Beatitudes and my Broken / Sprained Ankle

Since the beginning of this year, I've been super consistent with my running. Very little biking, but averaging 20+ miles per week and following the Hal Higdon 1/2 marathon training program to a T. I WAS hoping to participate in the first Tobacco Road Marathon on March 20th.

I got a great coaching session from Marty at OSB Multisport in early January. We ran for close to an hour, where he helped me with my form, pacing, and HR analysis, and drills. He followed up with an email with a bunch of traing info. The most valuable being a Vdot calculator which helped me predict where I'd be and should train from a pace standpoint. I did all the speedwork and tempo runs religiously and made sure I was doing the drills as prescribed. I figured if I could keep it up I could pace around an 8:45 for a nice sub 2 our finish. Which ain't bad for a newbie.

Sadly, last Friday night at mile 2.9 of an easy 3 mile run at the American Tobacco Trail, I tripped over a stick at dusk and rolled my ankle over. I've rolled it over before but never felt like this. I was running behind my friend John, so I couldn't even blame him for pushing me....Arrgh. So what ensued????? I drove immediately to our primary care doc who happens to be in the plaza just outside our subdivision. They got me right in (after hour walkins) and gave me x-rays. After reading the x-rays, they indicated I had snapped my ligament on the medial side. And I was to proceed immediately to Triangle Ortho Urgent care. Turns out I do have a fracture, and tough to tell the extent of ligament damage without an MRI. Take this boot and crutches and comeback in three weeks. The good news is that the bones aren't displaced.

So I'll be in "Das Boot" for a 6 - 8 weeks. If that's not bad enough, I broke my bike about 3 weeks ago. The frame broke where the rear derailleur cable enters, so that's been sent back to the manufacturer for warranty evaluation.

Needless to say by Sunday morning I was lamenting missing my 4 miles @ pace from Saturday, and my 9 miles easy run on Sunday. I was worried about losing what little fitness I had gained this year, having to cancel a race, having a broken bike, not being able to train with my friends, and living with the ridicule of falling over a stick. Not good.

So Sunday at Mass, we had the Luke's Gospel from Jesus' Sermon on the Plain. Where he talks about the blessings (Beatitudes) and the Woes. Suddenly I was feeling a little hypocritical and not so woeful at all. More guilty for feeling sorry for myself. I started looking around and thinking of a couple of signs.

1) I'm not in Haiti, I have shelter for my family, I'm fed, hydrated, warm and surrounded by a family I love.

2) I'm healthy and in tact. Last Sunday, I did a Mountain Bike Marathon training race. 42 miles with 6 miles of muddy single track, 30 miles on the road, and 6 back on the single track. I finished 26 and was quite happy. Most impressive was the soldier from Ft. who was doing it with a prosthetic right leg. I rode for a bit with one of his buddies, another wounded Special Forces soldier who told me they were training to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

So whether it be Mark, or Luke, I should consider myself truly blessed and get over my woes.

P.S. I should donate some money to the foundation above. Fort Bragg is really close to home and it's a great cause for folks who are making great sacrifices for me.

Movember is over....

1st....Movember is over and thanks to many (actually 39) donors I was able to raise $2,072.00 dollars for Movember. My list of donors is long and distinguished.

-An anonymous celebrity

-Nortel (Including Canadians)

-"Railroaders" from GE,

-Brothers of the Fraternity Delta Sigma Phi (The Pearl of Great Price),

-Alfred University Alumni

-Local Friends

-My Triathlon / Training friends

-A Congressional Candidate in 2010

-Friends from Back Home

-And My Sister

I think I got everybody. So thanks everyone for helping me make this a success....

As a tolken of my gratitude I have a couple of gifts to give away......

1st...For my anonymous celebrity friend...A man who is private and also cryptic. This gentleman insisted on matching $ for $ all donations thru the end of Movember rounded up to the nearest prime number. For your $727.00 you will be getting this...

A beer Mug. I've redeemed it and it'll be a couple of weeks before it comes in.

For everyone else, I'll be raffling off an authentic Movember T-shirt.

This year's t-shirt is currently sold out so this could be a collectors item.

For everyone else....Here's a few pics of my last days with a Mo and some fun shaving.

~Dave

Quick one on Movember.

Here's today's "Mo Shot"

For those who've seen "American Chopper" on the Discovery Channel (or TLC). I wrote a letter this evening to the Dad from Orange County Choppers. Here it is...

Mr. Tuetul,

I'm sure you get a lot of requests for donations and your time. And it's clear to me Your Company and You have been incredible examples of Philanthropy over the years. Though I'm not a motorcyle enthusiast, as an Engineer, and corporate executive, I'm a fan of your show and your motorcycles!

I'm participating in a fundraising initiative named Movember. It sounds pretty corny but it's for a great cause. The gist of it is, guys get donations for growing a moustache through the month of November. Proceeds benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation and The Prostate Cancer Foundation. It's primarily to promote Men's Health awareness around prostate and testicular cancers.

