Rain Damnit

Those were my sentiments less than 20 minutes into my long run with dog this morning.

Shortly after 7:00 am we set out, it wasn't that warm, low 70's maybe, but the humidity was 162% (my estimate). Those high tech wicking fabrics are useless when evaporation simply isn't possible.

It actually went fairly well. Despite 3 pee breaks (dog), 2 poop breaks (dog), 1 water stop (me), 3 swim breaks (dog), and stopping to smell everything that looked remotely interesting (dog, mostly) we actually managed to get in a bit of running. Including our 12-minute cool down walk at the end, we managed 10-miles in about 1:45.

I thought maybe I was actually wearing the dog out, until he broke into his own version of crazy laps at our last swim stop. He usually reserves this until we reach home, but when I removed the leash so he could jump in the river he figured it was time.

I think it's basically his way of saying "You're still a slow out of shape piece of shit, and you'll never keep up with me. To prove it I'm going all out, around the house, up the street, over, around, or though anything that gets in my way. Regardless of how far we just ran, or how hot it is".

He broke it out again when we got home, damn dog.

Tour de France

I had the Tour de France on the other night when Melanie, our four year old, walks in.

Mel:  What are you watching?

Me:  A bicycle race.

Mel:  Oh.  (long pause)  When's the running?

Me:  There is no running, it's just a bicycle race.

Mel:  No running?

Me:  No, just a bicycle race.

Mel: Oh.  (another long pause)  Where are you?

I honestly don't know what I said at this point.  All I could really do is laugh.

Singletrack Mind

I had the opportunity this past weekend to do something I haven't done in a long, long time.  I took the mountain bike off-road and hit some singletrack trails. Or maybe it was the trails that hit me, it's hard to tell.

The sign at the trailhead was green and said "easy", it wasn't all that, easy.  Apparently puttering around on my bike for almost a year now on the side of the road does very little for bringing back ones bike handling skills on a narrow tree lined trail that turns repeatedly and without warning. 

I used to do a lot of trail riding, 10ish years ago.  If I remember correctly, my trail riding days came to a pretty abrupt end shortly after uttering the phrase, "I can jump that" up at Devils Head.  I still have the busted helmet that came as a result. 

Anyway, I seriously don't remember trail riding being that difficult.  The climbing was easy, and I definitely have all the road miles to thank for that.  Everything else, not so much.  Being clipped into the pedals was the worst part.  Managed a couple of last minute unclippings and grabbed a couple of trees to prevent unplanned dismounts.  The first log I needed to cross presented a whole separate issue and I feel like my arm came off at the shoulder when I attempted to cross it, all 4-inches of it.  Where or where have all those skills gone.

Aside from being difficult, it was one thing, fun.  I loved every minute of it.  Out of the wind, out of the sun, deer, birds, squirrels, nature at it's finest.  Add in the bike, good company, and the constant change and challenge of the trails and it was a blast.  I can't wait to do it again. 

So after 3-days and maybe 3-hours of trail riding I'm sore, another whole new set of muscles screaming.  Despite this, I am definitely going to try and get in a regular trail ride going forward.  Not sure how it fits in with regular triathlon training, but if it's working new muscles I figure it has to be good.

Lucky I Guess

I got stuck riding through this earlier tonight. I didn't intend to, shit just kind of happens when you head out for what was supposed to a 3-1/2 hour ride.

Went back out to Verona with the thoughts of doing one loop on the IM course plus either a sub-loop or an out and back on Whalen to kill the last hour-ish.

Nothing really to report, course is still hard as hell, thought of a second loop is still overwhelming.

Anyway, as I'm heading into Verona I start to notice it's getting dark, at 5:30, in the middle of summer. Coming down Main St. past the high school it's really dark, I don't notice a car without its lights on dark. As I pull up to the red light, it starts to absolutely pour. Luckily, I'm only about a mile or so from the truck which is parked at the Military Ridge trail parking lot.

So the light turns and I decide to do a controlled sprint in the pouring rain while trying not to get blown off my bike by some nasty crosswinds.

And all I could do was laugh.

Then I got cold, quick.

Unceremoniously tossed the bike in the back of the truck and jumped in. Transition time from bike to truck, 0.4 seconds.

One of these weeks I'll actually do a 56+ ride in preparation for Pigman. Maybe.