Have arrived

It took a little over 8 hours to drive here.  Got an early start and made some stops along the way...  potty break SC, gas break GA, welcome the FLA orange juice break, Daytona lunch.  It broke up the ride well.  Not as stiff or sore as I normally am.  But do want a nap right about now.
Downtown Disney for dinner this evening.
Race prep tomorrow.
Race Sunday.

Fridge issues

When it rains...

Some inspiration

Although I doubt my sprint time will even come close to this....
http://bernews.com/2012/05/duffy-wins-triathlon-world-cup-in-mexico/

The count down begins

Four day work week. There is so much I need to get done in the process. I don't have food for the week. And I can't let that distract me from the task at hand for that weight before Sunday.
So I will be headed to the grocery store after work. Some things to pack for the road trip as well.
Lots to do.

Fifty done

Well now that I have completed book one I learn that in fact the characters etc are supposed to resemble Twilight. Something about fan fiction. Ok so it wasn't as blatant a rip off as I had feared. I am sucked in and will read the next one. Just trying to put that on the back burner as we enter the final stretch of race preparation. Yesterday I rode the 12+ miles I hae anticipated and the run. Today I thought I would do the same until I felt the stiffness from yesterday. I opted to start to slow it down some. THen KP called to see if I wanted to swim in their neighborhood pool - outside. So I ended up swimming. 950 yards. Gonna bring the bike to my moms to work in some riding the rest of this week. Plus it will be easier to I assemble there than the prying eyes of others if I do it here. That's just a mild paranoia on my part. I think I will work on some light riding and running this week. I think it will also burn a good amount of calories So be prepared to follow the count down to race. As for 50.... I think I write better emails.

50 Shades of Grey

I am going to be a buzz kill. Before I get any further in this book I want to make my first observation.

Ana has lived with her (step)dad in the Northwestern region of our country. She chose not to live with her mom when she got remarried and the mom now lives in the Southeast. The story is from her point of view and we her the idle rumblings of her head and her self doubt. In addition she is clumsy.

Christian is adopted and I believe one of his adoptive parents is a physician. He also has a brother than is far more boisterous and jovial than he is. Who wouldn't be. Christian seems a bit intense and maybe a little sullen or brooding -thankfully just a little.

And in the beginning of the story when Ana our heroin is out on the town (kind of for the first time) she finds herself i a wee bit of a predicament. Who should appear out of no where to save her? Christian.

Am I the only on that sees screaming similarities here? Of course I know the book takes a darker turn. At that point I will start making comparisons to the OTHER vampire author if you catch my drift.

No work out tonight. Some linguine and white clam sauce to beef up a little on carbs before tomorrows ventures. Sun is up around 630. You know where I will be.

swim

this week has been all about the swim...  sure i am fearful of the hills on the bike ride but my bike ride is my bike ride...  i will get my butt up early the next two days and hit the road and hit the hils... it is what it is...  and we all know about my run - it is a constant struggle although I am slowly getting better - still nothing stellar...  but swimming in open water in a lake no less with no wall to tap or push off of... I want to make sure I am up for that... so that has been my singular focus this week... i have to say i have quite enjoyed it

my other focus has been sleep - of course as some may know that is not always the objective of my neighbors... here i am so happy to be home for two weeks to sleep in the comfort of my own bed and Monday night we have a drink fest going on outside... i said something it was getting a bit much...  of course Tuesday was OK - I suspect hangovers were on their ticket.. but Wednesday and Thursday back at it...  thankfully aside from one random door slam and an inability to find keys upon returning home those evenings werent as loud...  of course the driving that precedes the noise does concern me... makes me glad to be tucked in at home but fearful for my fence and flower garden :)

tomorrow and sunday will be some brick workouts
and the other excitement - a cinco de mayo derby party and some cooking for my new mom friend that has asked for some food...  mom's making ribs, i am doing sausage and peppers, another is making lasagna... it is nice to have someone to cook for for a change....

just a little over week now :)

1250

That would be 200 warm up, 1000 straight, 50 cool down. All the while surrounded by an obnoxious group that were chatty more than they were swimming. I figured it was similar to the distraction of all the other competitors on race day.

