$5 a Gallon?

Say it isn’t so! This gas speculation is out of control. Iran makes a statement and everyone shivers. Come on folks it’s not like they have an armada or even Captain Jack Sparrow… it’s just Iran. I know they are building “the bomb” but I expect any time now Marty McFly and the Doc will arrive Back to the Future style and we’ll back to $2.79 a gallon. What am I saying? We’ll be back to $1.79 a gallon. Remember those days? I will pay $5.00 plus a gallon for milk but that’s only because organic is so much better than the other stuff. We (as a country) have to get moving and figure out this electric, hybrid or non-petrol type transportation. I know it’s called a bicycle.

Remember a few blogs ago when I was stressed about the dog in her new puppy obedience class? Well she did it. Sharlie went from the doghouse to the finish line. I’m really proud of her as she’s a different canine. Her basic training worked and I’m not a dog whisperer, but more like a dog shouter.

And finally the family is getting ready for Spring Break. With those gas prices it will be sitting around the homestead. My son celebrated his 8^th birthday and he’s getting ready for his first reconciliation. I hope I spelled that right. Emma is a dancing machine or more like a choreographer. She’s the next Paula Abdul. Check that she’s the next non-Paula Abdul.

As for Maria and I we’re still hammering the P90x2 and drinking Shakeology. My biceps are growing like gas prices and Maria is pumping out more pushups and pull-ups than her brothers. Uh Oh! Better stop blogg’n that info! You can hammer too. Just decide, commit and you will succeed. See Ya!

My Valentine

Here we are. Number 14 on February 14, 2012. It's Team Keaton's 14th wedding anniversary. Holy heart candy! Maria did me a favor during the wedding planning and picked a date a guy would not forget. Actually we both picked it out.

While planning our 'big day' we noticed that Valentine's Day in 1998 was on a Saturday. It was a no brainer to wait a few months longer and get hitched with Cupid. Recently we found our wedding day DVD. It was not in the DVD case. I did not let her know that. I found it later that day in a plastic case near the computer. Whew! That would be worse than forgetting our anniversary.

During the ceremony my voice cracked. Hey I got emotional. Maybe that's why I secretly hide the DVD. Really the main reason is the weird dancing I'm afraid we'll see. And people that we probably have not talked to in a while. We do remember a lot of the songs we played. For the selection we picked a lot of couples' first songs that they danced to on their wedding days. Our first dance and song was Martina McBride's Valentine. It's a lovely song:  

all of my life
i have been waiting for
all you give to me
you've opened my eyes
and shown me how to love unselfishly.

Regardless of your song I think we all search for that Valentine and person who opens your eyes. Maria opened my eyes and much more. She's my teammate, best friend and wife. I'm still in love with you!

Springer and Strains

Hello out there! I love that when Bruce Springsteen says that at the beginning of Born in the USA on the 1975-85 Live set. Not a great start to the week. Not a great ending to the month. While working out this morning I was trying one of those nifty balance moves and severely strained my right thumb. That means it’s hard to type. It’s easier since it’s my right hand and I’m left handed but still hard to type with my thumb/wrist/fingers all numb and wrapped up tight.

The good news is its feeling better. Ibuprofen is king and so was the ice on it. Thanks to my better half, Maria, for tending to me after I lost my focus during the exercise. Thank goodness no tendon damage. Just damage to my ego.

For the next few days my focus will be on my legs and left side. Still have that dog training going on and with my right thumb feeling numb my left arm should be getting an extra work out on the leash. Plus, a couple of extra six-to-seven mile runs this week will do the lungs and legs good.

I had to make a hard decision this week and not buy Springsteen tickets. I really wanted to take my kids to his Tampa concert in March since I have brainwashed them with his music. Unfortunately, the cost per ticket and handling charges is out of my price range. So they will just have to listen to all my Bruce Anthologies and satellite radio. In addition, Ticketmaster had weird limits on how many you could buy online so I guess it was not meant to be.

Until next week my friends I’m saving what typing skills I have this week for my full-time work. Yeah, I said it work. TEAM KEATON out.

Sharlie, Me, Halfathon and my Boy



Sharlie and Me

Team Keaton is off and running for 2012. My role on this team has a lot of variety. Variety is good and it can at times leave you exhausted. The word exhausted does not bode well for a guy who likes to think of himself as an endurance athlete.

Late last year I was able to connect with Travlete.com.  I will be contributing endurance race stories for the site. The first was Tough Mudder Florida and this past weekend was the 7^th Annual Clearwater Florida Halfathon (half marathon). Great race, venue and the whole works. I ran a 1:38 and that’s about three minutes slower than my last attempt on the big bridge course in 2007. Not bad for no training. Well no run training. That P90x2 thing gets a lot of credit for keeping my legs fresh. You need that strength training especially after the big 4-0.

