The week in review lead up to the Nutmeg

Well Friday royally sucked for my family, my father and his former employer decided to part ways. Good news is hopefully the real estate market will be looking good especially with all the little brats getting ready to set foot on their own from College, as well as the fact that people are actually starting to look for homes and loans...gotta love the tanking fed for something...so in essence I think this summer might be good..at least I hope. After finding out that central is trying to peg me there for another $3000...I mean Semester, I might try to summer course it, but most likely will just throw down $300 for a couple of CLEP Exams for the 6 bull shit credits I'm going to need....I'm debating looking for a new position within the company hopefully one that will give me Saturdays off, but that might not materialize until September, especially due to the fact I have courses starting at 3:30... two days a week....I'll see how that goes..I'm just getting tired of getting yelled at by people who think they have money...and not really fulfilling my potential...so I might scour the weblisting for an upgrade. ...ok financial life..a mess as always..but will be getting better as soon as those stimuli packages show up....also the other reason I'm looking for a job with a higher pay grade...being a teller was great when the cash was flowing in and meeting my needs, now the needs have changed so I'm going to start looking for something that pays me what I'm worth...more than $20k a year....

Alright all the Friday Bull shit out of the way. I went for a 5 mile run and bumped into Angry. We shot the shit on why it is not a good idea to try to go drink for drink with a member of the British Commonwealth.

I have absolutely no memory of the night this picture was taken in St. Croix that's what I get for trying to out do a Scotsman.

Today, had the day off from work..gasp.... so I got in a nice 3000 yard work out. Main set 5x 100 on 1:25 10x 50 on :45 it was short but I wanted to get on the bike before I ran out of daylight. I hauled out to New Britain to pick up Bjoern only to find out he had just gotten back from doing a blazing 56mile (90k) ride out to Granby and back...he did it in 2:49 holy shit...this dude is ready for Switzerland.

I drove out to Middlebury and did my Easter Sunday loop with a twist. I started riding down Route 64 I had to stop twice, once to put my wheel on the other way so the sensor could collect data..the second was a bout 2 feet down the road when my chain popped, a result of a gear shift made as I was dicking around with the front wheel. I did the opening 4 miles of the Griskus sprint Tri Loop. Not to bad, but instead of going to the right and entering the 6 miles of agony , I went left on to Middle Rd. Turnpike...that spit me out onto route 6. I then turned left on to Route 6 and went up on to Route 47 ( part of the olympic Route.) I stayed on 47 and instead of going up on to 132 toward Bethlehem and the rolling hills of the Olympic Course ( did that last week...it was painful.) I went left onto Rte. 47 and followed it to Kettletown Rd. I went up the same route with Claire on Easter, rode a loop of Waramaug, finding out to my chagrin there was a head and cross wind at the lake. I stopped at the State Park to Pee. Now if I had been smart I would have refilled one of my waterbottles with tap water, from the summer bathrooms. ( yes Claire these ones have running water.)..but silly superbly hydrated with GU2O me shrugged it off thinking I could ration my last waterbottle for the remaining 25-30 miles...that and do I really want to catch cholera from water they probably pump in from the lake...

a new meaning to the term aero hydration.

So I set off for the remainder of my mystical voyage. After tearing through the depot, Kettletown and back down 47 at breakneck speed.

I turned left onto Route 6 hoping to ride the "not so long" distance to the Rte 61 interchange..in which I would just turn right climb a few hills from the Olympic Course and be back on the Sprint loop....I passed Flanders Road...shouldn't be too far I thought....man was I wrong.

Instead of being a nice semi flat half mile to mile stretch of Route 6 I endded up half way to Watertown ( 8 miles from Woodbury Center.)..also it was getting dark and there were a few little rollers in the mix...I finally spit out at the interchange about 3 to 4 miles later. Then it was onto the fun part. Anyone who has read my posts on the Griskus Tri or has ridden the Sprint Route knows the last 6 miles in undulating, culminating in a half mile gradual climb. Well the route up to those last few climbs on the Olympic Route is all up hill from Route 6. I finished my waterbottle, near the infamous cornstand where Angry tried to show off on the mother of all bricks last July.... I still had 4 miles and 3 climbs to go. The first climb isn't so bad. You gradually go up then you get a nice sweeping descent. Not bad. The second is more like a series of climbs you go up then back down through some high speed sections the you go up again to a 4 way stop. This 4 way stop is the beginning of the last climb. My legs were shot, my head was aching from lack of fluids. I kicked it into the low gears and tried to maintain 14mph ...I passed the last hill and the annoying smilely face markings on the road...I made it half way up then cracked like Ulrich on Alpe du Huez .. grinded up at 7 mph ...my legs were shot, and my body, despite the fact I had to piss for some odd reason...was craving fluids. I took the last descents at my usual 30-31 mph and got back to the car as it was starting to get difficult to see. Total distance 55miles..total time 3:26...average speed 15.9mph..kind of slow but for lack of hydration and brutal hills, I'll take it...next time around I'll have to get myself a tour style support vehicle, or carry the credit card with me so I can at the worst case senario get a bottle of water or gatorade..from one of the stores on the route.

