Well This is it!

The countdown is over, the ring is swept and the mother of all battles in the hills is about to be played out. Tomorrow I tackle the Nutmeg State Sprint Half Iron: my Goal SURVIVE IT! Yes the bike course ( for those who missed my post on it ) is brutal. Today I watched as Bjoern left me in a cloud of dust and unsettled chip seal as we tackled that lovely little hill on Avegline Rd. We both agreed after our drive through that the main thing is just to finish. ( Granted Bjoern will probably pass me going down 341 leaving me to Play Chris Mc Cormack to his Normann Stadler. as he rides enroute to $500 worth of Cannondale Accessories ). But the hills aside most of the course proves to be just another day at the office. The swim I should have no problem with despite the semi-mass start. ( practice for taupo?) and the run is flat with only one portolet...( the wealthy landowners on Arrowhead dr. didn't want a blue portolet defacing their lawn..we'll see how they like a guy clad in spandex running up to their door, ringing the bell and interrupting their Sunday Brunch to ask to use the facilities x250.....chances are they'll have more portajohns next year.) The bike like I said is just another day at the perverbal office...I almost find myself quoting Kurt Russell from Big Trouble in Little China...constantly saying " oh great now what.." as some new fun springs forth on the bike. l I know is this if three mystical dudes with huge head gear show up it wouldn't surprise me in the least....Well I've got to cram in some sleep..there are hills and bitches to stomp in the AM.
R.D.

The Week in Review......

Well The past week has been hetic to say the least it started good...got bad...started to look up....got bleak....got good again.. and has now moderated.

Sunday: After my Family's mad dash to scramble for funds to Get Melissa to College, I forgot one little detail. I was signed up to do a relay for Hammerfest. After cramming what little cash was left in my checking account into my gas tank I drove off to Branford ..( and got lost..pulling a no wet suit girl and arriving 30 min. before start time.) I eeked out a 15 min. Warm up run streched, drank water and gatorade and pee-ed about 4 times. I watched as Mike narrowly edged Ken out of the Water giving Dave a 10 sec. lead over Ron going on to the bike. I was hoping and praying he'd give me a decent lead over Cristiano who can...well...flat out out run anyone who isn't a Kenyan or Ethipopian. After stripping off my warmups and doing strides of T-2 in my HEAT gear I waited anxiously for Dave...when Ron pulled in and Cristiano took off like a bat out of Hell ..I knew we were racing for silver.....Dave rolled in completely exhausted about 3 min. later, and I took off in a mad dash for the first two miles before settling into a nice swift pace for the third and kicking out the fouth. My run split was a 26:20...I nearly caught Vin who was doing the race solo and manage to secure a second place relay finish it was a good day for team Smoking Hot/Men in HEAT/ Hot Fire.

These are some pics of my Hot fire studilicious self...yes ladies believe it or not I am single.( Thanks Ken for the photos.)

Monday: After skipping what was supposed to be a long run and deciding to use this begining of the work week as a valuable rest day...nothing really happended..took Chrissy to school, went to work, showed up late to class after three near death experiences ( you are supposed to stop at a stop sign and it's supposed to be for more than a second...shakes fist to evil vodoo woman in silver nissian.) Life Guraded Late. Melissa turned 20 didn't facebook...shit.

TuesdayGot good News $ 2000.00 student loan Check. Faced booked Melissa wishing her happy birthday. Class Got in 2500 yard pool work out. Holding 100's under 1:20 Boo yah

Wed:Find out CL&P wants payment or we're in the dark...Dad doesn't get paid until thursday.... Lights and Running water are more important than plane ticket to NZ ( Especially if I don't have access to a shower Flush toliet, or you dear bloggers.)and Mortgage Guy is saying we will close on Monday ( been saying that since Easter.) Bite Bullet Cash Student Loan Check Pay CL&P about $1900.00 ( bastards..don't you even ask for another rate increase or I'll sick Blumenthal on your ass.) Work Late. Get in 4 mile Run before Night Class. Guard in Service= extra hour of pay...word son...word...take out Cute diver chick to Chili's after inservice/ her practice....findout she has boyfriend...findout she wants to break up with Bf but can't because he's a sweet guy...( man some time I wish she was dating an asshole so she could break up with him..but then again Ive been on the other side of this too...follow your heart diver chick...follow your heart.) Home sleep. Vow to run 6 miles in AM

