If there is one curse about living in Calgary, it's Stampede. Traffic goes to hell for 10 days, plus varying degrees of hell for varying numbers of days before and after. And the geezers all come out of their coffins. One bastard was crossing Elbow Drive. I stopped for him even before he hit the walk light. He shuffled across looking like a heart attack about to happen. Slowly. Fortunately I wasn't in a rush, but I was in the curb lane and had to waaaaaiiiiiiiiit. I'm pulling away and can see a pack of cars coming along behind me. The bastard hits the walk light again just before the first cars come along, and he sloooowly shuffles across again. I hope someone kills me before I'm reduced to entertaining myself like that.
The other thing is what people are wearing. I'm certainly not going to win any fashion awards. Ever. But some people use Stampede as an excuse to wear any old thing they please. It can be frightening. I'm sure there are small children traumatized for life. Hell, *I'm* traumatized after seeing the wide load of cellulite being delivered to an LRT station while I was waiting for Linda. Seriously, I thought the main duty of female's friends is to look at them from behind, tell them the truth, and if necessary, forcibly prevent them from going out in public.
Anyway, I digress. The swim yesterday was ok, nothing special. About 20 minutes in the water and my arms were falling off, but at least it wasn't painful. Another half hour or so of core work in the pool.
The run was pretty good, an hour easy around the neighbourhood. I tried some small things to see how they worked out. Mainly I concentrated on posture and being aware of how much I was leaning forward and how that was affecting my pace. To make sure I was running easy, several times I ran ~100 m breathing through my nose. Which is an odd feeling. I made sure I wasn't carrying any tension in my shoulders. I spent a bit of time trying to get my pelvis and shoulders doing the counter rotation thing, where your core acts as a bit of a spring, but I'm not sure how well that worked out.
Today I'm supposed to do bike hill repeats, but we've got some major plumbing stuff happening today. Major, as in breaking through the concrete floor of the basement to repair a leak in the water supply line. Should be fun.
Ahh, the Stampede. My least favorite part of Calgary since I moved there in 1998 a week prior to the shit show and developed an instant disdain. It is nothing more than an excuse for people who have neve set foot on a farm to dress like pretend cowboy and business people to get and stay drunk for a week. I don't miss it :)
ReplyDeleteLooks like you are making a solid return to consistent training, hope the rest of your summer is on the up and up!
Hahahahahahahahaha!! You and Amber have a way with words -- I am spitting up my coffee right now! Hahahahahahaha!!
ReplyDeleteOh Keith -- I can just PICTURE that old guy crossing the street. LMAO!
That rocks...sounds like the Country Musical Festival in Nashville! The best people watching evah! You need to embrace the Stampede like we do and have a scavenger hunt. Find the guy with sandles and black socks, find a belt buckle the size of a dinner plate,f like that, very fun!
ReplyDeleteO, man! There are some MAJOR anger issues on display in those first couple of paragraphs! Are you sure you're Canadian?
ReplyDeleteSorry! I'm the visitor in your country on this blog, so I can't play the ugly American (except in my case it's not an act).
Man, I think in the 17 years that Teh 'Bride and I have lived in our house, EVERY pipe has had to be replaced at one point or another. Some more than once.
I'd say "I hate plumbing" but the truth is I prefer it to pooping in the woods. THAT is too ugly, even for this American.
I have had only one experience with the Stampede...Luke was born in May and I thought it would be a great idea to head to Calgary BY MYSELF with my two kids (ages 2 months and 3 at the time...BIG DUH!!!) to visit my sister. We haul the two kids to the stampede it was 100 above and I was trying to keep track of a 3 year old in the crowds and not pass out from the heat and no sleep....like I said...stoopid and SO NOT FUN...I have vowed I would never be back...
ReplyDeleteWow, that is major repair work! Hope it went well!
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that people think Stampede gives them a license to wear anything. I thought it was just a license to be a faux cowboy (or cowgirl)!
BAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Am with all who dread the stampede for reasons you know. Am killin myself over the old dude with the traffic light. Heck, I won't stop you from doing that, in fact I'll join ya! tee hee.
ReplyDeleteLove Missy's idea about turning it into a scavenger hunt!