Finally - Spring/Summer is HERE! No more snow, ice and biting winds. We have finally been blessed with warm days, gentle breezes, sunshine and some spring showers. I have never been so thankful for spring/summer as I am this year. 100+ inches of snow and over 180 days without hitting the 70 degree mark...that's enough to drive anyone crazy!
I am officially 'OFF THE TRAINER'. I have changed my bike tires and am riding outside now, rain or shine. I'm looking at getting a new saddle, cleaning up my handlebar tape, washing the bike and getting the Diva looking fabulous for her summer in the sun. (My Diva is my bike, in case you were wondering :) )
5 Hours
Since Saturday I have spent a total of 5 hours on my bike and rode over 82 miles. Saturday was my first official group ride of the season. I headed out with the FF group and planned on riding the 35 mile route option. I had a few folks trying to talk me into 50 miles, but knew I wasn't in for 50 quite yet. (Even if they were 50 flat miles). Chuck, Peter, Pete and I split off for the 35 mile hilly route about 10 miles into the ride. The morning started out cool but warmed up quite quickly. The hills were punishing and I had forgotten how much different riding on the road was from the trainer. The final 30 minutes of the ride included a visit to the Ironman course. Last time I rode that section of the course was past cheering spectators. This time around was not quite as lively, especially as I watched the guys pedal up the hills easily (or that's how they made it look anyways).
On Sunday, Peter and I went out for a training ride. It was a gorgeous 70 degree day where the appropriate attire was shorts and short-sleeve jersey. No toe covers, gloves tights or jackets required! Overall, the ride was really nice. I did have 30 minutes of hard tempo riding in the middle of the ride. After my Saturday butt-kicking on the bike, my legs weren't real happy with me. It felt great just to be outside though and as a bonus my biker tan is making a comeback.
Last night, Joe and I rode together for the first time out in Janesville and it was awesome. We had a headwind for the first 35 minutes of the ride which made it a bit challenging to talk and enjoy the ride. Once we headed back in though, we had a nice tail wind and really enjoyed a beautiful summer-like evening. Joe has a really high cadence and pedals like a champ. He looked awesome in his new Pearl Izumi bike shorts although if you ask him, he'll say he looked like a dork. :)
10 Lanes
Speaking of Joe, we spent last Saturday together doing one of our favorite activities - bowling! This time we chose to go to Doubledays, a bowling alley in Cottage Grove. We chose it only because we had a coupon for Buy one game, get one game free. Sounds like a good deal.
As we got closer to the bowling alley, we were out in the middle of nowhere and it didn't seem likely that a bowling alley would exist way out in the country. Sure enough though, it did. And it was tiny....there were only 10 lanes. It was TINY! To make it even more interesting, they turned the regular lights off and the black light on. There was a kid's party and it was cosmic bowling or something like that. We had a lot of trouble hooking our balls as well. The lane seemed pretty oily in general. Ah well...I still bowled my highest game ever - a 189!!!
1 Corkscrew
On Friday night, I got together with my friend Dana just to hang out and spend some girl time together. I had purchased a bottle of wine and after some window shopping, we were ready to open the bottle. I was screwing the cork in and once it was all the way in, the corkscrew fell apart in my hand and there was no hope of getting it back together. We first used a pliers to pull out the cork.
Now what? Dana had no other corkscrew. We had three options: Go out in the rain and buy one, borrow one from the neighbors or skip the wine. There is NO WAY that option 3 was happening and we were feeling lazy, so we started with the neighbors :) Fortunately one of Dana's neighbors had a corkscrew and we were all set!
Well, it's getting late and I think I've done a good job of summing up the last 7 days. G'night!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Ride Like the Wind
Yesterday marked my 3rd outdoor ride of the 2008 season. It was a windy day, but the first warm day we had in awhile. Winds were blowing out of the SSW at 18mph and gusting to 26 mph. But, today was going to be worse (and it certainly is!) so I opted to ride yesterday. I'm not going to get into the particulars of this ride and tell you about every turn or pile of gravel that I dodged. I'm just going to pass on this little piece of advice:
Always ride into the headwind when you start and come home with the tail wind.
