Training update

Today I ran the "Ridgeline Ramble" 20K race as a part of my ongoing Marathon training. The majority of my running is done on flat roads or paths, so this was something entirely new for me. There were very few flat spots on the course, it was mostly uphill and downhill. The course kicked my ass, but I pressed on and finished in an extremely slow 2 hours and 20 minutes. I think for now I'm going to stick to nice flat runs.

Thank you

Thank you to all the men and women who have served or are currently serving this great nation in the armed forces. A special thanks to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, you are the true American Heroes.

You can't alway trust technology

For Christmas this year I got the Nike + for my Ipod. It's a pretty cool thing that I attach to my Ipod and then put a chip into my shoe and it tracks my time and distance on my runs. When I finish my run I just sync it to my computer and it uploads the data to A website in which I can track my progress. Yesterday I finished a 12 mile run in 1 hour 38 minutes, a pretty reasonable time and I know I went the full twelve miles because because I have measured that route out before. When I synced my Ipod and visited the website it showed the details of my run time and all. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until I looked at some of my mile splits. According to my Ipod, I ran mile four in 4 minutes and 6 seconds. The world record in the mile is 3:43.13, so if my Ipod is to be trusted (which it can't be), I ran a mile that was only 23 seconds slower than the world record in the middle of a twelve mile run! If that is the case then I shoud be training for the Bejing Olympics.

Back in training

After a week of being lazy and eating anything I wanted, I decided that it was time to get back to work. After getting home from a weekend in Portland, I put on my running shoes and shorts and went out for a five mile run. Despite my feet feeling like there were cinder blocks strapped to them, I managed a nice easy eight minute mile pace. My training aproach for my next marathon will be a little different as I'm including more races this time. My next race is on Memorial day when I will run 20K (12.4 mile) Ridgeline Ramble along Eugene's famed Ridgeline Trail. After the Ramble I will run the 35th annual Butte to Butte (10k) on July 4 and nine days later I will run in the Coburg Run in the Country (Half Marathon). I may throw in a few more races in the summer as I prepare for the Portland Marathon on October 5th.

One more thing on workplace coffee

When you make a pot of coffee it should not look like tea. Make it strong, if you don't like your coffee strong you can always add a little hot water to your cup to dillute it. Please don't ruin it for everyone.

Coffee Etiquette

I know that I've blogged this before but since this is a subject that is near and dear to me, I find it neccesarry to blog about it again. This morning I went to get my cup of coffee as I normally but when I pressed the button on the coffee pot nothing came out. That really upset me because I had to make a new pot wait several minutes while it was brtewing before I could enjoy my fresh hot coffee. If the last person hadn't been so lazy, I wouldn't have had to wait for my coffee. There is an unwritten rule in the workplace that if you take the last cup of coffee, you're supposed to make a new pot. I call on everyone to please follow this unwritten rule, It will make the workplace a better place!

It just wasn't my day

Today I ran my fourth marathon. I knew going in to it that it wasn't going to be my best run. Two years ago I ran a 3:25:07 which to this day stands as my PR. My training for this one didn't go as well as my first and I'm a lot heavier than I was two years ago. I went out with a goal of four hours and for about 17 miles I was right on pace for that. Shorthly after mile 17 I hit my wall and for nine miles I struggled in pain. I crossed the finish line in 4:30:49, well short of my goal but hey I finished. I'm fully committed to pressing on and doing this again in Portland on October 5. Eventually I'll get back near 3:30 mark and I do believe that some day I'll get that Boston qualifier. The big question is do I do it now or do I wait until I'm 35 when it gets easier?

Vote for Me

Ok Republicans that reside in the 4th Congressional District in the State of Oregon, I've got a challenge for you. Since our party has no canidate for congress filed, I ask that you all write-in my name. When your ballot arrives in the mail, simply write-in Dennis M. Cook for Congress. Let's get me the nomination and then we can take down Defazio in the fall!!!!!



paid for by Cook for Congress 2008.

Quote of the week

I read today that former major leaguer and current "author"Jose Canseco is about to have his 7300 square foot home foreclosed upon. Should I feel sorry for Jose? Absolutely not, especially considering this wonderful quote:

"You know my life, this financial thing, is a very complicated issue. Obviously when you make all that money people think that, OK, let's assume it is $35 million. People have to understand that $35 million, you're paying the government 41 percent. That leaves you with about $17 or $18 million, not even. Then you're taking care of your whole family."

Obviously math is not one Jose's strengths because if you pay the gorventment 41% of $35 million that leaves you with $20.65 million. Since I'm a nice guy I'll give Jose the benifit of the doubt and say that he had only $17 million to live on. I can't imagine what it would be like to support your whole family on only $17 million, that's got to be tough on the guy. Poor Jose...................

Some random thoughts

I apologize for my lack of blogging lately, there really is no excuse other than I haven't felt like it. I have a few things on my mind that I would like talk about today, so here it goes.

