me in my best interest, at least for another hour. It’s not looking terribly inviting outside right now – looks like it might storm. I guess I am going to the gym if I do decide to run. Truth be told, I havent been to the gym in ages. I have been spoiling myself with all of the outdoor running that I have been doing in the recent weeks. The prospect of treadmilling it right now isnt all that appealing. I am very sleepy. The belly full of pizza isnt helping. I think I am going to take a nap.