Hi Ya'll ~

We are officially all settled into our new house. Within a few days of getting the keys we got settled and my training resumed normalcy. The perks of getting settled in have also been observed in my eating patterns/habits. When you don't have your own kitchen your relationship with food changes. Essentially you try to eat things that take the least amount of time to prepare. My new house, new kitchen has resulted in 1) increased food prep at home 2) more complete meals 3) healthier food selections. This all has been very beneficial.

My training has also increased and become more consistent. This is also good as Ironman is now only 5 weeks away... EEEEEKKKKKK! I recently completed two long bike rides. One was last weekend, a local "fun" ride called the Lilac Century Ride. This is a 100 mile ride. Yesterday I also completed a long ride, one I did out on the Ironman CDA course. This was just barely over 100 miles. Now... allow me to share some of the details of these experiences. Just like the Ironman is a long journey, so is my training and thus this post.

First, the Lilac Century Ride... the ride began at 7-7:30am. Essentially they let you choose whenever you want to start. This is kinda weird because I have never done a "fun" ride like this before (I will explain the "fun" later). So I'm lingering around the parking lot, prepping my bike, pumping tires, observing others, etc. The funny thing is all the cyclists for that day are looking around the parking lot in a paranoid way at others. So I'm thinking... either they are looking for friends or people they know so that they don't appear to be a loner or they are sizing up the competition for their "fun" ride. No matter how laid back you try and make things there is always going to be competition with athletes.
Anyway, they shot off some sort of t-shirt thrower (weird) and the ride began. A few of the eager ones began right away. I walked my shoes over to the transition area to put in place for my brick run. As I got there I noticed that everyone else had placed their things in plastic bags. Oh geez! I should've known! The weather called for rain that day and my things were left out to get wet. I decided to turn my shoes upside down hoping that would save them from the majority of the moisture, label my forehead AMATEUR. I came back and didn't see anyone that I knew was there for the race (Pam and Wendy were riding that day too). I figured Pam had left already with a friend of hers and wasn't sure where Wendy was. So... I took advantage of another bathroom break. As I left the parking lot I grabbed a map, I was not familiar with the course. I saw the first marker that someone had put out to make a right hand turn... great! I am on the course and this will be easy to follow, the course seems well marked. Next I see a similar looking arrow that instructs me to take another right... I'm pedaling at a healthy speed, trying to get in my rhythm. Whoa! whoa! whoa! As I turn right I discovered I just transitioned onto a gravel road. This didn't look right, I mean would they really have us going down a gravel road like the Dukes of Hazzard? I look back to where I came from, a couple of cyclists go by. Screw this gravel road I am headed back to where those guys are going... I catch up to them and ask if they are familiar with the course. They said yes, OK, whew! I am back on track. The weather that morning was not exactly motivational. Overcast, looked like it might rain, and it did shortly into the ride. Just drizzled but it still sucked. I passed the first aid station, an airstream trailer parked on the side of the road with lots of snacks. Instead I fly by... I don't need your Gatorade! I am in a rhythm people! Next thing I know I was subjected to a fairly long and steep hill and was reduced to going about 10 miles/hr, and that is actually probably an aggressive estimate. Once at the top I pick up the cadence and the sun is trying to come out :) I'm feeling good again! Then the scenery resembles Wyoming all of the sudden, I didn't even know this existed so close to Spokane. Buzzards and vultures are flying around and swooping here and there. I am by myself and my mind is rambling. I am anticipating a long hill right around 50 miles, I saw it on the elevation map. The hill comes up shortly after Buzzardville and it keeps going and going and going... I'd have have to double check but I'm guessing it was at least three miles long. Not super steep but LONG. My legs are burning my heart rate resembles a baby birds heart rate and all I felt like doing is curling up in the shade on the side of the road and taking a nap. I kept going anyway. As I crested the hill I was hit with a major head wind. WTF?!?!? What is this? Why am I doing this ride? This sucks. I am all of the sudden angered by the marketing that roped me into this "fun" ride. What is fun about feeling like you are in a wind tunnel after someone has put your quads in a blender? I continue on to the rest stop... this one I am stopping for. I don't see anything I truly need at the rest stop... I was looking for a couple of Advil, a portal to transport me home, a warm shower and a fluffy snuggly bed. I guess they forgot to stock this rest stop with those items so I settled for half a banana and continue on. My mental approach is to remind myself that I am over halfway done. The rolling hills cause me to hallucinate thinking that I am in the Mid-West. I am eager to find every rest stop I can get my hands on at this point in time... I see one up ahead and stop. Two orange slices taste like heaven. I quickly move on. I can see the clouds starting to set in... I know the rain is coming (fingers crossed it doesn't get here before I finish). About mile 88 the rain arrives... and it's COLD. I'm just glad to be almost done. I pull into the parking lot, decide not to do my brick run (my legs actually felt like they could have handled it but my shoes where soaked). I'm off to eat... where are the damn potatoes?!! Disappointment sets in. There is no chili or black beans for the potatoes. That's how my day ended, no chili or black beans for the taters. Nuff said... "fun" ride.

