Random thoughts..

So...good news/bad news on last weekend's workout...

First, the bad news: Rick and I didn't ride nearly as long as we had hoped. We mapped out a route from Deltaville to Saluda and back (twice). That would've given us about a 70 mile ride altogether. The problem was the road that we had to ride on (route 17) is full of very fast vehicles...who are not really keen on moving over for cyclists. It was actually a little scary. After almost 40 miles of stressful riding, we decided (for our own sanity & health) to cut the ride short.

Rick followed the ride up with an hour run. I went on a 45 minute walk with some of river friends (including my dog, Josie) followed by...drum roll please...a 20 minute run.

Well...my pace could barely be described as a "run" but it was faster than a walk. That, my friends, is the longest I have run since last October. My knees seemed to do okay, but I won't be adding additional time on my little runs for awhile.

Hopefully, if all goes well, I'll eventually be able to run about 3x/week for 30 minutes or so. But, I have learned my lesson (the hard way) and will not push my running beyond what my knees will allow.

Finding my niche

Today, I rode out in Hanover with the boys from Team in Training. I haven't ridden much out there - and I'm wondering why. It's so pretty. We did a 50-miler that included the three sisters and their crazy cousin. The hills aren't really that bad, particularly in comparison to the mighty Ironman Lake Placid bike course or the Blue Ridge parkway (granted, both of those rides take place in actual mountain ranges). I think it's just the second sister that is surprisingly (as in granny gear surprising) steep.

Anyway, I heard myself saying to one of my riding partners that I "used to be a triathlete."

Weird - what a difference a year makes.

My comment reflects, I think (here goes a little self-analysis), a defense mechanism on one hand - and a positive outlook on the other.

I have tried a little running - and...big ouch. My knees did not appreciate that. I'm not sure they really ever will.

And so, I find myself focusing instead on what I can do.

I can ride my bike. It's not quite as convenient as running, but what is?

Ironically, we rode the last 30 miles of our ride with Casey. Casey won (yes, won) the Richmond marathon two years ago (and qualified for the Olympic marathon trials in the process). Now, she's sidelined with a major hip injury (and it's up in the air if she can run again).

And there she was, riding right along with us.

Life is unpredictable. It can be mean. It can be unfair.

To quote some little note my mom used to have hanging in her kitchen, "When God sends us on stony paths, he provides strong shoes."

These days, my sweet Sidi cycling shoes are the strongest ones I wear.

My sporty vacation...by the numbers

(I stole the format for this entry from Weldon Bradshaw, coach/teacher extraordinaire @ Collegiate School)

9: the number of states we drove through...West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut

101: as in miles per hour...the speed of Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard's fast ball. That's just nasty.

41.73: seconds...yes, that was our gold-medal winning time at the Bobsled run in Lake Placid. And yes, we (Rick, Shelley, Lisa and I) stood on top of picnic table afterward and hummed the Olympic theme.

2: the number of hard-boiled eggs that Rick exploded (not on purpose) in the microwave. It sounded like a mini-bomb going off...we didn't stick around in that hotel for long.

2: the number of broken toes (that we know about) that took place in the beginning minutes of the Ironman swim...Deanna B and Rick are tough.

24: the total number of Ironman races completed by our cottage (aka Team Mountain Ash)...Blake and Rick lead the club house with 6 a piece. Can you say crazy?

13: Lucky 13! The number of Leahys Rick shared dinner with over the course of our vacation.

Priceless: watching the people who mean the most to you finish something amazing... like an Ironman race.