Today's Workout: Soy Miserable

Up at 4:30 AM, yes, I know it is Saturday. I decided to try to get a quality bike workout in. A friend clued me into the Bay to County bike ride of varying distances but the one that piqued my curiosity was the metric century otherwise known as 62 miles. I almost....almost put my race wheels on but I am so grateful I did not (more on that later).

I get there, someplace in Calvert County MD, and there is no real organized ride. You come in, pay, pickup a cue sheet and head out with your friends. Oh wait, I came alone.....thus I rode alone until about 20 miles from the finish when I passed a bunch of guys and raised their competetive spirit (that was fun). The course was hilly, great training for Lake Placid but wait...I don't need hills right now. Then there was the wind--thus the reference to my race wheels. It was incredibly windy, a few near blow overs. No doubt that would have increased with my race wheels as they act like a kite in a crosswind.

Bottom line it was a good, long ride but between looking at the cue sheet (turns were about every 3 miles, I can't read without my glasses, and I didn't discover that they had arrows in the road until mile 30) and battling the wind it was not the 62 miles in aero that I was hoping for. Moreover, I thought I started getting a cramp in my right calf but I ran fine after. I hope the pain I am experiencing is part of my sciatic problem and not something new. Sure, my body deservedly might want to talk back to me after the long year but not three weeks before my final race. I'm hoping the six recoverease capsules I just took fixes my calf--I consider them to be magical in their powers.

So other than the bike I did a 24 minute run, a bit shy of the scheduled 30 minutes but I got tired of the returning bikers glaring at me freakishly. I headed for home and grabbed my favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Then I decided to take a 10 minute power nap, 30 minutes later I awoke from my nap. I headed to the city pool and instead of doing my planned 6 minute swim I did Tuesday's 45 minute swim. Cheating...a little, but I am miserably tired. I have no idea how I endured Ironman training....really, I kid you not.

Tomorrow, a two hour run. I hope whatever is wrong with my knee/calf disappears between now and then.