I won't kid you. The first 40 minutes of the ride were a constant battle to either move forward (into the wind) or avoid being blown across the road (by a cross wind). I think I used quite a few choice words in the first part of the ride.
The ride home though, was AWESOME. I was riding strong and fast with little to no effort as the wind pushed me back home. On the straight sections I was closing in on 30mph and on the downhills, I was pushing 35mph. I did have moments where I thought 'This could hurt if I crash', but mostly I had moments of sheer joy. What a pleasure to be back on the road again....and coming home with the tail wind.
Always ride into the headwind when you start and come home with the tail wind.
I won't kid you. The first 40 minutes of the ride were a constant battle to either move forward (into the wind) or avoid being blown across the road (by a cross wind). I think I used quite a few choice words in the first part of the ride.
The ride home though, was AWESOME. I was riding strong and fast with little to no effort as the wind pushed me back home. On the straight sections I was closing in on 30mph and on the downhills, I was pushing 35mph. I did have moments where I thought 'This could hurt if I crash', but mostly I had moments of sheer joy. What a pleasure to be back on the road again....and coming home with the tail wind.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Race Report: MadCity 100K Relay
My first 'official' race since Ironman took place last Saturday in Madison, WI. I was part of a 100K relay team in the MadCity 100K. I ran the third lap of the relay - a 10K. You would think that the 2nd Saturday in April would bring pleasant temperatures, sunshine and green grass. Then again, this is Wisconsin and in the year of the Never-ending winter we raced in true Wisconsin style.
Race morning brought temperatures in the low 30's, a wet and constant snow, with some pretty brutal winds. I got in the morning prepared to run, but definitely not looking forward to it. I had already made up my mind that I wasn't going to run well since my calves were tight and my stomach was rumbling from the previous night's meal of nachos and ice cream. Not kidding - that was indeed my dinner.
I arrived at the race site and was greeted by many familiar faces. It was truly a pleasure to be back in the 'racing' scene since my post-Ironman hiatus. I arrived just in time to see Peter cruise through on his first lap. He was making great time and looked fresh and focused. I ran out, cheered like an idiot and then went back in the Fleet Feet tent to stay out of the wind. There were some fairly nasty gusts on that side of the lake. Brrrrr!
I got my number and somehow managed to forget my race belt. A few bathroom trips later and utterly convinced I was going to run terribly, I needed to start warming up. I planned to warm-up for 20 minutes before I would start my loop. I pleaded with several others to join me in a warm-up and finally my friend Gus agreed. We ran out for about 4 minutes when we saw Gus's teammate and the person he was taking the hand-off from, we had to hustle back to beat her in. Moments later Gus took off successfully and I scrambled back into the tent.
One of my friends brought her adorable 7 month old son to hang out with us in the tent while we waited to run. He was sooooo cute in his blue bear snow suit. And, he was an additional source of heat. He kept me nice and warm while I waited for my runner to come in. While holding Cooper, my runner was coming. I quickly handed off Cooper to his mom, ran to meet my runner, put the chip on and I was off.
Mile 1 - I started out even on the first mile. I was trying not to go too hard, but to find a pace I could do without pain or feeling like I was going to lose my nachos. I sensed that I was running strongly, but wouldn't know it until I passed the first mile marker. Peter was several minutes ahead of me and I had no hope of catching him. Also, this is a long/relay style race. I had no one to run with or pace against, so I was pretty much going by feel until the first mile marker. My time read 8:31. Really? That was 8:31! It felt a lot harder than that....I was going to be in trouble, if I couldn't at least hold that pace.