I got home, ate and then remembered I've got a little half marathon in the morning. My legs don't feel too bad now..but as I said last week this is like a C-D priority race..the kind of event you do just for the T-shirt..as well as an organized hill workout. My goals going in: try to hold 8min. mile pace or as close to it as possible.The other a main thing is just to finish and then raid the post race food bins like I've just been released from the Gulag....If it's free I'll take it ( so yes Cranky I am a sample whore....but I'm also a broke college student so I have an excuse.). Well that's it for me I've got to hit the Hee- zay so I can haul some ass tomorrow.

I have no shame

R.D.

I've got my sponsorship kit and I'm in the Patriot Half.

Well I just cast the die for the Patriot Half Ironman, as an age grouper...ugg all those people to pass on the swim......Also my Credit card company will love me next month......my paycheck for the second week of May gone....or at least most of that rebate check...but I should have enough miles for a frequent flier miles to fly to NZ for free next year.

In lighter news, Zoot Gu finally mailed me my livery for the 2008 season, and it isn't the flamboyant baby blue/pink/flaming mardi gras yellow, that I thought it would be, although it isn't as nice as my HEAT Flames..the guys at Zoot did a good job. I also recieved my nutritional supplies for the year : about 4 crates of Gu (2 Chocolate Outrage 2 Strawberry Banana) two canisters of Gu2O ( 1 lemon-lime and 1 orange) along with more Gel Flasks and waterbottles than I know what to do with...the visor and socks are on the way, although I think I'll keep using my Timex Headsweat...it's sort of my signature Clothing Item.

Last night I managed to crankout a 5 mile run on the Cheshire Rail trail. I regret not bringing my headlamp, granted I sprinted the last mile because I thought some " nesting Swan" might want to have it out with me. I did it in about 43 min. Not breaking the sound barrier but not really slouching it either, so it was all good.

Well that's all in the neighborhood.
R.D.

Dr. Jodi I'm calling you out........

Yes, after quick analysis of Jodi's run and bike Splits from the Kenetic Half Ironman, rubbing my eys and checking them again and realizing this chick bikes and runs in about the same time I do. Ken Schultz made the comment that we should throw down. So I'm tossing out a challenge...Hopefully this year at 70.3 Worlds but if not any half-iron or full iron in late 2008 or 2009 ..I will take you on.

Races I gamely suggest:

July 5 2008 Patriot Triathlon Freetown MA: It's already a blogger reunion with me, Cranky Runner and Speed Racer throwing down on this extremely fast course.

Sept. 21, 2008 Nutmeg State Half Iron ( NutmegMan) Kent, CT A hilly course guaranteed to seperate the men from the boys and women from the girls.

March 7, 2009 Bonita Ironman New Zealand: It will allow the particpants to escape the brutally cold New England/ Mid -Western Winter.

Ironman USA Lake Placid, Coeur d' Alene, Arizona, I'll do anyone but China.

Eagleman, Steelhead, Wildflower, California 70.3

In essence if we can agree on a race and a place, I'm willing to throw down.

It's on!

I am a glutton for punishment!

Yes people that's right, some sick twisted warped gene in my DNA must make like pain for some odd reason. Tonight I did a 4000 yard pool workout. 10x 200's on 2:45 ish I missed the interval on #6 and #10. Saturday I have a hill fest bike ride planned with Bjoern ( any other takers looks toward Boston and Speed Racer who is sitting around in compression tights with her feet up.) and The Nutmeg State half marathon on Sunday. Now one would say why on earth would you do a half marathon after an insane 60 mile ride....3 words :BECAUSE I CAN! I plan to use Sunday as long distance speed work....that and I'm a T-shirt whore..yes that's right I said it. I love the freaking tech tees that Endureit Multisports gives out...props to Mandy and John.....the other reason is I want a reasonable estimate of what kind of pace I can hold at Eagleman. I want to see if I can break the 1:45 barrier on tired legs, and know how to gear myself for the big 3 races coming up this year ( Eagleman, RI, and NutmegMan.)

So those are the plans for the weekend...this race is not an A Priority event but if I qualify to do the NYC marathon well, that would make my season...but I'll be content to get in some decent milage and free shit. Oh on a side note this is my first road race that is in between 5 miles and a marathon...sure I've done 10ks and half marathons but they have always been in triathlons, so maybe that whole tired leg thing will help to keep the nerves away as well as force me to run a realistic pace.
R.D.

Spring Fever or an Ode to Summer.

