After much negotiations and work schedule tweaking, Kirk and I met up for our inaugural Wednesday IM-prep brick in CDA. I haven't trained much with Kirk this year, but last year I am convinced that all the miles I put in with (or more acurately 'near') him really helped make me faster. He never lets me slack off, but also never makes me feel bad for holding him up.
So we met up at 11am, and the weather for the afternoon looked cool, but dry. The wind was up a bit, and I was somewhat apprehensive about how I would handle it, since I knew I'd be riding most of the day on my own. We set out from CDA Oz on the same 42 mile loop I had ridden on Saturday, and settled into a nice pace (thank you, tailwinds!) It took awhile for my legs to come around, but once we started the climbing, I amazingly felt pretty good. As I hit the first big hill of the course, I decided to do a little test to see if yesterday's Death Hill round 2 experiences were a fluke or not. I successfully made it up that first big hill seated, which was a big-time confidence booster. I specifically remember last year at IM how I was passing people on this hill pretty easily on both loops, and how that really made me feel good about my day. Knowing that we were only doing 1 loop, I felt ok about pushing the hills a little harder, and I was very happy that I made most of the course seated. The only times I really got out of the saddle was for a break....I think I could have easily made the whole loop seated if I had to. Coming back into town, I got caught up by a few lights/intersections, so Kirk dropped me pretty good. But it was a good chance for me to test out my mental strength as I was left to battle the headwinds solo. Compared to past rides, I felt pretty good with how I managed the conditions. Maybe a positive sign for things to come?? We'll see......
Once we got back to Oz, we changed into our running gear, refueled a bit and headed out to run one modified loop of the course. I'm not sure what I was thinking at this point, but I was assuming that by cutting out the City Park/NIC out-and-back section, that our run would end up being somewhere in the 9 mile range. Fortunately, fear kept me from looking at my watch for distance or pace during the run, and its a good thing I did not, because we ended up logging 11.2 miles. Whoa!! Kirk and I ran together out to the turnaround, and then, as I knew he would, Kirk slowly pulled away until I could no longer see him around the corners. The pace felt fairly steady thru 6, but there was no way I could have gone any faster without totally blowing up. The last 4 were a big-time struggle, and it felt like I was crawling. In hindsight, it was probably a good dress rehearsal for managing the discomfort and mental hurdles I know I'm going to face on race day. But, I'm happy to say that I did not stop and walk, even though I was sorely tempted to on a number of occasions. I was sure that I was averaging somewhere in the mid- to high-9:00s, so I was absolutely shocked and ecstatic when I saw my pace was 8:31! Maybe there is hope for a fast IM marathon after all!! I can't wait until our next Wed brick, to see if there is any improvement.
It was a great day, and the end of the longest, toughest stretch I've had so far this year. And my body knew it. I ended up doing an easy 2000 meter pull-buoy swim on Thursday just to keep my body moving, but after that, my body was screaming for a break. So this weekend, I'm going to do an easy 2.5hr ride and then try and run a conservative race at the Spokane River Run. Oh yeah, and its supposed to snow this weekend. Nice. Its April. Late April. Oh well...
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
BLT #2
Today was our second Bike Loop Tuesdays, and we hosted this one...which really came down to offering up our street for parking :) A really good group turned out, and I was happy to see some new faces (Kim, Jeff, Trevor) and some faces I hadn't seen in awhile (Kathi). I think there were about 16 or so of us out there. I always wonder what other people on the roads are thinking when they come around a corner and see 15-20 cyclists spinning down the road...what the heck, is the Tour de France in town or something??? Secretly, I always feel pretty darn cool being part of a group that gets weird or envious looks :)
The first 2/3 of the loops we took pretty easy, just chatting and (for me) spinning the legs out. I got a bit farther up Death Hill 1 in the saddle, which was nice because I always use my ability to climb Death Hills 1 and 2 seated vs. standing as a barometer of my overall fitness. Last week, my first time on them, I was up almost immediately after they started. This week...a little better! Once we hit AL White Parkway, the hammer dropped and I found myself hanging on for dear life to the back of the paceline. I made it, and while there was no way in heck I was going to be able to move up to do any pulling, it was still fun to be bombing along the road at those speeds.
