10 miles and 10k?

Well, I missed the bike time trial last night. Working from home I get flexible hours. Yesterday I started early so I could knock off about 4:30 to make it to the bike race on time. But it was one of "those" days where task x had to be finished. I didn't end up finishing until 6:15. Sometimes that's just how it goes in programming, you have to make it work right today or else. The good news it I got it working, and I've been banging my head against this wall for 3 weeks now. Thank you, javascript.

Needless to say, I was pissed at having to miss the race but grateful to still have a job. So after we got the kids to bed I went on to the gym for my normal thursday night brick. But this time I had anger and speed on my side.

And it freaking worked!!!! I still can't believe it. My target for the bike race was 10 miles in under 30 minutes. On the stationary bike at the gym, I did 10 miles in 29:38 FINALLY!!!! I busted through that 20 mph wall I've been fighting at for the last couple of months. HAHA, TAKE THAT SPEED! yea baby, I was pretty thrilled with that.

And since it wouldn't be a bike/run brick without the running, now it was time to head to the treadmill. The training plan called for 6 miles tempo. So I walked for the first minute while I found the Cleveland basketball game on the tv, then turned it up to a 6.3 speed. I was working on finding a mid-foot strike and shorter stride, not easy for someone with my long legs. Now everyone out there everywhere who runs wants to clear a 10k in under an hour. Some people are fast and do this easily, others have to speed up to it. I held the 6.3 speed through 5.5 miles, then this 10k goal crept into the brain. I've never done a 10k race, just 5k's in triathlons and half marathon races. And here was Wes in the brain too, commenting yesterday that I could always push hard for 25 minutes on the bike. So I started inching the speed up, and I ended up at 7.0 for the last couple of minutes. BAM! 10k done, 6.2 miles in 59:22!!!!! A completely unexpected goal was proven and shattered. Nice.

Also today marks one month (June 7th) until my first olympic distance triathlon. That's a 1500m swim, 24 miles on the bike, and a 10k run. I'm working up to a 24/6.2 brick in a couple of weeks, and I don't have any more races until that one. Yesterday I finally got around to making travel plans. Turns out, one of Kelley's cousins (Leigh) lives about 15 minutes from the race site! Who knew? The race is in Greenwood, SC about an hour and a half from where we are. Leigh lives in Saluda, SC with a husband and 3 kids. I knew the towns were kind of close. But she pulls a camper out there all the time. And Leigh is shooting a rodeo (she's a photographer) in GA that weekend so we get to stay in her empty house. And here I was ready for a hotel room.

Then a scant 6 days later I have this little hillbilly marathon coming up. In a small town in Kentucky, there aren't that many hotels. In fact, the entire town was booked up already. Every single room was already taken from every hotel. I finally found a room for about $40 a night in the next town over, about 30 minutes away. That's going to be a comfortable night's sleep before the marathon starts at 7 am. My last hope is a hotel that's still under construction in the same town as the marathon. they put my name on a list, and will be calling everyone on the list once the reservation system comes online june 1st. marathon is june 13th. Cutting it close I know, but that's all there is now. I should not have waited so long.

Today I have to make reservations for the B2B in november. Not waiting again!

Have a great weekend! happy mothers day to all you moms. My mom was in a car accident last friday, and today she's having a little surgery to repair a broken nose from the accident. She's really ok, and will be fine after the surgery. And saturday my grandmother is moving from her physical therapy/nursing home back to the assisted living apartment a month after breaking her hip. So I am incredibly glad that my mom and her mom are getting well again. But it also means they won't be up for a big mother's day lunch or anything. I've got to get in an 18 mile long run on saturday, and we're going for a visit to kelley's mom. Have a great weekend!

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Update:

the results from the bike race last night is up on the spinner's web site, and there were 11 guys in my age group. My time would have put me ahead of 2 of them. And overall, just head of the guy who finished 69th out of 75 dudes. So I would have actually beaten people if I could have made the race and my goal. dang.