Mile 2 - Trying not to get too disappointed by my first mile, I just kept running as steady and strong as possible. Maybe I'd at least finish around 52.5 minutes. That would be good for me given the circumstances. It's worth noting too that once you turned away from the lake in Mile 1, the wind was no longer a factor. Running conditions were far more comfortable. Mile 2 is pretty flat and seemed to go by fairly quickly. I arrived at the Mile 2 marker at 16:15. This means my 2nd mile was 7:44! I don't think I picked up that much speed, so I just assumed Mile 1 may have been a little bit long.
Mile 3 - At this point one of the solo runners had passed me and was about 20 yards in front of me. Finally I had someone to pace against. It was interesting to pace behind this solo runner. He always picked the shortest distance between every corner, turn, etc...I was so used to running on the left on this course that I never thought about running the shortest distance between points during a race. I employed the solo runner's strategy for the rest of the race. Mile 3 includes a long, steady hill. I slowed down a bit to try and not exhaust my legs on the hills. I hit the Mile 3 marker at 24:20. 8:05 for Mile 3....good considering the fun hill I just ran.
Mile 4 - More rolling hills and still following my solo runner until the aid station about 3/4 of the way through the mile. My solo runner made his way to a port-o-potty and I kept right on trucking. I hit Mile 4 at 32:05. Another 7:45 mile....At this point it was decision time. I only had 2 more miles to go. If I could hang on to this pace, I would break 50 minutes. This was something I had not thought I could do today and was surprised by my steady running. I decided to go for it. What's another 16-18 minutes of running?
Mile 5 - Overall, a pretty uneventful mile. It included a few small hills, but mostly flats. The worst part was coming out of the tree cover and into the open. You could see up ahead that the wind was just whipping across the lake and that you were going to get hammered as you came out of the trees and turned towards the lake. Sure enough, the wind was strong and cold. It felt like you were running into a wall. I feared I would slow down, but just tried to fight the wind as best I could. I hit the mile 5 marker at 39:51. 7:46 for that mile and right on target.
Mile 6 - I was tired at this point and sick of fighting the wind, but I forced myself to hang on. I knew that once I exited the Arb and turned towards the finish line that I had roughly 4 minutes of running left. That final 4 minutes feels pretty long though. You can see the finish line and it looks so close, but really is fairly far yet. I cruised on in and finished in 48:58! It was awesome to hear all the cheers from my fellow runners and friends.
I am absolutely thrilled with how I did and my overall contribution to the relay. I wasn't feeling the best that morning, I didn't eat well the night before, my running has been less than stellar since the beginning of the year and somehow I still managed to run a solid race. Sometimes I wonder what I could if I did everything 'right'? :)
Peter - What happened to Peter you ask? After 50K, Peter handed in his chip. He ran strong and steady for half the race, but ultimately decided it was in his best interests to hand in his chip. I'm guessing he'll write his own race re-cap on his blog. Check it out at: http://lostcobber.blogspot.com
The racing juices have been renewed and I am now ready to get back into the game. Next race - Crazy Legs Classic, Saturday April 26th
Race morning brought temperatures in the low 30's, a wet and constant snow, with some pretty brutal winds. I got in the morning prepared to run, but definitely not looking forward to it. I had already made up my mind that I wasn't going to run well since my calves were tight and my stomach was rumbling from the previous night's meal of nachos and ice cream. Not kidding - that was indeed my dinner.
I arrived at the race site and was greeted by many familiar faces. It was truly a pleasure to be back in the 'racing' scene since my post-Ironman hiatus. I arrived just in time to see Peter cruise through on his first lap. He was making great time and looked fresh and focused. I ran out, cheered like an idiot and then went back in the Fleet Feet tent to stay out of the wind. There were some fairly nasty gusts on that side of the lake. Brrrrr!
I got my number and somehow managed to forget my race belt. A few bathroom trips later and utterly convinced I was going to run terribly, I needed to start warming up. I planned to warm-up for 20 minutes before I would start my loop. I pleaded with several others to join me in a warm-up and finally my friend Gus agreed. We ran out for about 4 minutes when we saw Gus's teammate and the person he was taking the hand-off from, we had to hustle back to beat her in. Moments later Gus took off successfully and I scrambled back into the tent.
