Jon's Jibber-jabber

It is Thanksgiving weekend and that means one thing: the annual running of the Space Coast Marathon in Cocoa, FL.  This was my sixth running of this race (the 46th annual edition of the long-running event).  It is also the last year of the "Big Bang Series", a five-year journey of medals that paid tribute to the Space Shuttles.  Run the race for five years, and you get bonus medals and gear.  I started the series so it made sense to see it out to conclusion.  It is a race that is notoriously hot and humid.  The road surface is also cambered to the point of ridiculousness at certain place.  Yet, year after year I return to this place. Race Week If you look at last year's report, you will almost see a carbon copy of what I am going to say.  Race week started with a head cold that made life miserable for most of the middle of the week.  It started on Wednesday with that pre-cold feeling.  Thanksgiving day, it turned into full cold, which lasted through Friday (my birthda

Inspired by DC Rainmaker (who I am not), I decided to put together a list of gear I use.  I find it helpful to share what I use to mainly be able to look back year to year as I accumulate new gear and find new things.   This is my list as of mid 2017.  The new year may bring new toys and gadgets but it also may not.  I hope to be able to update these every year as my gear changes. Swim Wetsuit: Zoot Z-Force 2.0 - I have both a sleeveless and full-sleeved version of the Z-Force.  I affectionately call these my Zoot Suits. Pool Goggles: Michael Phelps Aquasphere/Orca Profile- These are a new addition from last Christmas.  I use the Michael Phelps mostly for pool swimming.  They are a bit awkward around my eyes but they have very nice lenses that really do not fog up. Open Water Goggles:  I use simple single-strap non-adjustable Orca Profile goggles that I acquired in bulk for under $3 a pair on a lightning deal.  And three years later they still work.  I have four or so pair.  I

Over the weekend before Halloween, my wife and I ran a local race called the Great West Chase 5k.  They also have a 10k option, but that is a little more than I wanted to run.  We live in the area of Tampa called "Westchase" and can walk to the start line, so this was a great truly local race.  I did not realize that the race had nearly 1300 participants between the 5k and 10k.  In reality, this is a good mid-sized race.  It was a spur of the moment race decision, with approval from my coach, of course. The 5k course is a straight out-and-back, remaining mostly on Linebaugh Avenue.  The course has one lane in each direction closed to traffic.  While there are cars, the police have it completely managed.  It is a USATF and RRCA certified course.  This is quite helpful as many local 5ks are not certified and end up either being short or long. It was a good race to check development. I asked my coach whether this would fit in my plan and she approved of the 5k.  It would cer