My wife is leaving me home alone for the next five days. She decided to take a mini vacation to go see her sister in Missouri while I'll stuck at home working. This will be the longest time that we've been apart probably since we started dating two years ago. It will be just like my bachelor days for the next five days with a few exceptions. First and foremost is that I'm married, second I no longer live in the world's smallest apartment and third there's candles all over my apartment. I just wish that I still had my old brown recliner so I could sit back with a cold beer and watch sports like I often did in my bachelor days.

This Saturday I will return to Autzen Stadium for the first time since that horrible day back in December of 2007. While the spring game isn't a real game, it will give me something that resembles football and might be enough to get me through the next few months.

I woke up on Sunday and there was snow on my car. Normally that wouldn't be a problem but Sunday was April 20! It's spring dangit! I want sunshine!

That brings me to my next subject, global warming. I haven't really researched it enough to have an opinion one way or the other but I do question what makes Al Gore an expert on it. The dude has degree in government and journalism or maybe it's the year of divinity school that he attended, I don't know. Now to my main point here. Why did Time Magazine see it fit to change one of the great photographs in American history for their special environment issue? The Raising of the Flag at Iwo Jima is an Iconic photo and the fact that Time replaced the flag with a tree for the cover of one their issues is disgusting and the editors should be ashamed of themselves. It's not the fact that it was used for an issue on global warming that makes me mad, it's the fact that they changed a great American photo.

Next Sunday I will be running my fourth marathon in the last two years. I'm not in peak Marathon shape, actually I'm kind of fat to be running a marathon right now but I'm going to do it anyways. I have no illusions of beating my pr of 3 hours and 25 minutes, actually if I can get my fat butt across the finish line in four hours, I'll probably do cartwheels. Realistically I just want to finish, which should not be a huge issue.

That's all I've got for now, I promise that I'll try to update my blog more in the future.

Holy Crap!!!!!!!!

My wife's blog

My wife has finally updated her blog please visit.

Politics

For the most part I've stayed away from politics on my blog, it was a decision that I made early on for many reasons. That being said it is an election year and I do have some strong opinions so I am warning you now that from time to time I may express a political opinion. You won't see long rants about a particular person or issue but you'll probably see little blurbs every once in awhile between now and November.

Whith that in mind I have a made a decision on who I will be supporting in November. If you look at my links you can probably figure it out and I doubt it will surprise those who know me. He wasn't my first choice but of the three remaining major candidates, I feel that he is best prepared to be president and will do the best job leading this country through this all important time. One final thing, my candidate is NOT too old to President.

Snow?

Once March rolls around I'm ready for spring, it's time to get the shorts out and enjoy the sun. This morning I got up to go to the eye doctor and I walk outside to go to my car and it was snowing. It's March 29! Why the heck was it snowing? If I want snow, I can get in my car and make the short drive to Willamette Pass. I don't need snow in the valley, especially when it's almost April. I thought that fat guy that used be vice president said the earth is getting warmer? What gives? I want sun dangit!!!

Who needs a movie?

Thank you to my friend Jeff for bringing this amazing piece of work to my attention. Watch and enjoy.

Going Dancing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After three days of waiting, my Ducks are in the dance! I was expecting a twelve but we got a nine seed and face the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Friday!

Perfection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know this is a little late but I want to congratulate the OS(U) Beavers on becoming the first team in Pac 10 history to go 0-18. The Beavers have now lost 20 straight Pac 10 conference regular season games. The record of 21 is held by the University of Oregon Ducks, so you can bet that I will be cheering for USC and UCLA when they play the Beavers next January when the Pac 10 season opens.



please note that if you include their two Pac 10 tourney losses the Beavers have already lost 22 straight Pac 10 games, however most Beaver fans still say the record belongs to Oregon. Hopefully the Beavs remove all doubt next January.

Life on the Bubble

For the first time in my lifetime the Oregon Ducks are a "bubble team". The previous five times they made it to the tournament in my life they either had a an automatic birth or they had done enough to be a "lock". Tomorrow will be the first time I've ever tuned into the tournament selection show not knowing whether or not the Ducks are in. Hopefully their bubble does not burst.

Another coach goes crazy

This Michigan Women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth. Not quite as good as the Mike Gundy rant from football season but still good.

Duck Basketball

One of my favorite whipping boys over the past couple years has been Oregon Head Basketball Coach Ernie Kent. Two years ago I called for him to be fired and was outraged when then AD Bill Moos decided to keep him. Last year I laid off a bit as the Ducks made a run deep into NCAA tournament but even with that run I wasn't giving Coach Kent a ringing endorsement. That brings us to this year, as it stands now the ducks will not be playing in the NCAA tournament. With four starters returning from a team that made it to the elite 8 a year ago this is unacceptable. With Knight Court opening at the start of the 2010 season something needs to change. One good year every four years isn't going do much to help fill the new arena. If the Ducks finish strong, I'll be okay with him getting another year but If they don't I'll have a "Few" reasons why a coaching change is necessary.