Author Archives: Al

Gym Rat – II

Posted on January 11, 2020 by Al

Three years later at college, I joined the Freshman swim team. The coach, John Edgar, was actually the head of the football team. He sent aspiring team members a mimeographed set of exercises in September, urging us to consider going … Continue reading →

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Gym Rat – I

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Al

Christmas, 1961. Looking back, I’m wondering if my parents thought I might turn into an effete intellectual. Age 12, I was a poster child for pre-pubescent awkwardness. Baby fat pudgy cheeks hiding any facial definition, lips too large for my … Continue reading →

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Judy Be Good – Part I

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Al

The ’62 Dodge Lancer was red, the color of a sports car, with a thin strip of white beneath the side windows. A single line from roof to rear bumper (no stolid trunk for this car) signified speed, and like … Continue reading →

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Paisley by the Numbers

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Al

“There’s a couple of girls who want to come to our next meeting,” Miss Flory announced one night. Our Walnut Hills High School team was in full prep mode. Harriette Flory, English teacher and debate coach, had worked us weekly … Continue reading →

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Ironman, A Look Back II

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Al

It’s March, 2000. I have just signed up for my first Ironman – first weekend in November, in Florida’s panhandle, Panama City Beach. Ironman – the one in Hawaii – had been going on for a bit over 20 years … Continue reading →

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Ironman: A Look Back, Part I

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Al

Twenty Years, thirty-seven races…it’s time for a look back at my experience with racing the 140.3 distance triathlon. WHY DID I START? It all began in the Spring of 1979. Or maybe in the summer of 1956, I’m not sure. … Continue reading →

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Season Review – 2018/9

Posted on November 30, 2019 by Al

Exit self-interview after a prolonged bout of high-end racing…. On January 7, 2018, I was near the end of a 4-5 month stretch of lacking any specific athletic focus, after competing at the ITU LC WC end of August ’17. … Continue reading →

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IM AZ, 2019: The Last Roundup

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Al

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a celebrity with us!” The gate agent was begining the boarding process. She had finished with the “pre-boarding” speech for “travelers needing assistance and families with small children”, and should have been moving on to … Continue reading →

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IM Arizona Two Weeks to Go

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Al

[To the Coach] Weekly Update 10 days before race. I think your suggestion about a compression knee “brace” had some merit, but of course I didn’t want to try it out during the race without testing it in training. Ideally, … Continue reading →

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IM Arizona 2019 Three Weeks To Go

Posted on November 6, 2019 by Al

Hmm…looks like I didn’t do a weekly update this past Monday. Had I done so, here’s what my plan for this week would have looked like then: Mon – Recovery swim, weights Tues – 3 hour run Wed – Red mist … Continue reading →

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