Ahhhh... A Day of Rest

There are so many wonderful things I love about a day off.

• Sleeping in until 7, not crawling out of bed until 7:30
• Going to work without 3 bags of workout clothes and recovery drinks
• Having lunch with friends instead of going to the gym
• Going to HAPPY HOUR not smelling like chlorine or BO

And then there is the e-mail from Coach saying you can't be in a light week because you have a half Ironman in 2 weeks. Ggggrrreeeaaatttt.....
So I have my daily workouts for the rest of the week. And I can't be mad because I have a light taper for next week and he even says things like
"be smart, get to bed early, eat a really good diet and focus" - Did someone tell him I went to lunch and happy hour!?!?!
And
"Think you can get through this week? The taper week will be VERY light. You have to hang in there for the rest of this week. Time to DIG IN Amanda! Coach"

I can't get mad at that!! I have to dig in, make it work, all the other sayings to get my butt in the pool, on the bike and out running.

So I am off to bed so I can get up and bike in the morning followed by a swim tomorrow night.
All for this...

Hot Race and H-O-T Becks!!

What a day!! Here is my race report for

My alarm goes off at 5, the second at 5:15 and I crawl out of bed. Marcus is packed and I am ready to go by 5:45.
I arrive at General Smallwood State Park and notice 2 cars in front of me looks like Brooke. Sure enough, it was.
Pick up my number (231) as Shane holds Blain (Shane is Brooks Sherpa - holder/protector of stuff, and good guy).
Set up transition and talk to other DC Tri Club people.
7:45, head to the swim start, starting to worry about the heat.
8:10, the first wave FINALLY goes off.
Hop in with the 4th wave, wish Brooke good luck, and start to swim when the horn goes off. Now, the swim - the lake looks beautiful from the outside, but as my mom always said, it's what is on the inside that matters. What was inside this lake was like swimming in a jungle!! At one point I had to stop and pull the weeds off my shoulders and goggles. Also, they got tangled around my leg - not a fun feeling.
T1 took forever as the lake and trans are were not close.
Gave Blain a quick pep talk and head out on the bike. What I should have done was give my legs a pep talk. They were SOOO not happy with me to be back on Blain, especially the first few hills. I started to think a 64 ride followed by an International tri was not the best decision.
But, I peddled along and tried not to let everyone passing me get to me mentally.
Finish the bike and do a quick T2, start my run. Something feels off and I realize I didn't take off my bike shorts. Yes, I add bike shorts over my tri sorts - I like/need the padding.
Man, this run was HOT. Very little shade but I tried to stick to my 1:1, 2:1, 3:1. It didn't quite work. Up hills I went cone to cone, downhills, I did 3:1's.
Eventually, I hear "YAY Amanda!! Finish strong!" It was Brooke and Shane - they waited for me which was so great, especially because they were not longer announcing names of finishers and giving out awards. Yup, I am that slow.
BUT - I have to say the best thing about today, the fact I got my self to do the race after biking 64 miles the day before. And a bad 11 mile run on Wednesday. That makes me happy. Now the results say I didn't finish and I sent an e-mail requesting it be changed. Wrong time is 1 thing, not finishing is another!

I rushed out after the race to meet Arin at the DC United game to watch DAVID BECKHAM!! I got my time line for the day all screwed up when I signed up for the race and saying yes to the game. But, I made in right at the end of the first half (I won't mention how fast I was driving to get there). SOOO worth skipping the food and stretching after the race. I have a picture of him bending over, but thought I would go with this one instead.

I am an Idiot

I wanted to sleep in until 6 - yes, I agree - you should not say sleep in until 6.

I start set up Blain and realize something is missing... I lost my bracket for my aero drink. I remember taking off the aero drink bottle after last weeks ride, but my guess is I did not take off the bracket and few off on the drive home. Oops, that is a very expensive piece of plastic!

Slightly worried about hydration I am clipped in by 7:30 and pedaling away. Not ideal for the heat and humidity of the day, but it worked out.

