Hooray for Recovery Week!

After Saturday's challenging bike ride and subsequent party for Holly's birthday, it was a bit of a challenge to go running Sunday. I met up with Carol for our 12 miler, which is a good thing to keep us both honest. My shoulders and knees were rather sore from the ride, which I think is largely due to bike fit. So, I'm sucking up the dough and going to Conte's next Friday for a thorough bike fit.

Anyway, our run was long and slow. We meandered from Bethesda, along Rock Creek. Carol put up with a wee too much whining from yours truly. The plan was to run 9 miles, then "race" the next 3 miles, as per the training schedule. Tough, but we do need to get used to running long on tired legs.

Needless to say, our 3 mile "race" did not go according to plan. Carol managed to "race" about 1-1/2 miles; me about 3/4 mile. The end of the run was uphill, which Carol impressively ran up. I tried, but my legs simply would not listen. In addition to massive soreness (no pain, which is good, just very sore muscles), something I ate did not agree with me. My stomach was rather upset.

Consequently, I was quite happy when the workout was over. Carol and I celebrated a successful weekend and went out for pancakes. We had to go on the semi-healthy side though.

Our ride schedule for the remainder of Ironman training was posted today. We've got some toughies ahead with some other twists and turns. Stay tuned...

The 70 Mile Ride

Ready for 70 miles? The ride for the weekend started from Culpeper. The route is known as Old Rag Views, with the ride start altered to give previews of the Culpeper Sprint Course. Several people had ridden the route last year and told tales of woe regarding the challenging climbs and whatnot. I knew it was going to be a long tough day. I was armed with my brand new large Bento Box and Aqua Joe so I was set to help sustain myself for the long road ahead. (Excuse the pun.)



The first third of the ride was relatively easy- gentle rolling hills. The homes we passed either seemed to be absolutely beautiful or serious white trash trailer homes. I never saw so many recliners, tricycles, and bench presses lying around the front lawns!

However, the latter half of the first third rapidly improved in terms of scenery. We biked parallel to the Robinson River, which was gorgeous. Additionally, the road we were on lead toward the rear entrance to the White Oak Canyon/Cedar Run Hike, one of my favorites. Because of the popularity of this hike, several quaint stores were lined along the road.

I was primarily biking solo for the first third, however. I had to stop momentarily a couple times to adjust my biking shoes and to shed a layer of clothes. Therefore, I was rapidly separated from the group. It was nice to great some smiling faces at the first rest stop.

Shortly after the first rest stop, we were in for a tough climb. I wondered if I was suddenly transported to one of the many challenging roads in Europe. Fueling this fantasy, I was biking with Jen Marquardt, who was wearing a real Chianti Classico jersey. I told Jen that she was inspiring me to crack open the bottle of Chianti Classico that my coworker Joni brought me, from her fall visit to Tuscany.

Susan (our ride leader) had told us that after this climb, we were to be rewarded with an awesome 4 mile decent. I was excited. However, my excitement turned into some disappointment, as the decent wasn't as thrilling as I anticipated. It was a net loss in elevation, yes, but an opportunity to fly down a mountain, no.

The views were rewarding, though. We were biking in the shadow of Old Rag Mountain. Although I was by myself again, the ride was rather enjoyable, given the scenery.

That is, until we approached Round Hill Road.

Round Hill Road was, in a word, challenging. There were a series of 4 climbs that stood like walls. We were forewarned about these hills as the toughest section of the route. However, I thought I heard in the route preview that this tough section was in the last third of the route; I was in the middle third. I nearly wanted to cry. Those hills were quite challenging and I thought that the toughest part was yet to come! What hell did I have to look forward to?

Needless to say, I was rather elated when I approached the second rest stop and discovered that the series of tough climbs was indeed the most difficult part of the course and it was already behind me. Yeah!

At the rest stop, I was able to rejoin with Carol, Joanna, and Kitty. We had all been biking solo through that tough section and were in need of support and companionship. Our spirits got lifted from the Reese's PB cups from the rest stop and the chance to socialize on our bikes. On top of that, the terrain was relatively kind to us.

We eventually got spread out once again, but by this time, the end of the ride was within sights. I saw Susan a couple times, who was providing SAG support. (SAG stands for support and gear.) I was counting down the miles to reach the end.

We all shared in a small victory dance upon reaching our cars. A tough 70+ miler was behind us. On top of that, it's the most challenging terrain we'll face though our Ironman training season. And it's in the past.

To celebrate, Joanna, Pam, Carol, Carrie, and I visited Dairy Queen enroute home. After a workout like that, we feel like we can consume any guilty pleasure without remorse. I embraced that notion, chowing down on a double cheeseburger, a chicken wrap, and an Oreo mint Blizzard. YUM!