Run good

No bike. Just too sore. Wow can I feel my legs. Cooking instead. And the last of the laundry.

Here we go

Back at home until the race trip. Yay! I am so enjoying my own home, my own kitchen, my own bed and of course the dog.
It took some time to get back in the swing of things but it kicked in yesterday.
I did a 3.75 mile walk run. Wow I surprised myself at my endurance yesterday. I just started running and ran for a pretty good distance.
From there I went for a bike ride. Of course yesterday was Steeplechase day. So riding around town like last week was not going to happen. Too many folks crazed to get to the event to get their drink on were on the road. So I went to my friends neighborhood to get some hill drills in. We ride there on occasion it is a short loop. Unlike my own neighborhood it has some ups downs and flats. Where I live it is just up and down. No real test for peddling. I did a two hill loop 8 times that amounted to just about 10 miles. It got boring after a while but was well worth it.
I was tired and sore afterwards for sure.

Today I was going to do that loop I did last week. Unfortunately it is crazy foggy out there. Supposedly going to be that way until 10 or so. The road ragers aren't the best to be around on a good day. So I think I will stick to quieter roads today. Probably head over to SCCL. I was also thinking a flat run at the park to check my endurance there.
Always so much going on in my head regarding the workouts.
Swims will start up again tomorrow.
Considering run swims all week.

Pretty. Pretty tasty.

Treadmill

Did 45 minutes on the treadmill.  Tried to offset the fried cheese curds.  Probably not a worthy trade off but had to do a little something.
Now drinking lots of water in an effort to avoid the travel water retention like last week.
And trying to not get caught between time zones.  So even though the clock says 745 I am concentrating on it being 845
Hope this weeks travel goes well.

People watching

Interspersed with my training is dieting and work travel.
So the diet was really thrown off track last week.  But I managed to get the water retention down and the exercise up while I was home.  The scale was back to normal this morning but still not passed the Athena quest. Errr.
and then pops up more work travel.  Today we landed early.  I landed early in Milwaukee.  Found my way over to the art museum.  I had been to the outside of the museum a few years back.  Decided to check it out today.
There were pieces that were truly interesting.  And there were others I could have done.  My friends kids could have done.  Or no one really should have done.  On a Sunday you can imagine there were people there REALLY into the art.  I took in as much as I could.  Some Georgia OKeefe.  Some tributes to animation. An Easter lily painting I wish I could replicate. 
Of course in settings like this the mind races commentary.  By the time I sit down here all comments are blank.
It was a nice way to spend the early afternoon.

Late afternoon I am at the Harley Davidson Museum.  Now I enjoyed my first visit.  Had no real desire to go in again.  So I gawked at the bikes outside.  Then came inside to the restaurant.  This is where I promptly embraced one of my fave travel highlights - people watching!!
The man at the other side of the bar with the braided beard is quite a different site.  The yuppyish guy in his oxford and sweater eating a salad with his beer is the polar opposite. 
I had a salad with my beer too.  It was a bit intimidating in this setting.  I got a side of fried cheese curds to offset the salad.
Now to the hotel.  AND THE TREADMILL!

Scents of smell

I noted this yesterday.... honeysuckle in bloom and diesel exhaust while on the bike yesterday.
I notice these things alot when exercising.
When riding through SCCL, I envision the retired individuals spend a lot more time cooking at home than current generations that seem to go out more.  I say this because there is always the scent of grills cooking when I am there.  And it always smells like steak or burgers.  And then the mind wanders... mmmm what to eat when I get home.  Grilling out after a workout is not on an evening agenda.
Running through town results in a very different reaction.  On the weekends I get an array of frying chicken from Bojangles, faux grill smell from Burger King and other bad for you foods from the breakfast place down the way.  As I struggle with the run and to catch my breath...  this just makes me want to gag.
I prefer the honeysuckles.
Frangipani would be nice too but probably a stretch in these parts.

