Denise

We first met Denise a few winters ago as we congregated in Canton Square for our Wednesday Night Run. She was probably the coolest homeless person I'd ever met. She was telling us all sorts of wacky homeless stories, about her sexcapades, how she gets money - it was like a book you just didn't want to put down.

But as her mental state has dilapidated, so too has her kindness. A few months back she was in the Inner Harbor and threatened to push Cheese into the water, referring to him as a skeletor motherfucker or something along those lines.

People spot her all over town; she's easily identifiable by her bright red lips and cheeks, and her nasty demeanor. I liken her to a prostitute that dresses as a clown but caters exclusively to pirates.

Anyway I saw her yesterday. That was where I was going with that thought.

I made it into the pool Tues-Fri of last week for a grand total of 11,000 meters. The rain was particularly soul-crushing as it was cold, and I had little desire to walk down to the gym on Saturday and Sunday in it.

My knee is bending a little better, although it still feels just as tight as it did 6 weeks ago. I'm so close to being able to pedal, but it's hanging up right at the end. I've been back in the weight room though, attempting to make up for the strenf deficiencies that have nagged me over the past few seasons. Looking back at my log, I'm "stronger" than I was in 2002. Except for the legs, obviously.

Goals for this week are:

1) 4k a day when I get into the pool. I should be able to do at least M-F, Sat/Sun may be tougher this weekend

2) Be pedaling by Wednesday

3) Become a bully and intimidate 4th graders