After a quick rest stop back at the house, we headed out for loop 2. I was praying that we'd keep the pace easy again, knowing what was coming for tomorrow, and the group nicely obliged. Steve and I challenged eachother to see if we could make it up Death Hill 1 seated, and while it was a struggle, I made it. That made me pretty happy...second loop of the day, which means I should not be as fresh, but I did better that round 1. Just goes to show you what a little motivation does! As a side note, Steve again put me in my place, as he did the hill IN AERO!!! Damn...I've never been able to do that...ever. Death Hill 2 came around and here we went again...2 for 2 seated on the second loop! Sweet!! The hammer dropped again as we hit the golf course, and I managed it ok. I even pulled out to lead for a bit, but that extra effort meant I was unable to pull the group up to the lead 3. I almost got there, but one moment of hesitation, and it was all over. Still, once the rest of us got linked up, we didn't let them get too far away. I'm really enjoying riding in pacelines, and I can feel my confidence with tight-quarters riding increasing. Overall, it was a fun 32 miles.
After, Steve and I hung around for awhile deciding what post-ride food reward we had earned, and we decided on some ice cream at Maggie Moo's. Poor Steve had to ride up the hill home, so I scarfed down some quick dinner, then headed out to meet up w/ him. Andy joined us as I was finishing up a kick-ass milkshake, then it was crash-city when my head hit the pillow. All in all, a pretty darn good day!!
The first 2/3 of the loops we took pretty easy, just chatting and (for me) spinning the legs out. I got a bit farther up Death Hill 1 in the saddle, which was nice because I always use my ability to climb Death Hills 1 and 2 seated vs. standing as a barometer of my overall fitness. Last week, my first time on them, I was up almost immediately after they started. This week...a little better! Once we hit AL White Parkway, the hammer dropped and I found myself hanging on for dear life to the back of the paceline. I made it, and while there was no way in heck I was going to be able to move up to do any pulling, it was still fun to be bombing along the road at those speeds.
After a quick rest stop back at the house, we headed out for loop 2. I was praying that we'd keep the pace easy again, knowing what was coming for tomorrow, and the group nicely obliged. Steve and I challenged eachother to see if we could make it up Death Hill 1 seated, and while it was a struggle, I made it. That made me pretty happy...second loop of the day, which means I should not be as fresh, but I did better that round 1. Just goes to show you what a little motivation does! As a side note, Steve again put me in my place, as he did the hill IN AERO!!! Damn...I've never been able to do that...ever. Death Hill 2 came around and here we went again...2 for 2 seated on the second loop! Sweet!! The hammer dropped again as we hit the golf course, and I managed it ok. I even pulled out to lead for a bit, but that extra effort meant I was unable to pull the group up to the lead 3. I almost got there, but one moment of hesitation, and it was all over. Still, once the rest of us got linked up, we didn't let them get too far away. I'm really enjoying riding in pacelines, and I can feel my confidence with tight-quarters riding increasing. Overall, it was a fun 32 miles.
After, Steve and I hung around for awhile deciding what post-ride food reward we had earned, and we decided on some ice cream at Maggie Moo's. Poor Steve had to ride up the hill home, so I scarfed down some quick dinner, then headed out to meet up w/ him. Andy joined us as I was finishing up a kick-ass milkshake, then it was crash-city when my head hit the pillow. All in all, a pretty darn good day!!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Beautiful weekend!
This weekend was phenomenal, weather-wise, and I took full advantage.
Saturday, I woke up early, packed up my cycling gear and headed for my first ride on the IM CDA course since last year. My plan was to do 2x 40 mile loops, and fortunately I was able to coordinate with enough people so I wouldn't be out there suffering alone. Jen and Zach joined me for the first loop, and I felt really good. A little chilly (and snowy!) still in some spots, but the sun was out and I was lovin' it! I struggled a bit up some of the steeper pitches, but I'm used to that feeling in the early season, and I'm confident my climbing will come around pretty quick. I also felt pretty good with re-gaining my gearing edge on the course, which I consider to be a big-time advantage when race day hits, since this course is pretty technical.
