My Trip Through Hell

I'm not sure I believe in a literal Hell, but if there is such a place I don't have to worry about it any more. No, I did my bit this afternoon, on a sweltering, humid, muggy, buggy, disgustingly miasmic Midwestern afternoon. I biked for 4:04 and 75 miles, in between thunderstorms and monsoonal rains, averaging just over 18 MPH for the entire ride. At 1:20 I paused for a 30 minute rain delay to let a storm pass, then hit it again for an additional 2:40.

I drank 144 oz of Gatorade and ate 2 gels, and now I know that's probably not enough for a long ride on a hot day. At ride's end I felt totally depleted. Good thing there wasn't a run involved or I'd have been toast. My back felt OK - not great, but tolerable. Now I'm home, ready to hit the jacuzzi after washing the gravel outta my ears (!!!) and the bug guts off of my arms.

I wish Steelhead had been this weekend. I feel my training is at some kind of peak and fear that any additional moves in conditioning and readiness will be downward, not upward. So bring it on! I'm getting antsy!

SEBA #2 on Tuesday, otherwise a taper week to get ready for the Pewaukee Lake Olympic-distance tri on the 23rd. Karyn's race strategy for me is to REALLY HIT the bike HARD and see whether I can hold on for the run. There's still that magical 2:30 finishing time out there calling me. This weekend? Probably not, but who knows.