Enough about me and the halfathon. I started puppy star training with our canine teammate lab/retriever/hound/mix pup. She’s (Sharlie) almost 11 months old and she’s the worst in the class. That makes me the worst trainer in the class. She is doing a little better but the master dog trainer tells me Sharlie needs exercise. And since the trainer knows I can run; Sharlie and I run. Not that much. We started at least twice a week. Basically I have taken the Ivan Drago approach with the dog. I must break her! She’s in basic training…Full Metal Jacket style.

Time to get serious. Team Keaton member Evan, my son, is an avid reader. He’s gifted, but that gifted personality of his is landing him in deep water. Not sure why but since Christmas break he’s acting up and being a very demanding little man. He will be eight soon so I try to remember when I was eight. Deep down parents really don’t want to punish their kids. Right? I know it’s for the better. Team Keaton member Maria, the wifey, sees the brunt of the boy’s attitude. Being a parent is an endurance sport. You can’t DNF (if you don’t know what DNF means Google it) in parenting.

Variety is good and tonight I’m exhausted.

New Year, New You

That's me back in the day of sprint triathlons

We are nine days in the new year. What are your goals? What are your resolutions? We all know they are the same thing just one sounds more official or dreamy and the other means work. It's all in the mindset.

I did not make any resolutions. I did have a long time friend from elementary school make a resolution for me. His resolution is for us to see each other face-to-face this year instead of on Facebook. I'm not one for resolutions but we have less than 356 days left.

I turned 45 the other day and made some mental goals. First, to double my miles on the road from last year. That means more than 1,000 miles running. That's not much for some people. Really, here in Tampa Bay that's a three month goal. Second, I going to run in an event every month.

I kicked off the 2012 season on Sunday with the Kiwanis Honeymoon Island Adventure Run. It was a five mile course and I finished in the top ten out of at least 250. I say 250 because that was my number. My running time compared to a few years is ago is about a minute slower per mile. So in other words I knew my body would not be in pain thanks to my training, but the lungs would have a say in the day's adventure. Including in that race or event every month is to get at least one triathlon in the books. I'm not sure which one.

My final goal is to complete P90x2 with my wife. We are in week two and its different and a great home training system. We finally ended the YMCA membership as with Beachbody (distributor of P90x) there is no need for the clubs or YMCA. Those facilities are great in their own way but they just don't match the intensity or results as the training from P90x and that training guru Tony Horton gives you.

So I ask again what are your goals? Lose weight, get in shape, get some confidence or get that beach body ready for summer. Here in Florida its always beach body time. Make 2012 your time.

Back from the Dead

It's like a died or something. How lazy can a person get? How does life get in the way? School Board meetings, travel, work, family and all the above seem to get in the way. My last post was in late September. Holy s*&t! Okay...taking deep breath... now I'm back.

Despite all the lackluster in posting to this blog I have been busy. But not busy enough to neglect TEAM KEATON. It's funny I'm writing this when the holidays are starting. What makes you or even myself believe that I'm going to get serious and get back into what I'm good at? What am I good at?

1) Faith

2) Family

3) and Fun.

Fun to me is www.beachbodycoach.com/TEAMKEATON, specifically P90X and now P90X2. Not to mention this old-timer, now Tough Mudder, is contemplating a comeback in 2012. Okay it's not really a comeback and I'm not really an old-timer at 44. Stay tuned the multi-sports race calender is coming and so is TEAM Keaton.

Hey, we're BACK!

Sick Injuries

No matter what team you are on eventually there's a setback. Sometimes its in your control. That's called being lazy. You know the alarm rings and its just too cool on your side of the pillow. Or it's raining outside even though your workout is inside. Call it excuses or reasons...it's laziness.

However, there are times when the body sends signals in the form of pillow talk (not that kind of pillow talk).  Usually real sick injuries happen when you get knocked off your routine. In my opinion that's what a consistent workout plan or lifestyle is- your routine. Travel, illness and real injuries can throw you off that routine. Notice I said real injuries not soreness. There is a difference and your body knows when to stop and take a day or two off and when to take it slow and work out the kinks.

I'm not a doctor but there is a rule when you're sick to keep training. Let me explain. For example, if you have a head cold (minus a high fever of course) its training day. Don't let a little runny nose get in your way. However, if it's in your chest-yuck. Take a couple days off.

That's where I find myself today. Been on the road in another bed. Back aches. I ate all the wrong foods. And it gets better. I'm back on the road next week. Different bed and different routine. I hope my body, or is it my brain, can tell the difference between being sick and being injured.