It's HOTT!!

Seriously. Really, really hot. Finally. Just in time for IMKY. But not in time to acclimate with long workouts because...taper starts today!!!

THis brings mixed emotions. I don't like going into taper on a bad note...and yesterday was a bad note. Saturday, however, was good. I'm just not sure yet if it's enough to negate the poor performance of Sunday.

My Thursday night brick went really well. I went out a little too hard and a little too long on the bike portion, but I was feeling good...and i was on my new toy so it was hard to resist. The run was good and at a "steady" effort. Actually, it was a damn good pace. But, I didn't take water with me and i don't think I drank enough on the bike, so by the time i got home, I was a little dizzy. And it was a long brick, so I didn't even sit down to eat until after 8pm.

And I was up at 5:30 the next morning and out riding again by 6. I wanted to be able to go to the Downtown Dash 5k and visit with Tom a bit that evening, so I had to get the ride in early.

I was half tempted to run that 5k once 4pm hit, but I knew what the weekend held in store. And i got hungry, so I ate and then took Clubber downtown. Sadly, this is the extent of my hanging out these days. I go to races to socialize. Lame, huh?

Anyway, Saturday, I was up at 4:30am. (is that even legal on the weekend?) On the road by 5:30 with a bag full of gear, a lunch bag of nutrition, a gallon of water and my bike.

We started out with about 4k swimming HARD in the lake. Then, onto the bike for a 97 mile ride with just our little 6 man crew. The time went by quickly and we joked and sang and discussed race strategies and training and food! We stopped at 3 hours to fill water bottles and take a pee break. And that's when things really started heating up. Those last 2.5 hours were hot. But I felt great. And as soon as we got back to the parking lot, we all took off running. Just a couple miles. And then to the outdoor shower so I could drive home in my steamy shit can with no a/c.

I mused on the way home that it was about 3:15pm and I'd already consumed a gallon of water and 2200 calories. And after a shower, more food, rest, compression tights...I was up early Sunday morning for more fun.

I met Judi out at East Fork for an OWS. She had an hour on the schedule. I didn't have a swim scheduled, but I figured it couldn't hurt. Plus, I know it gets a little freaky out there swimming alone. Besides a little shoulder pain, that went well...

And that's the end of things going well for the weekend. I made the (in retrospect, very unwise) decision to go lie by the pool for a while before attempting my 2:40 run. So, I cooked. For two hours. I was dripping sweat. I put myself in the hurt locker well before I even went out for that run.

The run started with Holly. A half hour in, I was completely drenched in sweat, wanting to puke or crap my pants, and incapable of taking in water. I was miserable. Holly just kept telling me i was going to make it. Another ten minutes, I stopped again. Another ten...and stopped again. And crying. It was horrible. My skin was on fire. My head was aching. I had sweat everywhere. And I just couldn't move. Holly pointed me in the direction of her house and there I went. To get some ice and drip sweat all over her porch. As I drove away, my car read 93 degrees.

Coach called later to ask how the run went. Turns out everyone struggled with the heat yesterday. He was the only one to complete the entire time. And he blacked out at the end.

Oh, dear God, please let it be cool for IMKY. I don't want to melt.