50 mile ride Friday... 4200 meter swim Saturday.. and 100 Mile Ride Today.

Whew... it feels soo good to sit down... this weekend I had really thought last week at this time I was going to be racing down at Cardinal Harbour in Louisville, which many note is "one of the best IMKY prep races around"... it is on the course.. literally is most of the course, and I was quite sad after a nice run last weekend of what happened with my foot and not being able to race...

however, when one door closes, another door, and maybe window opens :) right ?:) long report.. just a warning :)

Right before I left work, Earl showed up :) this man just makes my day every day I see him, and he was so excited about his new shirt I gave him, and his new matching (perfectly matching) yellow shorts. :) Earl is turning 82, a Leukemia survivor, an avid sports fan, and he still works out, I just had to take a picture with him!
I had so many things of training I wanted to do, so many experimental ideas with nutrition I wanted to set, NEW SPEAKER to try, and a long. kick my butt with boredom (or not with the help of an angel friend) long swim... So.. this is how this awesome ( I am so tired) went..

Friday..I was so excited with the cool temperatures, sunshine, and get to see Mary Sunshine..

I have never rode at Lunken with the exception of the short part I was on during last year's Tri for Joe .. so I was new to the whole area of riding.. I was so excited to see Mary.. it really had been too long.. and here she pull out this tiny body.. and mega-intimidating bike.. even though she just laughs about this.. every time I ride, I tell myself.. try to keep up.. try to keep up....

Before we started tho.. I showed her my new toy.. we laughed at my Stars Wars intro music.. but it shortly died.. I knew I had to work on this before my century ride today.. Before we went off, I bothered a complete stranger to take a picture of us:

Check out that sky in the background!!! GOOOORGEOUS :) We went off and it was just like ol' times.. just way too short.. we skipped the bike path and headed down towards Eastern.. she commented like others that they want to read about my IMKY camp weekend, and I PROMISE I will post pictures and a report... it is all still fresh in my head... After Mary had to go .. I decided to stay and do at least 5 laps on this course.. I went off on the road a little bit, but captured this awesome picture :)

This was right after I passed this "bad-underwear -shorts tooo small-for-you-wow-rude-and-why-do-you-need-two-bike-mirrors-on-the-Lunken-Loop-Man". I am still laughing, but when I got back around this specific part of the course, I kept checking out my tires, my shoes, everything because it had smelled as if I rolled over dog-poo.. and I was glad to be done because after the many bugs, lots of walkers (cute active couples, kinda love that especially on a Friday) I realized I didn't like the nasty smell.. at least I had fun with an easy, breezy ride.

Saturday.. Mission.. if I choose to accept in... 4200 swim.. how? open water swim? 50 meter pool? I chose the pool and was so excited to hang out with Mary again.. she keeps me accountable in these times...I wanted to do 200, 250, 300 up to a double 600 to equal 4200... Total Time with no more than a minute rest (that I def. took) in between sets.. 1:24.. CONFIDENCE BOOSTER! She is kind enough to let me borrow her Zoot Speed Suit, and we were laughing at a random crotch string I need to trim, but here are some pictures Mary was so awesome to take :)

Sunday: Century bike ride along route 8 out to Maysville and back.. The morning went well.. figured out that I think I am going to eat 2 cups of oatmeal.. two gatorades, a stack of 6 crampshocker gels, a balance gold bar for breakfast.. a lot? yes.. but we will see... Loaded up my speaker, and all my nutrition, and then realized, oh Ship... I forgot two things.. my cleats, and my helmet... THANK GOD my dad is another unsung hero, and he drove them down to us... An hour later.. off we went... John just laughed and said "there is something not right about that speaker Jess" But I loved the idea...

I wanted to give Fluid .. used to use it, and it has more sodium than the basic Gatorade..The first 35 or so into Augusta felt great.. really.great! I don't know if it was my bumping speakers, or if it was just nutrition, or what, but I felt great.. Jumped off, went to the bathroom, loaded up some gatorade in my two empty bottles, and on to Maysville we went... the thing I don't get is that we drink so much then we have to pee so much.. Once I pedaled out to the 50 mileage point, John laughed and said turn around.. I checked my computer.. made it out on avg. of 17.3, right around 3:30..I had to pee, and John headed back into Augusta and the sweetest older man and I had a little chat about the Ironman..he wished me luck, and off I went...My speakers were still pumping and then, around the next large climb, they died... I knew it would, my Ipod only last 4-5 hours..

I knew that Augusta was 16 miles away from Maysville, and I wanted to make it back under 45 mins, and I just barely did..John was relaxed and cool already finished with his sandwich and my pains were starting to sit in, in particular my right knee and left calf.. He could get a Kona spot, I think he could... he is so fast.. I took my time.. really..really slow.. going in to the store for some Advil and one more gatorade..went bathroom, and sat down for a drink... went back into the bathroom, thanked those awesome girls working.. and headed back in...

In my head I knew it was only about 35 miles, but with no musica, I was hurting.. MENTAL. it was alll mental. just kept saying keep going, keep going.. within 10 miles, dropped a chain, then again 6-7 miles later... those miles took forever, but before I knew it .. I was back in our original place..I was tired, but glad to be done.. Total time with all my long, long stops 7:30... Bike time riding, right over 6:04 with avg home at 13.8. Big difference when I am tired.

Now.. what to work on.. getting what I need and go... no need to lazy lay around when filling up water...keep my mental edge strong.. But I am glad to be done! Only two more times I will ride this far... 1.. on August 1st.. 2nd.. on race day!

6 weeks... at this time I will be still running my jouney to the finish line of Ironman Louisville!