Running Dan

A while back, Dan started swimming again.  He swam back when he was in high school and started enjoying it again at the gym here.  However, as we have two kids, he found it necessary to carve out time that was not already committed.  So he started going to the gym at 6am.

This helped greatly with Dan's back, which he had injured during a home repair project of digging up a leaky water pipe in our yard.  Swimming strengthens muscles and causes weight loss, both which help the back.  And, as the only real cost to swimming is finding a pool to swim in, it was reasonable to join a local gym with a pool.  He also got some goggles and a lap counter.

Then, as with many hobbies, things got more involved. Dan decided to take up biking.  Initially this was OK.  He used the old mountain bike that we already had.  However, soon started the "acquisition-of-gear-phase" of the hobby.  Dan bought bike shorts and a jersey.  Then he bought pedals that let you clip in.  However, everyone he talked to kept saying, "you have to get a road bike!"

So over last Thanksgiving weekend, he got a road bike that is made of carbon fiber.  Which necessitated different pedal clips, I think.  And a bike computer or a cadence monitor and stuff.  And, because he was doing more biking and it was winter, he got lights... and reflectors... and a high visibility jacket.  And some other stuff too.  All of this helps him to bike around 40-60 miles each Saturday morning. 

But it didn't stop with swimming and biking.  It seems that biathlons are not about swimming and biking, they are totally different.  Clearly he had to add another sport so that he could participate in an "-athlon."  So now he also runs. He bought a heart rate monitor and red shin splint leg sleeves which are not leg warmers (allegedly).

Dan completed his first official 5k race in April.  Here he is, somewhere in the middle part of the Hermosa 5K race, wondering why he is being photographed.

Dan in red and gray

Will and Alex enjoyed hanging out and watching the race.  They ran around near the pier shops and counted about 75 dogs that they saw.  Will ran the 7 year old race and learned the lesson that it doesn't matter if you come in last place, it's whether or not you finish.

Will, appropriately attired in the white Village Runner race shirt, sizing up his opponents who will all beat him

And, of course, it is also important to determine if you can hang out and build sandcastles in the sand after the race.

Will, still endorsing the race and Alex, endorsing Pirate Booty (the snack)

Then, for Memorial Day, instead of hanging out and relaxing and preparing for grilling, Dan decided to instead run 5K.  Given that he had already done that once, he made it a little more interesting and joined a race that was on sand in Manhattan Beach.  The kids woke me up early that day, so I dragged them over to the ocean, once again, to watch Dan run on sand.

Second Beach Race, This time, on sand!

Dan, in red compression sleeves

Of course, the downside to running on the beach is... embedded sand in blisters on the bottom of your feet.  Who knew?  Now Dan does.

And tomorrow, after all of the swimming, biking, and running, Dan competes in his first triathlon in the third beach city - Redondo Beach.  It's a half mile ocean swim, 6 mile bike ride, and 2 mile run.