I'm Not Fat, Just Hard to Kidnap.

Despite a busy schedule this week I managed to get some good training sessions in. More would've been nice, but such as it is.

Wednesday-

I had hoped to pound out a 4mile run. From the start I ran the fastest mile I've knowingly ran since grade school. That's right, a smokin' 9 minutes. It was difficult & exciting. Feeling like I wanted to toss my breakfast and stomach cramping afterward is what cut my mileage down to 2.25 miles, one of which was walking. My suspicions are that I ended up taking the Hammer gel at the wrong time and without enough water when rushing out the door. The annoying part about fueling is that it can be trial & error and sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between your body rebelling against what you put it in or just you.

When I arrived at the I.P. pool later that day I was met with a swarm of young boys. With that many people in the pool they weren't going to rope off lanes for lap swim. I was not amused yet decided to still pay my $2.65 and give it a shot. Having to dodge families that drift into my lane is one thing, but over 100 adolescent boys with very little adult wrangling is another. Upon observing them I knew two things instantly...

1.) Picking a lane away from the wall to avoid being jumped on was a necessity. Boys have less regard for personal space (their own and those around them) and self preservation than the rest of us.

2.) They are delightfully odd at ages 6-10. Especially in groups.

None of them complained when they got kicked or struck by my down stroke & they never really moved out of my way to let me pass either. Overall no complaints decent practice for what it will feel like being surrounded, kicked and struck by other swimmers during the Tri next weekend.

Thursday & Friday

Work and rain put a damper on those two days. Not the end of the world because I knew Saturday's ride was coming up and that I would have rested muscles going into it.

Saturday-

Getting up at 5am has never come easily for me. Saturday morning was no exception. My eyelids protested yet my stubborn will persevered. There are indeed times when being stubborn is a good thing. Just not many.

Seeing the sun rising to illuminate the hill- side and the fog that hovers over the lakes usually wakes me up enough to put me in a proper riding mood by the time we reach the starting point of the loop. The route has become known as "Around the block" in the cycling community. Ironic, but surprisingly accurate given that this is rural Minnesota.

The beginning of the ride was a bit of a struggle. It had rained Friday night and some of the road shoulders weren't completely dry yet which caused wet gravel to be kicked up by my tires into the spout of my water bottle and onto my spandex clad rear. Uhg.

Road kill and rumble strips are not my friend. Braking to let Jeremy pass before swerving around them myself causes confusion and kills his momentum ( a precious commodity on this route). Lets just say learning to communicate with my Beloved in the context of cycling is a learning process.

Once those quirks were worked out I was able to lock into the rhythm of the ride.

That initial monster of a climb was still a monster, but I made it up what is this month's "Everest". Some summoning of every once of will I had and my heart trying to beat it's way through my sternum was involved. Successfully though, which made the rest of the ride seem less arduous. It was a marked improvement from last weekend. I'm proud of that.

A vagabond holding a cardboard sign at one of the street lights on our way home made my day. Which says a lot given that I'm pretty focused on two things (a nap and food) when we are nearing home after a hard training session. His sign was brilliantly witty and he appeared joyful just in making people laugh. The first fold explained his situation. A vet, not lazy, just needing help. Will take any work. And the next fold "What's the best part about dating a homeless woman?...You can drop her off anywhere." and the next, "I'm not fat, just hard to kidnap."