Today's Workout: Hey, whose dog is that?

Up at 4 AM after a very poor night's sleep. Those swim days make me sneezy and congested when I sleep. Very unpleasant.

Clicked into my pedals at Skyline by 6:40 AM. I love the early mornings there, lots of wildlife and today would be no disappointment. I saw a ton of deer, a wild turkey, and oh yes, a bear. I am going uphill at maybe 7 mph (trust me, that's a fair speed at those inclines) and I see what looks to be a black dog running across the road like a puppy. As I was about to yell to the dog, I realized that in fact it was a bear--a young bear. My biggest concern was that Mama bear was probably nearby so I started singing at the top of my lungs. Trust me, that would scare anything away.

It was initially very foggy on Skyline Dr. today. I was doing a repeat of a section and the fog near mile marker 15 was so bad I had to turn back, go down the hill to 10, and ride back up. By then the fog had disappeared. On the return trip, the wind kicked up fiercely. I had to tap the brakes to keep my speed below 25 on the downhill because the wind was coming at me sideways in an attempt to knock me on my buttocks. I added a 30 minute run at the end of my ride, the foot did not feel great.

JB rode sag for me today. I didn't feel like going up there alone and I wanted her to see what I ride on. I plied her with an egg sandwich at mile marker 24. She took some pictures but I'm not sure they will show the depth of the inclines. She did say she would have been crying in the first 5 miles. The truth of this for myself is between me and the deer.

I have to get into my chiro before camp next week. I'm hoping an adjustment beforehand leads to less hip pain on the bike. Jury's still out.

Tomorrow, another swim with the Master's program. Misery loves company.