Since I was born with a "5 o'clock shadow" and have never attempted to grow a moustache, I thought this would be perfect opportunity for me. You sir have a fine moustache! I figured you would appreciate my efforts and want to donate to my cause.

I'm writing to request that you log into url: us (dot) movember (dot) com/mospace/289238 and donate any amount you see fit to my donation space. Most of my donors are giving between $10 and $50.

I've gotten a commitment from another celebrity (who wishes to remain anonymous) to match all proceeds I've raised at the end of the final week of November. (I use the term celebrity pretty loosely but that's the way he wants it)

Mr. Tuetul, It would be awesome to have you on my list of donors on my "MO Space" page (url above). It would be even more awesome if after donating you passed the link around to all the folks you know to raise more money and awareness. I appreciate your time and consideration, and I'm looking forward to your contribution.

David D. McBride

129 Elmhaven Way

Morrisville, NC 27560 919 308 0529

P.S. I have read the disclaimer

My Bikes

Movember is moving along. My MOustache is coming in nicely. I'd hoped I'd be suave and cool, like Lemmy from Motorhead, Tom Selleck, or Hulk Hogan. I think it's really coming in like Nicholas Cage's character in Raising Arizona. Although,... he is a fine character and like myself embodies the image of "everyman."

I gasped when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror first thing this morning. I had just woke up with morning hair. I thought H.I. was in my bathroom! The pic above was taken yesterday after working a generous amount of dollar store gel thru my hair.

Only 3 weeks left to donate and ONLY 3 more weeks of me prattling on in facebook about this awesome beard.

Donate Here: CLICK ME TO DONATE! You donation will be split between the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LiveSTRONG) and The Prostate Cancer Foundation.

So this last couple of weeks my workout schedules have changed drastically. Cynthia's been taking a cake decorating class at Michaels in the evenings so I have missed a couple of weeks of swimming. Travel is picking up some for work, and getting dark earlier hasn't helped.

I have started running some on the American Tobacco Train, and Ulmstead Park and really like that.

This has been my first full year of consistent fitness training since like 1993. I got into mountain biking some in the mid 90's and even did some racing. (poorly, but racing nonetheless). In those days, I probably had a decent aerobic base left over from swimming in college and could suffer thru any ride and replenish with chicken wings and pitchers of beer!

So this fall, I've tried to get out and mountain bike more than I have in the last couple of years. And I'm having a ton of fun! Having the aerobic fitness to ride well makes it really enjoyable. Today my friend Loucks and I went to a local park and rode for a good 2 hours. We did most of Crabtree park and were having a blast.

We saw a bunch of deer including a sizable 8 point who stared us down for like 5 minutes from about 20 yards away. I told Loucks "if he charges us, we should keep our bikes between us and him." His reply "Can that happen?" Me: "Yeah you saw Tommy Boy when the deer was in the trunk." editors note:Ladies, ever wonder what your husbands talk about when they're out? Pretty good example.

We were about 1 hour into the ride and stopped at a map to determine our next loop. A guy in a nice full suspension rig, fancy gear, and a brand new camelback passed us. After a few momements we caught up to him. I was ok riding behind him but he pulled over to let us pass. He made a comment about letting us go ahead since we like riding tires so much. And then I flipped over my handle bars. I got up quickly and was fine thanks to years of experience falling on mountain bikes. So then he asks if we've been back here before. My answer: "No but it's GREAT!" And then he proceeds to lecture us. At which point we ride away and enjoy the rest of the ride.

So in analyzing that confrontation, it's hard for me to think about how we could have avoided it. So here is what I'd like to tell that guy.

1) Yes I'm catching you on the hills. I'm on a 15 year old hard tail bike, and you have a new full suspension bike with a ton of cushy travel. I've got to maintain speed to get over rocks and roots where you can just pedal and glide over them. Feel free to get out of your saddle and work a hill, these aren't that long!

2) Yes, I'm catching you going up the hills because you have a full suspension bike that weighs like 45 pounds. My little hard tail weighs like 25.

3) Yes, I'm catching you on the hills because my camelback has exactly 1 liter of water, 1 innertube, 3 tire levers, and a mini pump. Your's looked like you were carrying enough food and gear to survive 12 days in the bush and rebuild a suspension. We're 2 miles from Aviation Parkway for God's sake if you need to do more than fix a flat, call for a ride and walk out!

I'm pretty sure it wasn't my athleticism causing me to catch this guy. And I don't feel I was following that closely. 15 feet isn't bad where you would expect someone to pull over and let you pass.

Anyway, enough ranting. Here's a few pics of my super mountain bike. It's a 1995 Jamis Diablo LE (I believe LE stands for "Luxury Edition") I call her Betsy!

I was riding earlier today with the front wheel.

