Saturday, August 20, 2005

Half of a weekend

Just like Linae, I had two big workout days planned this weekend. Today was the bike - swim day. I've been "juggling" a lot of workouts lately, and it was high time to get in a longer bike ride and a longer swim workout. I wasn't sure until it actually happened that I'd get this brick done.

This morning I went out for a 30+ mile ride. I had a fun time! I met a woman out riding who was staying on a boat here with friends and preparing for Chesapeakeman. We started riding together and she asked me if I was training for anything special. I mumbled something about how I usually do triathlons but I'm just getting ready for a couple centuries and the NYC Marathon now. Then I looked over and noticed she was tanned and ripped and had a Kona Ironman World Championship cap on, so I shut up fast.

We had a great chat for about 15 miles. Her name is Marianne and she's a trainer/coach in New York City. She did the NYC Triathlon that was televised recently, and told me all about the NYC Marathon for this fall - but she's planning on doing the Chicago Marathon this year. No Kona this year - she said she did it a couple (?) years ago when it rained. She has a slight accent that I couldn't place - a little like Dutch but not exactly. She said she competes in the 40-44 AG, I think. She gave me pedaling advice, and recommended single-leg drills for me - obviously a good observer of (poor) technique!

As always, it was a rare treat for me to have a training partner! Hopefully I'll see her again at Chesapeakeman.

Then in the afternoon, while the babies napped, I was able to steal away to the pool. I managed 1750 slow meters in an hour. Dodging kids - and old ladies and old men, too, who can't seem to understand when someone is trying to swim laps - maybe added another 50 meters. ONE black line, that's all I want. You old folks can walk around the whole rest of the shallow end, and you kids can play on noodles anywhere else you want in the deep end. Do NOT swim underneath me or directly in front of me. Is that too much to ask?

Tomorrow is the dreaded long run, AGAIN. It's supposed to "only" go up to 91. I think it's another 5AM wakeup for me.

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