The Easter Egg Hunt Ride - 60 miler

Ok, ok... the ride is really known as the Fox Hunt ride, but it IS Easter after all. Didn't find any Easter eggs though.

I should have known that the ride would start off on the wrong foot when I was tooling around the parking lot on the bike, didn't unclip fast enough, and my left knee met the pavement. It stung a little, and thought not much of it other than from the impact. I discovered post-ride when I took off my biking tights and found my knee covered in blood. Ouch.

During yesterday's 10 mile run, I managed to pull my left calf. (Left leg is getting a lot of abuse this weekend, isn't it?) It was sore all day yesterday, but feeling fine early this morning. However, soon into the ride, the soreness resurfaced. Ug. Going to be a long day. I hoped once I got into a biking groove it would loosen up. It did, luckily. However, every now and then the leg reminded me of the pulled muscle.

About 20 miles into the ride, I was STARVING. I ate a breakfast of the usual spinach omelet, and had a Gu at mile 15, but it wasn't enough. Perhaps because I didn't also have a Boost pre-ride? I'm trying to watch the caloric intake a little, but maybe I cut out too much. So, I began to nibble on my bagel with honey & banana. That helped.

By the time we reached the rest stop at mile 25, I was like a kid in a candy store. I was wide-eyed at the selection available. I was seeking out my usual mid-ride treat of Nutter Butters, but didn't find any. So, I settled for gummy bears. Not one pack, but two. Ok, they were small packs and priced at 2 for $1. They're not the best thing to consume on a long ride, but they sure were good!

Midway through the ride, I took note of the incised streams. (GEEK ALERT, GEEK ALERT!) After spending this past week in North Carolina, learning about geomorphic assessments (analyzing the physical health of a stream), I couldn't help but notice the streams. Ok, so that's truly geeky. Back to the ride...

I continued on with Timra, Andrea, Christy, and Pam. It turned out to be a beautiful day for a ride. And here we were, in Virginia wine country. My favorite ride locale. By this time I had a full belly, was enjoying the weather, and loved the scenery. My spirits were rather high.

That is, until about mile 47. Our group was spread out by then, so I was alone. It seemed absolutely endless to ride along Zulla Road into Middleburg. I was just there last weekend and I swear, the road got longer since last week. Trust me, it was longer.

Upon arrival in Middleburg, there were 8 more miles left to the car. I try to tell myself that the ride is almost over when I can easily run the remaining distance. That mental game did not help too much today. Maybe my spirits would have been lifted if I stopped at Piedmont Vineyards and visited my winemaker buddy from last week? After all, the route passed right by the vineyard.

The last 8 miles were eternity! It didn't help that my left calf began to completely act up. I had a little break when with 4 miles to go, Jill and Jenni Banks passed by in a car. I can do 4 more miles, right? I was so elated upon return to the car!

Joanna, Pam, and I decided to head home and grab a snack enroute rather than join the team at the tavern in Middleburg. I think we made a wise choice. Panera was heavenly, especially my non-fat caramel latte. YUM!

Heading off to swim this evening to loosen up...

Giddy Up!

All right. I NOW feel like it's truly Ironman training time. For the month post Myrtle Beach, our workouts were rather low key. No speed work, no increase in mileage, sort of just maintaining a base. However, it's now ON. Having our Ironman 2008 Team Z Get Together Friday night sort of helped too to get us all in the mind set. (Ok, so we were drinking beers and eating pizza, but we were there all discussing the intensity in training and the race itself, right?)

I'm in Cary, NC (near Raleigh) at the moment, so it's a little challenging to get into the groove. I'm getting workouts done at the hotel gym. The workouts are not as ideal as running on familiar roads and using my bike, but better than nothing. I also needed to take off a week from swimming to let a minor shoulder injury heal.

I'll be back Thursday evening to meet the Team for Thursday night spin 'n' swim.

Giddy Up!

Le Tour de Fleur de Vin

The Tour of the Flowering Wines...

Yeah! Recovery weekend. Can't think of a better way to spend it than going on a ride from Middleburg with Jenn, Helen, and Alisa! Yeah! And lo' and behold, Middleburg just happens to be in Virginia Wine Country.

Didn't someone say that wine is the best recovery drink? I think I read that somewhere... hmmm...