XT all around except when you need XTR. That's the biggest XTR cluster you could have bought in those days. It makes the bottom chain ring unnecessary. And only 8 speeds.

Early threadless headset! With early Judy XC suspension fork. Too bad there's no 1" steerer tube forks available anymore.

And finally....Aluminum?, Whats Aluminum? Good ol' steel tubing.

I feel better now.

~Dave

Movember, BNSF, and Random Randomness

Today is a big day!!!! Warren Buffett bought the BNSF Railroad. Not long ago, I ran a locomotive shop in Mexico which did wreck repair. The BN was one of my better, as well as favorite customers. We did number of sizable wrecks, as well as Diesel Engine Overhauls for them in the 2.5 years we were down there! Here's a picture of loco wreck before and after we did. I believe this was the result of a big derailment out in California. Difficult to see as it was a framed photo I've got on my office wall. I think it's pretty cool that a team of 30 guys or so could fix that choo choo in about 8 weeks. It was pretty messed up.

Warren Buffet had a big day and so did I! I got my first Movember Donation for $20.00 from John Huegel of Erie, PA. So I owe him a poem in exchange for his generosity! It only takes one to get the ball rolling so to speak. I've got a good feeling about how my "stash" is filling in and how much money I can raise.

Here's a picture of Day 3.

I'm going for a combination of Magnum PI, Stacey Keach in Mike Hammer, and toned down Lemmy from Motorhead. The rules clearly state that the moustache is not to connect with sideburns, hence the toned down Lemmy.

Here's the Poem...

John H. is my first Movember donor

He's not as wealthy as the BNSF's new owner

But if he'd sold his Options of GE

And invested in Santa Fee (Poetic License)

He'd be more or less Rich

And have more cash to Pitch

For causes like the "Movember"

Training wise I had a pretty good week last week.

Last Sunday I got in 8 Miles (Really slow on the American Tobacco Trail) I really struggled to keep my heart rate under 145. Mark Allen says it will pay off. And he has his own personal Shaman so I guess it makes sense.

Sunday 8 slow

Monday Off

Tuesday Run 4

Wednesday Run 40 minutes tempo run (I've really got to learn to do these.

Thursday 4 miles Easy

Friday Mountain Bike 8 Miles in Crabtree (Fast and Fun) + 7 Miles in Umstead

Saturday Cycle 35 with John M. and Mark W.

So far this week I'm 0 for 3. Family obligations and job are messing up training with a little scoop of daylight loss.

All for now. I think the White House is calling to appoint me as "Poet Laureate" or something so I've got to run to get the phone.

~Dave

Movember, Prostate Cancer Foundation and LiveSTRONG

I have decided to join a global movement that is bringing much needed attention to cancers that affect men. I’m doing this by growing a Moustache this Movember, the month formerly known as November.

My commitment is to grow a moustache all November and I am hoping that you will support my efforts by making a donation.

The funds raised go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LIVESTRONG).

What many people don’t know is that 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime and testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 18-35.

Facts like these have convinced me I should get involved. To make a donation, you can either:

• Click this link http://us.movember.com/mospace/289238/ and donate online using your credit card or PayPal account , or

• Write a check payable to ‘Movember Foundation’, referencing my Registration Number 289238 and mailing it to:

Movember Foundation,

PO Box 2726, Venice, CA 90294-2726.

All donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation will use the money raised by Movember to fund research to find better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation will use the money raised by Movember to fund:

• The LIVESTRONG Young Adult Alliance program which has the goal of improving survival rates and quality of life for young adults with cancer between the ages of 15 and 40.

• Research initiatives to further understand the biology of adolescent and young adult cancers. For more details on how the funds raised from previous campaigns have been used and the impact Movember is having please go to .

Thank you

Dave McBride

P.S. I have a friend who's agreed to match $ for $ up to a secret amount. Want to find out how much? Donate and l'll let you know.

Even tho I havn't updated, I've still exercised

After 2 triathlons and a diseastrous bike tour, I've continued to workout, even though I havn't updated my blog. So What's new....

1) I seem to have licked my lower leg issues by not running. I'm now the proud new owner of a pair of custom made orthotics.

2) I've decided to focus some on running as it's getting cooler and darker earlier. I'm on a training plan from http//www.halhigdon.com. I'm also trying to do all workouts with a heart rate under 144bpm which is proving to be challenging.

3) Still biking some but trying to get out mountain biking more. With an aerobic base, I'm really enjoying that.

What in store? Maybe the Randleman 1/2 Marathon on Dec. 12. My friend John Ward from Addison is doing it. He just qualified for the Boston Marathon last month. I'm excited for him and can tell he's pumped.

Also I want to focus on Aerobic Fitness. Lot's of Aerobic threshold training til January or Feb and then some move into more speedwork.

Where I dream to be in 2010.

170 Pounds

Top 10 Triathlon Swimmer

22 mph Bike average in a spring Triathlon

20 Min 5K at the end of a triathlon.

More to come.....