Row, row, row

Okay, so I've been incredibly slack on updating this newest blog.  I've been busy training and running.  That's my excuse.  Here's the proof.

See!  I ran a 10-miler, and my feet only FELT like they were going to fall off. Actually it was a bit of tendonitis in my ankles. It was better with ice and rest.

I've been hitting the gym at least twice a week, three times during most weeks. I'm hoping that working on my leg strength in the gym will help with the tendonitis.

I'm becoming an indoor rowing enthusiast. No, really! I'm using the rower (erg) for my warmup and my cardio workout. It's a very enjoyable workout and my cardiovascular fitness is improving rapidly.

I registered on the Concept 2 website (www.concept2.com) and use the online logbook to record and rank my rowing workouts. I've performed a couple of 500m sprints and was happy with the results.

Distance     Time     Avg/500m     Estimated Standing     Percentile     Date     Age     Weight    

500M         1:35.5     1:35.5     200 of 557               64th     12/14/2011     41     H

This latest trial was 3.2 seconds faster than my previous, and first, trial. I need to work on my pacing. I'm starting out too fast and hitting the wall with about 100m to go.

I'll keep working on it and I'm sure it will get better.

Okay, that's it for today.

Fishing: False start

I tied up some bucktails on 1/4 oz. jigheads on Friday evening in anticipation of a Saturday morning fishing trip with Daddy.  Unfortunately we spent a hour or so working on the boat motor trying to get it to fire on all four cylinders.

We finally gave up and put the boat back on the trailer and called it a day.  The fish lucked out this time!

We were able to help out another guy who launched his boat and parked his truck to find out that the rope fell off the cleat and his boat floated to the other side of the creek.  We were able to pull it back over to him so he didn't have to go swimming.

Fishing: It's Rock-tober!

I went out on the Pasquotank River on Saturday, October 1st, for the opening day of Striped Bass season. Locally these fish are called Rockfish, or simply Rock.

Within 5 minutes of launching the kayak and getting rid of the mosquitoes swarming around me, I smelled bait.  I zig-zagged upwind, following the smell, until I noticed a small slick followed by some activity near the water's surface.  A quick toss of one of Flathead's bucktail jigs and I was hooked up.

I wrestled the fish to the boat and was initially disappointed to find out it was 17 7/8" long, about 1/8" short of the minimum.  Then I reminded myself that it was a fish and last year I fished many times without so much as a strike.

It's amazing how a change in perspective can change the way you feel about something so simple as lifting a fish into a boat.

The wind kept gusting and with 1-2 foot waves and whitecaps pushing me around, I decided to call it a day.

Running: Longer runs

This week I ran my longest run ever, 4.62 miles. Twice. It seems that the cooler weather we've been having has been good for my running. I think running the 5k race recently helped me to push a little harder on my training runs.