Busy Weekend: Or did Bobby get his Groove back?

The short version:

I donated Money to the Indians.

I rode my bike pretty quick on Saturday.

I rode my bike somewhat long and felt like my old self again on Sunday.



Friday: Casino Night

Well in our quest for Wampum we got wamped by the Mohegans.



Saturday: I went out to Lake Waramaug and did a nice "on the rivet" Time trial. I did one loop of the Lake in the small ring to warm up. Then 3 loops in the big ring riding "on the rivet" or right on the front of the saddle for optimum power. Let me tell you this is not the most comfortable postion on a bike but it is powerful. I was back up to my old speeds on the front half of the lake as I was hammering the whole 23+ miles (roughly 40k). I managed to average 21.5mph. Not as fast as the "good cyclist." But getting back in the right direction. I cooled down with a 2-3 mile spin in the easy gears for a total of about 33 miles.



Sunday: I met up with Josie at about 1:30 to get our long ride in. In her words either I was riding well or she was riding lousy ( recovering from a migraine) because I led most of the ride. Including the hills. Now this is shocking for three reasons.

1) Josie is built like a climber. She's small and she's light. She has about a 50-60 lbs. weight advantage over me when it comes to going up steep inclines.
2) She rides a compact crank...which means while I'm cranking out massive watts in my "Manly Climbing Gear" (The standard 39 tooth small ring on 52 X39 Crank set. Compacts usually have a 50 tooth Big ring and a 30-34 tooth small ring.) trying to get up hill, she can spin by merrily and more efficiently.
3) She rides a full carbon Spawn of Satan...I mean Cervelo. Regardless Carbon Fiber is lighter than Aluminum and definitely hurts less when you go over roads that haven't been paved since Jimmy Carter was in the White House.

Anyhoo the ride was pretty uneventful. I met up with Dave a fellow Tri geek as we did our loops of the lake and then on our second loop we hunted down an older Gentleman on a White Giant.
He Proceeded to charge in front of us on a quick up hill. I proceeded to chase him down and drop him like a bad habit on the flat. ( OOORAH Man Gear!) The rest of the ride was Bobby vs. the Climbing efficiency of the Compact as I tried to put out as many watts as my legs could muster. decided to borrow a tip from Normann Stadler in which he said " I like to suffer on the bike...I need pain I just love it." So on Route 109 I went out with full intensions to make myself suffer. In Bethlehem this worked well as I usually had a nice decent to help give me momentum up the climbs but as we hit Woodbury Josie climbing advantage won out yet again. I managed to get around her on the flat and hold her off back to the car. The ride went pretty well we averaged just over 17 mph including the "rest loop" around the lake.
While I'll probably not be up to Speedy Claire's Blazing Bike splits anytime soon...and Josie will probably be back to her Lance Armstrong style climbing skills that kills, it was a good day in the saddle. Hopefully I can at least match my bike split from Providence Last year and maybe...dare I say it. Get that slot I've been coveting for the last 3 years.
Today not much on tap an 8-9 mile run and 3500 yard pool workout. Just enough to keep in shape.

R.D.

I guess part of me is looking for trouble...

Well tonight my buddy Ryan from Nashville, The Angry One, and my friend Adam will be making our Semi-annual trip to the Mohegans in hopes of bringing back much Wampum...hopefully they won't wampus in the process.
Here are the draw backs tomorrow I have work and a ride I can't miss. So there will be little to no "liquid courage" going down my gullet tonight. Also it's a Friday so we need to find the rare $5 table and hit it hard until it becomes a $10 table. Hopefully Ryan's luck, Angry's Probability Skills, Adam's cyncism, and my risk taking will be a mutually profitable proposition. But enough on the Craps table.

Yesterday I got a 9 miler in for my first run since Patriot. This morning I threw down about 3000 yards in the pool as I was into work late. Tomorrow a Ride/ run brick is in order. Sunday another ride/ Run Brick ( more emphasis on the run on Sunday.) The training is coming along but having Ryan in town has helpped me get some of the rest I need. Also my race photos are posted at Capstone. I like the run pics but I look like Jabba the hut on the bike. I need to do more weight work so that will be my focus after Providence because if I'm going to Kona I'm going to need it for endurance and injury prevention, or if I'm not I'm going to need the strength and power.

