Long hard day

July 20 workout I recently read a quote "your hard days are too easy and your easy days are too hard". It was on a triathlon website and it was perhaps an advertisement for training services. I have had a friend and extraordinary triathlete (G-man) tell me this as well that you should have some very hard days in training to stimulate the body so it can adapt for big races. Saturday I would strive for a hard day.  Saturday morning I was planning on riding to Carolina Triathlon downtown and joining the 8am group ride. I got a late start and got there at 8:10. So I tried  to go out and see if I could intercept the group. I thought they might ride to the west of Greenville on a route I was vaguely familiar with. I headed south on Anderson street and realized I would get lost. I went and ended up on SC 123 and headed west. I had talked to Doug Guth on Friday night and he had said something about that being on that ride. I went until I hit a stop light at Fishtrap Road. I recognized it as part of their route.  I went south on it and got lost. Came back went another way I didn't remember. Headed back to 123. Went north on Fishtrap road a long ways and recognized it. After 10 minutes I went backwards back to 123. Having not seen them and guessing they had already come thru I went north again on Fishtrap.  On shop rides this way I have always been watching the wheel in front of me and not really known the route too well. But I did recognize it going forward. I went up to Farrs Bridge road (aka SC 183) and headed to Greenville.   Coming into  G-ville on what was now Cedar Lane Road, I felt I was in little Mexico with all the Latino businesses and Spanish words on signs.  Found my way back to the bike shop at about 10:05 am. They had just opened up at 10am so great timing.  I asked Randy about where the group went or where they were and he didn't know what route. About ten minutes later the group started coming in. I asked Ben and he said in effect that I had been on the right route. I was too early however. I talked to Randy (shop owner) about his recent trip to Colorado for the Specialized product preview show. He met Craig Alexander (triathlon world champ) and Ned Overend (Mountain bike legend and Xterra champ). also caught some of the tour (TdF) on the TV. Jens Voight was charging ahead and trying to win the stage.  Met or re-met a friend of Doug's (Rex) that was just getting back into biking after a 4 year absence. He had been hit by a car while he was cycling and it was a horrific one and a story in itself. The lady who hit him was probably on drugs. She had hit someone else (car) earlier in the day. A year later she would be dead. Hard to summarize the whole story here. Good for Rex to be biking again.  Anyhow got with Doug and we headed towards his house in Simpsonville. Took bike paths and or route (pleasantburg bypass route). Tried to get on the Conestee / swamp rabbit trail near the sewage plant but it was under water. Got to Conestee park but trails were loose gravel - no good for road bikes. We circled around into Conestee Falls and onto asphalt trail (SRT?). It was fun in the shade of the woods and on boardwalks. I dubbed it "tour de sewer" as it was along sewer manholes and all the swamps and the sewer plant not far off.  Back to Conestee Falls and Doug led the way to S-ville. Standing Springs road, Old then new, and around the spaghetti bowl area of I-385/US 276. Almost onto SC 14 when I saw a knife blade in the road and had to back up and get it to save someone a flat tire.  I should mention that Doug was on his single speed bike. Also on nearly every hill he would go ahead and I was unable to keep up with him. I would shift down to more optimal gearing and spin for more power (watts). His long legs, his 180 mm crankarms, his strength. He is a machine. Diesel Doug.  Got to doug's where he filled me up with more Gatorade and a sample of a Virgil's root beer. We talked about a pre-amp he had repaired and Various other things. Met his daughter and wife.  I had 60 miles to this point and a low average speed of 14.3 mph. I wanted a big ride today and I was now set to carry on solo again.   So after I left Doug's, I went backwards (from where we had come) to a shady road and stopped and put on SPF 60 on my arms and ate a Powerbar. Then I went up to SC 14.  I got aero and rode steady and fast northward towards Greer.  At about 4 pm as I was nearing Greer on SC 14, it got so sunny and hot I pulled into the shade and rested. My average speed was up to 14.7 mph.  Perhaps it was 95 degrees and very humid). I put on more sunscreen on my calfs (calves?). Drank what was left of my Gatorade.  I was so tired as I lay my head down on handlebars and started to doze off. After a bit I revived and headed up the road and into a Subway to fill up the bottles with cold water and made more Gatorade with my powder.  I headed up into Greer feeling better and determined to do a century.  So I got onto Victor Hill Road and headed east. I figured when I hit 85 miles that I could turn around and it would be about 15 miles to home. Took that road a long ways, over I-85 till it dead-ended at Barry Shoals road (north of Reidville). My odometer showed 84.7 miles. Time to head for Reid School Road- Taylors.  So now I was facing northwest and saw a very seriously dark sky approaching. Could I give it my all and get home before the storm?  I made good speed as there was a slight tail wind and the road was fairly flat. Got back to Greer and still no rain but it was getting dark all around me. I had to work thru the town and side streets. Small drops of rain started. I put a plastic bag over my injured hand and kept on.  Past the Home Depot and it was raining and thunder was heard. I got to a CVS at Wade Hampton Blvd. and pulled up to it as the storm got intense. I leaned against the building under an awning for about 5 minutes and felt like I was in a hurricane. Then the winds shifted and I was getting soaked. I went inside with my bike. The automatic doors were not working right but someone on the inside let me in.  The rain was blowing sideways and lightning constantly lit up the sky.  I talked to Doug on cell phone about the storm and its track. I went to the bathroom and roamed the food aisles for a snack. I chose a big Cadbury chocolate and almond bar. Sat at a patio table they had set up inside (why would anyone go to CVS for a patio table set???)  and was eating it when I noticed the sky lighten up.  So about 30 minutes or about 5:10 pm the rain let up and I hit the road. It was 4 miles in light or no rain. Only problem was the river of water going down the gutter area or emergency lane. Slow going.  Got home at 5:30 pm. Average speed was 14.8 mph. Ending up with 99 miles. Close enough for me to goal of 100.  After a few hours rest I went out and ran 7.2 miles. Did this mostly on Wade Hampton towards the CVS of earlier in the day. Turned around at the Target entrance. Ran past a huge outdoor party at a bar where many bikers (not cyclists) were at. A band was playing loud rock music and there was a huge food trailer marked as "Smokin Butts" and a picture of a pig and his rear end highlighted.  Got home at about 9:30 pm soaking wet. Yes it was so humid. Enough for one day. I think it was a hard enough one. 

