Weekend Report and Weekly Workout Totals 06/12/2006-06/18/2006

I left for Mount Horeb (I keep forgetting you can't abbreviate it as "Mt." Horeb; mapquest reminded me of that), Wisconsin around 1:30PM on Friday, after tidying up my house. I also managed a short swim in the morning, and I actually cut it short! On Thursday I ended up doing a split-up duathlon--I dropped off my car for a brake job and ran home (3 miles), a few hours later I biked 1:30, including some FT intervals (yeah, baby, and they felt GOOD), and then later I ran back to pick up my car (another 3 miles). I also squeezed in a :30 abs/core workout. So I felt a little sluggish in the water on Friday morning, and just said fuck it, I don't need to swim 8,000 yards this week!

I was flying on up north/west on I90 until Belvedere, Illinois (just south/east of Rockford), where I hit a traffic snarl due to tollway improvements and bridge construction that added about :40 to my trip.

When I was just past Madison, Wisconsin, headed west to Mount Horeb, my phone rings and it's my friend, Cindy. I instantly sensed she was nearby and instead of "Hi" I said, "Where are you?" She, her husband and son had just arrived in Madison. She was going to ride Horribly Hilly. I was so happy to hear from her and to know that we could ride together. I actually don't remember driving while I was talking to her. I'm not usually a phone/drive person, but it worked.

Aside: Cindy used to live about 1.5 miles from me. She and I did our first Ironman together. It was so awesome to be able to show up at one another's house to run or ride or swim or whatever. She now lives in Michigan, and I am such a slug I haven't been to her house since she's moved. I need to fix that transgression.

The forecast for Saturday was hot and humid, AND WINDY! Yeah, baby. It seems that many of the times I've been up that way in the summer that those are the conditions. Cindy and I have ridden the Ironman Wisconsin course in those very conditions in training and racing. So you sort of expect it.

Anyway, Cindy and I chatted awhile and we wondered if another set of mutual friends who live in Madison were riding. I thought they were supposed to, and I thought we should all ride at least the first leg together (since I had planned on continuing on the 200K course whereas everyone else was going to do 100K). Later that evening, Cindy confirmed that Lisa and Vicky were riding 100K, and we were all going to meet at the start at 7:30. Rumor had it that another friend, Michiko, would be riding as well. There was one training ride that all 4 of us had done a few years ago, where when other riders would come by us (and there was a 5th woman, Ruth, who we have lost track of), they'd ask if we were an "all women's cycling team." As opposed to what? Like groups of women don't ride together? It became a joke the entire day. We'd ask one another, "Hey, are we an all women's cycling team?" It just struck us all as funny. You see plenty of packs of guys, yet nobody assumes they are a team or anything. Just guys who all happen to like to ride.

Anyway, I didn't get much sleep Friday night. One, because my hotel neighbors were a little noisy, and two, I woke up around 1:15 and just lay there awake for about an hour and a half. Funny, I wasn't nervous or anything, HHH isn't a race or anything, but I guess the 200K jitters were setting in.

Saturday dawned warm and humid. I lubed up my entire naked body with SPF 30, had some mediocre coffee from the nearby Kwik Trip, Glycoload, and off I went. I parked and Cindy called to say she was at the chip pickup. I rode down there and found her easily, and then Lisa and Vicky rolled into line (we sort of cut in, sorry folks, but the line moved quickly). The plan was we would all more or less ride together the first 25 miles. Vicky admonished me several times that "this isn't a race." Hell, I had no idea what I could do on the day. I wasn't crystal clear that I wanted to do 200K with the heat and all, but that was my intention as we started. Someone else I know up in Madison, Rob, managed to spot me at the chip pickup, and we had a one-armed hug while on our bikes.

We had lots of chatter and laughs and it was good to be riding with friends, with no time or speed goals, but just to have fun, even though the ride is somewhat of a sufferfest. During the first climb, my legs didn't feel weak, but they didn't really enjoy the climbing (there's a 2 mile climb in the first 8 miles of the ride back almost to where you start in Mounds Park--before we started up it, I ceremoniously flipped it the bird), and the humidity was oppressive, and the winds were blowing steady 15-20MPH with gusts to maybe 40. I got asked a few times how I was faring having done an Ironman 3 weeks ago, and for the most part I felt just fine. Sluggish, but fine.

