Where Did May Go?

"No one ever drowned in sweat." Author Unknown

I cannot believe today is the last day of May. It seems like the month has flown by. I do want to take time today, however, to thank the men and women who are in the military and who put their lives on the line to protect ours. Because of what you do, I can enjoy the freedom of choosing what I do.

And as most of you are aware, one of the things I have chosen to do this year is Ironman Florida. I have been following my training plan now for about a month and things are going well. I've had to shift days of some workouts due to kid schedules, but it seems to be working out.

The week after the fun run mentioned in my last post, I rode in the Real Ale Ride. I knew it would be a hilly ride as I have ridden many of those roads before, but I didn't realize how humid, hot, and windy it would be. And I didn't realize how much those hills would kick my rear. I have not trained on hills this year. Ironman Florida is flat, so why train on hills? Well, I don't need to train on them all the time, but I do need to ride more hills to make me stronger.

Within the first 10 miles of the ride, I was struggling. My quads were burning and I was dripping with sweat. I was ready for the first aid station to take a little break. Turns out that I was ready for EVERY aid station on the course. We'd go up a hill at 5mph and come down the other side at 35mph. And as the day went on, the wind picked up. And mentally, it beat me down.

Last year in April during a pay ride, I crashed. Turns out my front tire blew out, but it was a windy day and I still associate the crash with the wind. I don't mind wind on flat roads when I'm struggling to go 10mph, but 15-20mph winds when flying down a hill at 35mph messes with my mind. I went as far as I could but at 50 miles I had had enough. I used the SAG vehicle to get back to the start and called it a day. It was one of the hardest things I've had to do.

My run the day after this ride was a suffer fest. My son was confirmed at church that morning, so I delayed my run until the evening. And despite the fact that summer does not officially start until the end of June, the temps around here tell me otherwise. I am completely soaked after every workout done outside.

During the week, I moved my workouts up a day in anticipation of spending most of the Memorial Day weekend at a soccer tournament. We found out Wednesday, however, that the tournament was not going to happen for our boys. I stayed with the plan, though, and decided my body could use a break during the weekend.

So, on Friday I did my long ride. A 40 mile ride in 2 1/2 hours in the 90 degree temps. But, with proper nutrition, it really wasn't that bad. And it was done. I got up Saturday morning and got in my 1:15 run and 7.82 miles. Then the family headed out to the local lake for some relaxation.

While at the lake, I did try to relax, but I couldn't resist riding a lap around the lake on my newest toy. I have a tri bike and a road bike, but can't ride either of those on crushed granite trails or off road. We are going camping this summer so I figured I needed a mountain bike. Hey, one can never have too many bikes, right? Riding the mountain bike will take some getting use to for me. For starters, I have regular pedals on it (for now anyway) and it feels weird for my feet to not be attached to the bike. Then there is the whole issue of sitting up straighter than on the other bikes. That will take some getting use to as well. I think it will be fun to have, though, if I can enjoy it and not take it too seriously.

Sunday after church we headed up to the state park we will be camping at this summer. We wanted to check it out before we go to see what it was like. Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring, so that's good. But, we did get some ideas of things we need to get. We need a clothesline to hang between trees and dry the wet clothes. My daughter wants some noodles or floats for hanging out in the lake. We will need fans and LOTS of water to drink. It's a nice place and I'm getting excited about the trip. In fact, we came home and put up the small tent in the backyard. The kids were going to sleep in it last night, but decided their bed sounded more comfy.

This morning I slept in and then went for my run. Only an hour today. I got in 6.29miles, but the humidity messed with my breathing. And sweat dripped in my eyes. I was soaked again. This will be the norm the rest of the summer. For now I will relax, but this afternoon I will head out to the lake again to get my swim in. I'm meeting a friend who will be doing her first triathlon next weekend. I'm excited for her and have decided to volunteer at the tri so I will be there to cheer her on.

I hope you and your family enjoy the Memorial Day.