Avoiding Sandy, Halloween and Last Minute Triathlon Training

The problem with late season storms in the Caribbean is that they tend to form to the south of Cayman and the amount of warning is minimal compared to the monster storms that come in out of the Atlantic.  We saw this with Paloma in 2008 that came in early November and again this year with Hurricane Sandy a late October storm. We only had about a day and a half notice but fortunately for us, Sandy headed northeast instead of northwest and all we got was some rainy days and choppy seas. 

 

Last year we planned to take Arianna to the Halloween party at Camana Bay where they have trick or treating, crafts and movies but it was rained out.  We worried that the aftereffects of Sandy might rain out the event scheduled for Saturday night this year too but the day stayed dry. Arianna got into her Peter Pan costume and we headed to Camana to meet several of her friends and do the trick or treating.  We picked up some take out sushi at Yoshi's and ate it down on the crescent by the water and the big fountains.  Then we met Arianna's friend Tucker and headed out to hit all the candy stands to fill her bag.  After an hour plus of trick or treating we settled in to watch Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin on a big screen in one of the outdoor courts.  It was a great evening and Arianna had a blast.

 

We are one week out from the triathlon and are completing our training this week as we point toward that race next Sunday morning.  We have also now given our official 90 day notice to the college and our last work day will be January 25.  One of the cars has been sold and we have a ton of stuff on ecay and a big garage sale planned.  We are set to leave by the end of January which will end our time down here and end this blog.  It has been a grand adventure and is now coming to an end.  These last 90 days will be a whirlwind we are sure.

Goodbye to Gypsy

With all of the uncertainty about our move and where we will go and where we may have to stay for a while, we have been very concerned about Gypsy, our cat.  She doesn't take change or uncertainty well.  After some long talks about it we decided to put her up for adoption and find a good home for her so she can stay in Cayman.  Because there are so many in transit people here on the island there is an online forum where people who are leaving, but cannot take their pets, can post available pets for adoption.  Yesterday, a very nice lady with an 11 month old child contacted us about Gypsy and after coming over to meet her, agreed to adopt her.  We gave her all of Gypsy's stuff including her carrier, kitty litter, toys and cat tree along with her special blanket that she likes to sit on, on top of the couch.  Arianna was very sad when she said goodbye and it was a little emotional for all of us.  We will miss Gypsy but know that she is going to a good home and that she will be happy with her new family.  It was a stark reminder that our time on the island is quickly coming to an end.

Rained Out

After great conditions yesterday for the 800 meter swim, this morning broke cloudy and rainy.  As we drove to the start line we could hear thunder and see the line of rain coming.  A quick decision by the organizers to cancel meant we never even got started.  We have three weeks left to go before the full triathlon and will now scramble to do our own personal final "mini-tri" some time in the next week or so.  We are doubling up our training now trying to do bikes then runs or swims then bikes to get our bodies used to the transition and change in muscle use.  We decided not to go to different bikes even though it means less speed because we found that the racing bikes were messing with our breathing and we felt it would take too long to adjust to them.  Will be an interesting next three weeks as we wrap up final training and do our first actual sprint triathlon.

CUC Swim

This is a busy weekend as today Katie took part in the CUC (Caribbean Utilities Company) 800 meter open water swim and tomorrow we both have our third and final mini triathlon as part of the buildup toward the sprint triathlon in just three weeks.

 

It was my turn to watch Arianna as Katie swam the race.  Arianna played with her friend Tucker who's mom Kristy is Katie's training partner and was also swimming in the race.  We walked along the beach as the race progressed watching the swimmers.  Arianna would stop from time to time though as we walked down the beach with the swimmers and yell "go mommy" or "mommy race"

 

Katie finished third in her age group and got a trophy!

