Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

I hit the Silver Comet Trail with Antonia (my bike) very early this morning.The Expert had to take his sister to the airport, and I had a kiddo birthday party to attend later with the Monkeys, so splitting up the ride was the only option today.  Schedule schedule schedule.

I don’t mind riding alone.  In fact, I usually prefer it.

Usually all sorts of cyclists are buzzing on the trail.  But this morning…. I parked as the sun came up, and it was just me, the Honda and a dumpster.

To be honest, I was a tad freaked out. Especially when a cop came by and told me that there had been a robbery in the area, and three men escaped on foot, and if I saw them on the trail to give a call with the mile marker.

I thought about leaving. I had a little panic. I am pretty big and tough, but armed robbery kind of changes things. But then a few cars pulled up and I felt better. And finally, I realized that if the three robbery dudes were on foot, that I would be long past them after 10 minutes on the bike.

To leave, or not to leave… that was the question.

Yes, I know, it’s probably not smart that I stayed. I know I know I know.  But I just hauled major booty for ten minutes on the bike, knowing that the dudes on foot were somewhere behind me.  Then I settled in for the twenty four miles OUT… made the turn-around, then came twenty four miles BACK.

At Mile 41, I saw the Expert about 7 miles into his ride. We waved, and kept going in opposite directions.

It was forty-three degrees this morning. I forgot a layer and my ear warmers, but you will all be proud that I finally got my own tights. But it was still cold.  I need shoe covers, but I keep waiting for the end of season sale.

As I finished up the ride and put the bike in the Honda, my feet were completely numb.
 
Today’s schedule was a brick workout of forty-eight on the bike, plus a four mile run. I started the run. The first mile of the run my feet were still frozen;  once the feet started to thaw, they hurt, like I was running on needles.  But I was keeping a pretty good pace at 10:55 minute mile. I had tried to ride conservatively, hoping I’d have a little gas in the tank for the run.  It definitely helped because I did not enter the 7th circle of hell until Mile 3 on the run.  One and done wasn’t so bad.

Thanks to Bia Sport for the schwag.

I’m a little blown away that New Orleans is only a handful of weeks away.  At the same time, days like today make me realize that while I may suffer and a four hour workout is ridiculous by every stretch of the imagination… the race is doable.

And it’s amazing what a year (five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes) can make. A brick on February 20th of 2011 was 16 miles on the bike plus one mile run.

The Expert and I are very tired today.  Very very, and wishing I had another day in the weekend, that’s for sure.

In sad news, we said goodbye to the Expert’s grandmother at a small memorial service in her hometown of Douglasville, Georgia.  “A life well-lived,” the Expert said of her life.  I can only pray someone says that of me someday.