We first stopped at Piedmont Vineyards and sampled 4 wines. We were luckily by ourselves at the tasting bar. Now, upon arrival, I noted the dessert wine and mentioned to Helen that dessert wine is a somewhat of a misleading misnomer, as dessert wines are actually classified by their alcohol content, not because they are sweet or for dessert. Wines that have more than 14% alcohol are classified as dessert wines. Yes, they are USUALLY sweet and often enjoyed after dinner. However, a dry sherry IS classified as a dessert wine, but it's dry and generally an apertif. Anyway, the guy behind the bar (who I later discovered was the winemaker) said I was wrong and that he's been making wine for 17 years and knows his stuff. Naturally, I verified my statement when I returned home this evening and I AM RIGHT!

Needless to say, they all gave me a hard time as they felt that the winemaker was good looking and hey... a WINE MAKER after all and seemingly single. And on top of all that, seemed to be amused by our conversation. So, for those reasons, I should have agreed with anything he said. Humph.

Next stop was Chrysalis Vineyards known for reintroducing the Norton Grape. On top of that, I LOVE their Viognier. We did the super tasting there, flirting with the sommelier and his assistant. Tried 11 wines. Whew! I could have certainly bought more, but I guess $80 of wine in one day is enough.

Come on over and share some with me!

Who's on the Ironman Training Schedule?

"Oh, so LEFT on Friendship Road!"

Sunday = Bike Ride Day! Today's ride was a return to Chesapeake Beach. Recall we were just there a couple of months ago to do the same 48 mile loop. Familiar territory, right? Driving to the ride, Joanna sent me a text pointing out the obvious: "It is FREAKING cold outside!" As the Weather Channel pointed out to me as I had my pre-ride spinach omelet, the wind chill was 19 degrees. Bone chilling. At least the sun was out.

As we started the ride, I mentioned to Joanna that we'll miss days like this once we're riding our 120 miler in a few short months, and it seems like it's 1000 degrees outside. She agreed. And by mile 8 we could feel our fingers.

We soon got rather spread out over the roads. I was within eye sight of Kim and Matty Lynn when we approached the intersection of Fairhaven and Friendship Road at mile 13. I thought I saw them turn right onto Friendship Road, and followed without verifying the turn against my cue sheet. Friendship Road was a little brutal, heading into a headwind. The territory seemed familiar: a coffee shop, a traffic circle, sights I recall from the ride a couple months earlier. (As I would later discover, these sights should have been saved for LATER in the ride.)

I continued on, and saw that I should be approaching Walnut Road. I know Walnut Road well. I remember distinctly being on it back from Ironman training 2 years ago, as we rode our 100 miler. And I remember it well from our ride 2 months ago. The area leads into Rose Haven along the Chesapeake Bay and heads toward the Boardwalk. I was nowhere near Walnut Road.

OK. Where did I go wrong? Did I miss a turn? I began to head back and encountered a fellow cyclist. He and I surveyed my cue sheet. He pointed out that I needed to head back onto Friendship Road (OK, I WAS on Friendship Road), and turn right at the next turn and I'd be on my merry way.

Well, the next right was Old Solomons Island Road. That's not the way to go! I should be on Friendship Road! Where did I go wrong? Where was Boyd's Turn? So, I continued back and my concern grew as I saw no other cyclists approaching me, knowing full well there were others behind me. At least heading back along Friendship Road, I had a tailwind and was able to comparatively fly.

Eventually, I returned to the intersection of Fairhaven and Friendship Road. I pulled out the cue sheet and found the error of my ways. LEFT on Friendship, not right. Oh.

I went 5 miles out of my way, which does not seem to much in retrospect, but on a windy day, solo, it can feel much further. It meant I was about 20-30 minutes behind everyone else.

I gladly approached the Chesapeake Boardwalk and continued on, on the correct route this time. I hoped that I would be able to catch up with some people at the rest stop, about 7 miles ahead.

As I approached the rest stop, no one. Crud. My morale was beginning to sink. I was alone, tired from travel to Baton Rouge and Atlanta. My flight last night from Atlanta got into BWI 2 hours late, took another hour to retrieve my luggage, and took 1-1/2 hours to get home thanks to an accident on the Baltimore-Washington Pkwy. Add on top of that, the loss of an hour of sleep for daylight savings. (Ok, I'm fundamentally thrilled that it's now daylight savings time, but this morning, I was quite cranky about it.) Needless to say, I only had 6 hours of sleep pre-ride.

I continued along, when out of nowhere, a fellow Team Z'er approached me on his bike. Where did he come from? I didn't quite recognize him, given we were all bundled up in winter gear, but nevertheless, it was great to have a friendly face. He apparently missed the clock change and got to the ride an hour late. Given he started an hour later than me and had caught up, he was a much faster rider, and he soon dropped me. During my chance Team Z encounter, Ed had found us and briefly checked on our well-being, and left.

