Oh boy sleep! That’s where I’m a viking! – Ralph Wiggum
Downhills! That’s where I’m a viking. I love me some downhills. Did my first ever 20 mile day today. 10.22 miles from home to Sharon Lutheran in Selinsgrove for a meeting. Did it in a very short time, for me anyway, just under 41 minutes. Avg speed 15.1 mph, with a top speed coming down Sand Hill Road of 36.9mph. Going out was EASY. From my house to Selinsgrove, there are 3 climbs, but the rest is a slight downhill the whole way. After a meeting and lunch, the temperature was higher, the grade went up, and the wind was awful. But I got it done, with a bit of additional road, for a total of 20.6 miles for the day. On the way home I had to stop twice for breaks, but I don’t mind repearing myself: I got it done.
Afterwards I had to finish the lawn, which would have been done last night, but the mower over heated and wouldn’t restart. The grass was thick because I was very sick for a few days last week, and never got to it.
The illness is hard to describe, just chilled and fevered, aching and sore, for a couple days. No digestive issues or anything, but some sore throat. It was quite debilitating though. I then spent the recovery time overeating (excuse of holiday weekend was convenient) and feeling like I used to feel all the time.
I have no idea what brought it on, but at first I thought it was from some bizarre microbe I picked up in a lake. Last Wednesday I attended an open water swim clinic in Doylestown, put on by Mid-Atlantic Sports. The weather was great for it. I wish I had photos of 80 odd triathletes in wetsuits standing in the water right next to the NO SWIMMING sign. The clinic was very good, and I wish I had the experience before the Annapolis Tri, but we move forward. With drills and practice laps I am a lot more comfortable in open water, and especially in the wetsuit. I think I can put it on without strangling myself now. So I’ve got that going for me, you know, which is nice.
After the clinic, I drove home, got some sleep, and was off to the YMCA in the morning. I had been told by one of the lifeguards that I would really like aquacize, and it was a good thorough workout.
Just picture me getting there late, diving in the deep end to warm up and swim down to the shallow end, where the instructor awaits, along with about 20 old ladies. I stayed for the whole class, though they peeled away every 5 minutes after 15 minutes had passed. By the end, maybe 6 remained. It was a surreal scene. I am not likely to return, but I can say I tried it once.
After dragging Jack to Dick’s Sporting Goods to finally pick up my tiny kayak, we were back at the Y for lap swim, where I did about a mile.
So by Thursday afternoon, I was very tired, but I expected to be after the clinic, and a double workout in the morning. By evening, what I thought was fatigue turned out to be fevered illness. Though Meg likes to tell me I was sore from aquacize, then laugh in an evil way.
There you have it. If you actually read this whole blog post, you have earned the right to harass me for being crushed for 3 days after aquacize with the old ladies. But I rode 20 miles in this heat today, so that has to count for something.
This weekend: Northern Tier Athletic Fund Triathlon, Sayre PA. 2.5 mile kayak, 16 mile bike, 3.5 mile run. It’s supposed to be a flat course, so we shall see. What’s fun about kayaking is that I can record all 3 legs on my garmin 305. Nerd alert.
From Doughboy to Ironman 