Weekend of Firsts

Don't you just love firsts? Your first crush, your first kiss, your first car, your first house, your first flat tire on a bike ride, your first case of burnt feet on hot asphalt, your first runner's bathroom stop on the side of the road in the bushes...Bring back great memories.

Experienced the last three all in this past weekend. Friday I skipped my early morning ride that I had moved from Wednesday. So when the opportunity to ride in the afternoon presented itself, I of course said yes. WE were supposed to meet at 2:30 pm, but of course Big Poppa and Reeb were running late. Reeb had a flat front tire that they had to change. So finally around 2:50 we take off. The ride went downhill from there. Big Poppa's chain kept coming off if he would try to switch to his big ring in the front. So 3 or 4 times in the first 10 miles he had to stop to get his chain on. Then at mile 12, Reeb has a flat on her front tire. Word is the only smart one so we use his tube and co2 to fix the flat. 5 minutes later we are off again. Mile 14 and I get a flat, my first one in 2 years of riding. No more tubes so we call a friend of Mickey's who is on his way from BR to our side of town with their kids. We decide on a meeting point and I take off my shoes and start to walk.


If you have ever heard the analogy about putting a frog in hot water and he jumps out vs. putting him in cold water and heating it up and he'll boil, then you can relate to my burnt feet. Since I took my shoes off, but left my socks on, the asphalt didn't seem all that hot. Then about half a mile down the road, I feel blisters forming on the bottom of my feet. Oh yeah, my feet were burnt. They hurt for about two days and made me skip my long run on Saturday. Lesson learned. After my ride finally got there, we take off and I get a call about 2 minutes into the car ride. Reeb's front tire has flatted for what is now the third time in one day. No more tubes of course, so we had to go pick her up. Not the best bike riding day, should have stayed home...

So then Sunday evening rolls around and since I skipped my long run on Saturday, I had to do my 6 miler on Sunday. My feet still hurt of course and it was raining due to this little Tropical Storm called Fay, but I had to tough it out. Actually the rain and wind were kind of nice. Besides the wet shoes and no MP3 player, it started off as the perfect run. Then about 2.5 miles from home, it hit me. You know the feeling. The feeling of, if I don't find a place to do this it is going to be a long and nasty walk home. Other times in the past I had been blessed by near by port-o-potties due to home construction. Not so lucky this time. Ducked in behind a local neighborhood sign that had me hidden from the road on three sides. Only one direction could produce a car that could ruin my already miserable experience. Just thankful that it didn't have to end up being some one's front yard. Did my business and was actually helped by the rain. Didn't even have to sacrifice a sock. Had all the oak leaves I needed right at my disposal. Finished off the 6 miles at 9:15 pace.

Monday I swam 1400 yds (recovery week) and did core workout, Tuesday I ran 6 miles at lunch and today I bricked 15 miles and 1.5 miles before work. Needed to get in another 4.5 miles running tonight, but alas I didn't feel like it. If the hurricane holds out, then we are heading down to Morgan City for the weekend. Going to be tagging along with TriCajun for a 60 mile ride in south Louisiana. He was nice enough to offer some company for my long ride which I am having to do near his normal riding territory. Just hope I don't bonk and embarrass myself...

Longest Ride Ever

I guess these things will keep happening as I get further along in my multisport "life". Got in 65 miles on the bike on Saturday morning. Had two birthday parties this weekend, my mom's surprise 50th and my son's 3rd. That made my Sunday morning ride impractical so since the in-laws were in town Saturday was an option. Word and I toughed it out with me doing some wheel sucking for the last 25. Last week for the 60, I felt great, but this week it just wasn't there. Maybe it was the 11 miles I ran before work on Friday. Don't know, but I had a tough time on Saturday morning. Averaged just 18 mph, was hoping for around 19, but I'll take whatever I can get I guess for my longest ride to date.

Mom, Dad and the kids at the Surprise Party, Just before my mom gets her Convertible PT Cruiser in Red

Austin getting excited for his Thomas the Train Birthday Party

Last Thursday was a farthest day also. Swam 3400 m in 1:06. I know it's not fast, but at least it is below 2 min/100. That is a long way to swim. It wasn't a straight 3400, it was a ladder starting at 50, but the time includes rest and swimming. Doing my 100's in about 1:35-1:45. Hopefully, I can hold 1:45 pace for my one mile swim at Holy Toledo.

Got a comment (it's like a party when someone actually reads this boring crap that I write occasionally) last week from Lisa Parsiola. Lisa, if you have come back to read again, I got your email. However unfortunately, since you posted and do not have a google account, it did not leave me your email address or anyway to get in touch with you. I emailed your friend Steve in a Speedo, but he did not respond (probably busy with his other thousand readers, since he is actually funny and witty). So, if you would like me to recommend some biking routes here in BR, I definitely can if you could just send me your email address. Lisa, by the way, my wife grew up in Morgan City and her parents still live in Stephensville on Doiron's Canal. We are actually coming down there for Labor Day to go to the illustrious Shrimp and Petroleum Festival. I was actually going to see if there was anywhere down there where I could get in 70 miles on that Saturday morning. Please get in touch with me.

Last weekend we spent some time at the balloon festival. Here are some parting pics of the balloon glow that they have each evening.

We've Got the Sickness

The whole house is sick. I don't normally get it. I usually just carry the germs and give them back to get them sick again later. No this time, I have the summertime cold. It isn't coming on strong for me as it has for the wife and kids, but it is draggin' me down just a little. Hopefully nobody noticed the huge snot slick that had formed in my lane this morning while I hashed out my 3K yards. I actually felt a ton better after swimming and running 2 miles, but that didn't last for long. The wife left me a voicemail telling me to get home instead of going to work.

Got home and she went back to bed. Hung out with the kids on the couch until it was time to take them to kid gymnastics at the Little Gym. After gym, there mother took them home so I could go to work. Did not feel like being there, but I made it through. Once again, let's put it in perspective. It is just a freakin' cold. There are plenty of people who wish that it was just a cold and not the something worse that they have.

With that being said, I do not feel like running my 10 miles in the morning. I am going to give it the ole' college try anyway. May be some walking and may be a trail of snot, but I'm going to make it. I can rest Saturday while I watch the kids. Wish me luck and I pray that you are having a great day!

Daily Grind

Training is wearing me down. Do I really have to do all of this stuff and do it 6 days a week? Can't I just train each sport once a week, maybe all on the same day, and that be enough? I'm getting pretty tired of the 6 hour nights of sleep, brick workouts twice a week and the freakin' speedwork. I mean, isn't there an easier way to get fast without having to actually work at it. I guess I could do like some in the Tour De France and just drug my way to being speedy. What am I thinking? I can barely buy myself a new helmet, much less spend thousands on drugs. Can't wait for my races to get here so I can have something to look forward to besides the training regimen. Getting tired of it. Then again, I thank the Lord everyday that he has kept me safe, gave me two arms and legs, my eyesight and my other senses intact. My plight in life is a piece of cake compared to others. Just sometimes wish I didn't have to work as hard to get some results. "No pain, No gain" I guess, I hate that cliche...

Did a 55 mile bike on Sunday at 19 mph. One of the better rides I've had in a while. The sun stayed behind the clouds all morning and the temp stayed in the lower 80's. That is a dream ride in August in Louisiana. Skipped my 4 mile post ride run and then swam at lunch on Monday. Ran 4 miles last night and then had speedwork scheduled for breakfast. Met two H.O.T. peeps at the LSU lakes and stayed with them instead of doing the speedwork. Got in 4.5 before calling it a day.

Hopefully I can survive the next 6.5 weeks until Meat Pie. I think I might go insane...