I had planned to meet up with Steve at noon for a second loop, and Brian and Cary from EWU joined us, as did Matt Cusak. I only made it back 15 min late, and then hustled thru shedding a few layers since it was warming up nicely. Then the 5 of us set out again. Since I was the only one who had ever been on the course, I thought I had an advantage and they'd have to ride my pace :) Ha, how wrong I was!! I gave Steve and Matt the directions for the first 10 miles, and then they proceeded to drop the hammer. It felt pretty easy, probably because it was the easy (flat) part of the course! Once we hit the hills, I got dropped damn fast. But no worries, they all had to wait for me when they got to intersections. So, here comes Tim, huffing and puffing up the hills, while they all enjoy a picnic in the sun. All in all, I managed to hang in there pretty well, and I think my overall average actually went up over the second half of the ride. Having 83.75 miles under my belt is a great feeling, even if the speed wasn't where I'd like it to be.
Afterwards, we all had burgers and beers at the CDA Brewing Co., the thought of which pulled me up a few of the last hills on loop 2 :) It was a great day, except for the crazy idea we had of doing an ice bath by going down to the lake. Uh, yeah, I am praying that the water warms up significantly in the next 70 days!!! Thanks to all who rode with me, and huge props to Jen and Zach, who went out and did an unplanned second loop.
I was debating whether or not to get up early and do the first Spring Thaw Duathlon on Sunday, and since my legs were a little tired from Saturday, I decided that a long run would be more beneficial than trying to gut out a short, speed effort. So, we slept in a bit, then went up to cheer on the Tri-Fusion crew at the Du. Of course, we totally rocked the race. Steve had a great day, shaving something like 6 min off his time from last year. I'm kind of glad I didn't race, because it would have been another case of "Steve takes Tim out behind the woodshed and kicks his ass" days.
Andy graciously volunteered to get on her bike and ride with me while I attempted to do a 10 mile run, which I think we did at about the "hottest" part of the day. I put quotes around that word, because, well, mid-70s shouldn't really qualify as hot, but with the long winter we've had, it actually did feel pretty warm. I even had to put sunscreen on!!! Anyway, I knew it was going to be a tough run from the first mile, because my legs felt dead. If Andy hadn't been out there, there is no way I would have gone the whole 10. She's a great motivator, and an awesome mobile aid station! :) I felt like I was running so slow, and I felt every little upward pitch of the road. Reminded me alot of the IM run. In fact, I wasn't 2 miles in, and I was thinking, ok, this will be a perfect practice for IM. Just slog thru a bunch of slow miles, but just keep going. Well, I made it thru, and my watch said I averaged 8:30s. Whoa! It felt so much slower than that, but hey, I'll take it. I then proceeded to suffer thru my first ice bath of the season...ouch, but good.
So, even though I didn't race, and missed being able to swim with the club (racing season is here!), I'm pretty happy w/ 84 on the bike and 10 foot-pain-free miles running. 9 weeks to go.....
Saturday, I woke up early, packed up my cycling gear and headed for my first ride on the IM CDA course since last year. My plan was to do 2x 40 mile loops, and fortunately I was able to coordinate with enough people so I wouldn't be out there suffering alone. Jen and Zach joined me for the first loop, and I felt really good. A little chilly (and snowy!) still in some spots, but the sun was out and I was lovin' it! I struggled a bit up some of the steeper pitches, but I'm used to that feeling in the early season, and I'm confident my climbing will come around pretty quick. I also felt pretty good with re-gaining my gearing edge on the course, which I consider to be a big-time advantage when race day hits, since this course is pretty technical.
