Back in the Saddle Again

Wow, What a weekend of training!  It is Sunday night (about 5:30 pm) and I am fading fast.  However, I wanted to get my blog out this evening before the long week starts again. 

This weekend it was back to the bike (for the first time since Tahoe).  I skipped swim training with the Team on Saturday since I had already committed to attend (and help if necessary) a Ride to Benefit Leukemia Kristin "Bobcat" Bartholomew was putting on.  So up early and waiting on Kansas (Jacey) so we could make the ride up to (and back from) Juno Beach more pleasurable with company.  We arrived at Ocean Cay Park at about 6:45 am; and, the team took off at 7 heading up to Hobe Sound.  

It was great to see some of my Tahoe Teammates up there.  We reminisced and rode with the current Tucson Century Team.  Coach Bryan of course did not let us down from the Mc Torture we knew in the days past.  He of course had a surprise for us... You guested it... Water Tower Climbs!!  Which was actually fine with me since I had yet to attempt the Tower with my new gear-set.  Bring it on!

The ride out was great.  We were about 10 miles and taking our turns pulling at about 19-20 mph and feeling great for the first time on my bike since Tahoe.  Then Kansas tells me my back tire is looking a bit low.  Sure enough, it was.  I was quite unhappy since I had just picked up my bike the day before from the shop.  So I stop and use my CO to refill the tire hoping it is not a flat.  Then I notice the front is a bit low as well.  I opened the 2nd CO I had to fill the front tire.  Now I am out of CO... not good if a flat happens.

Off to the water tower and a few climbs with ease.  I was impressed.  It was either all the great training (thanks to McTorture), the experience of Tahoe, the new gear-set, or all of the above.  I took the Tower with confidence and SUCCESS!!

Then the ride home, where my back tire was just not cooperating.  I think I rode the last 7 miles of a total of 32 at about 15mph on a flat tire.  It was not totally flat, but it was definitely a slow leak that was stalling my efforts to speed up.  By the time I finished it was all I could do to not rip out the tire and toss it.  

We finished the day with a group swim in the ocean where I learned to sight while swimming without breaking my stroke.  Another SUCCESS!  I have such anxiety about not being able to see in the Potomac, so this quick lesson in sighting was PERFECT!  Thank you Isabella!!!

Of course the day is not complete without a meal.  So, a great BBQ with wonderful friends.  I just love the people we have in Team in Training and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  So blessed to be part of this FAMILY!

After an evening with my best friend, I went home and to bed by 9 pm so I could be ready for another early morning training with my Nation's Triathlon Team.  

Sunday Morning at 5 am came way too early.  Some days when I get up for training I wonder if anyone understands the sacrifice that goes into training for an endurance event.  There is not a day in the week when I am not up at 4 or 5 in the morning, eating breakfast, fueling for a training whether it is a swim, a bike, or a run.  Yes, it is so much easier to just stay in bed.  But staying in bed won't cure cancer.  My participation in an endurance event may not either, but at least I know I am doing what I can to try to make a difference.

So Sunday was not much different than Saturday.  Although, today I was asked to share a mission moment with the team.  This is when we take a moment to tell the team why we are here doing what we do  So, of course, I talk about Courtney.  McNugget asked me to keep it short, so I tried and instead of going through the long two-year saga, I focused on just the last few weeks.  I started to cry thinking of my amazing niece walking again after a 1 1/2 years in a wheel chair (thanks to a chemo drug she was taking).  Great way to start a ride, with tears in my eyes.

Back to the team... I have to say Mr Personality (Coach Stan) is nothing like Coach McTorture.  I miss that fun loving and genuine caring personality of my last coach.  There are few people who are able to handle the abrasive personality of Mr Personality.  I just try to take what I can from it and ignore the outbursts he is so famous for.  At the end of the day, we are not professionals, we are volunteers out here doing something for a cause.  Sometimes I think he forgets that.

Our triathlon bike training starts in Lake Worth.  Today to add more miles to the normal inlet and back ride, we headed down to Boynton Beach inlet first.  Then after a quick "how to" on pace line riding (there is really nothing quick on SAFE pace line riding) we were off to the Palm Beach Inlet.  This team, as dedicated as they are, and as hard as they try, there are noticeable differences with experience.  However, Mr Personality wants to keep everyone together.

Of course, I don't see any fault in keeping the TEAM together, but when some riders just are not at the caliber of 20 mph just yet, why set a pace line at 19-20, then complain when it slows...  

Any how, the ride was some what easy until the turn around to head back.  Mr Personality took off pretty quickly leaving some struggling to track down the pace group.  Not very fun with a strong head wind.  I was one of the stragglers.  After riding with my dear friend Teri for a bit, and chatting about the training, she opted to try to help me out since my asthma was obviously an issue in the morning heat.  Although, her attempts to help out did not matter when my front tire flatted with 8 miles to go.  

Remember I was out of CO from yesterday and I did not hit the bike store to pick up more.  So even if I could have fixed the tire with the tube I had, there was no way to inflate it.  So I called McNugget to come get me with only 7 miles left of the ride.

All in all, I had 32 miles on Saturday and 28 miles on Sunday; so, a nice 60 miles this weekend.  Not to mention the little swim in the ocean after Saturday's ride.  All in all a good weekend.  And what better way to end the weekend than with a massage and facial at my local Massage Envy!!  Oh yeah, two full hours of heaven!!! Well deserved, and Well Overdue!!!