According to the training schedule, my first Saturday "triple" was to start next week. But next Saturday was out of the question, since well, it's not everyday that Grandma turns 105 years old! So I moved the triple to this Saturday, the hottest day of the year. Perfect training weather for Vineman, since heat is my frenemy.
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| Excited to start the first of the 'triple' |
Rather than doing the swim last and using it for recovery (which is an option according to the schedule), I decided to put it first, which better mimics the true order of swimbikerun. I also knew that it would be much less crowded in the morning and the saline water would be cleaner and clearer (it tends to get cloudy and salty with more swimmers...I know, gross, don't think about it too much...)
I'm so used to swimming after work when my body is fatigued from the day, so this morning I was Freddy Fresh Arms and really had to hold myself back from going too fast out of the gate. It's always an energy equation..."How much can I expend on this (swim) or (bike) and still have enough energy for the run?" Which makes me SUPER excited for my open water swim race in June and the ClifBar Team Challenge Relay in September where I can just go 110% on the swim and not have to worry about 'saving' energy for later.
After my swim, I hopped on my bike and headed out towards Castro Valley. I was seeking some adventure and wanted to do a different loop through Moraga/Danville, instead of doing my normal out-and-back ride. I was semi-crunched for time so I gave myself a maximum of around 3.5 hours to ride, get lost, change flats, etc...
I had done this 50-mile loop once before, but unfortunately, I was just paying attention to the wheel in front of me and not noticing the street names/turns, especially past St. Mary's College. The last time was spent with two other Chatty Cathys....no one was paying attention, we were all just enjoying our conversation and being in the saddle.
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| My fellow Chatty Cathys |
It's like the cycling gods were watching out for me today, because where I thought the "turn" street looked semi-familiar, my goodness, there were pink arrows!! Ha! I have no idea what ride those arrows were for, but they miraculously directed me back into Danville. At stop signs where I wasn't sure which way to go, I looked in the direction of the pink arrow, and sure enough, that street looked familiar.
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| What the heck does "CC" stand for? Chatty Cathys? Clueless Cyclist? |
Those arrows directed me back into town, but at one point, they pointed to the left, and I was 100% certain that our ride had directed us to the right. So I followed my gut, and it was right. Lesson: There are arrows in life that may help direct us, but in the end, TRUST YOUR GUT!
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| Hard to see, but this young fellow is advertising for a car wash. In a speedo. From across the street, this boy told me I had a nice bum. As a former lifeguard, I advised him to put on more sunscreen! |
I finished those 50 miles and made it home with no time to spare...I had a tempo run date! It was perfectly timed, and hot!
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| T-run date with Mo |
Mo saves lives all day in the ICU but is afraid that she'll get eaten by coyotes or mountain lions at Lake Chabot. I promised to save her life during these "wilderness runs." Too bad I don't know whether to "get big" or freeze or run if I see a mountain lion. (shhhh! Don't tell her that I never was a Girlscout! I only eat their cookies!)
She was a trooper despite the heat, and we incorporated some intervals to help increase her strength. She put up with my Jillian Michael's-esque encouragement and didn't shove me off the side of the trail, so I'll chalk that up as success.
After running with Mo, I continued solo up the right hand of the lake. It was still hot, but overall I felt surprisingly good. Near the end, a fit-looking guy passed me. A voice inside me said, "Go with him." I used him as my pacer for the last 2 miles. I tried to stay behind him enough to the point where I wasn't annoying him, but kept him close enough to pace with. And then, right as I was finding my groove, he stopped.
Normally, I would keep my mouth shut and continue running. But after almost 5.5 hours of training, I was semi-delirious, and I ran up beside him and said, "You CAN'T stop now! You're my pacer! Let's bring this home together!" He laughed and said he had a feeling that I was using him to pace. We pushed each other for the remaining miles and I found out that he did adventure racing/crossfit/Tough Mudder and was taking advantage of this heat to train hard. We both ended our runs knowing we had put some solid money in the bank today. On the way home, all I could think about was this...
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| It's not even really watermelon season yet, but I don't care! This still hits the spot after a hot training day like today! |
And speaking of food and recovery nutrition, I'm so excited this arrived on my doorstep a few days ago...
I've read a lot about The Feed Zone Cookbook and can't wait to try these recipes, and especially the "portables" (Allen's famous rice cakes) that gained popularity during the Tour de France. I've been experimenting more to see how my stomach tolerates solid food on the bike. I'm slowly incorporating nutrition in its natural form and trying to utilize more 'real food' instead of the gels/shot blocks. These recipes will allow me to do just that! I'll keep you posted, and if you're in the area, let me know if you want to sample the infamous Allen's rice cake for your next ride...
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