25 October 2011

Night Rider...with video :)

Time: 2030 hours
Date: 10:24:2011
Location: Classified

It's no secret that I do most of my training at night. 

Some people think it's crazy. Others think it's stupid. And some are even inspired by it. Go figure!

With four kids, it's hard to squeeze it in any other time than when they are finally in bed. I know this isn't for everyone. Safety definitely factors in. If I lived 1.5 miles up the road... forget it. Gang Central. And even if I lived in a 'regular' neighborhood, I would still have reservations and many second thoughts about venturing out after dark.

I am super fortunate to live in what appears to be a gated Witness Protection Program enclave. When I am out at night in my odd, gated development, I feel strangely safe and focused and peaceful. Distractions are minimal.

Last night's workout was a bike ride within The Gate's confines. When I was done, I thought....

"Hey, I'll bet everyone is just dying to see what it's like to train at night with XL!"

Am I right? 

I know some of my readers are curious about my night activities... and some are baffled... and others couldn't care less. I have taken some night pictures and shot a few night videos in the past, but last night I videoed one whole loop... the loop I ride over and over and over again (add a few more 'over's) on my bike. Fun, right?

Get ready...

Warnings:  I say "uhhh" a lot. And "alright." And I am hoping that a few of my friends can forgive my two freak-out "Jesus Christ" exclamations. And I know... all my sniffing has you thinking I'm a coke-fiend... I'm not. Riding a bike at night and making a video at the same time without a helmet cam is kind of scary and is not easy.

So...without further ado...
Welcome to the Neighborhood!


Yes, that is really a Lawn Jockey.
And it really is in my neighborhood.

And now for our Feature Presentation...
Here's the youtube link in case it gets stuck on you...

I made a mistake early on...to correct my misstatement, my loopty-loops are point-seven-five miles in length. They are. And I want to clarify the commentary that was garbled a few times when the wind-noise-reduction feature didn't work... mostly when I turned the camera from looking straight ahead. It happened when I pointed out the unremarkable Halloween decorations and the hoodie guy and then when I pointed out the flag flying after sundown but remembered that being illuminated made it okay :) And it happened again when I turned to view the Halloween Extravaganza...


Please don't take my reference to the Russians as any sort of un-p.c. slur. They are nice people. My husband and I have lots of jokes about spies and criminals and stuff like that because of the closed weirdness of our neighborhood. We are both old enough to remember The Cold War and so 'Russian' tends to be the go-to nationality when making spy jokes. No offense intended. Just joking. Okay?

I inaudibly point out where the Lawn Jockey lives... it is not our Lawn Jockey. We do not have a Lawn Jockey or any other lawn ornaments. Sure do wish we did. I would want a Wishing Well. Or a flamingo. Or maybe a couple of gnomes working... pushing a wheelbarrow, toting a pick-axe, something like that. How about you... do you have or wish you had lawn ornaments?

The dog walking guy was on the second loopty-turn of my running route, and I failed to point that out in the commentary. He thought I was crazier than the hoodie guy did. He sees me all the time and gives me the evil eye. He might be the guy who rear-ended me back in July... but I'm not sure.

The end of the development where I point out the teenagers-who-have-keggers is considered the 'dodgy' end of the development. The houses and yards are less perfectly kept up ...and they allow keggers. The other end would never tolerate keggers. Or weeds.

One regret with regards to this video... I wish I had included a spontaneous dip in the pool at the end. Yes, that really is the real site of my barefoot skirted swim video (view here) and my follow-up triathlon video (view here). But it was kind of cold. Which partly explains all my sniffing.

Remember to nominate me for Best Documentary Short in next year's round of film awards. I would like some new trophies to put on my mantel.

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There's still time to enter the Great Moving Comfort Giveaway! You might win a new, awesome sports bra of your choice... but you gotta play to win!

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Head on over to FreeFringes and join in with this week's Lovelinks!

