Week 11 Is History

 Every third week is a recovery week and I’m ready for this one coming up. For some reason I’m in a “blue funk”. I don’t know whether it’s overtraining, a lack of sleep (been bad since the accident), this never-ending rain, a ton of things to do at the cottage, or a combination of all four. For the first time in a year and a half on the Multisports training program I’ve skipped one of the bold workouts. My Thursday track workout was on a rainy day and I just couldn’t muster the strength to do it. Bad boy! But then again, the coaches all say when your body tells you it’s tired, LISTEN TO IT.

Update-I wrote the above paragraph on Saturday. On Sunday morning I awoke with a cold that Jean has had and was kind enough to share with me. One night last week she rolled over and I could feel her hot breath on my arm. I thought maybe she was up for a little middle of the night adventure, but when she snored I knew it was not to be. Little did I know she was making it so the cold bugs didn’t have to jump as far.

The Saturday bike ride was a disaster but I felt great on the 50 minute transition run. It started out by raining when I was ready to go so I had to wait around a while. I’m not a good “waiter”. I had mixed some CarboPro and Gatorade for some needed carbs on the 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hour heart rate 2 to 3 bike. When I filled the aero bottle on my bike, some of it leaked back into my bike computer. I was riding out to the 24 hour challenge route, looked at the computer, and it said I was doing 27 mph on airport road going across the river. On the uphill right after that it said I was also doing 27 so I knew it was acting funny. It had me going anywhere from 35 down to 18 and back up to 32 in the same short stretch.

After 1:24:12 it quit working altogether so I have no idea how far I went or how long. It started working again about two miles from the end of the ride. My closest estimate is 3 hours and around 50 miles. It was one of those rides where all else failed as well. At the risk of being blunt, my butt was sore from the first mile. Without getting too technical for you non-bikers, all I can say is the equipment placement was never quite right. The wind was strong and gusty from the east and south, the exact directions I spent 90% of my time going toward, so that didn’t help either.

So here’s a thought. When I dumped the bike at Madison, the CarboPro went all over me and the bike and my brain went haywire too. So do you think it wasn’t brain injury at all and CarboPro is the culprit? You may laugh, but I think it’s true. I’m also leaning toward the possibility that there really is a Shrek out there somewhere.

For those of you who have talked to Jean after her camp at Lake Placid, she had a great time, learned quite a few useful things, and was happy to have seen the bike course before her race. She called on the way back. Well, actually Becky called, but she and Jean both talked at the same time, so I got twice the stories in half the time. Anyway, she said she had won the “hammerhead award” at the camp. When I heard her tell the story later, she called it the “hammer award” so I’m not sure which one to have etched on our joint tombstone.

My run this morning had its ups and downs. I started out feeling comfortable. I was trying to keep my heart rate in the 2 to 3 zone so I sped up a little from my normal plodding. I went around 12 miles but the last two turned into a chore. Again, the cold had its way with me and I just ran out of gas. I kept the speed up but it was quite an effort.

Time to rest. I’ll stay out at the cottage tonight and Jean will probably stay here in town. When you’re in misery, sleeping alone is a good thing. Someone used all but a tiny bit of my Nyquil so it’s another trip to the store.

Sayonara,

Just (Feeling Like Crap) Jack

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