One of my friends brought her adorable 7 month old son to hang out with us in the tent while we waited to run. He was sooooo cute in his blue bear snow suit. And, he was an additional source of heat. He kept me nice and warm while I waited for my runner to come in. While holding Cooper, my runner was coming. I quickly handed off Cooper to his mom, ran to meet my runner, put the chip on and I was off.
Mile 1 - I started out even on the first mile. I was trying not to go too hard, but to find a pace I could do without pain or feeling like I was going to lose my nachos. I sensed that I was running strongly, but wouldn't know it until I passed the first mile marker. Peter was several minutes ahead of me and I had no hope of catching him. Also, this is a long/relay style race. I had no one to run with or pace against, so I was pretty much going by feel until the first mile marker. My time read 8:31. Really? That was 8:31! It felt a lot harder than that....I was going to be in trouble, if I couldn't at least hold that pace.
Mile 2 - Trying not to get too disappointed by my first mile, I just kept running as steady and strong as possible. Maybe I'd at least finish around 52.5 minutes. That would be good for me given the circumstances. It's worth noting too that once you turned away from the lake in Mile 1, the wind was no longer a factor. Running conditions were far more comfortable. Mile 2 is pretty flat and seemed to go by fairly quickly. I arrived at the Mile 2 marker at 16:15. This means my 2nd mile was 7:44! I don't think I picked up that much speed, so I just assumed Mile 1 may have been a little bit long.
Mile 3 - At this point one of the solo runners had passed me and was about 20 yards in front of me. Finally I had someone to pace against. It was interesting to pace behind this solo runner. He always picked the shortest distance between every corner, turn, etc...I was so used to running on the left on this course that I never thought about running the shortest distance between points during a race. I employed the solo runner's strategy for the rest of the race. Mile 3 includes a long, steady hill. I slowed down a bit to try and not exhaust my legs on the hills. I hit the Mile 3 marker at 24:20. 8:05 for Mile 3....good considering the fun hill I just ran.
Mile 4 - More rolling hills and still following my solo runner until the aid station about 3/4 of the way through the mile. My solo runner made his way to a port-o-potty and I kept right on trucking. I hit Mile 4 at 32:05. Another 7:45 mile....At this point it was decision time. I only had 2 more miles to go. If I could hang on to this pace, I would break 50 minutes. This was something I had not thought I could do today and was surprised by my steady running. I decided to go for it. What's another 16-18 minutes of running?
Mile 5 - Overall, a pretty uneventful mile. It included a few small hills, but mostly flats. The worst part was coming out of the tree cover and into the open. You could see up ahead that the wind was just whipping across the lake and that you were going to get hammered as you came out of the trees and turned towards the lake. Sure enough, the wind was strong and cold. It felt like you were running into a wall. I feared I would slow down, but just tried to fight the wind as best I could. I hit the mile 5 marker at 39:51. 7:46 for that mile and right on target.
Mile 6 - I was tired at this point and sick of fighting the wind, but I forced myself to hang on. I knew that once I exited the Arb and turned towards the finish line that I had roughly 4 minutes of running left. That final 4 minutes feels pretty long though. You can see the finish line and it looks so close, but really is fairly far yet. I cruised on in and finished in 48:58! It was awesome to hear all the cheers from my fellow runners and friends.
I am absolutely thrilled with how I did and my overall contribution to the relay. I wasn't feeling the best that morning, I didn't eat well the night before, my running has been less than stellar since the beginning of the year and somehow I still managed to run a solid race. Sometimes I wonder what I could if I did everything 'right'? :)
Peter - What happened to Peter you ask? After 50K, Peter handed in his chip. He ran strong and steady for half the race, but ultimately decided it was in his best interests to hand in his chip. I'm guessing he'll write his own race re-cap on his blog. Check it out at: http://lostcobber.blogspot.com
The racing juices have been renewed and I am now ready to get back into the game. Next race - Crazy Legs Classic, Saturday April 26th
Friday, April 11, 2008
62 miles, Snow, Wind - Crazy? You be the judge!