Not too much else exciting happened on the ride. My allergies aren't acting up so no snot rockets.
I did get yelled at a few more times than normal about riding in the street. It's frustrating that bikers get such a bad rap. Yes, there are the ones who fly by and don't say "on your left". Even today there was a group of about 12 that almost pushed me off the road and did not go single file so cars could get by. But, there are bad drivers and people don't hate all drivers!
I always try to say "on your left" and wave at cars who let me go.

It was another 4.5 hour ride. A with about 2 hours left I was at a stop sign and I hear "Amanda!!". My guess it was Tony (who is also training for IM Wisconsin) as he knows Blain - who is very noticeable in all his yellow glory. That was just the pick up I needed to finish that loop and start the 3rd and final lap.

Also, I got SMOKED up a hill by a guy who was 117. Okay, not that old, but I would guess in his late 70's, early 80's. He slowed down and chatted with me for a bit, giving me pointers on cadence and such, then flew and KICKED MY BUTT!! Impressive and inspirational.

"Race" tomorrow so it's another early night for me!!

No One Let's Me Sleep In Anymore!!

When I received the remainder of my workouts for Coach, he said to do this weeks tempo/interval run this morning. The reason behind this was so my legs would have more time to recover for Saturdays 4.5 hour ride and Sundays "race". So I wake up, again, before 6 a.m. for the third day in a row. The difference this time, it was already 78 degrees when I left for the metro at 6:20. Yuck! I have been really spoiled the last few weeks with decent temperatures and low humidity.

I head out for my run and even during my 10 minute warm up, I am sweating bullets. By the time I did my first 5 minute hard interval, I had sweat dripping off my nose, and it was before 7:30!! Just not right!! But I did okay and made it through my 5*5 minutes hard. I had 2 minutes in between so my HR dropped nicely and I would feel ready to go 'comfortably hard' for the next 5 minutes.

Tomorrow and Sunday should be interesting weather wise. The forecast is all the same, high in the mid 90's, isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon/evening – hazy, hot and humid. This all means very early start time for the ride tomorrow and I have to get up early anyway for the "race" on Sunday.

I understand race directors making me get up early, but Mother Nature too! They are all against me!

Much Better

This morning I crawled out of bed at 5:20 and got ready for my bike. I wasn't very excited considering I was feeling pretty down about everything. I clipped in at 6 and headed out for my first lap at Hains Point. (This is a picture I took!!!)

I timed it so I could meet with the DC Tri club group ride at 6:30. I am glad I did because there was a really big group there, including Brooke. That girl is everywhere!! So we rolled out and found our paces. Brooke and I were out with a few other club members, peddling along. I looked at my computer and we were keeping a pretty good pace, much better than I would on my own. We held it for the hour I was with them and at one point, my avg MPH was 16.8 (which included my slow first lap on my own)!! For me, I did the same thing last week and averaged 14.7! The knees were a bit tender, but overall, a good ride.

Off to work and a swim tonight

I think DC has falling in the "Small Town" category

I grew up in a small-er town, a suburb of Milwaukee, that we called "The Bubble." Cute little village where you know your neighbors, the police and fire chief, and didn't think about cutting class because your parents would find out immediately - so no, I never did Mom and Dad!! Also walking down the street takes 20 minutes because you stop and talk to EVERYONE!!

My point - this morning (yes, I said MORNING) I got to work, dropped off my stuff and headed out for my long run. I am trotting down The Mall and who passes me - Brooke! Totally unexpected. I catch her at a stop light, we chat, and she takes off. I didn't even know she ran on The Mall.
I continue, down to Lincoln, across Memorial bridge to Arlington Cemetery and back, around the Tidal Basin and who do I see - Charles!! I flag him down, thankful for the break as he is bouncing around the way real runners do, we chat and each continue on our way. I knew he was training for a marathon, but just didn't expect to see him out and about.

Now I don't know that many people in this city, but seeing 2 before 8 am!?!? Strange.

Overall, not a great run. My legs just would not move quickly. About an hour and 45 minutes into it, I knew my legs were not having it. I tried to talk my self into going the full 3 hours, but I just couldn't. It was slow and disappointing. The only good thing I can say - my knees didn't hurt until I was done. They were fine during the 'run' - but I guess when you are moving so slow, there isn't much to pound on.
This is the first in a long while I am actually worried about finishing. I keep saying, and continue to say, I will do my best, it's all I can do. But after this run today, and how my legs felt after only 11 miles... I am worried

Are Snot Rockets Littering?