Well that's it for me Come on 5 be good to Bobby!
R.D.

Holy Shit it's Christmas or Anyone got a tow truck.....

Well, my training this weekend was totally shot. ( stupid winter storm and 12 in. of snow.) My car is stuck in my neighbor's backyard (another thank you to that wonderful winter storm.) our annual run to the casino, cost me $20, I still have to finish my Christmas shopping, yep things are in full holiday swing in my neck of the woods.



Saturday I tried to muscle my little Outback over the plow bank at the front of my driveway ( our plow driver hadn't come by yet and I needed to get to work.)..when I found it wasn't going to go straight through I back up to get a running start...well it got stuck again...and well repeat that scenario until my back bumper is against a pine tree at the end of my neighbor's property. after his and my futile attempts to get it out I walked to my parents place about a mile up the road, they drove me into work and took a shot and getting my baby free, right now it is a mere 500 feet from my nice plowed driveway.





Today my dad and I will work at digging my car out of it's icy prison, using the towing power of his Explorer if necessary so I can hopefully get to masters, if not the trainer is looking mighty inviting right now.



The Casino trip turned out to be less profitable than anticipated... another reason not to drink: Alcohol Makes you do stupid shit like going back to the craps table when you've tripled your money and then you lose it all..... all said and done I lost $24 of the $25 I went with but it would have been sweet to leave with the $80 I had before the bar..oh well lesson learned for my March run with my sister. Also Angry was in constant contact with Pants..So I can only imagine the conversations...Especially after our ill fated third trip to the craps table, I seem to hazily remember Angry going on a litany of I hate you guys...and some threat of war with the Mohegans... I can assume there were many deadlifts done this morning.



Training wise my outdoor activities are on read and react mode: I read the weather forecast and react accordingly...this week looks like it will warm up just a tad so I'll get some running and riding in. I was going to run yesterday but a little "wintry" mix but the kibosh on that, instead I shoveled the 4 additional inches of fresh powder that accumulated on my driveway and tried to triangulate the angles on getting my car out. It looks like our best is to clear a path up to my drive way and with a little traction and a little brute force I should be able to have baby back on road again...just in time to go out and do my absolute last minute Christmas shopping tomorrow night.



Well that's all from here...hopefully I'll get my training and my car back on track.



The weary walker

R.D.

50 mile ride....and the Drunken Runner?

Well this weekend was a long one. As I sit at my terminal I am recovering from playing cabbie until 1am. I will start it all with my ride at Waramaug on Saturday.





Sat: Drove out to the Lake with my road bike en tow. It was a balmy 35 degrees, the wind was blowing,the cold was radiating off the snow, as as I pulled out for my first of 6 loops flurries began to fill the air. now the sheltered parts of the lake were enjoyable, houses and trees blocked the wind and the cold, traffic was non existent, the roads were a little wet and salty....man that sounds dirty.... and the use of those wonderful $5.99 foot warmer packers were an investment well spent. Despite the fact I had nice warm tootsies, the fact that a nice snow/ice/rain squall decided to hang over the lake for a good 15 to 20 min. made the roads a little greasy at around the fourth loop., I gutted out two more to get an even 3 hours in the saddle. Average speed was about 16 mph..not bad for risking life and limb ridin' in a winter wonderland. After that it was the mad dash to the grocery store for the X-mas run and weekly staples, as well as my last two gifts.