My training partner and friend Peter is about to embark on the stupidest thing I have seen him do yet. He is going to run a 62 mile race tomorrow. That's right folks, 62 mind-numbing, pain-filled miles. What makes this so crazy, aside from the obvious? Peter has never run more than 26 miles in his life. Yes, Peter has rocked 2 Ironmans and that is quite a feat in itself. Despite this fact though, I think Peter has what it takes to enter, do well and enjoy this race. He has just the right mixture of stamina, determination and stupidity.
So maybe I'm being a little hard on Peter. I do have a tremendous amount of faith in him, but I also don't want to see him hurt himself and affect the rest of his season for a decision that was based on nothing resembling a training plan or long time dream. Fortunately, I'll be out there cheering Peter on in the early morning hours and then hopefully running his 3rd loop alongside him.
And because it wouldn't be running without it, tomorrow's race will be accompanied by Snow, Wind and chilly temperatures. That has been the story of the 2007-08 Winter. Even though it's officially spring, the trend continues.
Best of Luck Peter! I know you will do awesome and make good decisions out there, right? :) And hey, if you happen to place and win some dough, remember who paced you through the most critical lap of the race (that'd be lap #3) :)
So maybe I'm being a little hard on Peter. I do have a tremendous amount of faith in him, but I also don't want to see him hurt himself and affect the rest of his season for a decision that was based on nothing resembling a training plan or long time dream. Fortunately, I'll be out there cheering Peter on in the early morning hours and then hopefully running his 3rd loop alongside him.
And because it wouldn't be running without it, tomorrow's race will be accompanied by Snow, Wind and chilly temperatures. That has been the story of the 2007-08 Winter. Even though it's officially spring, the trend continues.
Best of Luck Peter! I know you will do awesome and make good decisions out there, right? :) And hey, if you happen to place and win some dough, remember who paced you through the most critical lap of the race (that'd be lap #3) :)
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Bad Treadmill
For the record, I don't like treadmills. They are boring and I don't feel that they accurately represent pacing, distance and speed. Sometimes though, when the weather is total crap or its dark out and I don't want to run alone, they become a necessary evil.
This morning I needed to run and bike for 45 minutes each. First, I opted to hop on the treadmill and beat any other early morning runners. At 515am, I hopped on and began my run. The first 10-15 minutes were mind numbing, but eventually I got into a rhythm and the minutes started ticking by. 29 minutes in and just when I was going to hit my fastest pace of the run, the lights on the treadmill went out and it stopped.
I turned it off and on again. Nothing. I unplugged and hit the reset button. Nothing. I unplugged, reset it and turned it off and on. Still nothing. There I was - just in the high point of my run, hot and sweaty, not finished with my prescribed run and a dead treadmill. I had 3 options. 1) Bag the rest of the run, 2) Get dressed and run outside or 3) Run the stairs in my building.
Option 1 - no way. I cut my run short Tuesday because I didn't feel well, but this time I was determined to finish it. Option 2 - Would have worked as it was getting lighter out, but I still had to bike after the run. Plus all the clothes changing would have been annoying. So, Option 3 it is. Run the stairs. Fortunately, all the windows were open on the stairwell. This made it cool and well ventilated. 16 minutes of running 4 floors of stairs and it was time to hop on my bike.
I had to ride easy for 45 minutes now. I kept the pace steady and constant. I really enjoyed riding easy. It was really quite pleasant, even though it was fairly boring. I listened to music the whole time on my nano. Last time I rode early in the morning and had my TV on, the speakers caused the neighbors to bang on the walls (even though it wasn't loud). Stupid Subwoofer. So headphones it was this time around.
