Smartass Camp Day 3- The Flat

I woke up this morning way before the alarm... again. Once you get used to getting up at 4:45 am it's really hard to break the habit. Ate a ton of food for breakfast- peanut butter toast, a nectarine, a bunch of cereal and 2 cups of coffee. Again, not the greatest of meals before a long training day, but I eat pretty much anything I can get my grubby little hands on right now.

I felt like crap when I started the swim today. People were passing me like I was doing the survival float- anyone who has gone to open at a pool at a major University with a prominant engineering program will understand that gem of a stroke.

Then I got to use swim paddles for the first time ever. How I managed to go through my life without using those dreadful torture devices I'll never know. But my happy swimming life ended today with 5 x 400 meters with the paddles. Smartasscoach got more daggers from me today in the pool after my third set:

So how do you like the paddles?

I hate them- they hurt my fingers

Good. Go!

And I lost my 30 second rest. Bastard

But the swim got better as I went along and finished with a negative split 800 meter swim led by a pro. Good stuff!

Then it was off for a wonderful bike ride. Nice and easy Zone 2 34 mile ride in the 65 degree no wind air.

Pre-ride pics:







We started and I was so happy to be out riding again. I can't really explain how much I love my bike. I will miss it dearly when I have to ship it to Oceanside next week.

Anywho, I start the ride totally stoked and riding in front of the group enjoying the hell out of my day when I heard an all too familiar sound. pfffttt... pffffttt....pffffttttt

Please, Please, Please- tell me that is just something rubbing on my tire. Please! And right as the group rolled by me, my front tired rolled to a flat.

Sons of bitches!

I yelled out- Who has a pump! I'm flat!

And my savior Miranda came to my rescue. She is about the sweetest and most enthusiastic person I've ever met. She was awesome and helped me fix the flat as the entire group rode off. After having more troubles with the flat than expected, we were off to enjoy the ride. And let me tell you... that girl is a friggin rock star! She pulled me along for 32 miles at 20 mph in her comfy zone 2 pace. I can only dream of that! Everytime I lost her wheel my heart rate soared into zone 3. So I was stuck like white on rice to her back wheel for 1:40. But it was a great time and I found a kindred spirit in Miranda- another crazy overachieving girl who is never quite happy with her performance. But watch out for her at IMAZ because she is going to rock it!

Here we are after the ride:



What the boys do after workouts:





I got back a little tired but the ride was wonderful. The next workout for the day was a killer run. Here is what was in store:

30 minute Zone 2
30 minute build to Zone 4
10 minute cool down

Holy shit that was a tough run. Probably my hardest run of my life. Could have something to do with the fact that I trained 4 hours Saturday, 5.5 Sunday, and 3 already today... but my legs did NOT want to run in zone 4. It was a struggle, and I was cursing the sand, cursing Smartasscoach, cursing my trail shoes... but I made it.

Then I went shopping, made jumbalaya for the boys and am ready for bed. Tomorrow is going to be

H...A...R...D

So if I survive, I'll write tomorrow