I had planned to meet up with Steve at noon for a second loop, and Brian and Cary from EWU joined us, as did Matt Cusak. I only made it back 15 min late, and then hustled thru shedding a few layers since it was warming up nicely. Then the 5 of us set out again. Since I was the only one who had ever been on the course, I thought I had an advantage and they'd have to ride my pace :) Ha, how wrong I was!! I gave Steve and Matt the directions for the first 10 miles, and then they proceeded to drop the hammer. It felt pretty easy, probably because it was the easy (flat) part of the course! Once we hit the hills, I got dropped damn fast. But no worries, they all had to wait for me when they got to intersections. So, here comes Tim, huffing and puffing up the hills, while they all enjoy a picnic in the sun. All in all, I managed to hang in there pretty well, and I think my overall average actually went up over the second half of the ride. Having 83.75 miles under my belt is a great feeling, even if the speed wasn't where I'd like it to be.
Afterwards, we all had burgers and beers at the CDA Brewing Co., the thought of which pulled me up a few of the last hills on loop 2 :) It was a great day, except for the crazy idea we had of doing an ice bath by going down to the lake. Uh, yeah, I am praying that the water warms up significantly in the next 70 days!!! Thanks to all who rode with me, and huge props to Jen and Zach, who went out and did an unplanned second loop.
I was debating whether or not to get up early and do the first Spring Thaw Duathlon on Sunday, and since my legs were a little tired from Saturday, I decided that a long run would be more beneficial than trying to gut out a short, speed effort. So, we slept in a bit, then went up to cheer on the Tri-Fusion crew at the Du. Of course, we totally rocked the race. Steve had a great day, shaving something like 6 min off his time from last year. I'm kind of glad I didn't race, because it would have been another case of "Steve takes Tim out behind the woodshed and kicks his ass" days.
Andy graciously volunteered to get on her bike and ride with me while I attempted to do a 10 mile run, which I think we did at about the "hottest" part of the day. I put quotes around that word, because, well, mid-70s shouldn't really qualify as hot, but with the long winter we've had, it actually did feel pretty warm. I even had to put sunscreen on!!! Anyway, I knew it was going to be a tough run from the first mile, because my legs felt dead. If Andy hadn't been out there, there is no way I would have gone the whole 10. She's a great motivator, and an awesome mobile aid station! :) I felt like I was running so slow, and I felt every little upward pitch of the road. Reminded me alot of the IM run. In fact, I wasn't 2 miles in, and I was thinking, ok, this will be a perfect practice for IM. Just slog thru a bunch of slow miles, but just keep going. Well, I made it thru, and my watch said I averaged 8:30s. Whoa! It felt so much slower than that, but hey, I'll take it. I then proceeded to suffer thru my first ice bath of the season...ouch, but good.
So, even though I didn't race, and missed being able to swim with the club (racing season is here!), I'm pretty happy w/ 84 on the bike and 10 foot-pain-free miles running. 9 weeks to go.....
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Finally.....a solid, solo run!
Even though I got home a bit late today, I managed to get back out the door pretty quick for a run. I wanted to go 6m, but looking at the fading daylight, I knew it would be tight. I went out at a semi-hard pace, and planned to see how I felt and how much daylight there was left when I got to the 4 and 5 mile turnarounds. Both times, I was feeing good, so I decided to turn up the pace and go for 6. What a great decision! I knew I was running fast, based on what song was on my iPod when I hit the turnaround. I didn't want to let up on the way back in, so I see if I really was getting faster over the past few weeks, so I kept pushing. Even though my HR was slightly elevated, overall I felt great, almost like I was just floating up the hills. I love it when I feel like that, and I usually don't want the run to end. I came in at 44:44 for 10k, which is more like it!
So, it was a great effort, and I'm getting closer to being happy with where I am running-wise. This weekend, I'm really looking forward to some nice weather and to getting out on the IM CDA bike course on Saturday. Sunday, I'm 90% sure I'm going to do the first Spring Thaw Duathlon, and my plan is to use it to see where I am speed-wise. I'm cautiously optimistic....I guess we'll see if this sub-45 10k is the real deal, or a fluke! :)
So, it was a great effort, and I'm getting closer to being happy with where I am running-wise. This weekend, I'm really looking forward to some nice weather and to getting out on the IM CDA bike course on Saturday. Sunday, I'm 90% sure I'm going to do the first Spring Thaw Duathlon, and my plan is to use it to see where I am speed-wise. I'm cautiously optimistic....I guess we'll see if this sub-45 10k is the real deal, or a fluke! :)
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Le BLT
That's French for "The BLT". Today was our first Bike Loop Tuesday ride, something that paid big-time dividends for me last year. So, needless to say, I was pumped about this ride.
