Spent all day today outside in a rainy, windy, hurricane-like-monsoonish tornado of sorts. We called it the ROCKMAN H.I.M.

Strapping is hard work. Especially out in the pouring rain and howling wind. Most wives/girlfriends/significant others/miscellaneous friends/family members stayed home and the course was hard pressed for jockstrappers. I was out there soaking wet. I met a similarly dedicated chick, Ali, who was out there for her husband... We spent 5+ hours together and had a really nice time... well, as nice of a time as you can have with a near stranger in the driving rain. I did get her number. She's going to be at Racine and Madison this year.

I just changed into dry clothes, but I *really* need a shower.

All in all a very good weekend for both me and Dumpster . He did a 5:04 HIM out there in the typhoon. Amazing.

I have some photos from the weekend. I will shrink them and paste them at some point. LauraB took some really good ones. Mine are more mediocre. You will be able to tell the difference immediately.

Tonight, Chris and I are going out for a celebratory dinner.

I'm glad Rockman is over. I'm tired.

Here's my favorite photo of the weekend... from StartingToTri's camera:

I like how clear I look, and how blurry the car behind me looks! Makes me look fast!

Uhmmmmmm.... I won my age group!? I set a 5K PR by like 4 minutes?! I was third woman off the bike and onto the run course until the turn around?!

WHO AM I!??!? I'm confused.

But happy. You know. I'm happy. And I won a giant cannister of HEED.

Not too bad. I am still in shock over that 5K time. Seriously.

200 swim
200 kick
200 pull with paddles
200 drill
200 IM (2 x 100)
200 swim
8 x 50
1) :20
2) :15
3) :10
4) :10
5) :05 (x2)
2 x 400 @ 85% (:15)
100 easy
------------
2500

Short swimmy. Swam it outside. Wonderful. VEEEEEEERRRRRYYYY windy, though, and it kept looking like it was going to storm. Never did. Not til I got out of the pool... :)

Sun is shining again, though and I bet I can find a rainbow if I look. It's been raining and sunny all day long. Humid. Like living in a terrarium, but the rainbows are cool.

6:37 AM: So... I meant to get up early and swim this morning... and I actually did get up early... I just didn't swim. I went back to bed. Early AM txt msg from dumpster saying he was going to sleep... an assessment of how I felt... and the knowledge that I should be getting out of work a bit early today... all led me to jump back into bed and pull the covers up over my head. Racing tomorrow. EEEEEK! I might just swim the short set tonight. 2400-2500. That should be enough.

Now, I'm going to make good use of my time and gather all my stuff together for the race. I don't want to forget some essential item (like, say, my bike... ) because I'm rushing around in a last minute frantic frenzy.

Hmmmm, thought this would be faster. HOT! HUMID! HEADWIND! But at least it was flat.

:)

Lap 1: 10m 00s, 0.89 miles, 11m 11s /mile, Max HR 146, Avg HR 134
Lap 2: 10m 00s, 0.70 miles, 14m 14s /mile, Max HR 144, Avg HR 129
Lap 3: 00m 30s, 0.06 miles, 08m 53s /mile, Max HR 140, Avg HR 121
Lap 4: 01m 00s, 0.05 miles, 19m 20s /mile, Max HR 144, Avg HR 131
Lap 5: 00m 30s, 0.06 miles, 07m 50s /mile, Max HR 144, Avg HR 126
Lap 6: 01m 00s, 0.05 miles, 18m 59s /mile, Max HR 150, Avg HR 139
Lap 7: 00m 30s, 0.06 miles, 07m 43s /mile, Max HR 150, Avg HR 133
Lap 8: 01m 00s, 0.05 miles, 19m 28s /mile, Max HR 153, Avg HR 140
Lap 9: 00m 30s, 0.06 miles, 08m 04s /mile, Max HR 149, Avg HR 134
Lap 10: 01m 00s, 0.05 miles, 19m 53s /mile, Max HR 153, Avg HR 142
Lap 11: 09m 24s, 1.00 miles, 09m 24s /mile, Max HR 169, Avg HR 159
Lap 12: 10m 00s, 0.77 miles, 13m /mile, Max HR 167, Avg HR 145

A new mile PR for me. Although I wanted to DIE right there in the forest preserve. I don't know how people are able to MOVE faster than that. Really.

Corework

2 x 15 hip lifts off edge of steps
4 x 25 fitness ball situps
3 x 15 around the world on balance plate
4 x 20 vertical leg situps w/ weights
2 x 10 Statue of Liberty

A run on the sked today. And I've already done my corework. I'm oh-so-efficient and such. A slight risk of severe storms this afternoon... hopefully I won't have to run in them.

Will spend the bulk of the day today preparing for a BUSINESS WRITING BASICS class that I'm teaching on Friday. I still have to create the PPT presentation and figure out what I'm going to say. Last minute Laura. That's my name. Don't wear it out.

Oh Lookie: Here's a gem in the photo flipper today. This was my ((now defunct)) wedding shower. The date was 3/11/2002. I was experimenting with hair color right before my ((now defunct)) wedding. This was a reddish brown. Meh, notsomuch. With me, of course, is the ever adorable BFF Rachael. I had several glasses of wine. I suspect I was trying to look sultry. Jury's out.

300 Warm up
6 x 50 Misc drill
200 Free
8 x 25 Back
100 Free
3 x(50,100,150,200)(:10)
1) Pull
2) Kick
3) Swim
10 x 50 fast. (:05)
100 Easy
-----------
3200

A little chatty today since Jana was back... so that delayed getting into the pool... and getting out. :)

Katie and I wore our matching suits today. Why? Why not?

10' Z1
4 x 200 stride + 200 recovery
1) 7:53/149
2) 7:55/154
3) 7:17/153
4) 7:52/154

Not sure what happened with #3 there... it didn't feel any faster than the other 3. Might be a Garmin mistake?

10' Z1
--------
30'

Recovery Day! And OMG I need it. Am looking forward to doing nothing involving exercise today. I think I may get a pedicure, though... As long as they don't make me move too much. Am recovering. I want to execute this recovery day perfectly. Thankyouverymuch.

I do have ART tonight after work. Will have Dr. Fager look at both knees and finish up the neck/upperback area. That's almost totally better now.