Like They're Going Flat

Ride (Saturday)
time-3:41
distance- 53.24mi

Run (Sunday)
time- 1:11
distance- approx. 7mi

Swim (Monday)
1 x 200- warm-up
2 x 500- stroke check

Ride (Monday)
time- 1:46
distance- 29.77mi


Dirtbag fanatics, how have you been? Me? I'm pretty good. Training hard, yada yada yada. The pervious workouts were all decent to good, with the exception of Monday's swim, which was kind of lame but important. I took last week off because of some strange twinging in the right elbow and of all the disciplines, swimming is the one I can back off of without worry. So Monday was about checking my stroke for strange. Verdict? Feels good, seems to be better. I did get so involved in the self diagnostic that I got lost in the swim, so I'm pretty sure I did two 500s, but the second one might have been a 400 or 450. No biggie.
Saturday I cranked out an early but good ride with Diesel, the Grey is preparing to win his age group at the North Shore marathon so he is training differently for the next few weeks. It was the same ride as last weekend, but harder, I think. Less rest time, and I feel like we pushed more. Windier too, which is good for training but suuuuucks for climbing. Dirtbag get strong. Diesel and I spent a good 40% of the ride chatting too, which is something we rarely do because its hard on the bikes. After the ride the workout continued as I was the muscle in a friend's move. You never really know who your friends are until they get up at 6am to ride 50+ miles and then help you move.
Sunday was exciting because Super Awesome Wife completed her second half marathon, the Run Like a Diva Wahine Half. I'm so proud of her for going out and doing these events. She walks them, but who cares? She does them. Thirteen miles is a long way either way. And it was hot Sunday, with a shadeless course. She kicked ass in her Batman cape and underroos.

Pink boa, tiara, and a medal the size of a manhole cover. Women's races are awesome.

 While she was out on the course I ran around Ala Moana park. Never run down there except for the Honolulu Tri and it is nice. My plan was to run until it hurt or I was done and, to my surprise, there was very little Achilles pain during my hour ten. This is good and it might mean I can get back on the stick now.
Yesterday's ride was ok, I cooked a lot of it. I came up with the idea that I should ride like my tires are going flat. What that means is, sometimes flats happen. And sometimes when flats happen it ruins the ride and you need a pick up. So if you spend the ride pumping and you do have a catastrophic flat, you still feel like you got a workout in. It's a theory in progress.
*Note- See, if I was more interested in building a big audience I would have led with the Going Flat theory and left the post at that. It would be instructive and bite-sized and still interesting. But I need to use the blog as an attitude check for myself. Reflective training is the Big Point. I like being able to look back and see how I felt during ride x when I repeat it to see growth or issues. So I fill the posts with thoughts and feelings about the workout details. Numbers are nice, I like having the data and love my Garmin, but I also do a lot of training by feel. Which means that you, lovely and patient reader, sometimes get to slog through a paragraph about my run in the park to get to the point. Which I do appreciate.
The only other thing I want to say about the ride is that everyone should ride safe out there. I had a close, but safe, call. Not trying to worry anyone. But be safe out there, keep your head on a swivel, and remember the lights on the back of a car don't turn on when the car is turning, even though they should, and you're a vampire in their mirrors. Ride safe and keep the rubber side down.