So I had my first roadside assistance issue of the year. Not bad, since it's already more than half way through August.

Was feeling great, averaging about 17.5 in Z2 getting ready to turn around and get myself a sweet tailwind, when I heard... "ping ka-lunk" and it became hard to pedal.

But I kept going... thinking I could somehow make it home... and I had to stop around 1/2 mile into my effort. I had two broken spokes on the back wheel.

Called Chris. (The resident SAG wagon) and he brought me a spare wheel. Put the spare wheel on.... and took off like lightening. Had a GREAT return trip. I think there is something wrong with my bearings too. Chris is running an 11 x 23 cassette, which I've been wanting to try... and I think I really like it. I really like this wheel, too. It's just a normal wheel... but it just seems so much smoother than mine!

Hauled ass the rest of the way home. Stopped at Katie's house to say hi cuz I saw her in the yard...
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I rode the full 1:15 today, but I didn't hit "restart" after I pulled out of Katie's house... so I'm missing about 12-13 minutes and however many miles that is.

Wow! I just slept for 10.5 hours.

Had a great day yesterday. The weather was perfect... Chris and I went out for a VERY YUMMY dinner at our favorite local restaurant...(we have some history there...) and shared a bottle of Al-legader. (Heh) He gave me a certificate redeemable for a Mac computer. So now I will be able to sit on my couch, watch TV and chat with you all. Rather than cloistering myself up in the "office". 

Today I must move on with the business of being 38, and that includes a 1:15 Z1-2 bike ride... Then I have to get all my crap together to race tomorrow. It's just a sprint, so if I forget something... it's not the end of the world...(as long as it's not my shorts, I suppose...) and there's not all that nutrition to fret about.

The plan for tomorrow is... there is no plan. Just get out there and swim like a freak, bike like my pants are on fire and keep the legs moving at a good pace on the run. And see what happens. No watches. No speedometers. No wetsuit if I can avoid it. Nothing. Red-lining by RPE the whole time. If I don't feel like hell at the finish line, then I haven't done my job. We'll see how it goes.

Happy Birthday to me.

This hurt. For as good as the joints and such were feeling yesterday, they hurt today with running. It's OK, though. I need to remember how to run on tired/achy legs.

This was an exercise in will power and leg fatigue.

38 years ago I was born...and then shortly thereafter I was adopted by my parents. For that reason, I don't have any newborn photos of myself... but I do have this, which was taken about 37.5 years ago:

And I give you THIS from my 16th birthday:

Rachael and me drinking Lambrusco and having an ice cream cake, 8/15/1986. My shirt smacks of TGIFridays and is killing my eyes.  And we were about 5 years too young to be drinking... (!!!)

5:07 PM: WOW! I got 55 inspires today. And the day is not even over! What a cool birthday gift. I feel very trixie-esque.  You all are awesome. Thanks.

Business ONLY! Very focused swim, despite the fact I started out feeling like a beached walrus.

Lame lame lame.

Warmup
100 Breaststroke

Main Set
800 (every 4th 50 as IM order/scull)
This was totally uncoordinated. I felt like I was partially drowning. Seriously.
400 free with ankle bands
(forgot my paddles)
200 (alt. Per 25 sprint/easy)
5 X 100 (descend 1-3, hold 4 and 5 at fastest pace) (:20)
1) 1:30 (whoops, no place to descend to...?)
2) 1:29 (just barely)
3) 1:30 (nope!)
4) 1:28 (hey! maybe I'm not a walrus after all!)
5) 1:29

That first one was a bit too fast for a descending set. It didn't feel that fast.
100 backstroke
200 (alt. Per 25 sprint/easy)

Cooldown
200 backstroke
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2500

Swimmy swimmy swimmy swimmy swimmy swimmy swimmy tonight. My legs feel pretty good... I'm a lot less beat up after almost 12 miles than I was a couple weekends ago after 9ish. I wonder if my new shoes should get the credit for this...? They did give me a blister, though. That was gross. I popped it with a pin and some bloody watery juice came out. Awesome.

1) 1:40
2) 1:38
3) 1:34
4) 1:34
5) 1:30 WOOO HOO! :)

Interesting.  I was Woo-Hoooing a 1:30. And today I did it accidentally. Heh.

Ha! Stick that in your pipe and smoke it. Sub 12 min/miles. With a 2:30/1 walk/run combo. I'm thrilled. :)

Felt pretty strong today.

Started to get queezy around 2:00 into it, though, and wound up squatting next to a tree @ 2:05. I got the squirts! I almost made it! Poop (heh, no pun intended!)

Gathered myself together and continued on an additional 15 minutes and got it done.

Had I continued at this pace, I may have had a half marathon PR. This was what I was trying to do @ Steelhead... before I lost my enthusiasm around mile 8ish.

Recoverite + Ice bath

Open Water Schwimmen @ Crystal Lake with Jana, Katie, Pete, et al.

For Jana's last day, and for me to finally get my new wetsuit... well, wet.

Memorable quote of this morning:

Jana: Laura, you swim the crookedest straight line I've ever seen!

Me: I know! (As I narrowly miss a head on collision with people swimming in the same direction...?)

BYE JANA! ENJOY FLORIDA!

5:34 AM: Up early for a little OWS this morning! Jana's official last day. Poop.

In keeping with the Olympics... I give you a couple of my snapshots from Atlanta 1996.  I road tripped there with my friend Amy. We stayed for a week and a half in MACON (80 miles outside of Atlanta) and drove into Atlanta EVERY DAY for events. We had a GREAT time. If the Olympics come to the US again, I'd HIGHLY recommend going. Even for just a couple of events. We saw:

• Mens' gymnastics individual final
• Beach volleyball (They served beer. I don't remember who played whom...although I do recall it rained during a match involving Brazil!)
• Swimming
• And a bunch of other stuff I don't remember. Mostly beach volleyball and gymnastics, though.

RECOVERY DAY!
Back on track this week. Got a big run on Wednesday and a race on Sunday. Miscellaneous other runs and swims mixed throughout. Some core-work, too... but today, NADA!

That's everyone, with my Mom in the middle and my sister and BIL on the right. Me and dumpy on the left.

Me, my Mom and sister.

Dumpster and me.

I overachieved by 1 minute and 4 seconds. I wanted to go an even "7" miles.

Beautiful day out there today. Not that much humidity or heat. Not many bugs either... and I ran in a park with plenty of places for them to nest and breed. (!!)

Crushed limestone path all the way around Lippold Park. I have to admit, I got sorta lost a couple of times, not knowing where the different "branches" of the path went. I wound up running through the parking lot like 3x.

AHR seems high, and that's not what it said on the actual Garmin device. Hmmmmmm.

Fixed it. It showed up correctly on Training Peaks, too... ??? Weird.

Recoverite + Ice bath = Awesome

I'm really sore and creaky. I feel like the Tin-Man, seizing up. Been sleeping like crap lately because my legs are uncomfortable. My body does not like all this rest. When you are old and arthritic like I am, I suspect it's best to keep things moving. Hmmmmmmmm. But then I don't get my mental break. And, of course, I need to RECOVER... so... I don't know. It's a conundrum.

At any rate, all the rest is over today with a 1:20 run. And then marathon training picks up again. Am also thinking of doing that 30K TT on Saturday with Chris. Need to talk to my coach.