I was talking to my friend Rachel today (who has a race on Sunday) and she sounded a bit congested. She said she was trying to get over a cold, hence the head congestion sounding voice, but was also on her way out for a run. I told her that this is a great opportunity to practice her snot rockets. Rachel laughed in that disgusted "I can't do that" laugh and said the best thing

"Snot rockets are against my anti littering campaign".

This made me laugh very very hard. Rachel is always coming up with/saying random phrases I have never heard - we decided it's because she is from Georgia and I am from Wisconsin. Another favorite she whispered at a meeting "You can't fix stupid". Coffee almost came out my nose - the birth of my snot rocket quest.

And Brooke sent me this great blog posting today. It's a bit long, but a good read. When I read it, I felt like she knew me!! Made me realize that the things I am going through - I am not alone.

I Am Easily Persuaded

It really doesn't take much to talk me into things. I would have made a horrible lawyer, always thinking the other side sounded good.

So when I was at the General Smallwood course with the people from the tri club, they started asking if I was doing the race, I should do the race, etc. This morning I talked it over with Coach and he thought it was okay - but don't "race" it, only do it comfortably hard. HA! Once again with the 'comfortably hard'. I still have to do a 4.5 hour ride on Saturday so I don't think it will be a very fast race anyway.

Had a good lunch run with Merissa. It was supposed to be easy and it was, nice and light. Tonight was a swim - and yes, I made it back in the pool. That was fine too, expect the ending with 8*50's hard. Hate those!!

The best part of the night, the walk home after the metro. It was raining lightly and the sun was shining. I didn't pull out the umbrella and just enjoyed the warm rain. Because of the sun, I knew there had to be one - then I turned around and found it. I took a picture with my camera phone: it's not the best, but still - breathtaking. I love the fact I can see a rainbow in the city.

What a RIDE!!!

First of all, I saw the sunrise Saturday, sunset Saturday, and sunrise AGAIN today!! Who does that over the weekend!?!? Hopefully I will be in bed before the sunset tonight...

Anyway, the alarm went off at 5 am and I cursed Brooke's name as I rolled out of bed. I got my stuff ready, packed up Marcus and was on my way to Smallwood State Park. Brooke was right behind me so we got our bikes ready and headed off. We were doing the General Smallwood Triathlon International course. My plan was to do it twice and a little more to get the full 4.5 hours in today.

Here are some things that happened on the ride.
1. Missed a turn. This was neither of our faults - the road is not marked with the same name as the one on the map
2. When we did a few extra hills, thinking we went to far, we started to wave at drivers for help - they just waved back.
- Finally, one did stop and we confirmed we went to far
3. We were chased by dogs!! And I mean really REALLY chased. This was the closest either of us have ever been to being nipped. I think that was the fastest I pedaled and the highest my HR got the entire ride
4. I am learned how to do hills better
5. PEOPLE ARE STILL LITTERING!!! I really don't understand. On my second loop, I started counting the beer cans... I lost track after 53
Finally,
6. Even though I gave Brooke a hard time about the early start (but am very thankful we started early), she waited until I got back . After we did the course, we meet up with some other DC Tri club people and they did the sprint course. I did the full course again, and a little out and back and she waited and cheered for me as I got back. How sweet! Thanks Brooke!

So, the total distance you are wondering... 66.69 miles!!! I felt pretty good. What hurts the most are in the left wrist (actually hurts a bit to type) and a really bad saddle sore (boo!). But cardio and leg wise - I feel really good. YAY!

What A Great Day!

When the day starts at 5:30 am, really, how good of day can you have?? Well, it was great.

It started by heading to Hains Point for the DC tri club training tri, where I was volunteering. When the alarm went off, I almost skipped, but glad I didn't. I got to meet a lot of club people, and see the 3 people I do know; Brooke, Janel and Tony, actually do the event and cheer for them. It was actually a really good time.
And Tony and I got to chat about IM Moo!! Obviously a favorite topic of mine.

This was followed by an oil change. Marcus came out with a clean bill of health, something I have not always had good luck with (sorry Audrey, you know I loved you!!).