Even though it wasn't the workout that I had planned on, it was still a fun evening. Standing in a garage shivering, waiting for the rains to stop....ahhhh, those are the times of your life!!!
A huge crew showed up at Kirk's house, and after an easy first 3 miles chatting with folks, I linked up with Steve, Vicki and Steve Rupe for a hammer-dropping, pace-lining, super-fun, fast ride. I didn't do a ton of leading, but I gained some confidence by the fact that I was able to pull through a few times and (hopefully) didn't slow our group down too much.
Just as we got back into Kirk's neighborhood, the rain and hail started. We took shelter in Kirk's garage, thinking it was just one of those quick, Spring showers, hoping to get out for a second loop. Uh, not so much. Once the rain came, it didn't stop for awhile. We snacked on some great granola from Team Huskinson while hoping that the rest of the group was managing the weather.
One by one, they all came in. Some still had smiles on their faces, some did not, but all toughed it out. Except for Martin....he didn't come in. We were worried about him, because last year, we always came back to the house to check in before heading out for a second loop. Many theories were developed as to what happened to him; was he crashed in a ditch? Was he drinking coffee at Starbucks? Was he riding to Seattle? Eventually, Kirk got home, went back out and found him....he had braved the weather and done a second loop!!! What a crazy stud! Must be the new bike....
Once we all stopped our watches and gave up on the second loop, we decided to go to Red Robin for dinner. Bummer. So I rode back home, threw some clothes on and dragged Andy and Jen up to dinner. Steve and I threw down some killer Rookie Oreo shakes. As you can see, I was pretty excited about the shake.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Happy Birthday Andy!!!
Tonight I took Andy out to Anthony's overlooking the Spokane River falls to celebrate her birthday. It was a fun time, just the two of us recapping the year and all of our memories. Andy is my biggest supporter, my #1 IronSherpa, my best friend and the love of my life. She puts up with alot out of me, with most of it stemming from my obsession with triathlon. She is always understanding when I vanish for hours at a time only to come back to a nap on the couch. And I am so grateful for this past year, when Andy and I shared two of my most cherished moments in triathlon. The first was when she joined me for the final (tearful, joyous) run down the chute to the finish at IM CDA 07, and the second was when I saw her cross her first triathlon finish line. I always love seeing Andy out on the course cheering me on...it gives me such a lift, even though sometimes it doesn't look like it :) And its only afterwords that I realize how many sacrifices she makes for me and my racing.
So, to my wonderful wife, thanks, and Happy Birthday, AP! I love you!!
So, to my wonderful wife, thanks, and Happy Birthday, AP! I love you!!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Kick-butt weekend training
After doing some solo training last weekend, I was pumped to get back after it with my Tri-Fusion buddies, and boy did they come thru!
The weekend started on Friday night with a run up at the Gallaghers. Notice that nobody had headlamps, and Roger even had shorts on...which means, more daylight and warmer temps! Woo hoo!
My new training buddy Steve and I headed out for an "easy" 5 or so. I've training and racing with Steve quite a bit this year, and our paces both on the bike and run have been very close. Well, tonight I discovered another thing we have in common....I think we are both a bit on the competitive side and don't mind pushing the pace. Our "easy 5" turned into a great tempo run, and the last 2 miles we were averaging high 6s and low 7s. Part of that was because it started raining and hailing pretty good, so we wanted to get back quick, but I suspect it was the competitive juices flowing! All in all, it was probably my best run of the year...thanks Steve!
Saturday dawned with snow in the air and on the ground. So much for my long ride that I had planned, right? Uh, how about not! After a few text messages back and forth with Steve, I found out the ride was still on, and not wanting to look like a wimp, there I was, ready to ride. Chalk it up to the club folks yet again getting my butt out the door for a workout. And of course, once it was over, I was so glad I got out there.
