The Waffle House Chronicles...

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Oh what a day…

Because of a scheduled power outage at work we didn’t need to go into work until 11am. All these ideas popped in and out of my mind with what I could do with that time. I decided to make my annual pilgrimage to Dodgeville on the Military Ridge Bike Path. I got up at 4:45 and was out the door right at 5. One Yoplait and a Vault got me on my way with a granola bar once it was light enough to see (right around Epic.) I love riding in complete darkness. By the time I got to Mt Horeb it was morning out. That section from Rley to Mt Horeb is challenging, mostly a false flat but you gain a couple hundred feet after all is said and done. It was smooth sailing until just after Ridgeway when my MP3 battery died. No more soundtrack. Proceeded to Dodgeville for the unspectacular trail end (into a sidewalk in front of a Subway, liquor store and Hardees.) 2:22 for 41.5 miles. I wanted to be home by 10 (5 hours) so that was good. I head back without even dabbing a foot. By Ridgeway I noticed my water was running low. I stopped in Barneveld and filled my bottle (I still had some ounces in my camelback) and was on my way in less than 2 minutes. My legs started to feel heavy riding through Mt Horeb. But alas I got the benefit of the downhill for a while and hammered. All was well until I crossed the road in Klevenville and my rear tire started to wash out. Guh! I had a flat. I’ve flatted a lot on my cross tires so I assumed I just had a gradual flat and shot a CO2 in it. I was wrong, I heard the leak itself. I was able to find the problem without taking off the tire, a rock worked its way into the tread. I pried the rock out and replaced the tube but lost like 7 minutes in my quest. I kept going but my legs got tired again in Verona and I wasn’t sure I could make it home by 10. But I kept trucking, hit the PD stop light in sync and had plenty of time to wait at the Verona Rd stoplight, which I did. Pulled into the driveway at 9:59 and got to watch all 6 Price is Right pricing games (taking a shower during the first showcase showdown.) 83.1 miles.

I hopped on my road bike at 10:45 to get to work at 11. 2 miles. But that wasn’t hardcore enough for me. I should ride a century for the day. So I brought my riding clothes. Oh yeah, I should run after my legs are beat so my running gear was in a pile waiting for me.

After work I hopped on the road bike and hammered down to the Monona Terrace. I saw Jerry but hardly recognized him on his SS commuter bike in his Reddington inspired silk shirt with half the buttons undone. Anyways I get down to the Terrace and decide to give the Ironman start a run. I took it all the way to the lap area on locust. It took me 45 minutes exactly to do just under 15 miles with a net 200 foot elevation gain with tired legs. I was pretty excited about that. I then rode the 6 miles home (for an after work total of 26 miles and a grand total of 111 miles in the day) for my transition. The transition was lengthy (6 minutes) and I was off. Got about 50 feet and decided my new fuel belt sucked ass. Ditched it but grabbed one bottle from it (7oz) and was off. I tried a new loop that honestly I loved. Two big climbs and a sketchy as hell downhill. Took me roughly 47 minutes to run roughly 5 miles. Both are estimates. Legs felt crappy for over a mile but then once I did the hardest uphill the rest seemed easier and I got some flow. The best part was that I think I could’ve done another loop or two had I wanted to. But by then I was ready to call it a day. 7-1/2 hours of working out was enough for the day, the most since HHH and the third most of the year.

Amazing? Hardly. My fiancée has ridden 3 times in two days for 65 miles (10, 27, 28). Yesterday she got up as well and rode. I assumed an easy bike path ride but she went climbing, doing Observatory, Fritz and Locust. She also swam with me on Sunday.

Today is an easy swim and the TT tonight (again easy and with free food after…) Tomorrow is some serious biking, Gun Show and then Mountain Biking in Blue Mounds with a special guest star. I’ll probably try to stuff a run in there somewhere. Friday should be a day off!

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