 

 

Football Getaway Weekend

Katie's birthday present for me this year was a getaway weekend back to Texas to see a Longhorn game.  So last Friday we used some of our airline miles so I could fly to Houston and meet up with my old college roommate Gary and go to the Texas-West Virgina football game in Austin.  It was a whirlwind 72 hours that included bringing back stuff to put into storage as we begin our process of moving back and some shopping for items needed here on the island that are either unavailable or too expensive.  Most of all though it was about seeing my first game in person in over three years.  A record crowd of over 101,000 were in attendance and it was a great game to watch even though it was chilly and the Horns lost in a heart breaker 48-45.  The great thing about seeing the game was that it served as a reminder that one of the many good things awaiting us when we return, the ability to go to Texas football games in the fall.

Bike Marathon

One of the many exercise items on our Cayman Bucket list (at least for me, not so much Katie) was to bike the East End loop in a single ride.  We had done it before over the course of two days when we spent the night at the Reef Resort biking out there and then completing the loop home the next day, but neither of us had done it all in a single day, single ride.  This morning I decided to check this one off my list and headed out early to ride up to the Over The Edge Cafe in the district of Northside where I would meet Katie and Arianna for breakfast  before finishing the loop.  The 27.5 kilometers up to Over the Edge were a nice warm up for the real heart of the bike ride, the 45.8 kilometer ride around the eastern portion of the island and back to Red Bay. Using the garmin I was able to track my speed and distance and create a map of the ride pictured below. The total distance was 73.31 kilometers and it took me 3 hours, twenty minutes and 18 seconds at an average speed of 22 kilometers an hour. 



 

 

Mini Triathlon Two

This morning was the second of three build up triathlons ahead of the Cayman Islands Triathlon the first Sunday in November.  With Arianna at a friends house, both Katie and I did this one together.  The swim was just 350 meters off seven mile beach and took each of us less than eight minutes.  We transitioned in a parking lot across seven mile road and headed out to a bike portion of the triathlon that was a total of 13.8 kilometers.  The bike course took us down the Harquayle bypass to Camana Bay and then back up seven mile road to the start area.  We did two laps of the bike course and then did a run that was 1.54 miles consisting of two laps of a course that ran along the access road to the Harquayle bypass. 

 

Katie caught up to me on the second lap of the run and very generously didn't just blow right past me but paced me to the finish line. I am stronger in the swim and bike but she is much stronger in the run and is really using the triathlon training as part of her buildup to the half marathon where she may well cut over an hour plus off the time we did in 2007.  We both finished today's mini-triathlon in one hour eight minutes and forty nine seconds.  The total distance was just about half of what we will do in November when the real thing happens.  We  have another official mini-tri in three weeks and are doing unofficial ones ourselves as we build up.

Here are some shots from this morning of the transition area, swim start and of each of us biking.

 

Fosters 800 Meter Swim

As we continue to train for the triathlon that is coming up in November we are still participating in the open water swims that take place here in the island from time to time.  Today was the Fosters 800 Meter Swim on Seven Mile.  Katie was under the weather so I was the only one to do the swim.  In training for the Flowers mile back in June I never could get under 16 minutes for the half mile races and had set that as my goal today.  I got a great start and was able to maintain a good pace until the end when my form fell apart and my lungs started burning.  Even with my last 100 being really rough I came in at an unofficial time of 15:27 and in 51st out of 140 swimmers.  I finished third in my age group (males 40-44) which was actually won by the man who won the Cayman Islands Olympic Distance Triathlon last year.  Here are some shots from today.

140 swimmers at the start

The course looking down Seven Mile from the Finish

Finish Line

I approach the finish

 

Last few strokes

Third in my Age Group!

Last Year in Cayman

The clock is now officially ticking on our days in Cayman.  This will be the final contract year for both of us at the college and that means we are now making plans to return home no later than the end of August 2013.  We came down here on a 27 month commitment and and that was 63 months ago.  It has been a fantastic adventure and one we will never forget.  There is still some time to go as we make all the arrangements to return and we both have a Cayman bucket list of things we want to do before we leave.  The next several months should be a whirlwind of activity and where we end up is very much up in the air though we are aiming to head back to Texas.  As we wind down our time here this blog will also wind down but we look forward to one day sharing it with Arianna and perhaps a little brother or sister of hers about our time here in the islands.  There is still some time left here and entries to record our last year as we finish those bucket lists, so things wont change too dramatically at least in the short run.  As we learn where we will end up we will let everyone know.

