I know, it's been a while. Because of that, I'll refund everyone's dues for the month of June. Keep an eye out for those reimbursements.
In addition to being busy, I wanted to keep the Run for Ron Charity event at the top of the page. The donation link is still in my profile, and I hope you'll consider making a donation.
With just two weeks left until the High Cliff half-Ironman, I'm a bit concerned about race day conditions. Rumor has it we're supposed to train like we race. If that's the case, I hope it's rainy, windy, and cold enough to make snow a real possibility over the rain. Because that's about all I've been training in, lately.
Though it's been tough commuting to work, I managed one such ride May 28th. It was in the mid-40s the entire trip in, with a headwind and rain. When I left the house, I had on my running tights with tri-shorts, a long sleeve jersey over my tri top, and gloves. I was concerned with what I would do when I got to warm.
As if...
Late in the ride I became more concerned with how I was going to change a flat tire with frozen hands. Apparently the answer is, "Not very well." I barely avoided blowing my last spare tube when I inflated it with part of the tube outside the tire. Thankfully, I did have one more CO2 cylinder than tubes.
It was somewhat better after work as I headed to a bike shop near the office to replace tubes and CO2. Two minutes down the road I felt my foot slipping and figured I'd broke one of my cleats. I "uncleated," looked down to see what was wrong with the cleat, and wondered where my pedal had gone. All that was left was the shaft of my Speedplay. Luckily, I found the pedal still in my cleat.
At the bike shop, I was able to replace the tubes, CO2 cylinders, and properly inflate my tire. The weren't able to provide much help with the pedal, so I pushed it on and biked home hoping nothing else would go wrong.
Obviously, the wind had changed direction and I had the same headwind going home as I had going to work. And home is uphill.
Saturday, I went out for my final long ride prior to the race. I hoped to get in 60 miles. When the rain started five minutes after I started, I shook my fist at the heavens to show my determination to stand up to the elements.
By the way, our high temp on Saturday was 53F. That was the temperature at midnight as the temps fell through 50s into mid-40s territory, which is where they were at during my windy, rainy ride. Fortunately this time, I only had a headwind in one direction.
So far, this year, only one of my rides has been in temperatures any warmer than 50F. Most have been in the rain.
I am fairly confident that race day will be sunny, windy (during the swim and bike), and somewhere around 100 degrees. I will burst into flames somewhere around mile 45 of the bike. Luck will be with me as the wind prevents the flames from totally engulfing me.
That luck, and the wind, will die as soon as I step off the bike. It is most likely I will spend the entire half marathon dumping cups of water onto my head to douse the fire as I continue to deal with spontaneous combustion.
Still, I will be there. I will race. I will have fun. And perhaps, just perhaps, I'll live up to my expectations.
Not on that list, however, is a PR at the event. The last time I raced here, I was a few short months away from Ironman and in a far different place.
RSS Feed