Of Moose And Men
The Best Laid Plans Of Both Often Go Astray

I should do brick workouts more often, that was good practice.

Biked about 25.5 miles, then ran 6.5, with a dismal eleven and a half minute transition (in my defense I had to catch the elevator upstairs and completely changed clothes, but still). Perfect morning for it, started just before 8, was done right before 11. Garmin estimates I burned about 2,700 calories and I believe it at the moment! Trying to snarf an egg and cheese sandwich (homemade, not fast food). Body’s saying while I may have consumed some sweet stuff on the bike & run, now it needs salt, and lots of it.

Bike seemed to be quite happy that I cleaned the chain yesterday. Only took me how many years of owning the thing? Oy. Better late than never, but boy did it need it. Next, the mountain bike chain. Time to get the bike a full check out after the next race, I think the tires may need to be replaced soon, they’re looking a little cracked.

In the meantime, I think it may be time to get out and do some errands.

The brick went very well. I finished the bike course a bit faster than expected, and the run a lot faster than expected, which bodes well for the race.

When they said it was hilly up in Columbia, they weren’t kidding. The bike ascent was 1,954 ft all told, and the run was 1,348 ft. Not exactly the Alps, but not insubstantial, either. If this is what IMZ is going to be like, I seriously need to get out and do more hills.

The worst part of the bike was being in a spread out line of triathletes all slowly gearing up one of the hills when this group of three young roadies came flying past us like the hill was nothing. Ugh.

Almost didn’t make the group picture – one of the club women who was running with me and I came up just before they were about to snap it, so we ran down the hill and inserted ourselves just in time.

Oh, and my shoulders now look like a match for the arms last week (burnt!). It had been overcast, and so I didn’t put on sunscreen when I started, then just after we started the run the clouds finally rolled out and we got sun. Figures. For the race I’ll just put it on before I leave home, that’ll be easier and no excuses.

Don’t you hate it when you get up, get all ready, and realize you could’ve slept in for another hour?

I’m all assembled for the brick (bike-then-run; or as we like to say, Bike/Run/ICK!) and picnic up in Columbia on the tri race course. We’re not supposed to get there until 10, so with not quite an hour drive, I have not quite an hour to go until I pack up & take off. Debating making another bit of coffee for the car.

Whipped up a potato salad for the picnic part, and it’s pretty darned good, if I do say so. I’d never heard of steaming the celery and onion as well as the potato, and I think it makes a big difference in the texture and mouth feel for the thing (in a good way). Definitely a keeper recipe.

Busy week at work, but we did manage to pass The Project From Heck off to our #2 attorney for his review this weekend. I expect a call for edits next week, but I’m hoping that it won’t be a complete re-write. In any case, it’s off my plate and I don’t have to worry about it this weekend, which is a huge relief.

Tired this evening for some reason. Long day, but I got the (hopefully) final polish on The Project From Heck before it goes up to our front office to get ripped to shreds. Tomorrow is assembling the associated binder with all the cases and other materials we cite. Joy.

Went to a men’s knitting group tonight. All of three of us showed up, one of whom was way, way late. I stayed two hours, chatted a lot with my friend who showed up at the same time I did while we knitted, got a goof I put in the last time I sat down to knit taken out of the project (ripped out 4-5 rows to get below the goof, got it back on the needles successfully, and now there’s no sign of the goof. yay), and put several more inches on the thing. It’ll be done, eventually. Not like there’s a massive rush to finish a scarf now that Spring’s here (though getting the hot thing out of my lap while knitting will be a plus). It’s only once a month, so I can go again. Was nice to get out of the house and listen to the two-person band who was playing jazz/blues while we were there.

Short run tomorrow, and a swim after work, then it’s making potato salad and getting myself ready for a brick workout up in Columbia with the club. Get to test out the course (which I fully expect to kick my ass, since I’ve done zero hills this year), see what it’s going to be like in 2 weeks for the race itself. Get to see BC that evening, and he’s bringing over Tiger Woods golf to make me practice. I told him that’s fine, but I get to drag him into Super Smash Bros Brawl if he does bring Tiger Woods. I think that’s a fair trade.

Oh, and I almost forgot, called the student loan company to confirm that they credited the payment and I have a zero balance. Won’t get the official letter from them for another month to 45 days, but the helpful woman on the phone did confirm that it is in fact completely paid off now. Hooray!