Practice Mini Triathlon

This morning was the first of three unofficial practice Mini Tri's done as a build up by the Cayman Islands Triathlon Association ahead of the Cayman Islands Triathlon in November.  It was a first chance to do all three phases of the triathlon and practice the transitions. The swim portion was 270 meters, the bike was 6.9 km and the run was 1.33 km.  I finished in just under 40 minutes.  Katie was there to film the transitions and watch Arianna.  In three weeks is another practice mini doubling the distances for each of the three phases.  We both plan to do that one as we have lined up someone to watch Arianna.  We learned a lot about the transition phases and some little things to do in those as we move toward the full sprint triathlon in nine weeks.  I also learned how much work I still have to do in preparing as today was 1/4 the distance of what is to come and I was exhausted afterward.

 

The Start

At the end of the run portion

Stretching with Arianna at the end



First Day of Football

We celebrated first day of football eve with a football shaped pizza and football cupcakes.  Today the Horns open up with Wyoming and tonight will be my first trip of the fall to the local sports bar to catch the games.

Isaac takes its toll on Cayman

Although the storm passed well to the north of us and is giving New Orleans headaches it has had an impact here in Cayman.  We had a tremendous lightning and rain storm that its outer bands kicked up Monday evening  and early Tuesday morning.  During the storm, the college radio tower which is next to Friends Hall was struck by lightning, blowing an electrical box and wiring, and sending a surge through the phone and ethernet lines that were attached to the tower.  The power surge that went through the ethernet cords crossed over to Clayton Strain Hall and the administrative offices frying 10 of our computers in various offices and our lab classroom.  The computers seem to have been impacted almost at random as some are just fine while others will not turn on.  The strike took out our entire phone system, fire and security alarms for two of the three buildings and knocked our radio station out.  The rain has also flooded our campus again re-creating Lake ICCI around Friends Hall and to the east of McLaughlin Hall.  My office was one of the lucky ones as the electronics in it are OK.  This morning we had another powerful band of rain come through and it seems to be lingering for the next couple of days.  Sunday morning was to be our first practice mini triathlon but for now we are going to have to wait and see what the weather allows.

Tropical Storm Watch

Overnight we briefly went on Tropical Storm watch as Isaac headed across Cuba and we found ourselves in its outer cone.   Fortunately, the watch ended shortly after it began as Isaac continued on its path toward Florida and did not take any unusual turns that might have impacted us more.  We have gotten some rain today and thunder from what are likely its very outer bands and we should have a wet weekend. Next Sunday is the first of three practice triathlons on Seven Mile Beach involving a 200 meter swim, a 3 mile bike, and 1 mile run.  This is part of a training series that slowly builds and lets you get used to doing all three as well as the transitions along with building up the distances.  We are both keeping up with our training and trying to develop endurance as much as speed.  Next Saturday is also the first day of football so we are gearing up for celebration of that "national holiday" in our household.  Should be an eventful week.

The Mendoza Line

In baseball there is a term for hitters who are really struggling, its called hitting above the Mendoza line. The Mendoza line is named after a short stop who was a lifetime .215 hitter but it has traditionally now become a description for a hitter who is below .200.  For the past ten years I have been dieting and exercising in a vain attempt to get below 200 pounds and have always viewed that as my own personal Mendoza line only this time the goal is below 200 not above.  Three weeks ago I got a reading of 199.8 on my weekly weigh in.  I wasn't really trusting of it and said that if I got three straight weeks of readings below 200 pounds I would be convinced that I had truly broken through the barrier. Last week was 199 even and this morning 198.6 so it seems the Mendoza line has been broken.  We are still doing active training for the triathlon and that looks like it was the impetus to break through the 200 pound barrier.