Here is the crew pre-ride....notice the wet streets, cloudy skies, and all of us bundled up, but clean....
Once we got out on the rural roads, Rog and Jessi dropped the hammer, and amazingly I was able to keep up. Part of me was scared about getting dropped so early, and since I was 3rd wheel, I assumed that the rest of the group was right behind me. At the first stop, I pulled up breathless, but buoyed by the fact that it was just the three of us. I actually felt pretty good at this point...oh, if I had only known what was coming! :) We cruised back toward Highway 2, and then north until we hit Riverside. Uh, as in, the road over to Deer Park. What?!?! I'm riding all the way to Deer Park??? Whoa. Amazingly, I was still feeling pretty good, but I let Rog and Jessi go, and was very thankful when Steve and Jeff caught up and I had a wheel to get on. Speaking of being on wheels, remember those wet roads? Uh, yeah, lets just say that I was reveling in getting dirty. Bike, face, helmet, jacket. Everything was wicked dirty! Pretty fun, though. Anyway, the hill out of Riverside pretty much sapped me, and from Deer Park back to Wandermere, I was in full-on suffer mode. Steve dropped me like a rock, but I actually felt good about how I managed the mental side of the solo, tough riding. As I rounded the corner and caught sight of Twigs, my heart leapt out in joy! 45 miles in 2:21, averaging over 19mph. Totally psyched to see that at this point in the season. 19 is my goal average for IM CDA, so the more long rides I can do at that pace, the better!
Here's me and two of my 2008 training saviors.....a little grit for your teeth anyone?!?
The crew....notice how clean Roger's jersey is!
After I limped in, I saw Jessi putting on her running gear, and mindlessly followed suit. Whoa again! Matt Cusack joined Jessi and I as we took off running, for what was supposed to be an easy 3m loop. After the first mile, my legs finally loosened up and I was able to find my stride. Amazingly, the middle part of the run didn't feel too bad. That is, until I crested the last hill. After that, my legs were dead. Jessi went zooming by me and pretty much pulled me in the last half mile. Overall, I felt good about getting in a long workout, but I realized that I have a long way to go to get into the shape I want for IM CDA. I think its my speed that needs some help. That, and smarter expending of effort. Or, stop going out so darn fast!! Other than that, I learned today that Jessi and Steve are in amazing shape right now, and they are going to have awesome seasons. Roger and Jeff...well, we all know they are on different levels anyway, and boy did they show it today!
Sunday meant back to our club swim, which I was nervous about, since I hadn't swum since my wonderful Bellevue swim a week prior. The layoff held me back a bit, but I made it thru pretty well. Looking back, I probably could have held on and made it thru the entire workout as written, but because our lane was so crowded, a few of us at the back decided to sit out a few 50s, which I certainly didn't complain about. After, Steve guilted me into swimming one last 200 to make up for the stuff we sat out...so I ended up getting in the whole 3500yds.
After the swim, I changed into my running gear and, after waiting for it to start raining, headed out with Steve, Rog, Jessi and Vicki for a 90 min run. It was a great run, as Rog lead us all over Mead. The rain quickly ended, and we even had a few peeks of sunshine. My legs started dying as we approached the Mill Rd hill, and I hung on for dear life up to the top, where Jessi and I shared some tired, but well-earned high-fives. From then, it was survival the last 15 min, but I made it in one piece. The damage: 9.8miles in 1:26. At the tail end of a long, hard weekend of workouts, I'll take it!!
Many thanks to Steve and Jessi, for encouraging me to get out there and push the pace. I definitely wouldn't have done it without you!!
The weekend started on Friday night with a run up at the Gallaghers. Notice that nobody had headlamps, and Roger even had shorts on...which means, more daylight and warmer temps! Woo hoo!
My new training buddy Steve and I headed out for an "easy" 5 or so. I've training and racing with Steve quite a bit this year, and our paces both on the bike and run have been very close. Well, tonight I discovered another thing we have in common....I think we are both a bit on the competitive side and don't mind pushing the pace. Our "easy 5" turned into a great tempo run, and the last 2 miles we were averaging high 6s and low 7s. Part of that was because it started raining and hailing pretty good, so we wanted to get back quick, but I suspect it was the competitive juices flowing! All in all, it was probably my best run of the year...thanks Steve!
