A Skeese Sunday...

So after yesterday's long training session I raced home for a quick shower and an even quicker repacking of the bag. I was meeting Jen to drive down to the Texas Ski Ranch so I could participate in Stacy's race Sunday morning. Of course in doing so, I forgot to change out my wheels for my race wheels and I forget my quick laces for my running shoes - dork.

We got there just in time to eat pizza (our standard fare at the Ski Ranch) and hang a few signs. I was feeling pretty tired and so I headed back to the cabin soon to catch some zzzz's. When I woke up I thought someone had taken a baseball bat during the night and pummeled me with it as I slept. My shoulders ached from the swim and I was a bit fatigued from riding all those hills.

Why was I racing? I haven't done speed work in ages (one thing I'll change for IMAZ in Nov.) and I certainly haven't done an all out effort the day following a long training day...I was in for something new...I kept telling myself, "this is for fun!"

What I kept thinking was, "you have 15 miles to run after this!"

As we waited for the airhorn to go off I suddenly had to pee. Not the "oh, I'll just hold it for an hour" pee, but a real "OMG, I really have to go"...so I did...sorry ladies. When the horn finally blew I started swimming...but it wasn't really swimming, it was me trying hard to lift the lead-filled extremities I used to call arms over my head and through the water. Boy, Saturday really took it's toll! Not only that, but I haven't been knocked around so much in a race start - vicious women :)

Ah, the bike...or so I thought. Remember those hills from yesterday? You guessed it, they caught up to me. I had the hardest time turning over the ol' pistons. To keep me focused I decided that the only women who were allowed to pass me today were women also wearing Jack and Adam's jerseys (only because I knew a few of them were blazing fast). At one point I was slacking off and a woman in a Tough Cookies jersey passed me. YIKES!! No offense Tough Cookies, but that wasn't in my game plan. So I stalked until we approached a hill and I KNEW I could take her...and I did! And I never caught sight of her again...muah-ha-ha-ha! Oh, and that thing about the J&A jerseys, yep, they came flying by me like I was standing still. Amazing women!

Salvage the run? Kind of. I managed to pass a few women but unfortunately none of them were in my age group. Drats. I kept thinking of the 15 miles I still had to do after I finished the race and I think that kept me too conservative because I only ran 7:44's. I know I can do better than that for only two miles. I was kind of cruising through the last stretch of the run until someone yelled out, "they're sprinting behind you!" Damn it! Now I have to sprint too! So I held off whoever was back there and came in at 1:02: and change...not too bad.

After the race, Michelle and I headed out for another five miles in the scorching heat. We had to head back so that she could get her award. I decided I didn't want to continue running by myself so I came back with her. I was there for a little while longer then came back home for a shower and a nap. Once I woke I was faced with the realization that I still had 10 miles to cover.

I did NOT want to go. I was almost in tears over it. I was just waiting and wanting someone to tell me NOT to go...NOT to do it...to PUT IT OFF until Monday...but I decided that I needed to stick to my plan and I was going to get my miles in, regardless. And as it turns out, I did pretty good and felt pretty good too.

Cheers to a successful weekend!

Summary:
2.4 mi swim - 1:18:01
82 mi bike - DDL, 17.4 mph
Skeese tri - 1:02 (AG 11th of 89, Overall 27th of over 400)
5 mi run - 45 min
10 mi run - 1:35