A week in review

Last week was my biggest week of training, thus far, and wouldn't you know it rained 5 out of 7 days. I had to check the news just to make sure it wasn't the week of the Memorial Tournament. (For those of you not local, during the Memorial Tournament it ALWAYS rains.) I tried to plan my long workouts for the week so that I would avoid the rain. That didn't happen. Dave and I did our long run starting in the pouring rain. And since we have to do nothing but hills, our local metropark provided a very muddy setting.



My favorite part of the run was towards the end when a man in a bird watching group threw a fit like a child when I scared off the bird he was looking for. Seriously? There is a trail that runners are not allowed on because it's specifically for bird watching! Go there!! Plus, you're in Central Ohio. What are you seeing? A robin?

I was able to get in my long bike ride in the HOT, blazing sun. My workout wasn't all that complicated with a long warmup and cool down and 4 X 15 minute stuff in the middle. Of course, though, I made it way more complicated as I programmed my watch as 4 X 45 minutes in zone 3 plus another 15 minutes after each interval. Dave helped me find a route for these long intervals and I wrote them down to remember the turns.



As I'm part of the way through my first interval, I think a little bit more about it. Four X 45 minutes plus another 15 minutes equals four hours itself, which was the total of the ride. I've screwed up. After my first interval I stop at my parents' house to use the restroom, check my email and sure enough, I've majorly screwed up the workout. I then try to do the 15 minute intervals but I've got to figure out a new route. I'm a little off, but it still works out. As I head back to start another interval, I approach a 4-way stop where I came to the stop sign first and had right-away. But instead of stopping fully since what a pain in the butt with clip-in pedals, I slow down nearly to a stop and then creep through the intersection. A man on a motorcycle at one of the other stop signs yells at me, "You're supposed to stop." I scream back, "I know." It's not like I was in danger and I wasn't hurting him. What the heck was his problem? At this point I was tired, HOT, and totally rattled by everything that has happened. I stop again at my parents' house and call Dave. I'm done and ready to go home. He comes rolling up on his bike and talks to me for a bit while I lose my cool and start crying. He gets me back on my bike and we head for home, except he still has more riding to do so he asks me to just do a little more. I do and now I'm feeling good. So I tell him I'm going to do one more interval and then finish up the super-long cool down portion of my ride. I finish the 4 hours right around 62 miles.

We're not finished yet, though. I had a 1/2 hour run off the bike. I fill my water bottle, put on my hat and shoes, and head back out. And...my legs have said enough. I'm just toast. I try to find a rhythm, but nothing's happening. I made it nearly a mile and stopped.



Of course this week it's not supposed to rain at all. Damn you, Central Ohio!