It's weeks like this that I wish I already had my college degree in hand so I could enjoy this absolutely gorgeous weather, instead I spent yesterday typing 5 pages of my rough draft and today I'll be couped up in class until 8PM. ..soon enough the semester will be over, it's just getting through these last 3 weeks then I'll be free, until summer session starts, (hopefully, if I have the money.) Right now I'm in burnout mode with school, I just want to have my afternoons back, not have to worry about papers and deadlines, ride my bike to work, without having to worry about how much time I'll waste riding home to grab my car. To spend time researching road surfaces and bike routes, instead of religion, politics, and scholastics. To worry about the conflict between Australia and Germany, instead of Israel and Palestine. To run without the weight of my full backpack, a cup of coffee in one hand and my head staring at my watch as I go anaerobic trying to make it to class on time. To compete, to relax, to actually eat dinner with other people and before 11PM. To watch the tour and learn how to climb like a mountain goat..and descend with very little fear. This seasons is one of my more ambitious, with a small tour of New England built into it, a rest day working as a volunteer at Lake Placid ( hopefully), and possibly a trip to FLA this November or the Lava Fields in October. Quite frankly I can't wait..I want to spend my afternoons training..I want my speed sessions by the lake, I want my town loops from Hell, I want my 4000 yard pool practices after a long day in the saddle. I want to spend my weekends in towns I wouldn't have even thought existed except for the fact I raced there or rode my bike through there once or twice. My head is starting to focus on the beautiful scenes out the window, rather than the lecture that could make or break my scholastic career. I want to unleash that carefree side hardly anyone sees instead of the uptight stressed out, business man/ scholastic everyone sees. I often joke that if anoyne from the Ironman had seen me two days before I flew down it would have been like watching two completely different people. So here's to the summer when my life will not be dictated to me by papers, research and study..but rather how much training I can take and racing my purse strings will allow.

Counting down the days.
R.D.

Rhode Trip

Yesterday, I made my well anticipated road trip to Newport, home of Salve Regina University (5 to 1 girl to guy ratio....why didn't I go here again?) and my sister Melissa who is an undergrad at said university. I woke up after a semi-restless night on Saturday....probably from one too many hot dogs @ the HEAT picnic. I made my way down I-95 North and after an NDE outside of Groton involving a big rig on its way to Mohegan cutting me off as I attempted to pass and the guy behind me ducking right just as I prepared to..it ended up with me driving in my own lane for a few tense moments. Then there was grandma going to drop her granddaughter's Jetta off a URI nothing is more painful than going down a backcountry road I usually take at say... double the posted speed limit..@ 25 MPH...Road Rage Building! Well all my travel escapades aside I finally made it to Newport and decided to reward my aching legs with a 6-7 mile ( 10-12k ) run.

I started off on the cliff walk hooked up with two faster runners for a minute then got dropped, but decided to keep following the cliff walk to the beach. Now maybe it's just me but has anyone noticed that the salty air off the water tends to dehydrate you. Anyway everybody and their brother, mother, and uncle fester were out walking about...I felt bad having to dart around or call out "excuse me ...on your left" but things got a little less congested as I hit the beach and had a Chariots of Fire moment, running along the sand...I saw some chick in front of me running barefoot, now that's bad ass. Anyhoo, I ended up having to cross in front of a busy traffic island in Middletown, then another junction between RI 138 and RI 214 about a half mile up the road. Then to my surprise I foundout there actually are hills in Newport as I began to climb through this residential neighborhood. I asked some dude on his bike if this road would get me back to the center of town..he told me to take a right at the stop sign at the top of the hill and follow the road until it ends. Easy enough. The road ended at a little park, I saw the main road not too far off, but asked some woman walking her dog for extra directions, " Yeah you take a left up ahead and it'll spit you out at the cliff walk then you just follow that to Salve." I shot out onto some flat little side street and got spit out at a busy 4 lane medianed drag standing between me and the beach. After a few kind motorists let me through I began my bobbing and weaving through the sea of walkers, joggers, yuppies with strollers, a wedding party, and dudes just standing there and made it back to my car. Total run time 1:00.48, for all the waiting for traffic, and deft maneuvering I'll take it.

After calling Melissa and trying to figure out the directions to her place, I picked up Chrissy ( who was doing a college visit, she's getting so big so fast...tear..sniff.) It was off to IHOP with Chrissy, Liss, and Liss's roomates, then walmart, then a quick tour of then the shops of Newport, then the beach, then back home....all in all it was a pretty good day.

Today, not much on tap, my knee's acting up a little after 2 straight days of trail/sand running I'm giving them a break....also I need to type out at least 8 pages of my paper for the rough draft, so that will consume my afternoon, I might give the bike some love but it's doubtful, but I will hit the pool at 8-8:30ish and get 4000 yds. in.

Well that's all for me today. Oh and bleated good luck to Speed Racer and Cranky Runner running some little rink a dink road race in Massachusetts....at this point they're probably just at 20 mile mark .

The road worn wonderer
R.D.