I suppose I should call the new management company about the treadmill. Maybe they can get it fixed soon. It is nice to have that backup, although hopefully the weather will be nicer in the coming weeks and ALL runs will be outside. Besides, Treadmills are evil.
My work is done for the day, which is a great feeling. Now it's just up to me to enjoy my day :)
This morning I needed to run and bike for 45 minutes each. First, I opted to hop on the treadmill and beat any other early morning runners. At 515am, I hopped on and began my run. The first 10-15 minutes were mind numbing, but eventually I got into a rhythm and the minutes started ticking by. 29 minutes in and just when I was going to hit my fastest pace of the run, the lights on the treadmill went out and it stopped.
I turned it off and on again. Nothing. I unplugged and hit the reset button. Nothing. I unplugged, reset it and turned it off and on. Still nothing. There I was - just in the high point of my run, hot and sweaty, not finished with my prescribed run and a dead treadmill. I had 3 options. 1) Bag the rest of the run, 2) Get dressed and run outside or 3) Run the stairs in my building.
Option 1 - no way. I cut my run short Tuesday because I didn't feel well, but this time I was determined to finish it. Option 2 - Would have worked as it was getting lighter out, but I still had to bike after the run. Plus all the clothes changing would have been annoying. So, Option 3 it is. Run the stairs. Fortunately, all the windows were open on the stairwell. This made it cool and well ventilated. 16 minutes of running 4 floors of stairs and it was time to hop on my bike.
I had to ride easy for 45 minutes now. I kept the pace steady and constant. I really enjoyed riding easy. It was really quite pleasant, even though it was fairly boring. I listened to music the whole time on my nano. Last time I rode early in the morning and had my TV on, the speakers caused the neighbors to bang on the walls (even though it wasn't loud). Stupid Subwoofer. So headphones it was this time around.
I suppose I should call the new management company about the treadmill. Maybe they can get it fixed soon. It is nice to have that backup, although hopefully the weather will be nicer in the coming weeks and ALL runs will be outside. Besides, Treadmills are evil.
My work is done for the day, which is a great feeling. Now it's just up to me to enjoy my day :)
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
It's official, I suck....
....at blogging regularly. It was easy when I had Ironman to blog weekly. There was always some new training milestone or adventure to write about. Now, it's just daily life which still includes training, work and plenty of other fun stuff. I just don't feel the motivation to write. I tried last week and was actually successful at writing an entry. Somehow, it disappeared from blogger....something with their servers perhaps? Who knows?! Anyways, here goes...
My first 'race' of the season is this Saturday. I am part of a relay, so I'm not sure I can call it a race, but I guess I am still running against the clock. My crazy friend Peter decided to run the MadCity 100K. That's right, 62 miles of fun and excitement this Saturday. I told Peter I'd run the first 2 10K loops with him to help keep his brain occupied. Peter checked the rules and it said he couldn't have someone 'pace' him unless they were in the race. So, somehow I ended up on the FF MadCity 100K relay team and am running 3rd. Now I don't even know if I will see Peter during the run or not. Oh well! I guess it will be a good test of my run fitness. I'm not sure I really need to test it though. I know where I'm at and it ain't pretty. After a winter of less than ideal running conditions, I let my running fall to the wayside as I worked on my bike, my swim and spending time with Joe.
Speaking of Joe, he just returned from Jackson Hole. Lucky guy! I got the chance to see his pictures and it looked spectacular. I can't wait to go on our hiking trip in August-September with him (and 3 of his buddies). It will be my first experience backpacking and it sounds like it's going to be an intense, yet beautiful first hike. We are venturing deep into the backcountry of Kings Canyon in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I've always wanted to do something like this. I've just never had the people to go with me. I recently got my backpack and shoes. I'm about to purchase the clothing I need and then just a few more purchases before I am ready to go!