Thursday: Hit snooze until 6:45am...the Glutes are strong but the eye lids are weak. Pay day! yay! Pay Student loan. grab case of water. Take Chrissy to school. Go to work. Get in touch with endurance multisport travel findout hotel prices will have airfare price on Tuesday. Decide to take out personal consumer loan at Webster to get rid of some high interest Credit Card debt. Put in app. Praying for approval. ( I can pay off this one card I can use it to finance NZ and then when my Parental units get theirs they can pay me back to pay off said card...it's the circle of cash ...like the circle of life with out mufasa and Simba) Get out of work...go to CCSU do 30 min. run through the hood.( I forgot my glock and blue du rag..damn!) Go to class..Go to guard BS with cute guard chick..it's dead get into the water and do 1000yds, before more people show up. Get off from guarding drive home..find overdraft notice from BankNorth...Experian jacked up their credit manager fee (I had $10 in the account they charged me $12 the bastards! I will call them tomorrow and no matter what tech support in New dehli tells me I'm canceling the service...) Hope loan will be approved.....type on blog and rant about the week...realize I'm no longer writng in complete sentances...going to sleep before I make any more inane ramblings...night .

R.D.

Nutmeg state Bike or Stage from Le Tour?

Well Yesterday I finally got a loop of the Nutmeg State Half Iron Bike course in all I can do is quote Conrad: "The Horror! The Horror!

Mile 1-10 : The first couple of miles weren't bad. You had a slow gradual climb up 45, and a nice little descent down College Farms Rd. Then you shot on to 341. After a not so perilous crossing it was a left on to Avegline rd. Since the gravel has been swept I managed to eek out some more speed this time around and mangaed to slowwly make my way up a nasty little climb about 3 miles in

Then it was on to the twisting little descent of town hill rd. I took it slow as usual and made the turn on to Cemetery Rd. Then climbed up 341 and took the turn down on to 45 out toward cornwall. I mad the turn I had missed last week onto Melius Rd. and ended up following it down onto a dirt path. ( I fell off my bike rather sexily trying to unclip and turn around.) When I got back on course I followed the rolling Flat Rocks Road and then and equally unstabel brick school road. All in all these weren't bad so things were looking bright that's when the fun starts...

The descent of the alps...I mean CT 341.

When you see Trucks use low gear signs it usually means high speed down hills. I adjusted accordingly ( unclipped one foot and had my hands on the bullhorns in case I had to stop quick.) The first two mills of the descent weren't bad. They were gradual, straight road or gentle curves, the crosswind made things hairy but not too deadly. Then came "the big Hill" a lovely mile and ahalf of switch backs at a rather sharp grade. I descended at the hair raising speed of 12 mph because I did not want to be blown out into traffic by the increasing crosswinds. This lovely, near fatal descent was made even more interesting by the fact that it ends at the route 341 route 7 junction. When I kissed the semi- flat ground at the bottom of the hill I believed the worst was over...boy was I wrong....

Geer Mountain is a beast!

After some intermiettent climbing and shallow descents ( and another wrong turn) Ifound myself on Gerr Mt. Rd. Now I frequent the HEAT forum alot and had head this climb was a beast so I kicked into low gear at the first signs of incline and powered up the first portion at a realtively good clip and easy heart rate. That's when I hit the hill. Now the hill starts off at a nice 7 to 8% grade and rounds the corner. When you turn the corner it still heads up and you see a stepper 10% grade behind it. "surley there is a little flat to regroup." I thought to myself. Wrong! I went straight into the next climb out of the saddle churnning my legs to power the bitch stomper as fast as it could go ( a whopping 4 mph) when I reached the top I was glad I didn't have a heart rate monitor , it most likely would have read " Cardiac Arrest imminent."

Let's just say I could feel Contador's pain after that climb. After this mess was over it was a descent down Anderson Rd. Now the way it sounded on the directions was Anderson Rd. would have one short steep hill and a tight left hand turn. ( a la weekeepeemee Rd. from the Griskus olympic.) Wrong again. I was met with three quick descents in a row and a sharp hair pin turn still somewhat on the hill. ( which I over shot and had to climb up to. ) Needless to say I hope it's dry next Sunday. The climbs on upper kent hollow were challenging but not impossible and the ride back to Warren ( for the second loop which I skipped ) and back to T-2 weren't too bad. So all in all the course has a good begining and End but the middle is lethal. Seriously If it rains some is going to die on either 341 or Anderson. The descents are just way too technical. Normally I have nothing but good things to say about the Guys at Endureitmultisports but this bike course definatley needs a revamp for next year. ( although, the sections from Flat Rocks, and Brick School, were quite lovley and not undo ably difficult.) But this ride seems more of like one of Lance's trainers instead of a Half Iron race course.

R.D.