The last Long Ride and Then some.

So on Friday, me and two other TRI club folks headed out for IMooo to ride the course once again. The last long RIDE until race day (I think so anyways). Got there early and rode 20 miles before I met up with the two TRI folks who were planning to do 80 miles.

It turned out to be a great weather day. My plan for the day was to concentrate on my nutrition since I was adding fig newton bars in the mix now to get more calories on the bike. I think it went well on that front so I think I'm dialed in nutritionally, I hope so anyway.

The rest of the ride went okay, at times riding with heavy legs. After 80 miles I was getting pretty tired of riding or maybe just bored with it. Until I saw the group of riders who started ahead of our group. Hee, Heee, they don't know it, I'm going to attack and try to catch up. One by one I did, a hard effort at times but worth the effort just to wake me up a bit. Okay, they were a group of ladies who probably would kick my ass usually in any race, but I take what I can sometimes.

So with 103 miles in the bank this day, I was going to try to do a brick run afterward. I actually did not run the whole week to take care of my calf injury. Not sure how it would hold up. But after I started my brick run I had a strange feeling. WHAT? NO tightness and felt good. So let me run to the stop sign, okay, now I'm here, let me run there and then there. Wow I'm actually finished a 2 mile brick run. I was so excited, things have finally improved after 3 weeks concerning my calf ailments, IT'S ABOUT TIME!!

After I got home I was so excited in running again. I woke up early to get a run in before the kiddo's b-day party on Saturday. Okay, now it's going to get crazy. I planned for a bunch of kids playing outside for the party. But drip, drip. It rained most of the day. But it was a great party, I think even the adults had a good time. Well the kiddo crashed out after the party, now I know she had a good time.

On Sunday, more rain, a severe "thunderstorm watch" my wife told me. Asked if I was still going out to train. Um, yeah, kickstandpam twisted my arm (not to hard by the way) and we met at 5:30 am. Pouring rain and thunder in the background, we took off for a run along the Chicago Lakefront. In the beginning we did not see anybody running out there, hmm why is that, because I think we are a little nuts, ummm yeah!!

But we ran for 2+ hours. Then took the other crazy task of trying to do an open water swim in choppy and cold conditions. With the thunder from the sky gone, raining off and on, we put on our wetsuits and took the plunge. Halfway through, we saw a very fast TRi swimmer we knew walking back. He had enough and got a little sea sick from the choppy conditions. Now I was thinking about all the hamburgers, bratwurst, and fried chicken I had the night before from the b-day party. Okay, now I do not need to see the chummed up version in front of my eyes right now. But onward I went, at times felt like I was swimming in place because of the crazy current. But 2 miles I got in, it took forever, but I was happy in reaching my goal.

So I guess my official taper begins, I guess so, since I really don't have a training plan this year. Still might do a semi-long bike ride, try to get more of running legs back with some slow long runs, and maybe get a chance to do a longer swim. Now If it could only stop raining around here

Hmm, less than 3 weeks left, I must be feeling it, because I think I would start getting really emotional if I saw the movie "Rudy" right now. Quite now, remember that is between you and me okay.