A huge weight has been lifted...

That's how I feel today...like a huge weight has been lifted off of me. My longest workout day of these 24 weeks is behind me! I rode my bike 100.5 miles and ran 3 miles--all totaled, it took me 7 hours and 50 minutes. The next four weeks will consist of eating right, sleeping well and getting ready for the big day!

Saturday's run was a mere 9 miles. I felt kinda sluggish, not at all in the mood to train. After 20 weeks of this, I'm ready for it to be done. I want my weekends back!

The Final Five Weeks...

...are upon me! Hard to believe that I've been at this for 19 weeks! This past week was a recovery week--yesterday was a 30 mile bike ride and today was a five mile run. Both were relatively easy. The next three weeks will be extremely difficult with Saturday's long bike ride consisting of seven hours. My goal is to ride 100 miles and see if my butt remains intact! Upon the completion of the next three weeks I will enjoy an easy two weeks until the day of the race. I am looking forward to it immensely.

Middle School kids KICK IT OUT!!

Well, the numbers are in! Pleasant Hill Middle School Leadership kids raised $720 by going around to their classmates, talking about The Samfund and urging them to drop money into jars!!

AMAZING!

Training has Taken on a New Meaning

I discovered on my 15 mile run today--yes, I said 15--that I'm not training for speed, nor am I training for endurance. I'm training for pain. I need to be able to push myself through those times when my gut is about to explode or my calf muscle is on fire. Today it happened on mile 12. My right calf muscle was slowly starting to tighten up and then began to scream at me. This whole thing is just so damn mental! If my brain says I can do it, guess what? I can. And I did. I ran 15 miles in three hours and 7 minutes.

Man, I had to Dig Deep for this One!

So I started the day with a sore leg muscle--not from exercising, but from practicing for a homecoming staff skit next week--my god, what was I thinking?! As soon as I began my 72 mile ride I felt sluggish. I could barely exert the energy to ride 13 mph--and I was getting extremely frustrated. Six weeks until race day and this is how I feel? After 40 minutes I decided it was time to re-group. I pulled over and decided to drink an Ensure, do some positive self talk and get back to business. But once I got going again, I could not muster the strength to hold a speed greater than 13 mph. Something was definitely wrong! I pulled over again and checked my front tire--which was rubbing terribly on my brake!! After 45 minutes of trying to figure out why I felt so sluggish, I finally discovered it wasn't me at all, it was my damn tire--argghhhhhhh. I basically had to start over (mentally, that is) and finish a 5 hour ride. I ended up averaging 14.1 mph and felt pretty satisfied. After finishing the ride I ran 3 miles and was able to hold my usual 12 minute mile. I'm starting to get burned out on training. I forget what it was like to have a weekend with nothing to do! Tomorrow marks the last day of week #18 and I couldn't be more pleased!

My Forty Days in the Desert

Years ago I watched a Dateline special that featured a man who had spent forty days in the Australian Outback for no other reason than a spiritual experience.  I was mesmerized by his story and have attempted many times to have my own "forty days" in the desert.  Two Aids Rides, numerous triathlons and my one and only Ironman race in 2006--none of which have satisfied the craving for that spiritual enlightenment.  During the training of my 2006 Ironman race I did not train nearly as hard as I should've.  My "forty days" definitely should have been met during that time, if I only would've pushed myself. 

My "Forty Days" is officially under way.  I am exactly seven weeks from race day and on November 22nd I will know what it feels like to push myself to the limits.  I have not skimped on any training day and today was no different.  Ten miles in two hours and I felt really good.  If race day comes and I don't experience something "spiritual" it will be okay...because I know that I will have pushed myself as hard as I possibly could have.

Risking my Life...

At the tail end of my 75 mile bike ride today, a woman cut me off in order to pull into a parking lot. Apparently, getting into the lot 5 seconds quicker was extremely important. Anyway, as she was pulling in another car was coming out, and blocked her from pulling all the way in and so...she had to slam on her brakes---and so did I! I almost ended up in her trunk. I was so infuriated that I actually pulled into the parking lot, stopped at her car and knocked on her window. In a not-so-polite tone of voice I said, "you almost killed me!" Her response? "But that guy blocked me from pulling in." I tried my best to explain to her that I cannot possibly stop in the same manner she can...and I implored her to take a look at the size of me (on my bike) and the size of her (in her car). She apologized (rather condescendingly) and I peddled off, feeling satisfied!

A message for people in cars (please spread to your friends and co-workers): We cyclists are a mere speck compared to you. We cannot move out of your way in time to divert a collision--which, by the way, you will come out the victor every time. If it is so important to save a couple of seconds by pulling in front of us, please leave earlier. Please don't honk at us--it's scary and loud--instead, drive slower and safer. Next time you see a cyclist give her/him the right of way--I'm pretty sure you'll get a friendly wave back.