totals/ ocean swim/ achilles + PT/ RI70.3

totals

in the water: 5400.00 M in 1h 51m 37s
on bella: 39.10 Mi in 3h 00m 50s
in my asics: 25.92 Mi in 4h 08m 39s

total: 09h 01m 06s

ocean swimming

I spent this past week in Ocean City, Md at a work conference. Did a little learnin' and a little boozin' ... and I did get in two runs [one 4.5 mi run and one 4 mi run] and one OWS.

swimming in the ocean by yourself = scary !

I told the lifeguard I that I was going out, would be swimming parallel to the shore - 15 min north and 15 min south, and wearing a bright orange swim cap. I wore my wetsuit for bouyancy and warmth.

I [normally] love OWS. I love being out in it ... cold, wide open water, looking up at the sky. It's so one-with-natureness. I've swam in a few ponds and lakes and in the Bay.

Wednesday was the first time I swam in the ocean ... I mean really swam in it, not just splashed around. It was salty... very, very salty. At one point I swallowed a mouthful of saltwater and it almost came right back up. It was terrifying. I kept thinking that I would either (a) get washed away to the middle of the Atlantic, or (b) get eaten by a shark. I spent some time wondering what would be the more preferable way to die. And it was ... bumpy. The combination of the salt water + Mexican for lunch + the motion-of-the-ocean made me nauseous and woozy.

But: I did it, and the next time I do an ocean swim I'll know what to expect [and swim a little easier knowing there are kayaks/ lifeguards/ other swimmers around].

achilles/ PT

I think I've mentioned it before here but didn't really go into it. A few weeks after the marathon I kept getting a sharp jabbing pain behind my left ankle. I stayed off of it for a while but every time I tried to run the pain came back.

I got a referal to a sports medicine doctor, who pronounced it achilles tendonitis --- fairly common, nothing serious, but could get bad if left untreated. He, in turn, wrote me an Rx for Physical Therapy.

The PT checked me out and noticed that my left ankle rolls in slightly when I walk/ run. We started doing ankle strengthening and balance exercises and he gave me therapy bands to take home. My PT doesn't think I'll need too many sessions which is great news [better news: my health insurance covers this -- I only have my $25 copay (which starts to add up, but it's still awesome that most of it is covered!)].

I've been running a lot more [see above] and I don't. have. any. pain. ahhhmazing !

Rhode Island 70.3

is in 14 days !

eeeeps!

totals (last 2 weeks)

8 june through 14 june

in the water: 0.00M*

on bella: 79.75 Mi in 6h 14m 28s

in my asics: 2.01 Mi in 20m 33s **

total: 06h 35m 01s

* stitches = no swimming
** achilles tendonitis

15 june through 21 june
in the water: 5600.00 M in 1h 53m 07s
on bella: 78.50 Mi in 5h 49m 17s
in my asics: 6.68 Mi in 1h 05m 27s
total: 08h 47m 51s

compression socks.

who says compression socks aren't trendy ?

bluebird's last ride + bella's maiden voyage

bluebird's last ride

BT's Maryland community is pretty sizeable, and last week several of us decided to meet up for an open water swim in the Bay + bike ride on the shore.

I got to Sandy Point Park ($5 entrance fee, thanks Maryland), asked a few groups of people with wetsuits "are you from BT?" ... and finally found my group. Ater introductions we made it down to the beach and put on our wetsuits.... and procrastined for another few minutes.

The swim was four (I think) out and backs from buoy to buoy, horizontal to the shore. It was awesome! I love OWS and it was nice to do it in a non-race setting. I felt really good in the water --- which was, by the way, a perfect temperature once I got moving. I did feel a little woozy from the up and down of the waves combined with the forward motion of the freestyle. We did a mile in a little over 30 minutes.

After the swim me, April, and James changed from our swimsuits and wetsuits to our bike shorts and jerseys and drove to Easton. We fit three bikes on April's car (hers in the back and me and James' on the bike rack.

Got to Easton, stopped at a gas station for a candy bar and got on the road.
The entire ride pretty much looks like this:


...totally and completely flat - a [wecome] change from the hills I'm used to riding! April and James were great company.

We had to stop at the drawbridge at the entrance to Tilghman Island, despite James' idea that we jump the bridge. He was kidding. I think.

here we are stopped at a restaurant to refuel:

the southern most tip of the Island: [pretty, no?]

map of the ride:

3:10:25
50.5 mi
15.91 mph avg.

the only thing that really sucked about the ride was that I could not get comfortable in aero. I would only be in that position for 45 sec before my shoulders starting aching... and thus the seed was planted: I NEED A TRI BIKE.

and that, my friends, was my last ride on bluebird.

bella's maiden voyage

I went to hagerstown yesterday to help my friend look at wedding dresses [btw, she bought one, and she looks absolutely freaking stunning in THE dress!]. AR friend lives in Frederick and after lunch with the girls I headed east on I-70 to meet him for a ride.

This ride was as hilly as last week's ride was flat... 40 miles through hills is a lot more taxing than 50 mi on the flat ES.

