Never in my wildest dreams did I think the biggest stress the week before leaving for Kona would be a mouse in our house! Wednesday H saw a little critter in the garage, never a good sign..
Honestly, the little rodents are kinda cute, look innocent enough but if you research online about mice and how disgusting they are and how many diseases they can carry (over 200), they're just not that cool. We didn't think much of it after the garage sighting. I always have a bit of mouse poison in our garage. Leftover, I suppose from a super big mouse problem we had in another house of 20 years ago (We live near the mountains and desert-yes it is a problem up here at times). Living near open space it's to be expected. I guess the poison has a shelf life cause next morning H was greeted with a little critter in the kitchen while making breakfast Thursday. Out came the snap traps..Friday AM we caught one of the mice and for a couple days we were on mouse alert..Finally we were mouse free!
Thursday during my late day run on Tramway I came face to face with a 3-4 foot long snake slithering across the run/bike path, slowly slithering. I thought I would cry. I waited until a brave dude went running by and ran next to him past the snake. Had I thought quicker, I could have captured the snake, taken him home to eat at the "Mice Hotel" up here at our house..Geez!
Then Friday, **Somebody** left a laundry room faucet on full blast and forgot about it, so we had a nice flood of an inch of water throughout about a third of our house. The water was limited to the tile area. There was lots of mopping involved,a ton of sweeping and a large fan to dry things quickly. I was secretly hoping it would drown any mice. See how sadistic I get when under stress? So my "day off" from training wasn't so relaxing between the mice and the flood. I fully expected for famine to follow at that point. To say I was grumpy and upset is an understatement!
Deep breath, deep breath..
Oh yeah, that little Iron Race that's coming up..then there's that! I had a rough end to my training week as well which is predictable at this stage of the game. My workouts are getting shorter, faster and taper is beginning. The time where one can get grumpy, tired, and hungry. I am already G&T off and on..On Thursday, I didn't want to swim over 4,000 yards in the morning and run 45 minutes in the PM. I tried to weasel out of it telling my coach I really needed to take Thursday off, too tired, I could do workouts on Friday, etc.. My coach is awesome, doesn't baby me-I think I like this in a coach. He was encouraging and gently coaxed me to do the deal and take Friday off. It was a struggle but I did it! The swim was a bit challenging at a city pool I found that actually has hours after 8:00 AM, so I got to relax a bit Thursday early AM. At the pool, some woman wanted to share a lane with me, then glared at me, eventually asking me how much farther do you have to swim? I said uh, about 400 more yards...she looked unhappy, not sure what was going on, but I wanted to take her flipper and throw it to the other side of the pool..I just haven't had good luck in any lap swimming lately! Don't any of these people work?? :>)
So glad come yesterday that I had done the schedule and taken Friday off! My Saturday bike was an easy hour long ride around the hood with hubby, then I was off to run "faster than race pace" for an hour. I did my usual run 4/walk 1 min., but really picked it up on the run. I ended up running almost 6 miles-yay! This is really an accomplishment for me on a training run after a tough week physically and emotionally..
Sunday, a few of my riding buds showed up to support me in my last longish bike effort. A four hour bike ride with 4x20 minute Time Trials (haul ass as fast as you can for 20 minutes times four, then easy ride in between.) I was really appreciative that people showed up for "lil OLD me" to give me a send off to KONA. I was really touched! I have great friends here and lots of similarly crazy people to enable me in my enthusiastic goals...
I I really can't believe in 3 days I am off on a plane with my favorite SD (Supportive Dude). I really don't know if I could have done all the training it takes to prepare for Ironman number two In 2014 without my fantastic husband, who did almost all the training with me. Who does that? He didn't have to but he is my biggest fan and supporter-encouraging me in ways that only someone that knows and loves you so well can. I am one lucky chick!
I am starting the lists.. So much to do, so little time. I have even asked H to wear things over and over this week-NO MORE LAUNDRY!! Haha..I am somewhat stressed watching Ironman Kona specials from years past on YouTube. The race looks HOT. Really HOT! So not sure what my race gear should be. Wear too much and I will cook and that is not good..wear too little and I will get the effect of sun on my skin, causing more heat and dehydration. Oh, and everyone is different when it comes to the Island heat! I am really hoping all of this will be clear to me once I can actually feel the conditions for myself at the end of the week. Typically I don't feel all that good in humid high heat but we will see..worst case scenario, I have to buy something in Kona to wear...wow doesn't sound like a bad option to me! Is there a Lululemon store in Kona? Lemme check on that..
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1 comment:
this is so exciting and I am so happy for you! Both of you :) Have a great trip and a great race!!
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