Swim: Thursday evening was the first open water swim of the TNT training season. We swam out at Saguaro Lake, which is just spectacularly beautiful. The difference between where I was with my swim skills for the first open water last year and where I am now is like night and day. It was fun to see the new participants getting their feet wet (hee). It really is a whole different experience doing distance swimming in a cold, murky lake - definitely takes some getting used to. [image source]
Bike: This was my ride today. 
46 miles. Of hills. Oy. See that red section around miles 4 and 15.5ish? This was through a neighborhood and there was this incredibly steep section of hill that the elevation chart doesn't show. It was at least a 10% grade. I rounded a curve and saw that sucker come into view and a little part of me died inside. There's a point in cycling where a hill is so steep, you just can't turn the cranks any more. So you stand up and pedal. But then even that gets maxed out and you're just stuck. (This is the sort of situation where 0mph crashes occur. I managed to avoid that.) Never in my life have I had to walk a hill, even when I was just starting out... until today. I am not ashamed to say that I made it halfway up the beast the first time around and 2/3 of the way up the second time before I had to get off the bike and hoof my way to the top. Holy crap. Also: FORTY SIX MILES OF HILLS.
46 miles. Of hills. Oy. See that red section around miles 4 and 15.5ish? This was through a neighborhood and there was this incredibly steep section of hill that the elevation chart doesn't show. It was at least a 10% grade. I rounded a curve and saw that sucker come into view and a little part of me died inside. There's a point in cycling where a hill is so steep, you just can't turn the cranks any more. So you stand up and pedal. But then even that gets maxed out and you're just stuck. (This is the sort of situation where 0mph crashes occur. I managed to avoid that.) Never in my life have I had to walk a hill, even when I was just starting out... until today. I am not ashamed to say that I made it halfway up the beast the first time around and 2/3 of the way up the second time before I had to get off the bike and hoof my way to the top. Holy crap. Also: FORTY SIX MILES OF HILLS.Run: This was my run today.
Immediately after my ride, I had the distinct pleasure of running nearly three miles. Of hills. The first song to come up in my shuffling list of tunes as I left the parking lot on foot was Raining in Baltimore. Seemed appropriate.
Immediately after my ride, I had the distinct pleasure of running nearly three miles. Of hills. The first song to come up in my shuffling list of tunes as I left the parking lot on foot was Raining in Baltimore. Seemed appropriate.I hope I don't come across like I'm complaining (or bragging - ugh). It's just that it still blows my mind a little bit that I can do this stuff. I can still remember so. clearly. that first minute of running that htd and I set out on and how ten seconds in I thought it was over for me. But now I can have days like today and know that next week, this same ride will be a little easier. And I'll be able to run a little farther in the same amount of time. And it will get a little more enjoyable. And I'll see that same progression in all of my teammates. I really do love this stuff. And that's what keeps me coming back.
Also: Third bike ride in a row that I've gotten a flat tire.
Pro: I'm getting pretty kickass at changing flat tires.
Con: Time to buy new tires.
2 comments:
ok, superwoman. stop making me feel bad for my late night english muffin massacre. ;) love you and so proud of you.
The circus is falling down on its knees, the bigtop is crumbling down. It's raining in Baltimore, 50 miles east, and Kristen can run there on fooooot...
I rewrote it.
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