Halloween Air & Scare
Me and Emma took Ethan to the annual National Air and Space Museum’s Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center “Air & Scare” celebration. We’ve never been, but I heard good things and there were rumors of Star Wars characters taking over the place. That ended up being a bit of an understatement – they were everywhere!
Having the cast on was a bummer, but Ethan had a great time mingling with the Star Wars characters and collecting candy along the way. Some pics from the event. Full set on Flickr.
Ethan went as a ninja this year. A ninja with a broken arm!
Ethan posing with his new stormtrooper friend. Gattling gun actually spun - very cool.
Was beginning to think Ethan joined the dark side ...
The gang is all here.
Ethan with R2D2. Yes, people build these as a hobby.
Ethan with the Jedi knight gang.
Halloween isn't complete without some pumpkin carving.
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Tags: Air & Scare, Emma, Ethan, Halloween, Jedi, Photography, R2D2, Star Wars, Stormtroopers, Udvar Hazy
Broken Arm
I got the call from my ex in the afternoon. Immediately I knew something was wrong – her voice was panicked and I could tell she was running with the phone. She had just received a call from Ethan’s school – Ethan was hurt, and an ambulance was on the way.
My heart stopped for a second and a million questions zoomed through my mind. The details were fuzzy, but the school mentioned that Ethan fell off the monkey bars and broke his arm. That’s all they told us, as they were loading Ethan up into the ambulance to take him to Loudoun hospital.
I bolted out the door and drove straight over, trying to stay calm and not get pulled over for a speeding ticket. I was hoping it wasn’t a compound fracture – or something worse. I actually ended up beating the ambulance over, so I paced in the emergency lobby until he arrived.
When I finally saw him, it was readily obvious he broke his arm. I was thankful that it wasn’t a compound fracture, but my heart sank seeing him there in pain. They have him two doses of morphine to help, but it didn’t stem the tide completely. I felt helpless, and being unable to help my son only exacerbated the feeling. We were told they’d perform x-rays first, and then have to set the arm and make a final diagnosis. But they couldn’t do it until several hours passed, as they needed a 4 hour window from the last time he ate (which was 11:30). So we waited, consoling Ethan as best we could and willing the clock to move faster.
Ethan after two doses of morphine, waiting for x-rays.
Finally the time came, and the x-ray techs came down and took some pictures of his arm. After a tense half hour, the doctor came back and informed us Ethan had a supracondylar humerus fracture. I didn’t get a copy of the x-rays, but this is almost exactly what it looked like. The doctor mentioned this was actually a common fracture among kids, especially from the playground. Kids fall, try to break their landing with the arm outstretched. This is the result.
Not Ethan's x-ray, but almost identical.
The doctor mentioned that they’d have to heavily sedate him and set his arm, and then make a recommendation on when to perform the surgery. Not putting in pins wasn’t an option. It would be the only way to stabilize his arm completely. After the arm was set, the doctor came back out and recommended surgery immediately vs. waiting. Ethan’s arm was continuing to swell, and the break was bad enough that the doctor worried that waiting any longer would potentially cause nerve damage. Not the kind of news I wanted to hear.
Ethan was prepped for surgery, where he would have to go under general anesthesia as they inserted pins. When they finally wheeled him away, I gave him a final kiss and told him everything would be OK. Then I lost it for a bit. Seeing my son go into surgery was a little to much for me to bear. His life was completely in the hands of the doctors. All I could do was wait.
After a tense hour, the doctor came back with good news. Ethan was fine. They stabilized the arm with four (or was it five?) pins, and put him in a temporary cast. Everything went well. He’ll have to come back in 10 days to check on his arm, and if all is well they’ll put him in the permanent cast. They admitted Ethan overnight to monitor him and make sure circulation in his arm and his nerves were all functioning properly. Thankfully, everything was.
Putting on a brave face after surgery. Stuffed animals always help.
Waiting to go home.
We left the hospital the next day, pain prescriptions in hand. Ethan was still complaining a lot about the pain, which the doctor mentioned would be present for the next couple days until the swelling went down. As of today – the pain seems to have subsided and Ethan is back in good spirits. Still holding off school for a couple days, and then back to the hospital on Friday for a final checkup and the permanent cast. I’ll feel much better and less paranoid when that is on!
Ethan waiting to get released after a long night in the hospital.
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Tags: broken arm, Ethan, hospital, Photography, supracondylar humerus fracture
Been Busy …
Am I still alive? Yes.
Then why the hell haven’t you updated the blog? I’ve been busy. No, really.
