It’s been a busy week around here. First of all, I started a new job – and it’s great! Second, I’m training for Ironman. Third, we’re getting ready for a trip.
A trip, you say? That’s right, this afternoon we’re heading to Boulder, Colorado to find out what all the fuss is about. Seems like every magazine out there says Boulder this and Boulder that. And I’ll tell you something – they better open a lane up for me at the pool because when I show them my 20 second 25’s….you know they’ll be watching the best thing that hit Boulder since……they opened up a kiddie pool?
Anyways, I’m not yet packed for the trip but that’s what this morning is for. Pack, run, and drink lots of coffee. So far, I’ve accomplished coffee on my list.
My bike has already been shipped. And will soon safely be in the care of the Keil’s. I brought my road bike with a compact crank. I have no idea what the riding is like out there but I assume what starts at 5000 feet either goes up or down. And climbing and descending are not really things you want to do all weekend on a tri bike. Plus I’m sort of raging against my machine right now. After last week’s mega mileage I got on my bike last night and realized I was tired, my seat hurts, and my aero bars are not on straight. I think the bike itself is starting to protest against me getting on it as much as I protest riding it right now.
Chris is already packed. He packed light this time. Traveling with Chris is often like traveling with a woman. Man’s got a bag for everything. (So far) in the foyer I see one bag. And a wheel box.
I will start packing right after I have another…cup….of….COFFEE!
We’re going to Boulder to meet up with Jenni and Jeff Keil. Jeff is training for Kona. Jenni for long course duathlon worlds. She tried to talk me into a 1 mile race, I told her I would cheer, she then tried to talk me into a 5K race, I told my legs were going nowhere near 5K speed these days.
We’re also meeting up with Seton and Sarah from Trisports. Seton owns the place so I best wear my logo gear all weekend and behave myself. Sarah coordinates sponsorships. Chris is thrilled to be meeting her. He is obsessed with her. He sees her as some sort of Santa Claus that sends us packages of bike parts and aero bars every other week (seriously, every time I check the mail we have a new set of aerobars on our porch).
On tap for this weekend is 12 hours of riding, 2.5 hours of running, and some swimming. So I guess you could say it’s a bike focus weekend. Running is one of those necessary evils in Ironman training. You want to do more, you know you should do more but the minute you start doing more your body breaks down. So around here, less is more.
I suppose I should start packing. Or just show up in Boulder with a hobo stick and a wheel box. Because really all I’m going to need this weekend are some wheels to put on my bike, the clothes on my back for a ride, and probably some cycling shoes. But if worse comes to worse, flip flops would do.
I’ll send a few updates along the way. And, if you live in Colorado and see someone on a smurfy blue bike going backwards from a long group of very fast riders – that’s me. Please pick me up and push me back to the group.