Somewhere during the first 20 miles I thought it would be more fun to just do the 100K and then I'd get to hang out with Cindy and possibly Lisa and Vicky as well for the afternoon. That seemed like a good plan to me, and I had nothing to prove, having done the 200K twice already. Also, in my "slacking and not training" mode that I'm trying to be in, I figured doing just the 100K would put me around 15 hours of "not training" for the week, which was plenty. And then, if I felt like it, I could get in a run or swim on Sunday once I got home. This seemed like a grand idea to me!

When we got to the first "stage" station, lo and behold, I spotted Michiko, and someone else I know, Mary. It was like the ladies reunion! The day was getting better and better. We spent far too long at the first station, but none of us cared. We were more or less ambling. Now, I pulled into this first station last, because, as I said, I was feeling sluggish. So I guess there was still a little quad fatigue from Brazil left over. I think I was helped somewhat by riding my road bike, too. That granny gear saved my ass!

I had forgotten that the reason I know Mary is through Michiko. Mary is the only one amongst us who hasn't done an Ironman. She actually doesn't do multisport races anymore, but she's one helluva cyclist.

We rolled out of that station to embark on the next leg of the day's journey. It was not bad at all--there were many miles of basically flat sections, and even though it was windy, I didn't mind at all. I can ride all day on flats into a headwind (that's basically what Brazil was). I started feeling stronger as the ride wore on. There was one nasty climb in Stage 2 called Barlow Road--I remembered it from the last 2 years. It's one of those stair-step climbs. It has 3 steps, and people were walking their bikes! I never know if I am going to make it up these things, but I know how to force my muscles to relax into the effort, relax my breathing, and then when necessary, I channel people to get me up and over. Saturday it was my mom, sometimes Gilberto Simoni (I have no clue why I picked him), and once it was Chuck Norris. Barlow Road really pissed me off, it sucked so bad. So for several miles I tried to come up with a description of how badly it sucked, and then it came to me. I had to share my revelation with my friends, much to their groaning chagrin: Barlow Road sucks like a crack whore who's run out of money and needs a fix. How's that for analogy?

Cindy and I pulled out in front of the ladies and pulled into the next and last station first. Cindy got a cable adjustment to her bike (they were new and stretched), we talked and laughed, and then prepared for the assault on Pinnacle Road, which is right out of the aid station. I think Vicky and Lisa left first and seemed to get well ahead. Cindy and I were climbing about the same pace. Pinnacle Road didn't seem nearly as bad as I remembered it. Of course, I remembered it having 100 miles of nastiness under my belt from the last 2 years, whereas today it was maybe only 45 miles (I had no computer on my road bike, which was fine by me). Don't get me wrong--it still sucked, but it didn't suck as badly as Barlow Road had sucked earlier, yet I knew there were more nasty climbs up ahead.

Shortly after Pinnacle, I left Cindy behind, but knew she'd be OK. She was cramping, probably (sorry if you're reading this, Cindy) from being out of shape, even though I knew she could tough it out. She had talked of calling her husband to come get her, but I really hoped she wouldn't resort to that. She is one tough cookie (ironically, on an all-pink bike, including her matching Hello Kitty water bottles), and I knew she'd figure it out.

I caught up to Vicky and Lisa, and I was just feeling better and better, and stronger and stronger. So I said a few words and then passed them up and kept going. There were some sweet stretches where you could really open it up. I actually used my biggest chainring (my road bike has a triple) a lot during the day, as long as I wasn't climbing or directly into a headwind. I passed a lot of people on this last leg. Some were just stopping to rest in shade. Some were stopping to get plain water to cool off. As I saw this, I thought to myself, "It's not getting any cooler out, it's not getting any less hilly, and the wind isn't dying down, so I might as well keep up the effort and finish this bitch."

There was another fairly nasty climb going into the town of Barneveld. I remembered that I didn't like the town from the past 2 years because of the way we entered it. And then once you're there, you can see the top of the f'ing Mounds Park (which is, by the way, the highest point in the state of Wisconsin), and you just keep seeing it and know that at any time, you will be climbing up that sucker one more time, only you get to do the final 900-ft. (which seems like an eternity) climb that is very steep to the finish line.