One of Joe and my favorite new activities is bowling! I always enjoyed it, but since dating Joe I've really gotten into it. I even learned to throw a hook ball recently, which has helped me focus my efforts rather than just trying to aim for the pins. Most of the time, we have a lot of fun doing it. Look out though, when we are bowling bad it becomes very frustrating. Last week we bowled 10 games on one day! I look forward to doing that again this Sunday! I'd really like to join a league too. Maybe not over the summer, but definitely in the fall.
My first big triathlon of the summer is on the horizon - only 2 months away. That sounds like a long time, but as we all know - time flies! I'm a bit nervous at this point, but know that I can do well 2 months from now. It'll be pretty cool to do my first big race in Minnesota this season. My coach and many other Digit athletes will be there. Plus, Joe will be there! I hope I kick some major butt. I don't have many races on my schedule this year, so I want to do well in the ones that I do race in. I opted to maintain a more flexible schedule this year so that I can have fun doing other things as well - like camping, hiking, relaxing, traveling, etc...
Today looks to be a gloomy day in Madison. Heavy rain is supposed to fall this afternoon/evening. I am supposed to go out and run at lunch. Part of me hopes it pours so I don't have to. But another part of me knows I need to get my butt out there and do it. I think I used up all my self-motivation last year during Ironman. I need time to replenish the supply!
My first 'race' of the season is this Saturday. I am part of a relay, so I'm not sure I can call it a race, but I guess I am still running against the clock. My crazy friend Peter decided to run the MadCity 100K. That's right, 62 miles of fun and excitement this Saturday. I told Peter I'd run the first 2 10K loops with him to help keep his brain occupied. Peter checked the rules and it said he couldn't have someone 'pace' him unless they were in the race. So, somehow I ended up on the FF MadCity 100K relay team and am running 3rd. Now I don't even know if I will see Peter during the run or not. Oh well! I guess it will be a good test of my run fitness. I'm not sure I really need to test it though. I know where I'm at and it ain't pretty. After a winter of less than ideal running conditions, I let my running fall to the wayside as I worked on my bike, my swim and spending time with Joe.
Speaking of Joe, he just returned from Jackson Hole. Lucky guy! I got the chance to see his pictures and it looked spectacular. I can't wait to go on our hiking trip in August-September with him (and 3 of his buddies). It will be my first experience backpacking and it sounds like it's going to be an intense, yet beautiful first hike. We are venturing deep into the backcountry of Kings Canyon in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I've always wanted to do something like this. I've just never had the people to go with me. I recently got my backpack and shoes. I'm about to purchase the clothing I need and then just a few more purchases before I am ready to go!
One of Joe and my favorite new activities is bowling! I always enjoyed it, but since dating Joe I've really gotten into it. I even learned to throw a hook ball recently, which has helped me focus my efforts rather than just trying to aim for the pins. Most of the time, we have a lot of fun doing it. Look out though, when we are bowling bad it becomes very frustrating. Last week we bowled 10 games on one day! I look forward to doing that again this Sunday! I'd really like to join a league too. Maybe not over the summer, but definitely in the fall.
My first big triathlon of the summer is on the horizon - only 2 months away. That sounds like a long time, but as we all know - time flies! I'm a bit nervous at this point, but know that I can do well 2 months from now. It'll be pretty cool to do my first big race in Minnesota this season. My coach and many other Digit athletes will be there. Plus, Joe will be there! I hope I kick some major butt. I don't have many races on my schedule this year, so I want to do well in the ones that I do race in. I opted to maintain a more flexible schedule this year so that I can have fun doing other things as well - like camping, hiking, relaxing, traveling, etc...
Today looks to be a gloomy day in Madison. Heavy rain is supposed to fall this afternoon/evening. I am supposed to go out and run at lunch. Part of me hopes it pours so I don't have to. But another part of me knows I need to get my butt out there and do it. I think I used up all my self-motivation last year during Ironman. I need time to replenish the supply!
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