After the clean bill of health for the car, I headed to Beach drive for a 90 minute ride. Now I wanted to do this in the middle of the day because on Madison, I will be biking from about 8:30-5, the middle of the day. You know what, it was GREAT! I was SHOCKED!!!
I did have some knee pain, but stopped at the car half way through to get a knee brace. When it first went on, it might have been my imagination, but it felt I could feel my knee cap pushing against the brace. However, I think it really helped. My HR stayed at a good level, my cadence was good, and I actually went faster!
I stopped and helped someone with a bad chain. Offered to help 2 people with flat tires. It might have been the Propel fitness water with caffeine in the morning, or the 20 oz coffee from 7-11 during the oil change, but it felt so good to be out in the middle of the day.

Now I am off to Kristin's for a BBQ and catch up with her and Lauren - who I haven't seen in ages!!

Good times!!

Tomorrow, Brooke is making me meet her at 6:45 to start our 50-60 mile bike. Just kidding Brooke, better early than late!!

It's All About Compromise

When I woke up to go bike, dang - my legs were not having it, again. Through out the day, I was feeling the knee, and it was not happy. Since I can't have a glass of wine at work, I kept taking ibuprofen and icing. When the day was over, I knew I still had to do my bike. I really REALLY didn't want to go. I mean 99.99999% of me did not want to go.

So I came up with a compromise - the trainer. It's sad on my part that it is so amazingly beautiful out and I decided to go on the trainer, but I just couldn't pack up Blain and head for more laps at Hains Point - and biking around this city just doesn't work for me. Also, this allowed me to do 5 loads of laundry at the same time.

W00-Hoo!! Rockn' Friday night!

AND, I have 5 am wake up calls on Saturday AND Sunday, so that leads to more of the most exciting Friday night EVER!

Yup, need to fold my clean towels, change my bed sheets and go to bed.

Still Didn't Get Up...

But I did get my workout in.

First of all, yesterday I did get in my long run, 10 miles!! It actually felt okay with very little knee pain. My legs felt tired about an hour and a half into it, but otherwise I just kept shuffling forward. Not quickly, but kept moving. Then went back to work. Can you say productive afternoon! HA!

This morning I convinced my self that doing my brick after work would give my legs more time to rest, and I didn't let my boss know I would be late - so this all lead to an extra 2 hours of sleep. So I rushed home, changed, grabbed Blain and headed out to do some laps at Hains Point. Now there was a very dark cloud in the sky and I checked with Roxanne that biking in the rain was a good idea. Of course she said go and to stay off the paint. I got started with a bit of rain, but nothing too bad. The ride was uneventful until the last 30 or so minutes. All the sudden, my left knee really REALLY started to hurt. On the outside, really painful. The knees haven't that bad since March-ish when I went to the dr. Now it's usually the right knee that hurts biking, so I am thinking that when I start my run, it's really going to hurt.

But here's the thing, the brick was actually good! I had 0, yes ZERO, knee pain during the run. And it felt great!! So that is a 90 minute ride and 45 minute run, the day after a 10 mile run.

Yup... I think this training thing is working.

AND, I saw the most B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L sunset tonight. The biggest, red/orange sun setting over the Potomac. So pretty!

What is my problem?!?!

This is the second day I have woken up for a ride and gone back to sleep. I have been going to bed early, not that early - but early, however I still can not get out of bed. I was getting better a few weeks back about getting up for workouts, but for some reason, not this week. I am concentrating on running and biking this week, however if I can't get out of bed! I even tell my self I won't be an Ironman if I don't get out of bed, but it doesn't work.

And the weather is perfect right now.

Blah... really mad at my self.

And I am still tired

I Love When There is NO Humidity

What a perfect running day!! 75, low humidity, partly cloudy. Perfect! I didn't go much faster, but it felt great and really easy to keep my HR down. No bachelor sighting, but it was a great run anyway.

Not much else is going on. It is Coach's birthday. I sent him a little something, a DC water bottle. Small, but useful. He doesn't know about the blog so I can ruin the 'surprise'.

Oh, and I was having a conversation today with someone about something. It lead to me saying I will be spending 4-8 hours on my bike at a time, plus 3-5, 60-2 hour rides as well. She just looked me square in the eye and said "where are you going??" I laughed very hard and explained what I was training for.