So you are being taunted by some flat to rolling roads, all the while looking up at the looming finish. The ride takes you slightly away from the park, of course, so you have plenty of time to think about what you are doing and what you are about to do, because you had better be ready, because it's a lot harder the second time up. It was more interesting to me this year because I didn't know the mileage or where I was or how fast I was going, so I literally had to stay more in the present moment. I think training with a power meter has taught me to sense my effort level and to know when I'm slacking and to pick it up. I also looked at the calories I was burning (by my HRM), and it seemed I was putting out about the right amount of effort for a ride like this. But in thinking about the 200K (which I was quite happy to not be doing), all I could think was that the 100K is not that bad at all. And/or I am pretty strong. Let's go with strong, OK?

I ride up to this woman (who it also happens knows some of the women I've already mentioned) who has been trading positions with me all day. She looked to be around my age and really strong, so there. I did let her go, though, as we approached Mounds Park.

When I saw the sign that it was Mounds Park Road, I had temporary amnesia. Because I couldn't remember how far you go before it really starts to suck. In starting the climb, it didn't feel that bad, but that lasts maybe 3/4 mile, and then it's hell, and you know you have 1.75 miles to go! I always tell myself that if I really need to bail and walk, that there's no shame in it. You see some fit looking men who are walking. That's the thing about this ride--it's all about managing your effort, and all my training rides (and runs, for that matter) generally increase in effort over the duration of the session. So I'm very familiar with needing to push myself late in the game, and this day was no exception. I kept feeling stronger, and even though Mounds Park Road was a grinder, about 1 mile up I just decided, fuck it, I'm not getting off my bike, I can do this, I feel GREAT! In fact, when I'd go by another rider, and they would ask me how I was doing, I would say, "Actually, pretty good!" And I truly meant it. Hell, I could think back to 3 weeks ago when I felt rotten, so by comparison, this was a picnic!

Even though my road bike weighs a few pounds more than my tri bike, I am still a featherweight rider, and that pays off in spades on all the climbing. I could literally feel how light I was and know that my legs had only to haul my 112-pound body up that stinking hill!

There are 2 or 3 places during the climb where it flattens just enough to give you a little reprieve, and if you are pacing yourself correctly and staying fully in the moment, you can really feel like you are getting a huge rest, and so I did. I passed people in these sections, too, because they had gone too hard in trying to climb, and when you do that, you will have trouble recovering when you get the chance (the secret to triathlon racing, if you ask me).

During the last .25 mile, I know I wasn't smiling, even though there were people lining the hill to cheer us on up. It felt like I was barely turning the cranks, but #1 I wasn't stopping and #2 I was not going to stand up. I saw Rob again, coming down the hill (I wondered if he was just going to ride home), and he encouraged me as well. I think I managed to smile at him, at least I hope I did! It really was a day of appreciating many wonderful people that I know.

That last 900 feet sucked, but again, not as bad as it sucks if you ride the 200K. Up and over, and I was finished! My riding time was 5:03:48. That was fine. I figured if I had done the 200K it would have taken me about 10 hours, but this way, I could wait for friends to finish, get some eats and drinks, and have a nice evening.

Even though it wasn't a race, I was first across the line of the "all women's cycling team." I am also the oldest of the group. I wasn't racing everyone else, but just doing it how I do it. I felt great, my legs felt just fine, and if I had brought my running shoes, I could have run right off that ride. But this turned out to be a week to hold back. The 100K ride just isn't that hard, if you have decent cycling fitness. The 200K ride, though, I would want to not be coming off an Ironman race, and I can do it just fine. So maybe next year I'll do that. Oops--I'm registered for a silly 300K ride that is much the same course in August. I still don't know if I can finish it, we shall see. My plans are subject to change!

Not too long after I finished, put my bike in my car and walked back to the finish line, the "winner" of the 200K ride came in. What an animal! His wife was photographing people at the finish line. I think he did the 200K in maybe 7 hours? I talked to him once he got off the bike. Nice man. STRONG man!

