Thanksgiving is over

Much has happened over the last 5 days. Two dinners with the wife's family, one 5k race, two class reunions and one trip to the zoo with my daughter. The dinners with my wife's family were almost unbearable events. I like structure, and the fact that I have to surrender it for a few hours in my own house disturbs me. Once the children get older, maybe it will get better.

I had one of my slowest races every. I can attribute this entirely to my lack of fitness. This is a correctable situation, and I can use this as a wake up call.

The class reunions were fun, but I drank too much. Having hotel rooms both night gave me license to go a little nuts. The wife's was fun and I enjoyed the spouses of her friends. Mine too was fun. A little tradition that we have at mine is to pick the hottest female alum. This years winner was a girl named Meghan. Just absolutely smoking hot. It's unbelievable how twenty years later she can look so freaking good. After the reunion we were hanging out in the bar talking about our high school crushes and Meghan told me in HS she had a huge crush on me. Her friends backed up the statement. Ah, had I only known that information 20 years ago...I guess that is all part of the process of learning. Looking back there were so many opportunities and the key is to select the ones that are slight stretches but offer the brightest prospect. I guess things really haven't changed, its just that it takes 20 years to figure this stuff out

The calf is healing nicely. I may just be able to run tomorrow. I took today off from the gym to give myself some rest. I will stretch twice today and get up early enought tomorrow to register for the race and to stretch out and warm up thoroughly. I think I will be ok. If not, I will just have to walk the remainder of the race.

I have sprung a terrible leak in my game. I am calling to much and not playing hands where I am in control. By fixing this little leak, I should be back to winning

I went for my long run on Saturday. I was running along just fine and was pretty sure that I would be able to finish the 5K on Thanksgiving. I was having a slight pain in my right calf, but I figured that since it wasn't too painful, I could just keep going. I was probably 1/2 from home went I experience a terrible feeling in that calf. It felt like the calf muscle pulled right off the bone. I had to walk home, and I iced my leg immediately. But, I think my plan to run on Thursday will now be cancelled. I really hate to think that I can't do it, but the pain is pretty strong still and I think I do have to not run. The worst part about this is that it is my own fault. My injury resulted from lack of discipline. It was my lack of discipline that force me to cram my training into a very short period of time. This was the real cause. Too much running following too little running. This is also the reason that I do not weigh the 140 pounds I had targeted for the class reunion. I just do not want it enough.

On the poker side though, I had another winning week, a small one, but a winning week none the less. I am 40 dollars away from a winning month. I might be able to pull it off, that is now my goal. I need two 20 weeks.

Yes, I am a slacker

I have now missed two days of my ambitious training schedule. Again it is for the same reason, I over-slept. I think it is because I have decided to play poker online instead of getting sleep. To compound the problem, I lost all of my weekly earnings and then some last night. Ugh, I need more discipline.

Day 2

I woke up a little late this morning, but I still managed to get to the gym and do my running on the treadmill. Maybe I can do this thing. Tomorrow, I will press to run for a full 20 minutes on the teadmill. (Today I ran 15 walked 5 ran 8 and walked 2)

Last Night I participated in the public hearing on the ACT 1 Tax Panel public hearing. I was happily surprised to see a few (12) people, including some you people(2). The panel is going to vote tomorrow on the recommendation that we are going to deliver to the District, and I will miss that meeting, but I will make my thoughts known today via memo and if the vote ends in a tie, we can hold a special meeting where my vote breaks the tie.

I played a little 1/2 hold'em last night, and got off to a horrible start quickly losing 28 dollars. Through patience and observation, I was able to rebound and finished ahead 13 dollars, it could have been more, but I played stupid at the end. Catching quads and getting paid off was the best part.

Day 1 of my 10-day training period

Day 1 of my Turkey Trot training regimen went well. I ran on the treadmill at the gym. I hate running on that thing. It seems much harder than on the road. I will run on it four times this week, once each morning T-F. I would like to get some speed work in, but I don't think it will happen. I just want to finish the race without embarrassing myself now. I can run long runs on Saturday and Monday morning, do a one hour bike ride on Sunday, and then run on the treadmill on Tuesday, which will give me 48 hours of rest before the race. I will buy some recovery drink, and my legs should be decently rested for the race.

My poker play has greatly improved as of late, or at least my results have. I can attribute it the the Killer Online Poker book I purchases. It forces me to really pay attention. That was the one area that had recently fallen off.

Recovery

Friday I lost 66 dollars in two miserable sessions. Luckily, I managed to climb my way back out of the financial whole by Sunday night and finished the week up $10.00. I bought Killer Online Poker 2, and I attribute my run to that book. The premise of the book is really to pay attention to opponents and take copious notes. That was the one area that was probably lacking. I still have to get a concise form of abbreviations, but that will come. I will just focus on paying attention to my opponents.

I was off on Friday, so I took my daughter to the Children's museum. She had a good time. Not much to report there.

Her birthday party was Saturday, and we had a house full. I think she had a good time.

I ran on Saturday. I am pretty out of shape and I hope I can finish the Turkey Trot. I will run several times before Thanksgiving, so I will see what kind of shape I can get into in a week and a half. I will chronicle my progress right here on this blog.

Disastrous weekend

First the fitness front. I did nothing for exercise. I should have went for a mountain bike ride on Saturday morning, but I am too lazy. I used the excuse that I didn't want to wake up my daughter, but the truth is that I was just too lazy to get out of bed. I then thought about hiking yesterday, but instead just slothed around. I am going to have to tread mill for today's exercise, and maybe the jump rope tomorrow. I know that I want to be a fit person, I am just too lazy to do it.

My weekend started off pretty good. I played a 657 person Omaha Hi/Lo tournament and was in 28th place with 200 people left. It paid the top 63, so I was in pretty good shape. I lost 1/2 my stack when my nut str8 got rivered by a flush, and then continued to donk off most of my stack shortly thereafter. I managed to limp into the second break and was getting close to the money. I was pretty short-stacked when I was deal A223 double suited and went all in, I think this was a good move as I didn't have enough money for one rotation and I figured that this could double me up and get me to the $. Alas, it wasn't and I went out in 69th place. Still I was pretty happy with my finish, although disappointed that I didn't cash.

It quickly went downhill. I had a disastrous day at the Breeders cup. I couldn't win a race. That's a lie really. I did win two, but for small amounts. Overall it was a loser.

I then forgot how to play poker. I am having trouble adjusting back to a super-tight style after I had to change for Las Vegas. I entered too often pre-flop and I call too often post flop. I need to re-evaluate my play, and try to salvage the month. I will make an effort this week to play better.

Yes, a positive month

Poker in October really came through for me. Online I won $50 (not huge, but the first positive month since spring. I also won 309 in casinos and 700 in home games, so I am over a grand for the month. All it really took was tightening up just a bit and paying more attention to my opponents.

Poker went well for them month, but investing and fitness trailed off. I have to really get on the stick towards my goals. That is my goal for November.