Good times.

The Best Reason EVER to Run on the Mall

I was having the debate before about treadmill vs. outside running at lunch. Sometimes the heat is just a bit too much. Well, today, my decision was made.

I was attempting to do a tempo/interval run in the heat/humidity. It was pretty easy to get my HR up, am nice and red faced, and easily distracted by all the shirtless men running on the mall. 9 times out of 10, it's a good thing. So I'm going, in my own little world and I see (another) really cute guy coming. I send him mental notes of "take off your shirt" and as he gets closer, I notice the boob glance (sorry family, but it's an important note in the story) and realize he looks familiar. Then I have the "Oh My Gosh" moment... it is ABC's The Bachelor Officer and a Gentleman!!!

Now please know that I am not a regular watcher of the show. I only paid attention because Kristin had a friend of a friend's old co-worker person was on the show. Also, he is a triathlete so that peeked my interest.

So yes, that was my brush with The Bachelor. I heard through the tri club forum that he was in DC and as you all know, it's a pretty small community. It's now only a matter of time until our relationship is on the cover of People magazine and we are the next Bachelor married couple.

Okay, not really... his teeth are too white and I don't want to be chased by the paparazzi! But he totally did the boob check. So Andy, if you are reading, I was the one in the sleeveless green Nike top today on The Mall around noon :-)

Happy Father's Day!!!

Just finished a slow 60 minute ride. But, more importantly, it's FATHER'S DAY!!

Sorry I can't be there to help celebrate. I hope you have a wonderful day!
To the best DADDY in the world! Love you!!

So Close to a Half

Once again, I just had my longest ride, 55 miles!! I was hoping to get 56 miles in, but 55 is good enough. It took just about 4 hours, which is what I had to do today. It was okay, not great again. Where are those endorphins!?!?!

I have been really really lucky with the heat. I went up to Columbia early and it was pretty hazy when I started. Only the last hour the sun came out. With this heat, I know I have to be careful.

That's about it. It was a typical ride. A few good snot rockets, some on my shoulder. Good nutrition and fluid intake, certain parts hurt after sitting for 4 hours.

Happy Saturday!!

Change of Plans

Today was supposed to be a run, swim and session with a personal trainer. After the trainer cancelled, I decided dying my hair was more important - I will get to the swim on Sunday. I don't know if I admitted this or not, but I made a bad decision at the beginning of April in picking a hair color (well, that decision was helped by someone who I promised I would not blame if it went bad, so I will not blame her, or use her name, but I do blame her, not really ;-). It didn't turn out the best, mainly because I did a poor job. So instead of having purple hair for Therese's wedding, I dyed it again with the help of Jess. Well, it is now mid-June and the purple has come back, along with the grays I was original trying hide.

This all means a low key night with my 4 hour bike planned for tomorrow.

Oh, today's workout, yes, I did run. It was on the mall and little warm. I didn't go out early enough so it wasn't great. There is that debate between outside, hot, and shorter distance to keep the HR down vs. treadmill with lower HR and further distance - but on a treadmill. (Remember, I do all my training based on time and heart rate (HR)). So, it's the great debate that happens when I don't get up in the morning to do a run.

Okay, off to the bathroom to work on the hair. Jess promises to "stay within the lines" but she just had a beer and has just as much tolerance as I do when it comes to alcohol.

There is 1 I Like

The pictures from the Bay Swim came out today. I am usually very annoyed at my pictures always thinking "do I really look like that??" and "I look fat!!" and "my feet are never off the ground in the running pictures!!!" and "stupid stomach on the bike, I am leaning over!!!" and "I never look cute!" For some reason, a few of my Bay swim pictures I actually like - which I wouldn't expect as I am in a wet suit. My current picture on the blog is from my first Bay swim and personally, I love it. Something about the bad a$$, really dazed and confused look I think I have. But I really like this one too. I had no idea my arms went back that far. There is something about this one...