21 comments:

  1. How long is that lap, you could probably do some pretty good bike intervals. And then stop at the keg party.

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  2. I am not kidding, and don't make fun of me. But I have had my eye on this 4 foot tall metal pink flamingo...I really want to put in my front yard. I love flamingos!

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  3. you are so funny. If people think you're crazy for running at night, they probably think you're certifiable (or a peeping tom) for biking with a video camera...

    thanks for the tour of your hood - looks lovely!

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  4. I think you are the greatest blogger EVER! you are hilarious! I feel like I'll be like you when I'm bigger :) and wiser!!! lol

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  5. Gnomes??? I suppose I can see gnomes....

    My neighbor has plywood bears cut out and painted all over his yard. Plywood bear climbing the oak tree, plywood bear guarding the mail box, plywood bear and 4 plywood bear cubs walking through the garden (bears rarely have 4 cubs BTW).

    You are a goofball as usual!!

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  6. That was a fabulous adventure! LMAO!! I wonder if it would lose a little something if I videotaped my dreaded elliptical visit tomorrow morning...I think so!

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  7. Once again I am sad that you have to justify all your jokes. I totallllllly was cracking up watching this. You are hilarious. Love the commentary -- if I were your neighbor, I'd be afriad of what you'd say about me.

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  8. That was hilarious. I hardly ever watch videos on blogs cuz I'm just lazy that way, but yours was totally worth it. I'm impressed you stayed upright. That's talent. Thanks for the tour.

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  9. I'm thinking the hubby knows what to get you for xmas now - lawn ornaments!!! Jealous!

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  10. #1 Is that camera taped to your helmet? Or do you have some sort of headcam? Bike cam is SO much smoother than running road cam.

    #2 I want the shortest straw! OR is that the longest?

    #3 I am tempted to do the same video of my run at 20:30. But....it might not have as much to see unless I bring along a spotlight.

    #4 No need to justify the Russians comment when you are snuggling up to Fidel in the sidebar.

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  11. Nice neighborhood! You could train at night in mine even though we have no gates, but the mosquitoes would carry you away at gunpoint.

    Thanks for linking up with lovelinks. You're like my Old Faithful. Or Ol' Yeller. Whichever.

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  12. I run at night too and it SUCKS HUGE. I use a headlamp (you don't? or maybe it would interfere with the camera) which has to be headache-tight or it falls off. And of course running at night means that there is nothing to look at to distract you from how much you would rather be doing anything OTHER than running at night.

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  13. Am I the only one who didn't really see anything?
    Your comment on the bike ride was really funny, so I got something out of watching the video. ;)

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  14. you really need a headlight/tail light-then cycling in the dark is fun! really!

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  15. What a hilarious post! I used to go jogging at night, and I'd ride my bike to the local high school track. One of the roads I traveled down had no street lights and one time on the way home, someone had put out their garbage dumpster and I couldn't see it until I was about 5 feet away....too late. Hit that sucker and flew over the top. Thankfully, my endorphins from running made me think it was hilarious. My roomates thought I was insane.

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  16. Ha! Your neighbors probably think you're some crazy who's casing their homes biking around with a video camera... at night!

    I s*it you not -- a neighbor in my old neighborhood had two full sized fiberglass cows - yes, that's right... cows - in their front yard. Eventually they were forced to remove them per the neighborhood assoc. I found it to be oddly interesting... and tacky! LOL

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  17. Looks like an entertaining run. I run early in the morning, so it's a different kind of dark.

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  18. That was hilarious! I loved it! And I too am a nighttime training person. I like the dark. This way when I'm doing plyometrics and squats, nobody really sees, and if they do, they think I'm drunk, so it's all good.
    PS: You have a videocam strapped to your helmet. That's why I LOVE YOU MORE!

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  19. THIS is f'ing hysterical. Really. I would so be your neighbor. I kind of want to see a picture of you with the camera attached to your, helmet? Awesome!

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  20. When I first read the title of this post, for some reason I thought you were writing about the band Night Ranger. Man, I'm tired. You are brave to run at night! The only time I run at night is during Ragnar.

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