What is Going ON?

Yep. I haven’t posted for over a week. And why?

Because I am living a life of passion and crime? (No, but I would be good at that, I’m sure, if I just got the chance…)

Because I have been moving mountains and making the world right? (I’m too cynical for such an endeavor.... Pleassssseeee…..)

Because I got a new PUPPY? (Not yet. Soon, though. Soon.)

Alas, it is simply because I am staying in Maine with my parents, my kids, and my extended family (which includes Alina and her kids), and this house doesn’t have wireless access. Sometimes I am able to get online by stealing access from neighbors, but usually that doesn’t work. When I do get online I’m frantically responding to my athletes and updating schedules. Anyway, have you missed me?

Here are the exciting tidbits from the last week:

I had a great brick at which I was super speedy and finally felt like I’m BAD and I’m BACK!

Then I ran a 5K. I was not fast. Not even a little. That was a bit deflating, I must say.

Then I got into a bike crash. It’s okay. I’m fine. But that was REALLY deflating.

So, from the beginning. On Tuesday I went out for a 2:30 brick. I as on fire the minute I started. It was me and the road and my rested legs… Wahoo! I was moving! I sailed all over Saco, Dayton and Buxton and then headed home. I followed it up with a run along the Atlantic at which I moved faster than I have in months.

The next night I ran a very informal 5K. The 5K was part of a series that runs from May to September and follows a path around Baxter Boulevard. It is flat and fast course, but, unfortunately, this did not matter. I was not fast. So much for I’m BAD and I’m BACK! I warmed up really well and then made my way to the start. There was a storm moving in and wind swirled around us and whipped us in the face as we waited to start. You could see lightning strike in the distance. I wondered how long I had before I was absolutely soaked. At the GO! I jumped and then started to run. I dodged a few people and got into a rhythm. Then it started to hurt. I hadn’t run more than a quarter mile. I tried to silence the voice that told me that I was dying and this was a very bad idea and that I should slow down right NOW.

First mile-- 6:43. Okay, pretty slow for a first mile of a 5k, but I’d take it. Unfortunately, the race continued onto mile 2 and I was pretty much cooked. I tried to quicken my cadence and lean from my ankles (I have a habit of leaning back when I get tired) but it didn’t seem to help my pace or attitude. I passed a few girls, which felt good, but it wasn’t because I was moving faster; it was simply they were slowing down. I hit the second mile in 7:05. Ouch! This wasn’t going to be one of my best 5Ks, that was for sure! I picked it up a bit, and passed a few guys. I figured I must be the second woman at this point. I’d passed most of the girls in front of me, but I remembered there was one woman at the start who shot right out there, and I hadn’t seen her since like a half mile into the race. I was feeling a little more optimistic at this point—like maybe if I just focused on reeling in guys I could get my pace under seven again. I churned right along and passed a few, but then lost gas again and started to slow again. Two of the guys passed me back. Damn. I hate that! I finally saw the finishing line and it couldn’t come fast enough. I did my best to pick it up and bring it home, but it was sort of a lame attempt. Then some guy tried to sprint by me at the very, very, very last second. He sprinted and then moved over and almost body checked me so he could cross the line first. What a douche bag. Does it really matter if I cross one second ahead of you?  Must you sprint wildly and push me over like you are five years old – just so you can finish 37^th instead of 38^th? Argh. Anyway, I was pleased to see in the results that his time was the exact same time as mine. Sucker.

Anyway. This was such an informal race that there were no awards or anything. I didn’t know where I had placed, and it didn’t much matter. Later I found out that I had been the second woman, but that the first woman beat me by like two minutes. Oh well! My time was a full minute and 30 seconds off my 5k PR—which is disappointing—but not unsurprising. The whole purpose of running it was to remind myself of sprint hurt, which I haven’t felt in a long while, and to get my legs moving again for my upcoming races. I’m planning to run the same race next week to see if I can get that time down a little bit.

The rain never did hit us—at least that was lucky!

The next morning I got up for an easy two hour ride. It was nice out in the early morning, and the majority of the ride was pretty peaceful. Commuter traffic began to pick up as I was headed home, which made things slightly less pleasant, but still okay. But then, just as I was coming into downtown Saco, a guy in an SUV began to pull out of a convenience store parking lot right in front of me. I slammed on my brakes, and having seen me at the last minute, he slammed on his. I hit the front and side of his car, just by the front wheel, and then flipped over the handle bars to my right, landing on top of my bike and somewhat under his car. I lay there for a second and thought—he could kill me now by moving his SUV forward one foot. I scrambled up and he leaned out his window to ask if I was okay. I looked at my body. No blood. Not even a scratch. Wow! I was totally fine! I picked up my bike, and she looked fine too! But on closer inspection, she wasn’t. The right handlebars were bent and the rear brakes weren’t working quite right. I was shaking a bit and I moved away from his car. He didn’t get out. Do you want me to call the police? he asked from the window.  I assured him I was fine. For some reason I just wanted him to go. He asked about ten more times if there was anything he could do, telling me he just hadn’t seen me and I came so fast, and that he was so sorry. I just nodded and said it was okay. I was fine. I was fine. I was fine! 

The whole thing was scary. I think I need to put a neon light on my helmet that blinks so that I'm not missed like that again.

So, there you have it. My last week in the world of training.

I’m off to Lake Placid to cheer on all of my friends who are competing this weekend. My cousin Lauren is watching the kids while we are away. They are psyched, and so am I! Good luck to my IM friends!