Bring it ON....

So I'm gonna have to say that pretty much momo and I ROCK. I mean, you've all prolly read this story. And, well I have to say that at that point I wasn't ready to toot my own horn. But, after YESTERDAY. I am ready. I say bring it on, with 110degrees, then 55degrees and 20mph winds and RAIN a week later. And, after all that, momo and I will still be ready for the challenge and we'll be ready to "chick" any one who comes our way.. Well, cause that is how WE roll!

While I will never claim to be the fastest or the best competitor, right now I'm giving myself some serious props for being hard core and tough!

So, more on this in a minute. I do need to retract a few things first... and set the tone a little bit.

This whole 7hr ride that was put on our schedule has been really intimidating the hell out of me. I mean, really who wants to end a ~20hr training week with 7HRS on the bike? Yah, not me either. But 16 weeks somehow came and went and here we were quickly approaching the ride. So, I just sucked it up and quit my complaining and mapped out a nice hilly route. On MONDAY. So that little miss needs a plan right now could be happy :-)

Then Wednesday happened and I really really felt like I might just die if I tried to ride 7 hours feeling that bad so I slept in on Thursday (slept in meaning like 6:30am) and it had somehow gone from 820 degrees to raining and 53degs. No joke.

So to celebrate I took a 'sick day' I stayed in my PJs until about 4pm and skipped my spin class and my Daniel strength work out and loved every minute of it.

And Friday I woke up and felt FANTASTIC. Like a new person..... And after my run and my swim I knew I would be good to go for our bike ride. I guess I learned how good an extra day off can really feel!! Now, I know that I should probably listen to my body more often. And I KNOW that is OK to take a rest day, and skip a workout. I'm not THAT type A.

But here's the thing with all that. For me it's not a matter of "having to do EVERY workout" For me it's a matter of GETTING to do every workout. When getting to do the workouts has been taken away from you off on and for 6 years because of stupid injuries, you tend to not take the fact that you CAN do them for granted.

Sometimes this might lead to some bad judgement on my part, but that's just me. And pain or no pain sometimes you just have to do it.

Saturday morning came and we had already moved our 5am start to 6am due to the weather. The rain was supposed to stop at about 4am and just be partly cloudy and cool with 10-15mph winds. Not SO bad. In fact I was excited to not have to slather up in sunscreen and eat salt like it's going out of style.

It's about 5mins to 6 and little MISS daniella-bella has not showed up. I check my phone, cause I've already got the feeling his pansy-Ironman wannabee - ass is ditching us. Again. Sure enough the little naturally talented bastard is back in bed and not showing because he is affraid that the water might mess his pretty hair up.

Yup my friends. This is the same guy that I was just all tooting HIS horn for being so mentally tough. Well, I'm eating my own words, with a cherry on top. And I want to take it all back.

So, Daniel has been OFFICIALLY CHICKED.

But, unfortunately the little biatch is NOT alone. Honey, I do love you with all my heart... but this has been a couple of weekends now where somehow Momo & I are the last ones standing. So, due to unfortunate circumstances... you have been officially added to our list. Now, because you have pulled our a@@es all over Scottsdale week after week, and I also know that you are going to officially stomp on us in 4 weeks on that course being that you have some serious unfinished business and all.... I will totally eat my words in a few weeks. With a cherry on top of that as well. Or, actually with a snow cone, cause I hear that's how things work in Ironman.

Now, back to the ride. After a couple phone calls from momo, and my executive decision to do the bike even if it was raining Shane & I were on our way to pick up Melisa. After the first big climb Shane had pretty much decided his turnaround point.... He was hurting. His knee was in pain when he'd push hard at all and he was slowly dropping behind. The rain was picking up and we were all cold. And I'm pretty sure that Melisa was totally counting on ME to throw the towel in, because you know we can talk each other into just about anything.

Unfortunately for her, I was on a mission. I was on 'rested' legs and I was going to finish this ride if it killed me. So, we parted ways with Shane & headed down 9 mile hill. The rain was picking up and the wind was coming RIGHT at us. We usually travel between 25-30mph down this hill, but not today. Today we were being very cautious of the wet roads and wind and rain and it took us 5-10mins longer to get to the bottom.

I kept thinking to myself how in the world did Shane do and Ironman like this? Actually WORSE than this. I guess race day bring a whole knew toughness out.

So, after an adventurous (I'm kinda hoping Melisa elaborates on those adventures) 10miles of rolling hills, and more rain, and some potty breaks, and clip issues and lots of laughs about how gross and muddy and pretty we were looking we were finally climbing up out of Fountain Hills.

The plan was to meet our friends Heather and Troy a couple miles later to do some of our riding with us. We had already sent the 2 text messages because we were late. But when I realized we were even MORE late. And, of course it started to rain even more at this point, I figured there was no way they were still there.

And my attitude went from great, to good to BAD.READY.TO.Quit. NOW mode. I was wet and getting cold and no one else was out there with us so why should we still be mode. And my house was after all, just 3 miles away.

And low and behold there they were. Heather & Troy standing on the corner in the rain waiting for us. And, without saying anything we both knew that we couldn't quit now. Even though the two only rode with us for about 10 miles, they totally saved our ride. I am very thankful for that.

Guess what else? The rain stopped. With 2.5hours left in my day - and no one else left to finish the last 1.5 hours with me (the plan was to drop Melisa off - her schedule was only 5hrs) and do a loop away from her house I mixed up the route. I dropped her off and had 90mins to go. Her house is about 35mins ride from mine so I headed up for some more climbing on my own.

I was 5.5hrs into this ride and I just got this boost of energy. Of confidence. I felt so STRONG. I got aero and just went. If you look at the graph below, you'll see where the second climbing starts. At about 85miles. That's where I was on my own. Since we had been lolly-gagging for quite a while now I decided I would push it a little bit.

I climbed until I hit 6:10 and figured it would be perfect for finishing at 7hrs with the trek back home.

I did it. I got home when my watch hit 6:59:35. 116.1 miles (had planned 121 until the weather change) avg HR 128.

And, when I loaded the info onto my computer, I realized I must have hit a lap at somepoint with out realizing. It was at 4hrs. With the weather and the climbing in the first half our avg was only 15.7 (including going DOWN 9mile hill). Lap 2, the last 3 hrs. 17.7avg, including my last trek of climbing. Whoot!

I was a complete muddy/nasty mess. My new pearly white shoes are black. Mini me is a mud crusted mess, but I didn't care. I made it. And I felt strong. And I was confident. I was amazed at how good my body felt. I'm excited to see what an actual taper can do for my legs after seeing what one extra rest day did for them.

I'm ready for whatever race day might bring. Whether it be 100degrees or cold and rainy. Been there and done that (now). I'm not making any claim to a sub xx race, because you just never know what might happen on race day. But I am claiming that I'm training and I'm ready and I'm going to have fun. And, hopefully be within reach of my partner in crime on race day - so maybe we could once again have a strong finish together. Chick pride and all.

Here are my totals for the week ~19hrs, no strength training this week