It was a great mental feeling to get 100 miles in but Srsly! Who goes out and rides around on their bike for 100 miles?!!??! It's not NORMAL. An answer is that I do, and I did the next weekend. Only crazy people call their friends and say, "hey you wanna meet up first thing in the morning to ride our bikes 100 miles?" This training has cost me my precious Sat morning sleep in sessions :(. Pam and I met in CDA at 8am yesterday to do a training ride. Let's meet early so that we finish early and finish before the potential rain sets in. It was a bit chilly but I figured it would warm up and so would I so I started the ride in a sleeveless shirt and tri shorts. First out to Higgins Point and back... I'm familiar with this route so I'm feeling pretty good. Then off to the real course, the part of the course that leaves you alone with your own thoughts. It's truly a beautiful course but there are some serious hills out there. I make it to the turn around point am headed back to town and then Pam jets out from a side road. "Oh Crap! Did I miss a turn back there?" she informs me that I did. After checking the Garmin it appears that I missed about 3 miles of the course. Oh well, I'm still on track to hit 100 miles. I'm right behind Pam as we crest the last hill on Rimrock Rd. She veers off to the right... I wasn't gonna go that way but I feverishly follow her. I scream out "I'm following you. I don't know where I'm going, I was going to go straight back there". She looks back at me perplexed. We kept going back to where we parked to stop and get more water, etc. I look at her, she looks at me "do we have to do that again?!". Sadly the answer is yes. OK, let's just get it done. We head off again. As I am coming back from Higgin's Point up the back hill a group of cyclists pass me. They were all chipper and friendly... screw you guys! You're just starting your first loop! I'm 60 miles in! That is what I was thinking, I'm already tired and still have 40+ miles left. It's like eating dinner after you already stuffed yourself on the appetizer, painful.
I passed one woman who jumped off her bike on a hill, she was walking her bike up the hill. That's a boost for the self esteem, I didn't have to do that (although secretly I wanted to). I reached the turn around point and headed back. I stopped at a pit stop that someone has set up in their yard to use the restroom - how awesome someone does this for us?!?!? Very cool. I come across the lady who was walking her bike earlier. I make small talk asking if this was their second loop and comment on how warm it is getting (felt like 150 deg). They say they actually did two loops yesterday and ran 5 miles yesterday. Today they swam and are only doing one loop and tomorrow they are doing an 18 mile run. I looked at them (bewildered), really people?!!! I'm sorry but you both don't look physically capable of that... that's more training than I am putting in. Keep smokin' whatever you people are smokin'... I'm off to finish the ride. I decide to intentionally cut out the three miles that I missed last time (the last thing I need to do is go somewhere unfamiliar and add extra miles today... I have experience with this). Not sure if I blogged about that the last time it happened but it wasn't good. I cruise over and plan to follow the "new way" (aka actual race course) that Pam led me back on before. I hang a right where I thought I was supposed to and end up on a gravel road again. WTF again?!?!?!?!? What is it with me and these stupid gravel roads. I manage to get myself back on track. I'm in the home stretch and then I take another wrong turn that leads me through more gravel (yes, you read that MORE gravel) WHY?!?!?!?!? And then this road spits me back out up at Hayden Golf Course. I definitely know my way back from here, whew! Although I have added some additional mileage by doing this. Once back at the car it's time to start my run. I planned on just doing 30 mins. I start out at a pace a slug could beat... but according to my Garmin I was actually running faster than I usually do. Weird. At about 20 mins or so I settled in and my legs started to feel more normal. My lungs and chest felt tight though. I think from the warmer weather. When I finished I was tempted to just jump into the lake, I was so flippin hot. Man, was I glad to go home and shower.

So.. there is my latest recap. I'm settled in now and hoping to blog more frequently. I will say one last thing... I am hoping all of this makes my race day easier and less painful.