Apologies and thoughts

First off, I'm sorry that this thing has been neglected for a couple of weeks now.  Normally, I wouldn't need to apologize, but my readers are obviously the best, brightest, most attractive and rad readers out there and quite frankly, they deserve better.  Between the magical world of facebook, twitter, cell phones, Baskin Robbins and Corona's, where's all the time go?  Oh yeah, work and Ironman training.

I'll try to get better at the blog, especially since it's starting to get to crunch time for Ironman Cozumel.  I do enjoy writing, but I'd also like to look back on this down the road as part of the overall experience that this year, both good and bad, has been, mostly due to the Ironman.  So far though, most of it is good.  The bad comes with some of the sacrifices that come with being out on a bike for five hours, not only is it five hours of actual bike time, but there's the time to get to the ride, prepare for the ride, go home from the bar earlier because of the ride (note, I still do manage to push the limits on the last one).  Then there's what gets accomplished after a hard ride, i.e., not a whole hell of a lot.

This past weekend was Labor Day weekend, for my readers in Botswana.  I had a great run on Sunday, 12.41 miles.  I usually do my long runs based on heart rate, but couldn't find my heart rate monitor for a week (with swim stuff...note to self...need to swim more), so I went on feel.  It was supposed to be an easy run, and for the most part, it was pretty easy.  Ended up averaging 8:52/mile.  Most importantly, it felt good.  I also swam 2000 yards later that day, but made the mistake of eating a huge meal an hour and a half before.  You all know that rule about waiting an hour after eating to swim...well, let's just say I don't think they took into account eating a huge meal and then swimming 2000 yards...more like eat a sandwhich and float on a raft.  

Monday absolutely kicked my ass.  I went to a friend's bbq and was only gonna have a few beers.  I ended up having around 8.  Woke up and went to Starbucks for an iced coffee and lemon pound cake.  I love lemon pound cake from Starbucks.  I also had a glass of water.  Got started on the ride at 11...mistake no. 1.   Not hydrated...at all.  Mistake no.2.  Did not eat much, and I was going to be gone for 4.5 hours.  About 3 hours in, I was feeling ok.  Then, I was not.  Energy was low, calories were low, salt was low.  I was hungry and thirsty and crawling along.  I ended up cutting the ride short by 20 minutes.  Overall, it was a 4 hour and 10 minute ride covering just under 74 miles.  And I was spent.  I shouldn't have been that spent, but I was. I went to the gas station, bought a chocolate milk (best recover drink...period), a lemonade, a large powerade, a huge hunk of cheese (it looked and was good) and a piece of strawberry taffy.  I also bought a bag of ice.  I then sat in the tub with ice and cold water and tried to rehydrate and get some more calories in.

Today, I was still spent.  I probably should have taken the day off, but I've decided to race a half Ironman in Minnesota on Sunday.  I took my wetsuit, which I hadn't worn since July to the lake and was going to swim 2000 yards.  The water was warm.  I swam 400 yards and called it good.  I then was supposed to run for 20 minutes.  I ran for one minute and 30 seconds...then walked back to my car.  I grabbed some food and topped it off with Baskin Robbins.  I tried to call Its Mister to You! to see if he wanted any ice cream (moreso to rub in his face that there's no Baskin Robbins where he lives).  Couldn't get a hold of him.

Basically, I've got a half this Sunday and I'm not tapering at all.  I'm better off than Kansas 70.3 though, since I was coming off of a shoulder injury.  The shoulder's better, but still goofy looking.  Adds to my charm though...but I digress.

Also, I've got a new pair of sweet KSwiss shoes that I'm gonna be wearing (well not new, I wore them for Okoboji), but didn't wear them for Kansas.  I will run faster than at Kansas, that is a promise. 

Last Wednesday dsm911 and I were having some Corona's at Jimmy's.  Great time.  We were talking about why we do triathlon's.  There's other things we could be doing that wouldn't be as "hard."  I'm putting aside the fact it makes us chiseled...ok, makes dsm911 chiseled.  But, I/we don't do these so we can have conversations such as..."Hi I'm FGLB, you didn't ask, but I do triathlons.  I'm probably going to carb load tonight and try to hit some good watts on the bike.  Oh, you run?  Maybe we should run sometime...my easy pace is 6 minutes a mile.  I also do flip turns in my sleep.  I'm so psyched Miller came out with that 64 calorie beer.  I can now have half of it and only have to do 17 lunges to make up for it." 

I love to race.  I love to go fast, but I'm not going to sacrifice friends/family/work to go a little bit faster.  Well, I have sacrificed some time with friends to train, but this may be my only run at an Ironman.  Who knows.  I guess my point is, it's drinking beer at Jimmy's after a swim, or Hyvee breakfast after a Sat. swim at Raccoon.  It's eating Mexican food with Nacho Libre and Hammerhead after a hard ride.  It's telling stories on the way to races, or hitting Captain's after the Okoboji Tri.  I love to compete, but I'd rather have a good time with some good friends.  If I happen to have a good race, even better.  If not, the beers still cold and good luck finding a better group of friends than on the deck at the cabin in Okoboji on a Saturday afternoon.

As far as Ironman training is going.  It's coming...I think.  I'm not worried about the swim other than I'm giving the odds 50/50 a barracuda bites my thigh.  The bike.  I've went over a 100 miles twice.  I'm not scared of that distance.  I need to take it steady and not push myself.  The marathon...holy hell.  This is where it'll get interesting, where I'll "find out something about myself", where it'll be pure guts.  It's gonna hurt, but I'll enjoy it...and then I'll have a few Corona's.

So, that being said, I'll keep this thing up to date a little better.  I've probably lost all of my readers, but oh well.  Here's to the next couple of months of some training hell and good laughs.  Maybe a Corona or two.