We first stopped to get some water and Sweedish fish [and seahorses! did you know they made Sweedish seahorses?] I was in charge of watching the bikes --- they are quite pretty:

and here is greg with the delicious fish/ seahorses:

the ride was hilly, yes, and tough, definitely, but it was also beautiful:


...and some action shots:

3h 16m 20s
41.40 miles
12.65 Mi/hr

total elevation: 14,546
elevation gain: 7,245
elevation loss: 7,301

we were both wiped after the ride, so we refueled with beer and pizza. mmmm.
and then we found that holding up cold glasses to our foreheads felt really good.

I think we terrified our waitress.

I leave you with this gem:

[sorry, Greg - I HAD to!]

ETA: lisa's comment reminded me:

I am LOVING riding my new bike. I am so much more comfortable and have no problem staying in aero for long periods of time. She's ligher and just fits me so much better.

my new love! <3

here she is ! [finally!]

hours on craigslist and ebay, six stiches, and, finally, a deal at my LBS:

Felt S32

bad ass.

yesterday I left work to check out this bike at my LBS.

I put on my helmet, my bike shoes, and set off to try it out.

preface: with my trek 1500, I have to apply a decent amount of pressure to the brakes to come to a complete stop.

I was in aero, riding along nicely on this beautiful bike, when I came up on a speed bump and decided to test out the brakes.

I squeezed them hard [tha'swhatshesaid].

the bike stopped.

I didn't.

head-over-handlebars into the cement and some good samaritans helped me up. I landed on my hand and my chin I got cleaned off and walked back to the LBS, trying not to cry and failing miserably.

A Howard Co. police officer was there checking out new bikes --- he saw me, grabbed his first aid kit, cleaned off my chin, and promptly drove me to Howard County General.

One perk of being an ASA and knowing police officers? Going in through the ambulance entrance at HCGH and not having to go through triage.

PA: have you had a tetanus shot within the past 5 years?
me: no, but I'm pretty sure I don't need one
PA: yes, you do.
me: can we do it in pill form?

confession: I hate needles. I know most people don't love them, but I have a horrible phobia ... my blood pressure starts to drop, I get woozy, and light-headed.

so this was a one-two punch: stiches in my chin, then a tetanus shot in my arm. awesome.

The officer that drove me to the hospital sat with me for two hours and held my hand while I wailed (pansy, I know).

But: no puking + no passing out, which is kind of a milestone for me.

annnnd here I am - all around badass triathlete prosecutor:

I'm going back today to ride the Felt and see if I can get some money knocked off the price [a little sob story may help!]

totals june 01 - june 07

time in the water: 7250.00 M in 2h 28m 40s

time in my asics: 0.00 Mi

time on bluebird: 144.50 Mi in 9h 04m 39s

total training time: 11h 33m 19s

bluebird rides outside, is bathed.

rides outside:

at a wedding, saturday night, and I got a text that a friend of mine who does adventure races [ARs = triathlon's weird cousin] bought a road bike. a beautiful road bike: [a road bike I would steal if I wasn't 5 feet tall.]

[so jealous]

he was anxious to ride her and I was anxious to ride outside [no more three hour trainer rides. The Wire or not, that was a long time to sit inside]. I put down the wine, started drinking water, and went to bed [relatively] early.

we met at a park in howard co. at 8:45 [I got lost. I know you all are shocked] and got on the road around 9 .. after taking these goofy pictures:

[me and bluebird.]






[it's hard to take pictures of tall people.]

the weather was absolutely beautiful - mid 70s and sunny. [I woke up to rain and was happy to see that it cleared up so beautifully]. the ride was beautiful too -- rolling, I'd say, with some flat stretches and some fast decents (got up to 40 mph on one!) and a few uphills. it's weird to me that there is so much farmland in an area I think of as totally suburban. we passed quite a few farms and saw horses and cows. moooooo.

oh, and I found some houses I know J would absolutely love, but gov't attorney or not, sweetie, I think 2+ million is out of our price range (for now ;)).

I took two bottles of Infinit and two bottles of water. I need to practice drinking more of the Infinit and getting down a full bottle per hour. Not such a big deal for shorter rides, but I need to get my stomach used to the calories for RI/ Diamondman and esp. IMCOZ.

the ride: 35.20 miles in 2h 11m 51s // 16.02 Mi/hr.


then J and I had a graduation party, and I needed a potty break for a 35 min drive [too much water.] -- riding with me is like riding with a toddler -- and then I inhaled as much food as I could get my grubby little hands on.


gets bathed:


apparently there are things that everyone knows about cycling that I do not know.

one is pumping your tires before each ride.

another is cleaning your bike.

I ended up taking a day off [long story] and figured I should clean Bluebird since I haven't cleaned her, um, ever, and AR friend said that I should take better care of it.

[getting ready to clean her]

[scrubbing the chain with degreaser]

[elbow grease]


[smiley]


[clean Bluebird!]



[need to clean these before court tomorrow]