What have you been up to? Let’s see … I finally got on the iPhone bandwagon. My wonderful, amazing girlfriend got me a 3GS. For no reason, other then to stop hearing me whine about it 
Honestly, I don’t know why I waited so long. The best phone I’ve ever owned (save for AT&T’s network).Wouldn’t hesitate recommending it to anyone, unless of course you live in San Francisco or NYC. In that case, it’d be a paperweight more then a phone.
Ethan started 2nd grade. So far, so good. He’s back in the flag football league, playing for the … Jets. So close, yet so far. Just once I’d like for him to play for the Giants – it’d save me from buying a jersey! So far he’s been doing pretty well, playing defense and pulling flags.
Just once I'd like for him to play for the Giants!
In much bigger news, Emma decided to make the leap and move in with me, cats and all! So right now, we’re still surrounded by boxes and organizing. Chaotic? Yes. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything Watching Bailey and the cats interact and slowly get to know each other has been nerve wracking at times. Luckily, Bailey doesn’t seem to view the cats as furry, crunchy snacks. If anything, he wants to play. But having a 80 lb dog romp with a 8 lb cat probably isn’t the best idea. We’re just happy they can all sit in the same room and give each other the hairy eyeball.
Oh, and I still haven’t processed the hundreds of images I took from our San Diego trip. For now, the cats have taken over my office. That’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it.
My calf and knee kept me out of the Nation’s Tri, and most certainly will make me miss the upcoming Army 10 miler 
Every time I start ramping up again, my knee, calf or both act up again. Frustrating, to say the least. I’m beginning to the think long distance events and my body don’t mix. Or, maybe I’m just getting old! Whatever it is, I’m hoping it’ll disappear before year’s end. Here’s to hoping.
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Tags: Emma, Ethan, Family, Photography
Free Left Leg to A Good Home!
That’s it. I’ve had it. My left leg is a piece of horse shit! First it was my knee with patellofemoral oh whatever the fuck it was and now my calf tendon near my Achilles decided to pop. Again! Felt exactly the same as last year. The first time it was on a treadmill. This time I wasn’t so lucky …
I was out on a five mile run on the W&OD. Just cruising along, minding my own business and cursing the humidity. I reach the halfway point and turn around – and then around mile 3 1/2 it happens. My left calf starts feeling tight near my Achilles. I stop and stretch it a bit, then continue to run. Still tight … tighter … shit this feels like last time when my tendon popped doesn’t it? Boom! I feel it pop. Agh!
Motherfuckinggoddamnitsonofabitchshitpissfuckdammmit!
I stop. I curse at my leg. And then I realize I have about a mile 1/2 to get back to work! Oh, the pure joy and bliss of it all. Me being the positive bloke that I am, I counted my blessings and was happy that A) I could still hobble along like a one legged pirate and B) I wasn’t caught in a thunderstorm (yet). So, I began the Batan Achilles Death March, shuffling along S L O W L Y. I tried to run a couple times, only to have my calf laugh at me and put me in my place. Talk about frustrating. I hated every minute of the walk back.
So now I face the same dilemma I faced months ago with the Cherry Blossom race. This injury is gonna set me back, no doubt. I have the Nation’s Triathlon in early September, which I have to train for. Can you say piss poor timing?!? Dammit. Gonna see how things shape up over the next week or so.
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Tags: Injury, Nation's Triathlon, Running
.75 miles swimming
14 miles mountain biking
5 miles trail running
= one hell of a day.
I’ve swam over a mile before. I’ve “mountain biked” over 20 miles many times, and I’ve put in my share of 5 mile runs. It all sounded easy enough on paper.
Me and Emma arrived a day early and stayed at Rocky Gap Resort, where the race was being held. The plan was to take it easy the day before and get a good night rest before race day. We relaxed, canoed the lake a bit and toured a bit of the grounds. But curiosity (or was it nerves?) got the best of me and I decided to pre-ride the 7 mile bike loop. I’m glad I did – cause it was an eye opener! I knew right then and there this race was going to be a bitch …
Race day arrived and I woke up early to set up my gear and transition area. I was both anxious and nervous. This was going to be my first triathlon of the year. My first open water swim. And my first off road race. Perhaps not the smartest racing strategy devised
The swim was a two lap loop, complete with a nice 300 meter beach sprint to get the old heart pumping at the start. Well, it certainly did mine. I hit the water and started to swim. It was then I realized this must be what it’s like if I stuffed myself into my washer. Chaos. I’ve seen and read about it many times … but to be in the middle of it, it’s a surreal and scary feeling.