Garmin Connect - WXW - Hill Loop - 12.31 Miles

First off let me just say that the hill on the way towards the high school - not as bad as I thought it would be..  I was peasnatly surprised.
The hill on Gray Byrum - again not that bad.  I did have a geared shift issue.  But that was more user error than endurance.
And lastly - OH that hill outside of Prescot.  It IS as bad as it looks every time I see someone else trying to ride up that hill.  Gonna have to do this loop again.  It is a good length with some good challenges.
Garmin Connect - WXW - Hill Loop - 12.31 Miles

Garmin Connect - Danskin Greater Orlando - Clermont Bike Route

here is the bike course for the race...
yes, those 3 hills in the middle do have me a wee bit intimidated.

Garmin Connect - Danskin Greater Orlando - Clermont Bike Route

Scootering

So there are 5 weekend days left that I can BRICK train for the race.  I was overwhelmed with the thought of steep hills when I saw the bike course for the race.  So I decided no matter what I need to get some riding in today.
Leaving a little before 8 in an effort to beat the traffic.  I was surprised by the brisk dampness in the air.  It reminded me of an early morning scooter ride - damp morning air against your face, fragrant honeysuckle in bloom roadside, even the sounds of a (possibly feral) rooster.  It kept my mind occupied.
Of course todays purpose was to try some hills.  I found that the hill near KPs outside Prescot most closely resembles the hills for the race.  It may be a bit steeper but pretty darned close.  So I decided I would make an effort to get myself there on the bike.
Then I remembered there is that hill on the way to the high school that has always caught my attention.  And lets not forget the one by Vallhala.  So with various routes in my head....
I covered some new roads today that I have never ventured on with my bike before. And I can happily say I conquered the hills.
I will post the routes later.
Now that I have finished breakfast I am considering a run.  I have time before the baby shower.

Hotels

We have discussed this before.  Using the treadmills at hotels.  I am never too sure what quality they are.  So I have opted to not run on the treadmills in hotels.
I did walk 20 minutes this morning.  Better than nothing I suppose.
To kick it up some I am going to try to add that walk to both the mornings and evenings.  Wish me luck on that one.

I ran both Saturday and Sunday.  Felt like I pushed myself.  Hard to tell as I am struggling with getting the new watch to sync.  My calfs or is that calves say yes you pushed yourself.  Must be those hills and toes part of the run.

Home again late Wednesday.  Need to get back in the water Thursday Friday Saturday.

Just remembered need to add more comment on the run.

Hair Cut

it is less the cut and more the color that impedes my willingness to swim today... dont feel like paying all that money and then go dunk my head into even more chemicals...
instead i hung out with friends and neighbors last night toe show off the new (less poufy) hair...  i thought that may come back and haunt me this morning...  white wine at the hair salon, coors light with the neighbors - two beverages i have not had in quite some time...  thankfully i didnt fell bad this morning
well i did feel bad but that was from the lack of coffee in the house...  i need to buy more coffee when i am out and about - the lack of coffee and having to go grab a cup in the morning always leads to bad decisions - financially and healthy-wise...  this morning i did OK - i did go to the gorcery store to get the coffee and i bough the makings of pork roll and cheese sandwiches - it was that or an egg mcmuffin... interestingly the egg mcmuffin was the same amount of points as the pork roll sandwich probably the fat content versus canadian bacon but at least this way i know the cheese was lower in fat and the muffin was higher in fiber...  i digress but...
it is a beautiful brisk morning... we have started some laundry and getting ready to start packing for the next trip...
somewhere in here i have to run out and find a baby shower present for next weekend - i have given up mostly on finding an outfit for the shower
and i would like to at least run today - cycling sounds good as well but...
i am just rambling - really procrastinating while i wait for this load of laundry to stop and to get out to the stores...

Athena - revisited

Now this version of Athena I would totally be OK with....
A slightly different approach to taking to the water than swimming.

http://bernews.com/2012/04/athena-yacht-docks-in-st-georges/