What More Could A Girl Ask For?: No Need for Sunscreen, In Week Eighteen

Another crazy week is in the books, and I am realizing more and more every day that it is literally impossible to fit all this training into a week and still have any time left over to be a normally functioning member of society. But then again, no one ever said that triathletes are even remotely normal to begin with...

Since I have 3 swim workouts to fit in each week, my new game plan is to go to the pool as much as possible, as early in the week as possible, in order to make certain that I get all three workouts in. This week, it worked out to Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Since graduation was on Sunday, the pool was nearly half as full as it has been, and for that I am VERY grateful. I swam the vast majority of my laps this week in a lane all to myself. This makes happy! Still, I haven't figured out how to squeeze a 3000 yard swimming workout (and all the pre- and post-swimming driving/parking/changing/showering) into a lunch hour, but I still think the workouts are going well.

The crazy May weather took it's toll on my cycling again this week. It has been chilly, wet, and windy for a while, and it makes me bitter! There was a slight break in the weather on Sunday, and I couldn't bear another trainer ride, so Sparkle and I loaded up the bikes and headed down to Big Creek to ride the asphalt trail to Des Moines and back. Without getting too specific (and using words that my mother would not be proud to see me type), it was the worst ride either of us have ever been on. The trail SUCKS and is hard to get off of if you wanted to ride home on the road. And, if you do get off the trail and onto the road, chances are good that it'll be a road so heavily traveled that you opt for more riding on the sucky trail rather than risking probable death-by-5th-wheel-travel-trailer. Without getting too specific, neither of us will EVER ride that trail again. The worst part was that we had spent so much time getting so few miles ridden that the 3-hour bike ride was reduced to a 1 hour 45 minute ride followed by a quick 1.5 mile brick (bike and run) run.

Post-Crappy Bike Ride at Big Creek

Wednesday morning the weather again allowed me to fit in a quick brick workout. The plan for Thursday was to get another trainer ride done while the laundry was jumping between the washer and dryer and the 6 loaves of Mother's Day bread were baking (and presumably my bags were packing themselves and loading themselves into my truck too). Needless to say, that didn't happen (the bike ride or the self-laundering/packing/loading bags).

But, I did end up getting the IronMaiden and her trainer loaded up into the truck to make the trip to Chicago so that Roehr and I could do our long ride together (in her living room). We knew that riding together on the trainer would be better than doing it alone, but we both still hit a slightly bitter stretch even with the added moral support. We managed 2 1/2 hours (along with the help of Wedding Crashers and Police Academy) followed by a 3 mile run. It was supposed to be a brick, and it was. But only of you consider a roughly 10 minute transition and a full change of clothes a quick change! Actually, it turned out to be one of the better post ride runs I've had in quite some time.

I guess I can't complain too much about my running. It's been quite some time since I've had a massage, and I can tell. My IT bands nearly protrude out of the sides of my legs and the are tight as can be but, strangly enough, aren't causing me any problems (yet). After giving me fits last week, my hamstring went from feeling horrible to feeling basically no discomfort at all this week. Not sure why that is, but I'm gonna ride it as long as I can!

Overall, I only missed one workout this week: a mid-week ride. Not too bad considering all I had to get done in order to get out of town for the weekend. My running group had a substitute coach for their 8-miler. Next week is their final 10-mile run before they start to taper for Dam to Dam.

I love coaching this group every year. It gets me back into a regular running routine in the spring, and ends the first week of June, just when summer really kicks off. I feel like I've been waiting forever for summer to get here, and now it's only a couple of weeks away!! Every year, it feels like the Iowa winters get longer and longer and longer, and I just get more and more bitter with the bitter, yucky weather. This spring is not helping my attitude about Iowa. There has been so much rain and cold and wind... Bring on the heat and humidity!!!

Along with the warmer weather, summer just brings so many more fun things! It's less than 70 days to RAGBRAI! I'm very much looking forward to that week. I know that it won't be exactly like the other RAGBRAIs I've done the last couple of years, but just the idea of the ride puts a big smile on my face. And, in those less than 70 days to RAGBRAI, I will have 3 triathlons, at least one trip to Madison, my grandma's 100th birthday, etc...

Having spent some of this weekend with Grandma Klein, I know she is looking forward to having her whole family together for her birthday in July. It will be a really crazy time, but so cool for her to have everyone in one place at the same time. I'm sure it's been since we all went to Boise for Christmas about 15+ years ago since we've all been together in one place. And now, all (except me) of her grandchildren are married (or engaged) and she's got 4 great-grandchildren. What a cool thing for her AND for all of us! Plus, she only turns 100 once, so it's up to all of us to make it as cool an event for her as possible.