The Giant Watermelon

Well, last week's race didn't go so well. My legs cramped up on the run, it was swim-run-bike and, well, basically that's that. When everything cramps down like that even moving at a super slow pace is a lot more work than it would be normally. So I almost didn't finish. But Casey made me. So that means that I still haven't DNFed a race. That's not too bad.

Today we went on the Watermelon Loop ride, a ride that is so hard. Especially when the temperature's in the 90's. It's this loop that takes you up a 8 or 9 mile road that's steep and all dirt. With rocks. And dirt. And did I say dirt?? And it goes to about the halfway point of the Crest Road, which goes up to Sandia Peak. And we do this on road bikes. The road is steep enough at points so that when you stand up to pedal, you just end up sliding out. Which means that unless you're really good or have enough gears, there are definitely points,when you are mashing. And mashing. And the road is tricky too because as you get close to the top it opens up and looks like, well, the parking lot that it dumps you out onto MUST be around the corner. But it's not, and there's nothing to do but keep going. The entire loop, depending on where you start/finish ends up being around 70 miles. It's a hard 70 miles. Believe me. I did it right though, I ate a gel and popped a ProBar on the way, and downed a fruit juice drink and a cookie at the gas station at the bottom of the hill after the arduous climb. And I must have ended up drinking more than a gallon of water on the ride it was so hot. Nevermind what I've had since I've been home. All said, it was a good day.

Tomorrow is going to be hot again, so that means that I'd better get used to it. And while I get used to it, my poor deprived dog sleeps under the AC all day. Poor, poor baby.

Off to Another Race!

Yep, tomorrow I'm off to another race, nearly a month after my last, well, mishap. Not that I had that bad of a race then, but it's not the first race this season with wrong results. The last time I did this upcoming race I won overall, and it was the first time I'd ever won a race. It was a good feeling. The night before the race I hardly slept at all because someone decided to have a party right above our hotel room, which was broken up quite entertainingly. Someone screamed "Out! Get out!!!" loud enough to hear through the ceiling. Awesome. Goes to show you that the night before a race doesn't always matter.

An amazing thing came in the mail today: a certificate notifying me that I "have earned the distinction of Triathlon All-American" for the 2008 season. Yay! That's cool! I didn't know I'd done that, or, really that that even existed. It's cool.

Recently here, rides have been rainy. Rode for 50 miles in the rain, and just as we finished, look! The sun! So it was good I didn't ride my nice bike in the rain. Rain tends to be bad for moving parts. Things get squeaky that way. But the rain makes for some muddy mountain biking too. I've never ever encountered so much mud that the wheels of a bike literally wouldn't spin. I, with my friends Wes and Marcus - single-speeding gurus of mine - had to stop several times. I once had to jump in the Rio to get the mud off my bike. I still have mud on my helmet. That's awesome. The water was warmer than I expected...perhaps I'll swim there someday.

I have to go pack, and use my Aurawave. Nice and relaxing...