Sunday: A day of sin and debauchery....Kyrie Eleison......
Ok the Greek for "Lord Have Mercy" was definately in store as the CT Rat Pack descended upon the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, The day began for me as most Sundays do hitting the snooze button and running late for morning mass. After mass and a quick Dunkin Donuts run it was off to Angry to pick up the motley crew. A quick lunch stop and we were off to the Casino along the rain /melted snow slickened highways of CT...I was jeered for my "grandmaesque- cautious driving style." And this is while they were sober. We arrived at the Casino and immediately made our way to the craps table. Well at first my luck was running sour....within 20 min. I had changed all $50 I had brought with me into chips. Then the luck changed.....Adam(aka Ron Paul for Pres.) got the dice after I crapped out, he brought us back, then after a couple of crappy ..no pun intended... rollers got the dice it was the old man's turn. Now this old guy showed up quietly took the dice and just a hit the zone...and took us along for the ride...seriously you know its good when after 6 rolls they bump the buy in up. Needless to say this guy brought me back from the brink of elimination. Then it was up to Greg and Nashville to keep the Karma train rolling..and roll it did...when we finally cashed out we had all doubled our money. it was then off to the bar to get the already tipsy runner completely smashed. Adam and Nashville decided to go Long Island Iced Tea for Long Island Iced Tea for 3 rounds...and I the designated driver was busted at every opportunity by the waitress...who I think was flirting with me but....I don't know. Anyway it was at this point that someone suggested that we [support the arts] * the brackets indicate words and phrases that have been changed to protect myself from embarrassment.* The others nodded in agreement and who am I to argue with the guys who are giving me gas money. After the bar it was off to find Nashville's lucky slot machine....sadly Angry and I were not so lucky on the slots as Adam who won $80 in one shot....I lost $20 of my hard fought earnings. Nashville and I hit the craps table one more time I broke even winning back the $20 I'd tossed down...Nashville pocketed $45...Adam and Angry standing behind us saying f this s lets go to [the art gallery] the entire time. Well needless to say we went to the [art gallery] and it was a scene of debauchery most...well debauched nature......I was heckled the entire drive to Hartford as I avoided downed trees and slowed for rain slicked curves.....drunken voices in the back chimed " Don't brake on the high way, we'll all die if you brake on the highway." " did you know 95% of all fatal accidents occur in rainstorms and usually kill the sober person in the car." " Do you know the penalty for driving without a renewed registration sticker is 10 years in federal butt rape prison...." , etc..... Well after more drinks and debauchery it was time to get everyone home, after a quick burger/gas/pee run I got Adam home followed by Angry who was vowing to run today....we'll see if he does he was pretty messed up..you know it's bad when you drunk dial your boy scouts, then hauled Nashville back to his parent's place, before heading home knowing that tonight when I step into church my ass will probalby fall down some sinkhole to Hell....because after Last night I'm pretty sure that's where I heading....may god have mercy on my soul as I attempt to purify it with an insane 8 miler tonight, or tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn. We'll see how that plays out. i wil edit this post later to include pictures or the ride...not the debauchery...I'd like to keep my site rated PG-13

The sinful Swimmer
R.D.

If you're not Hallucinating the workout wasn't hard enough...

Last nigh Stef Karas kicked my butt into shape with a 4600 yard workout from Hell as follows:

200 swim on 3:00
200 Pull on 3:00
200Kick on 4:30

4x100 Drill on 1:40

6X50Free on :45 Build 1-3 4-6
that was the easy part

Interlude

200Free on 3:00 focusing on strong kick
300 Free DPS pn 4:30
2X200 build to sprint every 4th lap on 2:45
Easy
Main set
3x 500 build 1-3 on 7:30
I held 6:55 for #1 then held 6:58 for the second 2 also pondered the meaning of life as I entered an Oxygen deprived state....debate solution to the Arab- Israeli conflict...thought of possible treatment options for ALS, MS, Alzhiemer's ,Tay-Sachs....debated the futileness of religious warfare...man I think of weird crap when I swim.

300 Pull on 4:30 My lungs rejoiced oxygen...

1 100 Free I was trying to make a crack at the set she had written down needed a little more rest.
5X100 Free on 1:25 Whatever you got left in the tank! I held 1:19's on them the latic acid was built up in my arms, and it was not pretty.
nice 50 cool down

Well today I have an exam on tap..the last one! Sell my books back..looking at about $70-$100
enough to keep my creditors at bay..and give me some cash for my pre-holiday casino trip, with Ron 4Pres., Angry Runner, and Nashville Ryan. Think of us as the Connecticut Version of the RAT PACK w/ Angry as Sinatra, Myself as Dean Matin, NR as Jerry Lewis, and R4P as Sammy Davis Jr. If I win big I might be flying first class afterall.....otherwise it will be a good stress blower with the guys. Sat and Sun morning/afternoon I have rides and runs on tap. Sat is supposed to be high 30's low 40's and no chance of the white stuff...Enrico will most likely ride again at Waramaug as I try to cram in 70-100 miles...I want the confidence of having the distance base for the ride. That's it for now.

The High Roller
R.D.