Stroke, breath, sight, kick, breath. It was sensory overload. I couldn’t get a good rhythm going, and dodging folks and sighting the buoy marker was killing me – literally. A thought flashed through my head – so this is what it feels like to drown. Nice. I had to stop and float on my back to catch my breath. Twice. Thoughts of quitting entered my brain. I can’t do this. I was only a quarter of the way out in the water, but it felt like no mans land. I floated a bit, focusing on relaxing and catching my breath. Should I just swim to shore? Should I swim to the lifeguard and just tapout? I pushed those thoughts out of my head. I cursed and told myself to get in the fucking game and HTFU. And so I did. I turned over and began swimming again, methodically pacing myself and focusing on my breathing. Slowly but surely, it worked. Finishing the first lap I knew I was way behind the pack - but at that point I didn’t care. I jumped in for the 2nd swim lap and breezed through without any issues.
Next up was two seven mile mountain bike loops. Remember earlier when I said it was an eye-opener? I knew I would have to tackle Evitt’s Revenge and the rock gardens – only this time, I’d be on the trail with dozens of other riders. To put it bluntly – Evitt’s Revenge kicked my ass. And judging by the number of racers who shared in the misery of pushing their bike up the “hill”, many shared my sentiment. Most of my time was focused on not breaking myself into pieces or coming home in a sling. Yes, there was some nice singletrack and paved road. But there was also plenty of steep chunk rock descents, technical climbs and tight squeezes between trees. My realization during yesterday’s practice ride that my training back home didn’t even come close to replicating this experience was hammered home with every pedal stroke. This is a god damn mountain, not the fire roads of the W&OD trail.
During my ride I saw several riders pirouette over their handlebars. I’d call out and ask if they were OK, and they just raise their hand and mumble “all good!” Adrenaline apparently does amazing things to mask pain. Lucky for me, the only pain I was feeling was the lactic acid burning through my legs. Despite knowing what was ahead of me, the second loop wasn’t any better then the first. At least the faster riders kept me entertained and in awe – screaming down a mountain over rocks the size of my head while I was grabbing brake till my forearms were burning. Yeah, I had some serious work to do on the mountain biking front!
I pushed through and made it to the transition area, mentally prepping myself for the final five mile run. I knew from the race briefing that we’d be running up Evitt’s Revenge one more time (hooray me!) and then the course would veer off into a steep descent and climb. The race director made it sound like an idyllic trail with lush vegetation with a calm, soothing stream to accompany you as you raced. And it was. If you fancy yourself a mountain goat or Ed Viesturs!
The descent was steep, rocky and slippery. There was no way I was running down, unless I wanted to break and ankle or worse. There was plenty of branch and tree grabbing for support – and by the looks of how weathered some of the trunks were, the trees get plenty of love during the descents! Of course, in the back of my mind I knew … the farther I go down, the farther I have to go back up. And I did. And it wasn’t any easier. This was hiking, not running. I passed a few nice ladies going up who were on a hike, and they gently reminded me to not try and run up the hill. I almost laughed out loud! Run? Are you fucking kidding me? It’s just me and the turtles here, ma’am. The piece de resistance was the boulder wall that greeted me at the top. Yes, a full on rock scramble just like hiking Old Rag. My friend had warned me about this, but I didn’t believe him. It was a nice way for mother nature to hammer home who is boss.
With about one mile to go, I made up my mind that I would finish strong and run through the chute. Coming around the final bend, many of the racers had already finished and were happily eating pizza and downing Gatorade. But everyone stopped a brief moment to clap, cheer me on and shout words of encouragement. It was an amazing feeling crossing the finish line. I can’t even recall the final time – I knew it was a bit over 4 hours. My lungs burned. My calves felt like knots. But I couldn’t have been happier that I didn’t quit and crossed the finish line.
Now, about next year’s race …
Filed under: Fitness | 1 Comment
Tags: mountain bike, Rocky Gap, Triathlon, xterra, Xterra Triathlon
Rewind …
Ethan finished up his first lacrosse season a couple weeks ago. I asked if he had a good time playing and if he wanted to play next season, and I was greeted with an enthusiastic “yes!” It was great to see how far he’s come in one season – in the beginning, we were lucky to string together 2 or 3 passes. By the end, we were hitting 20+. Good stuff! Fall ball might be in the cards … but more then likely he’ll play football again. Sadly, since I was coaching I never got a chance to take any photos during the season! But I let my ex borrow my camera gear and she snapped a few for the last game. Thank goodness for autofocus and AI Servo
All smiles before the game.
Split dodge, split dodge! Get to the net!