After all members of the "all women's cycling team" were in, we relaxed in the park and ate and drank. I think I had 4 beers--this time they were from a brewery in Madison, as opposed to the last 2 years where it was from the Grumpy Troll brewery in Mount Horeb. Whatever it was, it was good! I also ate a hamburger with onions, salt and cheese. And an ice cream cone. I can't remember the last time I had an ice cream cone. I guess the hamburger was my token McDonald's replacement (which I traditionally eat after an Ironman but wasn't close enough to one in Brazil), and it wasn't even greasy.

Since I had a hotel close to the park, I offered that all the girls could shower up there before going home or wherever. Lisa and Vicky left to go to a cookout. The others came back to my hotel and showered. Michiko and Mary drove back home, and then I went to dinner with Cindy and her family. We had a great time--we ate at Heiney's in Black Earth. Cindy's son, Matthew, has quite the adult palate, as he ate the sashimi grade tuna steak rare. He let me taste it, and it was awesome. I had Steak Wisconsin, which is a big hunk of sirloin with a big wedge (not silly little crumbles) of bleu cheese on top. More beer, and I was one stuffed girl!

So the weekend turned out to be an impromptu reunion of the All Women's Cycling Team, a time for me to dial back on my effort yet reconfirm my strength, a stroke of good fortune for my friend, Matt, and as it turns out, I did just enough training on the week.

Bonus, it turns out Cindy will be in my area next weekend and is doing the same sprint race that me and Lora are doing! We will have some fun! And I'm pretty sure my friend Matt is coming to watch--another thing--Matt also called me on the way up to Wisconsin, and he is NOT going to Kuwait. I am SO happy for him!

I passed out around 8:30PM, but then my neighbors (from Canada, it turns out) were making some racket, so that kept me awake for maybe 1/2 hour. I awoke at 5:30, wanted to sleep in, but figured it would be better to drive home early and avoid traffic.

I left Mount Horeb at 6:30AM and hit zero traffic back to home and made it in 2.5 hours. When I got home, I suddenly realized that I am very tired. So I made a good choice yesterday. But life presented me with such good options, I don't think I could have gone wrong! So I just laid around today, and will recoup for a good, solid "slacker training" week.

And how, for the first time in 4 weeks, I think, here are some training totals, like I care:

Weekly Totals 06/12/2006-06/18/2006
Swim: 8150 yards in 2.92 hours; 19% of weekly workout time; approx. 1020 calories burned
Bike: Approx. 142.63 miles in 8.15 hours; 53% of weekly workout time; approx. 3702 calories burned
Run: Approx. 20.6 miles in 3 hours; 19% of weekly workout time; approx. 1820 calories burned
Strength: 1.37 hours; 9% of weekly workout time; approx. 343 calories burned
All Sports: 15.44 hours; approx. 6885 calories burned
Sleep: 8.04 hours avg./night
Stretching: 1.15 hours

Season Totals 09/12/2005-06/18/2006
Swim: 328028 yards in 115.65 hours
Bike: Approx. 3516.34 miles in 202.73 hours
Run: Approx. 1109.78 miles in 175.22 hours
Strength: 57.32 hours
All Sports: 550.92 hours; approx. 244838 calories burned
Stretching: 59.86 hours

Season Weekly Averages 09/12/2005-06/18/2006
Swim: 8201 yards in 2.89 hours
Bike: Approx. 87.91 miles in 5.07 hours
Run: Approx. 27.74 miles in 4.38 hours
Strength: 1.43 hours
All Sports: 13.77 hours
Sleep: 8.48 hours avg./night
Stretching: 2 hours avg./week

Goals from Last Week:

• Um...I didn't really have any

Accomplishments This Week:

• Made some wise decisions about holding back on training
• Returned to full-strength strength training

Goals for Next Week:

• I gotta sleep more. 8 hours is not enough!
• I need to get my stretching back to 2 hours weekly.
• I want to do really well in the sprint triathlon. OK, so I have an ego. Fine, I'm over it. I want to do REALLY WELL. And I'll have fun at it! I am ready to go really hard. My perspective on effort has changed again, post-Brazil.