Looking at some of the other ones made me realize that I should get back into the pool. So, I did my 3000M. It felt okay, nothing too exciting. Expect for the stupid girl doing breaststroke who didn't let me go so when I did my flip turn. So, I wound up under her and she said "Oh, sorry" in that sarcastic way. I kicked/splashed really hard as I passed. I am very mature. But really, SWIM ETIQUETTE!! Let the faster swimmer go! I do!!

That's about all I have for the day. I did manage to get up this morning and bike. Tomorrow is a run, swim, and personal training session. I know, I know, I live the most exciting life for a Friday!!

Ummm... Burger

It's a light week so I figured I get a treat, or a few. Today it was a specialty fruity drink, burger and fries. Jess was happy to oblige and join me after a very long day at work. It's so nice that when I don't have 13 workouts to do in 7 days, I can adjust - okay, procrastinate.

Here's the thing, the tolerance I worked so hard to build - GONE! About a third of the way through the drink, I was just rambling about who knows what... Poor Jess....

I did manage to get my run in at lunch outside as the humidity was lower and it was before it got too hot out. It was okay, but my stride felt off, as did my breathing. Hopefully tomorrow I can get up and go biking.
But, I do have to watch the final of Top Chef.

I Really REALLY Do Heart Conte's

I just got back from the bike shop after they spent 30 minutes explaining how to change my flat tire. I walked in with cookies so they new right away I needed a favor. After the initial giggling and hazing that I didn't know how to change a flat, the mechanic put Blain on a stand and got started. He explained every detail, gave me pointers and tips to make the process smoother. It's just so great!! I really do "heart" that shop!

This week is a light week so I enjoyed an easy 35 minute run on the treadmill - too hot to go outside. Even thought I had showered twice within 12 hours, I must have smelled because the pregnant lady on the treadmill next to me - she moved over when the one on the other side opened up.
Whatever, I sweat.
Sweat smells.
I showered again when I was done.

That is about it. My parents started their drive back to G-dale today :-( I had a great time with them and it's always so nice to spend time with family.

Does Sweating Count As A Workout??

I didn't hear back from Coach this week about a workouts, so I assume that means I get the day off :-) Or at least that is how I took it... We had talked about this week being an off week so hopefully it's okay that I relaxed a bit. But, even though I relaxed, that does not mean I did not sweat.

Holy buckets! I can't take this heat and humidity!!!!! Seriously!!!

After some cleaning of the apartment with the parents, my dad and I decided to scratch the round of golf because of the heat, Instead, we hit a round of golf balls at the driving range. At one point, I noticed sweat beads around my knees, standing in the shade, swinging a golf club... That's how hot it was today. YUCK!!

Finally tonight, the fam celebrated our swims with watching the Nat's play something similar to baseball. And sweating the entire time.

So did I have a traditional workout, no.
Did I sweat more than a traditional workout, yes!

Well, I Guess That is What Happens When You Skip Swims

What a day.

First of all, it's still around 100 degrees with insanely high humidity. That being said, Merissa, Jess, and Kristin all showed up at Sandy Point State Park bright and early. Dad took Arin and Mom across for his one mile swim and came back to see me off. We relaxed, applied sunblock and played some ladder ball. It's a good warm up for the shoulder.

It was time to get started and we are all corralled into the pen.

At first, it was nice to get into the water. Then I realized I had to keep swimming...
Mile 1 was fast, as it typically is. It took FOREVER to get to mile 2. That is when I realized I am not in swimming shape and skipping all those swims does not make for a pleasant 4.4 miles.
But then I realized that I did not, and am not, training for distance swim races. I am really concentrating on my biking and running so I can't expect to do as well as I did in the past. Once I realized that, things went better. Mile 3 was pretty fast and with 1.4 miles left, that felt like nothing.

I finished and felt it went okay. Not great like last year, not as bad as the first year.

Overall, I was super proud of Arin with his great 1 mile. My parents for seeing me finish. My friends for getting up early. And everyone for being there for me, especially in the heat!!

As for me, I am fried to a crisp! And yes, I did use a lot of sunscreen. But the worst part, I actually have a tan line on my forehead from the swim cap and around my eyes from the goggles. I look a bit ridiculous... I hope it goes away quickly!!

I Have to Learn Sometime

When I headed out for my ride yesterday, I had a pretty low back tire. I thought, no worries, pumped it up before I headed out for the 3 hours and 50 minutes, and all would be fine. When I finished, it was pretty low.

