Slept like a baby Monday night and woke up 10 minutes before the alarm. I love when I do that. Everyone in the class has the latest gear, but I got compliments on my cute sugoi bike outfit. Bike shorts make my butt look funny, but I guess my tri version aren’t SO bad. My joke continues to be that I like doing triathlons so I have an excuse to buy lots of cute sporty gear.
The big thing on today's agenda was the bike ride. The course is basically two 28 mile loops, for 56 miles total. Again, the plan was to do the first loop together, nice and easy, and the second loop as a time trial. Anyone who wanted to drop out after the first loop could, and I figured I probably would.
About 5 miles in, we planned to stop at a deli on the way. One of our group had a serious accident. C, the bike shop guy, came to a quick stop in front of the deli. One of the guys was close behind him, in aero position on a tri bike. He slammed on the brake, but crashed into C and flipped. I think he caught most of his weight on the heel of his hand, but the force of it dislocated on of the bones in his forearm. It didn't break the skin, but the bone was bulging out in a very bad-looking and painful way. This was one of the more experienced guys, at least in terms of cycling. He was hurting, big time. I didn't see the accident because I was one of the last to pull up to the scene. Someone called 911, and the guys went off to the hospital in an ambulance. We found out later that he will need surgery.
This was disturbing, but the rest of us had to finish the ride. We went out to the Point and around to do the rest of the loop. I am not used to riding in a group, and I don't like being so close to people's wheels. Also, I'm not accustomed to going fast, and I tend to touch the brake on the downhill bits so I don't start feeling out of control. We got some tips specific to the course -- there are some rolling hills, and if you really work yourself to get over the first one, you'll have enough momentum to get over the next. Good tip.
On the way back from the Point, my chain popped out in the middle of a hill. Luckily they had sent me out first, so most of the guys were behind me and one of them got it popped back in for me. It seemed normal at first, but the chain was catching in a weird way, and turned out to have a little kink in one of the links. I think "fa-cocked" is the official term. Anyway the coach seemed a little concerned that it would pop, so the two of us headed back together. He kept an eye on me and gave me hints on when to make gear adjustments. Maybe this would come more naturally if I knew how to drive a stick shift.
While we were out there alone on the course, I took the opportunity to ask him if he thought I should be doing this. I was afraid to ask, but I guess I needed some affirmation. Most of me thought he would avoid discouraging me, being a coach/enabler type. But part of me was secretly afraid that he would say, "Half Ironman is not for you, maybe you should stick with the Sprint events," or "You could really hurt yourself, and I don't want to be responsible. Maybe you should try again next year."
What he did say was this. "Listen, this is an aggressive goal. You are going to need to put in a lot of time to make it happen and build your endurance. I've seen you swim, and know you can do it (HA!), but you need to really work on your cycling or you are going to miss the cutoff." He said I needed to work on my cycling! Maybe my swimming is not so bad after all! (Or, maybe he wasn't paying attention that closely.) He also said, "But, what's the worst that could happen? If you don't finish, you'll know what you need to work on, and will be better prepared next year." I liked that answer. After all, I know I won't die out there. If I can't swim, I'll float, float, float my way to shore. If I fall on my bike, someone will probably take me home. If I can't run, I'll walk. I'm still going to go for it.
I felt fine when we got back - I think the bike must be a good fit, because I really wan't sore in the "saddle" at all. We skipped part of the course, so my total was 22 miles.
2 of the guys skipped the second loop. The rest went back out. I went home to pack up the house so I could head home as soon as the class was over. I even had time to wash the car (it was filthy) and take a shower.
When everyone got back, we got an update on the bike accident (ouch!), and went through the training plan. The training plan is a real time commitment, with 2 workouts a day most days. We also got individualized comments on our swimming, and suggestions on drills to work on them. I tend to almost cross my arms, causing me to "fishtail" in the water, and increase drag. The "one-arm" and the "catch-up" drills are supposed to help, so I'll try that.
We went outside for a discussion of the Pose Method of running. It's supposed to reduce injuries and be a more "natural" way to run. We did some drills to help us be lighter on our feet - high knees, butt kicks, etc. This is worth trying for me -- sometimes I run like an elephant.
Then there was one last swim, which I skipped. I had a 3 hour drive ahead of me and didn't want to do it in a wet, pond-y, bathing suit. I said my goodbyes and drove out into the sunset.
It was intense/easy/hard/fun. So glad I did it.
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