Hello! Well...it's been another great week of training. I guess a quick re-cap of the 'highlights'...After our journey to St. Louis, I went on a leisurely bike ride with a few friends from the Y group on sat evening. Then sunday I did a 'run focused' brick, so did a quick 20-ish miles on the bike followed by a HOT, humid (only way I know how to do it these days, I guess..), hilly 9mi run... overall, I felt OK for that...and very thankful for that sprinkler re-fill for my water bottle about 1/2 way through the run! Then...on monday, which was a holiday for most (4th of July observed?? I'll take it..), I met up w/ some TNT buds, Shawn, Ashley and Joe, (who have kinda been my partners in training this season and have been great support through these past months) for a looooong 80 mile bike ride (route and support courtesy of CIBA...Central Indiana Bike Association... a great crew that hosts longer rides every weekend and training rides around the city during the week)! Definitely the farthest I'd ridden in 1 stretch, but overall...I think it went well. My shoulders were sore (new aero bars...still getting used to it) and my legs felt it the next day...but it was good! Tuesday was just a swim, wednesday a long, early 9mi run and then an evening 25mi ride with my Y buddy, Todd, thursday just a long, early swim...friday OFF to prepare for....our Practice Tri saturday bright at early! This was our chance to really prepare and practice our nutrition, hydration, set up, what we'll wear, etc for the big day... We met out at a teammates parents lake house (which, incidentally, was in the city?!) early, and set out for about a 1mi swim, 50mi ride, and 9mi run. All in all, it took me about 4hrs and 50min, which my goal was to be 'around or under' 5hrs...so met that. I did cross the big finish 1st, but it wasn't set up to be a 'race', really...the ride we had to stop at usual stop lights and signs, etc...not to mention that several of us took wrong turns at some places or got off route a bit (everyone was present and accounted for at the end...and most of our mis-steps were quickly corrected and we were escorted back on track by our 'sag wagon'...it's tough to follow neon green road markings that have been rubbed off by rain!). I ran most of the way with my usual partner, Ashley.. I just happened to have a stonger desire to finish once we pulled toward the end, and ended up coming in a touch in front of her... But, again, all in all...a good day! I feel really good, after that practice, about how race day will go and what I need to do to keep myself feeling good and trucking along for what I'm estimating will take me about 6hrs to finish. A long day, for sure, and I'll be tired at the end, but really...after yesterday, I'm understanding that if you pace it right and keep hydration and nutrition under control, it's not so bad! (no...really!) I think it's all in just training the 'machine'..putting in the hours and the work to get stronger and, most importantly, to build that endurance...and you're set! Anyway...the past few posts I've made mention to pictures and then didn't deliver (due to our apparant determination to lose our camera? finally got it back from where we left it in KC only to leave it in St. Louis!...so quick before we lose it again)...so here goes some pics:
Here's my special boy sporting his major award after his 1st 'fun run'! They had a kids run during the Terre Haute tri that I did in May and they let Mason run it! It was hilarious...last one to finish after a few distractions, but he did it!
Don't I look fast?? Me at the 'big finish' at Terre Haute...3rd place!
Ah...doesn't he look refreshed?? Mason got to run through the fountains at Crown Center in KC while I ran the Hospital Hill 1/2 Marathon...which one of us do you think was having more fun??
Well, it might be a close one, but I think Mason wins this one for having more fun in his run... I enjoy my runs, but the freedom of running like a 2yr old?? I don't think anything beats that
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