We had a small group go out for 64 miles on Saturday. It was a fun ride, if a bit windy! Julie wasn't feeling well (at. all.) so we all took turns hanging back with her to make sure she made it home safely. This is at the Texas City Dike - right as we all ran out of fluids and just before Julie started to really feel awful.
What are we looking at...? No clue...
Julie had a miraculous recovery and we had a Labor Day party at her house on Sunday. I didn't really intend to ride Monday with the crew, but man alive. EVERYBODY was going! The Careys were some of the last to leave and family after family left and said, "See you tomorrow!" It occurred to me that I was really going to miss out on a fun ride if I sat in the kitchen on the trainer and missed my crew.
So I started pleading my case to Doug. The kids asked if they could play Minecraft in the morning. I said something along the lines of, "IF Daddy can find the kindness in his heart to let me go play with my friends in the morning..." To which Doug responded, "LET you go? There's no LET. You're just going." That was about the extent of "permission" I was looking for, so I loaded up my bike and started prepping for Day 2 of cycling with my buds.
Am I ever glad I went! We had SO much fun. We laughed (mostly about really inappropriate potty humor - see the photo of the portapotties and the dump truck!!), we caught a great tailwind, and we had a wonderful 40-mile ride.
THE crew, minus a few.
Davin was in that portapotty. "You think we should run and shake it and make him think they're coming to dump him out...? HAHAAAAHAHAHAHA!" We're so bad...
After it was all said and done, I had 104 miles for the weekend. I've also been chasing a 17 mph average on a ride for a loooooong time. I almost had it Monday with a 16.9. Next time! When I got home, one of the crew sent me this text:
THIS. This totally made my weekend. This woman is one of the most incredible athletes I have EVER met in my entire life (having played THREE sports in college and slamming down a 12-hour Ironman between babies - she's that amazing). I feel myself getting stronger. I know I'm making better choices and pushing my body harder during my workouts. I think I can see a difference. But when you get unsolicited praise like this? It really makes your heart swell. Thanks, Mel.
Speaking of hearts... I haven't shared this with anybody at all (and writing it here certainly does NOT count as I don't have any "readers"). You know that feeling you get when a cop pulls up behind you and you think maybe you were speeding and your heart lurches in your chest? Yeah. That's happened to me a handful of times lately for no good reason and it's weird. I have a physical scheduled in a few weeks and I think I'm going to bring it up to the doc then. I'm fairly certain it's nothing, except perhaps a twinge of anxiety over life in general, but I think it's worth mentioning before I ask my body to pull me through 140 miles.
So that's that. 225 days until IMTX. Training is going great. My family could be better (Daniel has strep and Doug still works like a million hours a day). Friends seem pretty amazing. And if I'm not mistaken, there is a hint of fall in the air (you know, if I stand directly in the shadiest spot under the tree, turn my head at just the right angle, and lean into the wind just so).
That is all. Carry on.
That is all. Carry on.
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