Ethan chatting up the D. Probably about Pokemon.
Also, this past weekend me and Emma hit up Savor for some delicious craft brews. The beer was fantastic, and I got to try several brews that aren’t available on the East coast – New Belgium, Deschutes, Russian River and Blackfoot River. It made me realize I need to move to the West coast sooner then I thought! And no, Fat Tire isn’t coming here to VA anytime soon. The only downer was the food … for $90 a head, you’d expect some amazing grub. Alas, it was fairly typical banquet food … hopefully next year they do a better job on the culinary end.
Just me and a few hundred of my closest drinking buddies.
National building museum lit up for Savor.
Filed under: Family, Photography, Random | 1 Comment
Tags: Beer, Ethan, lacrosse, Photography, Savor
Tooth Fairy Has Arrived …
Ethan finally lost his tooth yesterday. I was hoping I would be there for the “big” event, but it happened at school in his morning fitness class. Two weeks ago we went to the dentist, who mentioned if the tooth didn’t come out in two weeks, he’d have to come back and get it pulled. Gulp … Ethan began wiggling in earnest.
I’m not sure where Ethan got the download on the tooth fairy, but he was excited about it. Try fielding questions on where the tooth fairy came from, who she was, what she does with the teeth … not easy. I’m actually surprised he didn’t do a search on Google to already research it himself. I’m sure soon enough, Santa and the Tooth Fairy will be exposed by computer literate toddlers.
But for now, the Tooth Fairy is still a reality. Ethan has the cash to prove it.
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Tags: Ethan, Tooth, Tooth Fairy
WOD – Murph
Rain killed my plans of running and biking outside, so I hit the big box expecting to get in a run/swim brick. Well wouldn’t you know, the rain not only kills my plans outside -but inside as well! Apparently the pool inside “isn’t grounded” so when lightning is present outside, the close both the outdoor AND indoor pool down. WTF? I told them I’d risk flopping around like a dead fish in the indoor lap pool if lightning struck. No takers. Dammit.
So I did the next best thing – Murph. I’ve got a serious love/hate relationship with this workout. Love the fact that it is a ballbuster and it incorporates running and a challenging mix of movements. Hate the fact that it incorporates running and a challening mix of movements! I posted a 54:20 – my slowest time to date. Just wasn’t feeling good during the last mile and had to slow it down.
At least tomorrow I’ll get to reward myself at Savor and eat, drink and be merry. Hopefully I’ll get to take a few good snaps during the event … that is if I remember to put down my beer glass
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Tags: Crossfit, Murph, Savor, WOD
Catching Up …
Been a whirlwind the past couple weeks. Just got back from an overnight camping trip on the Shenandoah river – Low Water Bridge campground to be exact. We were blessed with rain for a couple hours, which led me to the discovery that my tent isn’t exactly 100% waterproof. Bailing water out of the tent with my t-shirt wasn’t my idea of fun – but at least it was short lived. We tried our hand at fishing, but having Bailey in tow proved to much to handle. On the bright side, at least Bailey seemed to enjoy being in the water! I’ll have to take him to the resevoir to see how he does there.
Most of the day was spent eating, throwing the football and frisbee and of course making s’mores around the campfire. Nom nom nom. The only downside were the facilities, or lack thereof on the campsite. While I’m all good with “roughing it”, if you’re going to provide bathrooms at least make sure they’re in service! The crowds overwhelmed the port-o-johns, and not in a pleasant way. I’m sure during a normal weekend, all would be well. But the campgrounds were packed, wall to wall. As Emma said – not exactly getting away from it all camping. But we all still managed to have a good time. Next time I’ll have to remember to bring my camera. And beer. I have no idea how I missed those …
On the training front, I’ve been sporadic. Which is to say, I need to get off my ass and be consistent if I have any shot of not being miserable in a month at the Xterra Tri. One month. Time to focus!
Tonight I mixed up my workout:
3 rounds for time
- 275 deadlift, 5 reps
- 10 burpees
I finished in 3:40. A quick workout for sure, but I was sucking wind at the end. Transitioned to some old fashioned lifting, doing a upper body split and then some core work.
Next, onto the Concept 2 rower for 10, 30 second on/off sprints. Fun! I rounded it all out with 40 lengths in the pool. Now I just need the rain to go away so I can get out on my bike.
Filed under: Fitness, Outdoors | Leave a Comment
Tags: camping, Crossfit, Triathlon, WOD
Testing Post Via E-Mail
I just realized that I can post to my blog via e-mail. Might come in handy during my upcoming vacation trips
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Tags: Bailey
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