finally...a use for them things...

Rewind a couple of days...I did make it out for the last Sunday swim for the year. Now I have to find somewhere to swim on my own. I am thinking of trying an outdoor pool this year...the workout on Sunday was a warm-up and then 20 x 100 meters at race pace...one minute rest after 5...15 seconds rest in between each 100. I held 1:25-ish for all of them...was fading for the last ones to about 1:30-ish...but was really happy with those as I was tired from my bike ride on Saturday. Some of the peeps who did IMCDA were there on Sunday and they did their own workout which was mostly sit at the end of the pool and visit...I was wishing I could hang around and listen to their stories but wanted to get my workout in so off I go to tackle 20 x 100s.

Yesterday was a rest day. A real rest day as I dumped the offspring off at my mom's for the night and I slept and I slept and I slept the whole night. Was awesome!! I love you Luke, but honestly, when you wake up at night and I can't get back to sleep...and it makes for very tough days.

Today was a bike ride. An hour of intervals. And holding my breath as I pedal like mad past that farm. WTF has died there? It was so windy out there today, my mantra was "I LOVE THE WIND!! I LOVE THE WIND!! I LOVE THE WIND!!" And I have found a use for my big, oversized ex-swimmer shoulders...to hang on to my friggin bike as I get blown around the highway. I couldn't even let go to hit the lap button on gary garmin, it was that windy, and gusty. But coming home was fun...I didn't check how fast I was going but I was in the big gear and my HR was up there...I was FLYING!! Was FUN!!

cool...

http://www.livestrong.com/lance-armstrong/video/liamlivestrong-mp4/9b92cfee-9f90-4528-9e15-e722454f6151/

totally trashed...

Today on the schedule called for another 3 hour bike ride. I had done those intervals yesterday then a run and then walked around a golf course for the entire afternoon. When I got to the soccer wind up, my body was so very angry with me. And I was hungry. I ate a hamburger a hot dog, two helpings of potatoe salad and TWO pieces of ice cream cake. Pretty sure I embarrassed myself with the other parents.

Over the last few days, e-mails had been flying around between some biker gals in town...somehow I was on the list...I wanted to reply that someone mistakenly added my name...they were trying to organize a ride for today. I finally did reply that my plan was to head out at 6:00am and do my own thing. Seriously, I don't know how I was on the list...these gals are some of the strongest cyclists in town...I? Am NOT!! Then I get a phone call from DM (she bikes with the fast boys, for heaven's sake!!) and she says they are meetng at 6:00 at the Roastery, get on my bike and come with them in the morning. Gulp.

So. 5:00am rolls around, I get up, get myself ready and jump on the yellow cervelo and head to the Roastery. The plan is to bike out to Pike Lake and back. A route I had never done on my tri-bike. Cool!! So through town we go and it was kind of fun being in a bit of a pack and making our way. Then we hit the highway and goodbye DM and CH!! But it was all good...except that it was SO windy out there. So very, very windy!! And gusty. I was getting tossed around the highway big time. And there is very little shoulder on that road. Hardly any traffic so I was okay. They were very nice to circle back and get me and I got a really good lesson on how to get up a hill. I had no idea actually, so it was good to get the right way to do it. DM says "You might want to get into an easier gear..." Me: "I....am....in...(panting)...my....easiest gear!!"

CH got a flat so we had a chance to stop and chit chat and when it was fixed, we were on our way again. However, I turned back as we were going to be biking into that crazy wind the entire way back and I literally only had 3 hours to get this ride in. So I ended up doing the way home on my own. Funny how that wind is motivating in a strange way...it would blow and I would just get lower in my aerobars and think "C'mon!! That's all you got?!" And then it would gust and blow again nearly knocking me over...And boy, oh boy are my legs feeling like they have been worked over the last few days!! A good, good feeling...

gary garmin's good mood

Today was supposed to be a rest day but I had to switch it up as Luke decided to have a nightmare at around 3:30am on Wednesday night and it took forever to get him to go back to sleep. I? Not in a mood to bike yesterday.

So up and at it at 5:00am today to hit the pedals for almost an hour and then a RUN! My first brick workout of the year so far. This is very different than the term "BRIC" that we use in my work which means Brazil, Russia, India and China....AND the final question on Jeopardy last week that I got right and my spouse did not...but back to my workout...

I am really liking the mornings on my bike. It is warm and quiet and not busy and I just pedal and pedal and listen to the birds on my rest breaks. Today, in between intervals I nearly fell off as I was grabbing some drink and there was some heavy rustling in the tree line right next to the highway. Nearly shit myself. But then two deer popped out of the trees, looked at me like they were bored and then scampered off into the field. That? Pretty cool.

Then my transition was put the bike in the garage, go into the house, find my runners, grab my iPod, do I wear my hat or my visor?...okay my hat...check the mirror...I know, don't bug me...have a quick pee, touch up the lipgloss (I have learned that I bike with my mouth open and it makes my lips really dry....) and out the front door. Holy, my run felt good. Gary Garmin told me afterwards I did almost 6km in 30 minutes. That? Fast for me even without a bike ride before hand. But then I love to run in the early mornings. And it felt good. So I just ran.

Today is our annual work event. These are fun. One year we did a pool party. One year a scavenger hunt (my team won first place only because on the list was a whole watermelon and we were not allowed to buy anything so I marched into the Extra Foods right by my house and chatted up the cute stock guy...hey...it was worth 50 points and they still tell the story here...) Today we are golfing. Me>not a golfer. But we are on teams and it is a texas scramble so surely we will be able to use a couple of my shots!!

a pretty solid swim

Showed up at my Wednesday am swim today. It went a little something like this:

Warm-up.

10 x 200 meters on 3:10.

Before the 1st one: Me to swim coach Chris: "I'm tired, I don't think I can do these on 3:10"

Swim Coach Chris: "Okay, how bout 3:20"

Me: "How bout 3:40?"

Swim Coach Chris: "Aren't you getting close to game day?"

Me: Sigh

All of them done on 3:15. Sigh.

Was on my bike in the Sask wind yesterday for an hour. I actually enjoyed it....really, I did!! It was warm and sunny and windy but I toughed it out on the way out and pedalled like mad on the way back. Was a good solid hour.

Had a good long talk with Justin yesterday. He had an athlete to IMCDA on the weekend. The athlete was 67 years old. The guy was dissappointed as he wanted to be down around 13 hours and he was around 14 hours. Did I mention he was 67? Justin says he is amazing for 67 years old...no shit! AND JP's good training buddy apparently, came in second in the pros!! Awesome!

Nothing much else is happening. Have a big BIG bike ride coming up on Saturday. I am to go further than I did last week in the same time. Let's DO IT!!! And then we are taking the boys fishing...I see a lawn chair and a book and cool one while they fish...