This morning, I had to do a 90 minute ride, and it was flat. Well, here is the deal, I still don't know how to change a flat. I have all the stuff - the tube, levers, the CO2 thing - I just haven't done it in about 3 years. So, I just pumped it up, said a little prayer to keep the tire pumped enough to get the 90 minutes in, and went out my way.

And - It worked!! It is holding air, just has a very VERY slow leak. So, I really need to learn. I am not sure if I should just take it to Conte's (with cookies of course) and have them laugh at me and show me, or try it on my own with the Internet.

Also, the warning today was no longer thunderstorms, but the high heat index. There is a high of 99 with a heat index close to 105. All I know is that I was sweating at 9:15 pumping up my tire. I mean drops off my nose sweating. Thank goodness I am done with my bikes and runs for the next day!

Tomorrow, the 4.4 mile Chesapeake Bay swim. Woo-Hoo!! Please send me your non-drowning thoughts between 10 and 1!!

I Don't Mind That Car in My Spot!!

Today was, again, my longest ride to date! YAY - I guess... It just didn't feel "on", know what I mean?? 53 miles, 3 hours 50 minutes, that is 13.8 mph. Now, if I can double that (plus 6 more miles) at the same speed, I will be fine in 3 months. And I should be happy with this considering I used to bike around 13 mph for 20 miles.

Anyway, the good things were the sun didn't come out until the last hour. I felt my food and liquid intake were good. I stood more (mainly because I just couldn't sit any more - something I really need to work on - can you say saddle sores...). And I manged to keep going even when I convinced my self I will not become an Ironman.
But the best part, I came back to my apartment to see my parents in my parking spot! They arrived a bit early and were waiting my arrival. YAY!

Now the fun has started. Dad fixing stuff and Mom cleaning stuff around the apartment. Love it when they visit!!

Not a great picture but picture CD's from CVS stink

Okay, I guess

I just finished my brick. The good news is that I got out of bed and did it.
The bad news, it was really REALLY slow. I just couldn't get my legs moving. During the bike, my HR was only in my "in" range for 5 minutes (out of 90). I tried to go faster and push a bit, but it wasn't working. But, when I did my 45 minute run, my legs weren't totally shot. I guess that is a good thing about going slow on the bike.

And I think this morning thing is going to have to continue to happen. It was about 75 degrees with 72% humidity, at 9 am. Good times.

The sunrise was pretty that early.

I guess I should go to work now.

Oh, I almost forgot. I saw 3 different people do snot rockets. And NOT bikes or runners either, the park service people cleaning up after yesterdays thunderstorms. It's like they are mocking me!!!

Okay, now I am off to work.

It Was Bound to Happen

I think I use this title a lot... There are a lot of things that are bound to happen.

Today, the heat got to me.

I checked with my boss to see if I could take an early lunch for my 2 hour run. He was fine with it, and as I have said before, extremely understanding with my workouts.
Anyway, I wanted to get the run in before the thunderstorms hit. What I didn't expect was the 80 degree temperature and 70% humidity. At 10:30 in the morning. Yup, spring is over and summer has arrived here in DC.

So, how did the run go???
This picture explains it allI hope the rain stops by 5:30 tomorrow morning so I can have a decent brick

People at Work Make Me Laugh

After I got up at 5:30 this morning to go biking- yes, you read that right, I got out of bed!!, I made it to work on time. When I got there, I started going through my e-mails. Coffee almost come out of my nose when I read this e-mail. It's from a co-worker from Iowa who I really enjoy working with. He always shares is opinion, something I highly value. Anyway, I sent out a message with a deadline of Thursday, as my parents are coming into town for the 4.4 mile swim on Sunday. I signed off this e-mail asking for happy and non-drowning thoughts on Sunday. This was the reply.

Things to remember when distance swimming

• Do not put your pet rock collection in your pocket for luck.
• If the water is cold do not wear you winter coat, gloves, and boots.
• If you passing the one mile mark cause you to remember you forgot something. Do not go back for it.
• Do not answer you cell phone.
• Breathe when you head is above the water. Shaving your head may reduce drag, but it may not be worth it.
• Do not send out for Pasta.
• Avoid swimming upstream if possible.
• Do not pick up hitchhikers. If you hit your head on a cement wall say, "dam."

