Headed home
After a really good long weekend on the east coast, we’re flying home in a few hours. And I’m ready. We spent Friday, Saturday and part of Sunday in Providence for a wedding. It’s always fun going back to Providence. It’s a great little city. I did one nice run around campus to check out the old stomping grounds. Sunday afternoon we flew to DC and spent the last couple days hanging out with family and some good friends we won’t be seeing so often now that we’re on the other coast.
It’ll be nice to get home and see Charlie (who’s been in very good hands with Loren and Eileen) and to get back in the pool and on the bike. I know that I still have plenty of time before Canada (nearly 16 weeks), but I know that it is going to quickly creep up on me.
Speaking of that… I had a pretty crazy Ironman anxiety dream last night. The first one that I can remember having. It started during the swim and I think I was having a pretty good swim, but part-way through the swim there was a “transition” from the lake into an indoor 25 yard (I think) pool. When I got to the pool, all the lanes were full of slow people just breaststroking or just barely moving. It took me a little while to find a lane where I could actually swim, but then the lane (yes, just my lane) EMPTIED OF WATER and instead of the usual slope from deep to shallow at the bottom of the pool there was a long set of stadium-like stairs. So, for some reason, I started “running” laps from one side to the other, up the stairs, down the stairs touching each wall. Also, a few friends were hanging out in the deep end just chatting. Then some other guy and his friend joined me, but THEY WERE TOTALLY CHEATING! They were counting more “laps” than they’d actually done and stopping to take regular breaks. After a little bit of this, I got worried that I was wearing out my legs for the bike and run, so I got out and tried to find a lane to actually swim in. But the pool was even worse than before and about half of it was closed off to lap swimming because there were kids in those lanes. And, TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, I couldn’t find my goggles! At this point, I don’t think anyone from the Ironman was left in the pool area. I looked at my watch and the time said 1:07, but then it switched to 1:37 and back again and again. Was I really the slowest swimmer in the race? And how could I finish if I couldn’t get in the pool??? I asked some lady about where I could finish the swim, but I don’t remember her answer because that’s about where I woke up. WTF?!
Swim – May 7
Distance: 2,187 yards (2,000 meters)
Time: 40 minutes
Bike – May 7
Distance: 47.3 miles
Time: 2:30
Average heart rate: 127
Course: Malibu, north on PCH
Conditions: Hot (high 70s), sunny, strong headwind on way out
Run – May 9
Distance: 5.4 miles
Time: 41 minutes
Average heart rate: 141
Course: Providence, RI
Conditions: Mid-50’s, drizzle
Strength – May 9
Run – May 10
Distance: 3.8 miles
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 142
Course: Chevy Chase
Conditions: Sunny, mid-60’s
Run – May 12
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 31 minutes
Average heart rate: 150
Course: Chevy Chase
Conditions: Sunny, 60