Tri the Midlands

Tri the Midlands 500 meter swim 14 mile bike 5k run  Lake Carolina near Blythewood, SC.  Saturday, June 22, 2013  I was overall happy with my result of 1:18 and change for this Sprint triathlon. I came in 4th in my age group (45-49) and was beaten by only 14 seconds by 3rd place guy. So that fact gnawed at me since I could have been 15 seconds faster.  I used alot of near gear since my last triathlon way back in late 2011. Yep no triathlons last year for some reason. Anyway I had primarily a new tri bike QR with aero wheels and tubulars. I rode almost 22 mph for the course.  I swam with a one piece tri suit and ran and biked with tri specific shoes.  So my transitions were about a minute each which is much better for me. No socks. Also I had a aerodynamic TT/Tri helmet. All this needed to be tested out in a race finally.  My right knee has been a problem this year and I lack depth in running however the knee was ok and I did a good run. The swim was not so good and I am not sure why. Poor first 100 to 200 meters with everyone bumping into me was stressful drank some lake water. I will try to improve my place in the future. I was like 140th out of 190 men. My swim wave was much smaller.  On the bike I did well passing maybe 50 guys. I rode the course the day before so that helped me. I did not use my aero water container. I just used one frame mounted waterbottle with 250-300 calories. Next time I will use the aerobar mounted hydration system.  Still trying to figure out my next race.