I was once again alone. My morale was rapidly sinking. Why am I training for Ironman again? Why am I putting myself through literally 1000s of miles of road biking in preps for this thing? I've already done an Ironman. I know how challenging it can be. In fact, I wound up in the emergency room the first go-around. That enough should steer me away from returning to Lake Placid. Yet, at the same time, I find that drive within myself. The challenge has some sort of allure to it that I cannot quite put into words.

Things could very much be worse. Sure, I was biking solo, on a chilly windy day. But the sun was out, I had my cell phone on me in case I got into trouble, and I was experiencing no flat tires or pain.

I saw Ed again. I knew I was the last one. Ed basically helped me weigh my options. I had 10 miles left to the start. He made sure I had enough food and fluids to sustain me. He'd check how far I was behind the rest of the crew and encouraged me to ride at least another 5 miles. Those 5 miles would put me at 48 miles, the ride distance for the day.

When I reached 48 miles, I once again saw Ed as promised. He told me that I was only a short distance behind Tim. Really? Hmmm.... I knew I'd kick myself if I bailed out now. I only had 5 more miles left to go. Sure, I'd wind up going a total of 53 miles, further than scheduled for the day. However, I am training for IRONMAN after all. Plus, there's something to be said about arriving back at the cars on bicycle versus in Ed's SAG vehicle. It's about FINISHING. I told Ed thanks, but I'd continue on.

About a minute later, I began to second guess my decision. My right knee was bothering me a bit. (Note to self: verify bike fit.) I was tired and a bit hungry too. Then I reminded myself why I turned down Ed's offer in the first place: there's something about FINISHING the ride.

I arrived back into the parking lot with a beaming smile on my face. I did it. And now I can enjoy recovery week before we ramp it all up again.

Wednesday Dash 'n' Dine

Once again I hail from Louisiana.... Baton Rouge to be exact. Here on business once again.

Alas, it gave me an opportunity to meet up with the old Wednesday night Dash 'n' Dine group. The concept is simple: meet up at the host's house, go for a run, then enjoy a pot luck dinner afterwards. Although I moved away from Baton Rouge 4 years ago, it's nice to know I can easily meet up with old friends and catch up. I caught up on the local adventure racing and triathlon scene and the personal lives of everyone in it.

Felt great running too. Workouts are going great so far this week, but it's going to be a challenge to swim today. Hmmmm....

Off to the hotel gym for a bike ride...

Take a Ride on the Dickerson Express

It's time to start ramping up that mileage in the bike saddle! We had the option today to either ride 39 or 50, and I'm glad we went with the longer distance.

I recalled the last time I rode from Riley's Lock on the Dickerson Express, I crashed. Perhaps it was a different route we took today, as I do not seem to recall passing the same spot where I crashed.

Anyway, we did the Dickerson Express loop, and added a loop to Sugarloaf Mountain to make it 50. I haven't been past Sugarloaf Mountain on my bike since EARLY Team Z days, over 2 years ago. That day a couple people rode their bikes up the mountain (about 1-1/2 mile ascent), but I passed. When we arrived at the foot of the mountain today, I was with Carol Camel & PamZee. We arrived just as Kim had descent. I tried to convince the Camel & PamZee to summit with me, but they convinced me otherwise. Oh well. Next time.

And also maybe next time I'll stop at the Sugarloaf Winery. (Ok, post ride.)

Post ride, I headed up to Gaithersburg (I was way out of my territory) to Noodles restaurant (which was fabulous post-ride food) with Collin, Kari, Matt W., Kim, Frank, Chris Wren, Dave & Kathy Lett, and Tim. And then to Starbucks for a venti skim white chocolate mocha. Score!

Ride distances will ramp up fast. By the end of March, we'll be up to 70 miles....

Six Mile Run Along Four Mile Run

This week truly started Ironman training. The winter's focus was running and simply keeping a decent swim and bike base. But, now, I feel that the upcoming race is looming over me. It's hard to imagine, given how chilly it's been, that my first triathlon of the season is about 1-1/2 months away!

Anyway, today was a 6 mile run. It was a fabulous day for a run-- sunny, about mid-40s, except a wee too windy. Whew! I think there was a headwind both ways! I cannot complain, overall though, given the otherwise decent weather.

Four Mile Run is a stream near me, bordering Arlington County & the City of Alexandria. I sort of take ownership of the stream, given the location. I participate in stream cleanups for it as often as schedule permits. And of course, being a water resources engineer, I'm on top of the hydraulics and hydrology of the stream and the revitalization project for it. (I'm showing my geeky side.) My stream.

Time for a spinach omelet.