Stephanie heads and home and the Storms line up

Stephanie headed home yesterday but not before she got a going away present from her niece, who said her full name yesterday morning getting squeals of delight from her Aunt.  The weather improved dramatically on her last day and since her flight wasn't until early evening, we headed to the beach and she got in some paddle boarding with Katie.  As she leaves, the National Hurricane Center in Miami is warning us about a storm that will become Gordon either later today or tomorrow and track into our general vicinity next week Wednesday.  It looks like it will be similar to Ernesto and just give us a lot of rain and high wave action but we are watching it closely just in case it shifts north and gives us some wind action either as strong tropical storm or weak hurricane.  Meanwhile off the coast of Africa a true monster storm has formed and everyone in the Caribbean is watching that one to see where it goes.  It is August in the tropics and the hurricane shooting gallery is in full force.

Storm Passes, No Taxes and Two more Days with Stephanie

A lot has happened to start this week.  Tropical Storm Ernesto passed to the south of us giving us some high winds and a lot of rain the last two days but no real issues or concerns. Last night after two long weeks of very heated debate the Premier announced that the "Community Enhancement Fee" which was government speak for direct income tax was being withdrawn and was "no longer on the table". We are enjoying our last two full days with Aunt Stephanie who leaves Thursday and used the rainy day yesterday as an excuse to visit the Caybrew Brewery and take a tour.  There have been spots of sunshine that has led to quality beach time for Steph and Arianna. We are hoping that with the storm having passed, these last two days will give us nice tropical weather for Stephanie to enjoy.

Storm Threat Decreases and Mastic Trail

Every track since yesterday afternoon has pushed Ernesto further south and this afternoon we have pretty well shut down hurricane preparations as it looks like it will not impact us at all beyond a little rain.  With storm worry taking a backseat we headed over to the Mastic trail this morning to do some hiking.  Unfortunately, the rain earlier in the week flooded the trail and we only got in about 1/2 mile before we had to turn back.  Still, it was the first time Arianna had done any of the Mastic Trail so Aunt Stephanie got a first with her niece.

Watching Ernesto

Early August has brought with it an unwelcome surprise visitor.  Tropical Storm Ernesto has entered the eastern Caribbean and is now tracking into our neighborhood as a hurricane late Monday/early Tuesday.  The current track puts it about 77 miles south of us which is way too close for comfort.  In the map below we are just above and to the right of the 2 a.m. Tuesday track which has the storm at a low level hurricane.  This weekend is now full on hurricane preparations as we get up the shutters, buy any last minute supplies and get the house ready.  Stephanie is going to get the real tropical experience it would seem.  Unless it blows up into a huge storm we plan to ride it out as the house is more than capable of handling a category 1 or even low level category two hurricane.

A welcome guest and a potentially unwelcome one

Aunt Stephanie arrived on Tuesday and is here for the next week visiting.  She brought Arianna a much bigger "mouse" doll that she has been carrying around ever since.  We also got news that early next week what is now tropical depression five may be in our neighborhood as either Tropical Storm Ernesto or even Hurricane Ernesto so we are keeping a weather eye on that.  Should make for an interesting several days of family and storm watching.

An Island Without Power

We were awoken this morning at 6:30 by the familiar but never welcome sound of the click of all the appliances, fans and air conditioning units turning off as they lost power.  At first we thought it was just our neighborhood but as we drove Arianna to school we heard on the radio that it was island wide.  A short up in West Bay caused a system wide failure that affected the entire islands grid.  The outage would last most of the day and this evening parts of the island still remain without power.  We finally got it back around 2:30 p.m. and are holding our breath that it wont go out again tonight as has happened to a couple of our friends who got it back for a few hours and now have lost it again.  We went snorkeling early in the day with Russ and Gail at Sunset House.  Around 8:30 we were re-joined by Arianna who's school had closed after an hour and a half of waiting for the power to return.  We all headed over to Camana Bay which had generators and was up and running.  While there, we saw more people at Cafe Del Sol (which had a generator and wifi) than we had ever seen before. The whole island was out looking for A/C and Internet access and Camana had both.

Late in the day we got another unwelcome surprise, the government is looking at introducing taxation of work permit holders.  It looks like a 10% flat tax but we don't have the full details yet.  Never-the-less it does look like our tax free existence is coming to an end. In the coming days they will release the full details of how much and what income is subject to it. 

Here are some shots from our snorkeling with GG and Russ the last few days.