Saturday dawned with snow in the air and on the ground. So much for my long ride that I had planned, right? Uh, how about not! After a few text messages back and forth with Steve, I found out the ride was still on, and not wanting to look like a wimp, there I was, ready to ride. Chalk it up to the club folks yet again getting my butt out the door for a workout. And of course, once it was over, I was so glad I got out there.
Here is the crew pre-ride....notice the wet streets, cloudy skies, and all of us bundled up, but clean....
Once we got out on the rural roads, Rog and Jessi dropped the hammer, and amazingly I was able to keep up. Part of me was scared about getting dropped so early, and since I was 3rd wheel, I assumed that the rest of the group was right behind me. At the first stop, I pulled up breathless, but buoyed by the fact that it was just the three of us. I actually felt pretty good at this point...oh, if I had only known what was coming! :) We cruised back toward Highway 2, and then north until we hit Riverside. Uh, as in, the road over to Deer Park. What?!?! I'm riding all the way to Deer Park??? Whoa. Amazingly, I was still feeling pretty good, but I let Rog and Jessi go, and was very thankful when Steve and Jeff caught up and I had a wheel to get on. Speaking of being on wheels, remember those wet roads? Uh, yeah, lets just say that I was reveling in getting dirty. Bike, face, helmet, jacket. Everything was wicked dirty! Pretty fun, though. Anyway, the hill out of Riverside pretty much sapped me, and from Deer Park back to Wandermere, I was in full-on suffer mode. Steve dropped me like a rock, but I actually felt good about how I managed the mental side of the solo, tough riding. As I rounded the corner and caught sight of Twigs, my heart leapt out in joy! 45 miles in 2:21, averaging over 19mph. Totally psyched to see that at this point in the season. 19 is my goal average for IM CDA, so the more long rides I can do at that pace, the better!Here's me and two of my 2008 training saviors.....a little grit for your teeth anyone?!?
The crew....notice how clean Roger's jersey is!
After I limped in, I saw Jessi putting on her running gear, and mindlessly followed suit. Whoa again! Matt Cusack joined Jessi and I as we took off running, for what was supposed to be an easy 3m loop. After the first mile, my legs finally loosened up and I was able to find my stride. Amazingly, the middle part of the run didn't feel too bad. That is, until I crested the last hill. After that, my legs were dead. Jessi went zooming by me and pretty much pulled me in the last half mile. Overall, I felt good about getting in a long workout, but I realized that I have a long way to go to get into the shape I want for IM CDA. I think its my speed that needs some help. That, and smarter expending of effort. Or, stop going out so darn fast!! Other than that, I learned today that Jessi and Steve are in amazing shape right now, and they are going to have awesome seasons. Roger and Jeff...well, we all know they are on different levels anyway, and boy did they show it today!
Sunday meant back to our club swim, which I was nervous about, since I hadn't swum since my wonderful Bellevue swim a week prior. The layoff held me back a bit, but I made it thru pretty well. Looking back, I probably could have held on and made it thru the entire workout as written, but because our lane was so crowded, a few of us at the back decided to sit out a few 50s, which I certainly didn't complain about. After, Steve guilted me into swimming one last 200 to make up for the stuff we sat out...so I ended up getting in the whole 3500yds.
After the swim, I changed into my running gear and, after waiting for it to start raining, headed out with Steve, Rog, Jessi and Vicki for a 90 min run. It was a great run, as Rog lead us all over Mead. The rain quickly ended, and we even had a few peeks of sunshine. My legs started dying as we approached the Mill Rd hill, and I hung on for dear life up to the top, where Jessi and I shared some tired, but well-earned high-fives. From then, it was survival the last 15 min, but I made it in one piece. The damage: 9.8miles in 1:26. At the tail end of a long, hard weekend of workouts, I'll take it!!
Many thanks to Steve and Jessi, for encouraging me to get out there and push the pace. I definitely wouldn't have done it without you!!
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