Try Try Try

BIKE 56 miles in 3:20
RUN 3 miles in 27-28 mins

Did NOT want to do these sessions, why not? Not sure, am I getting burned out? Either way, they are done done done donedonedonedone!

It was a cool but sunny morning, so a great test of what race morning might be like with expected air temps in the low 50's. I needed at least one more ride on Frea after her pre-race check, and I needed to test the clothing I was bringing for the race. Many reasons to do this, motivation not really one of them.

I chalk most of the problems up to mental issues, first and foremost today was nutrition. I ate a big brekkie then didn't do more than a gel and sweet potato during the ride. And the gel was an add-on to the plan when my head started to fail and clamor for more glucose.

Frea and I rode out on the MCTs, parking for the first time at the Collinsville lot. Today's Culver flavor was caramel cashew...ick.

Out-n-back first to the Madison lot, saw some Partridge Family-like turkeys crossing the trail on both the out and the back. Going the same way (northwards) too, so was it the same group of turkeys? Dunno! But thinking on things like this kept me moving: The NNW wind should have been a tailwind so some degree on the way back but wasn't. Happily I wasn't as cold as I thought I'd be. The leaves covered sections of the trail, but not so bad I worried about slipping or hitting something under them. 18 miles in, some motivation but not much.

Off to Drost, where I pit-stopped and refilled the bottles. I'd just come up behind a woman walking a dog on a long leash that blocked the trail. She tried to coo the dog out of the way, that wasn't working, and I really wanted to suggest picking up the dumb 5# dog to move it, but I stayed nice and just smiled. One bike in a group of riders blocked the whole bike race by leaning the bike against the rack, I'm annoyed but make a point of talking to them to stay positive. Amazing how mental this ride was!

At mile 30.5 I'm passing under a tunnel, happy that it blunted the headwind but I started swerving into the left lane, almost to the point that I nearly scraped the wall!! WTF? Why can't I focus?! I'm preparing to pass two slower riders (blocking the left lane, of course) but I can't climb the small hill out of the tunnel. Again, WTF?!

Flat tire. Dear Gawd, another one? I stopped, and very methodically fixed it with cold hands and drippy nose. Part of me wanted to give up and just finish this ride on the trainer. WTF?! No way! Only a marathon distance to go, why do I have to talk myself into this? Fixed the flat, back on the road.

P!nk's "Try Try Try" song stuck in my head...  Turn around, eat some more, and try to get excited about the last 19 miles.... Try...Try...Try...

Finally I'm done, it felt like the longest 56 miles. And the whole ride I'm debating the run. The training plan says to rest the legs and do this later in the day. But DH and I have a baby shower to attend. Normally I don't attend these, but like the song says I need to Try Try Try so I'm going. Which means I should run right away and not put it off. I told myself, that's the Blerch telling you to wait. Telling you to go home to your trainer. Telling you to switch trails for something different (meaning shorter). Fuck off, Blerch. Not today. I'm doing this run!

I most certainly did not want to run. Well, actually, to clarify, the part of me that likes to get stuff done and checked off wanted the run. The part of me that is drug around by that OCD aspect did not want to run. In the end the run wasn't so bad! Boring, but it's done. One more training day...

Why is this getting so hard?! LOL, late season races, two big back-to-back races, I knew this could happen.