The Nicest Muggers Ever

I've never really been mugged, though I think I once had a close call on the A train headed from the George Washington Bridge to 72nd Street when I was fifteen years old. Two unsavory chaps wer eyeballing my overnight bag, which did actually have some valuable stuff in it (my Nikon FM and lenses). I had enough sense at the time to simply open up my bag (which had clothes from staying at my buddy Walt's house for a couple of days). I casually displayed my dirty socks, underwear, and shorts, keeping the good stuff hidden. They lost interest and moved on.

But in another sense, I witnessed a mass mugging last week. I spent the week in Orlando, with visits to Disney, SeaWorld, and the Kennedy Space Center. I have been to Disney before, am am still amazed at how good they are at getting people and their money to part ways. From the expensive food to the stuff kids must have, there cannot be any spending restraint. It would probably be easier to simply hand over your wallet upon entry, and kindly asking them to please let you keep your driver's license and family photos. And the muggers always say "Thank you." I felt bad for the families with little girls who just had to buy a princess dress to wear around the park, or go to the salon for the princess treatment (it was packed). The giant Disney store at Downtown Disney appears to be a printing press for cash for The Walt Disney Company (DIS). They were really good at it.

But, the parks were super clean, well-staffed, and set the standard for how parks should be. The boys had a great time, loved Space Mountain, and didn't nag about buying junk (maybe the drills are starting to take??). As crazy expensive as it is, I really do enjoy Disneyworld. They don't cut corners; the FastPass system is great, and even the line queues are nice. No fake backdrops, lots of shade.

SeaWorld's shows were nice, though shorter than I expected (must be a limit to the working hours set by the Whale & Dolphin Union Local 383). The park was nice, and the boys had a great time. They loved the Mantis roller coaster (very cool coaster). Gabriel has become a roller coaster fiend, and I think given the chance, will ride anything.

Kennedy Space Center

I have wanted to go to Cape Kennedy (as it was called in my youth) for four decades, and as much as I enjoy the space shuttle stuff, it is the Apollo program and the Saturn V building I really wanted to see. I was not disappointed. This is the "space stuff" I grew up with, fantasizing and playing with models of the command and lunar modules, and watching launches on television. The Apollo astronauts were the heroes of my youth (and still are). There really was much to see, and I'm really glad I went. The gift shops had tons of stuff, some cool (enough Apollo stuff (some signed by the astronauts) to construct an Apollo shrine at home), to junk (who wants an "official" Matchbox tour bus like the ones used to ferry tourists around KSC?). Anyway, KSC is a pretty neat place for people (like me) who like this kind of stuff.

Even now, I am still in awe watching launch videos: here is a sample:

Marathon Preparation

October has not been a very solid training month; I have basically gone for runs, deciding what I was going to do as I started each time. I didn't put in the miles, nor enough speed work, and had too many inactive days between runs. I'm feeling it now, as I have what appears to be the initial stage of shin splints in my right leg. Not enough to keep me out of the race, but an annoyance. I'll have plenty of time to rest after.

There is no substitute for training

As solid a statement I have ever heard, it applies to most anything. I'll expand here to illustrate what I mean.

1) Athletics - Seems obvious, and though my athletic abilities seem limited to running and biking (and I mean limited), I do okay for my age group, especially in multisport. As a straight runner, I am capable of way more, but without putting serious time into training, will never catch the rabbits in the top 10%. I PR'd not long ago on a 1/2 marathon (1:39), but I know (with considerable time and effort), I could be in the 1:25 range. Biking? I'm not experienced enough or fast enough to even hang out with riders. I won't even say anything about swimming. But put these together, and I do okay. I can run a 7 to 7:30 min pace after a 20-22 mph ride on a medium course. The formula is simple: effective training + more time = better performance. My marathon performance is better when I put the time and effort in. This year I failed to put adequate time into longer runs, and it showed. I need to decide haw to best utilize my time in 2010. There is no substitute for training.

2) Drinking - I am not a big drinker. Actually, I don't drink very often, or very much; when I do, my tolerance is low, so the span from sober - buzzing - drunk is quite narrow. In another lifetime, that span was quite broad, as I was trained for it. Actually, I was probably training for this four days per week (ah, college youth). While I do not wish to ever engage in this kind of behavior again, the difference is clear. While on vacation last week, I found myself reverting to an evening of consumption best reserved for those trained to finish above the 80th percentile. Fortunately, my body's early warning system reawakened after a two-decade long siesta, stopping me from continuing what would have devolved into an ugly and painful outcome. I think that being ill/hungover while at sea is a bad combination. I have not been training to drink, nor do I want to. But if consumption is planned, it may be best to occasionally imbibe. There is no substitute for training.

3) Eating - I am not a big eater. I enjoy food, but for the most part it serves a purpose. I watch what I eat - watch it going down my gullet. Really, I pay attention and watch the volume and keep from overdoing 'bad' foods. I'm not overweight, but am 5-10 lbs above an ideal racing weight. That said, I do like to eat certain things, and can easily overdo them, if they are to my liking. I can put away 1/2lb of pasta, or 1/2 loaf of French bread, or 3-4 bagels, plates of stir-fry. While on vacation last week, there was endless opportunity to eat. While I limited myself, I ate way more than normal, resulting in a few (okay six) additional pounds as a souveneir from my cruise (not continuing this exercise has caused the weight to drop again). Towards the end of the week, I grew tired of eating. I was full after a cup of soup. I simply wasn't hungry. For comparison, there were professional eaters all around. From buffet hounds to professionals (not quite up to Mr. Creosote), these people ate like it was a sport. This was their arena, and like [food] gladiators, they battled themselves to maximize their intake. Years of training came down to this: An endless supply of prepared food on a 7-night cruise. This is where their training paid off. The top finishers would consume more value than they paid. The back of the pack folks would subsidize the bill. But we all had fun and got something out of it. There is no substitute for training.