People are great. I am very lucky to have a boss who is extremely understanding of this goal, and co-workers who care and have a sense of humor.

It's That Time of Year

Yes, there are tourists, uncontrollable kids running on the mall, heat, humidity - all things I have complained about, will complain about, and/or will continue to complain about. One item I have left off this list I was reminded about today.

INTERNS!!!

I was bookin' it down the metro station to get to my area closest to the exit for the Y (yes, I finally did a swim). I am pretty good at navigating around suitcases, people reading signs, and the occasional seeing eye dog. However, the interns are back and stupider than ever!

From my favorite DC website, here is an idea of what I (and all the others in DC) have to deal with for the next few months.

How Not To Be That Intern

1. Your underwear is no one else's business. Seriously, no one wants to see the top of your thong or your boxers or, God forbid, your be-pantied crotch. Invest in a belt, learn to keep your knees together in a skirt and master the art of exiting a cab with your legs together. The day your boss sees your underwear is the day your recommendation gets less effusive.
2. You are never going to out-drink a Hill staffer or a lobbyist Yes, we're sure you're hot shit on campus in your flip cup league, and you can throw back a dozen shots and a couple of beers, boot and then rally and come back for more. Everyone drinks in D.C., and they drink for a living, which means that they, in many cases, can drink to excess and still work (hell, I'm drinking right now). So not only should you not try to keep up because you likely can't, but, additionally, no one is going to care about your drunk tales or your hangovers.
3. Don't hook up with co-workers or fellow interns We all understand that, in college, you have sex with your classmates and the people on your dormitory floor and the people you're in clubs with, and it's cool. But, do not be boinking the other interns in your office. Hang out, meet their other friends, meet other interns, but don't screw the girl or boy in the next cube. Everyone's going to know, and you never know on whose side the opprobrium will fall.
4. Shut up Everyone here is smart, and probably smarter than you. If you keep your mouth shut, you won't be able to make the fatal error of bragging about how great your Hah-vard education is to someone that went to the JFK School and had a dual-degree with the law school.
5. Avoid gawking Yeah, you've probably seen that guy on TV. So has everyone else, and you're the only one looking.
6. Get out of my way If I'm on the street, I'm trying to get somewhere, and so is everyone else. There are, like, actual places to get to here, and some of us are trying to get to them and you are getting in our way so stop standing in the middle of the sidewalk.
7. Khakis make you look like a kid Throw away the pleated pants and the navy blazers, please. There's a Marshall's in Pentagon City. Call your mom. Look into a real suit.
8. Use a condom We're not kidding, definitely use them. Look at the stats. This is not a small college town and you don't know everyone else that person has slept with, so stock up.
9. Don't attend Senator Coburn's sex ed lecture No, seriously. Just don't.
10. Don't sleep with anyone important I hear that power is an aphrodisiac, though I've never felt its effects myself. But, seriously, don't be the next Monica, Jessica or Julia. You might find infamy, but the sex will probably suck and you'll never get a job here again.

A Little Better...

Once I got out of bed - which took forever. I was going to head up to Columbia, but did not get moving fast enough so I just went back to MacArthur boulevard loop with and the Great Falls entrance for 3 hours. Right when I started, I still wasn't feeling it. After 5 minutes, I figured I was 1/36 of my way done. After 10 minutes - 1/18, 15 minutes - 1/12. Not a good sign, but I kept going.

I am thinking about what I would say to Coach about a short bike. And I missed one earlier in the week.

Then I realized, it's June 1. JUNE 1!!! That is 3 months and 6 days I have. That is not a lot of time and I need to get my head in the game and pedal my butt off! Okay, maybe not pedal that hard, but at least keep going. So I did my full 3 hours, followed by a 20 min run. It wasn't amazing, I didn't have that "I feel GREAT" feeling, but I finished.

Oh, and I got back and my spot was taken, again(!!), by the same people moving. I pulled in behind and started to unload my car, again. I was in a much better mood and they were very nice so, whatever. It happens and I just appreciate having my parking spot even more.