Giggles and Niggles

For me each week can be divided into 3 parts. Midweek days off, weekend days off, and work days. Blogging about work wouldn't be too much fun. Well it could be fun but it might get me fired so I 'll stick to the rest of my antics. The highlights of my midweek are getting a good East County epic ride in or a ride-run combo with my friends/training partners extraordinaries. The highlights of my weekends are spending time with Tim bike, swimming, and running. Sunday is Funday so a swim in the cove is mandatory along with frozen yogurt.

Wait a minute....

I'm supposed to be running too.

Wait for me guys!

Last Saturday I sort of got a niggle in my calf/achilles. A niggle is something that isn't quite right but may go away if you ignore it. Luckily it didn't compromise my weekend fun but Monday evening the niggle could not be ignored. The problem: Tuesday was the East County "No Frills Ride" and I couldn't miss it. It could also be renamed "cackle fest on wheels". I noticed since I started participating in this ride my voice has been a little scratchy. At first I thought it was the desert air. Who am I kidding? It's from cackling during the pre and post ride car pool and the entire ride. Monday night, I iced my niggle without no effect and knew I probably should back off on Tuesday. But how could I miss out on all the fun?

Obviously I could not. I hoped my laughter would distract me from the niggle pain but it didn't. As soon as I began to ride the pain started. I wouldn't mind the pain if it was only to be for the day. The thought of it spiraling into some sort of off the bike and run injury, made me feel a little like a crazed animal. One who has an extremity stuck in a trap and is ready to gnaw it off and run for freedom. Nervous energy consumed me while I tried to gently pedal up the mountains:0)

Although riders are encourage to "tell us a story" while we climb. "The more outragious the better and it's ok if it's not even true." I realized there are no lies on the Great Western Loop. There is no lying, faking, or hiding. AKA, I could not do single leg drills or soft pedal and keep up with this crew. They eat nails for breakfast. I confessed to my stupidness, riding when injured. I so selfishly did not want to miss out. Besides my maiden name is Yake and my brothers programmed the Commadore 64 to repeat "Jenny Yake is a flake, a lie, a cheat and a squeal." Note the repeat. I wouldn't want my gang to think I was a flake now?

My gang was good to me. Elizabeth circled back and pretended something on her bike was broken so I could keep up. I apologized to Brian, because I know he can go really fast, and it is more fun for him when the other riders go fast too. He assured me that they had circle back for people who had far less entertaining and outragious tales. Maybe there is faking, but it only works in one direction, the fast pretend to be slow.

After the ride though I sentenced myself to reading the paper in E's van while the others got to go running in a canyon. I helped myself to the solar shower before settling down with the paper and Facebook. I swear I could hear the laughter the entire 6 miles they were gone and boy was I sorry to miss out.

Of course my orthopedic doctor husband told me I needed to rest for a few days and let the achilles/calf heal. He said a week off. Hah, I was convinced if I left it alone it would be better sooner. I got really annoying and started asking "Do you think it will be better tomorrow?" every 5 minutes. Tim told me if I didn't behave myself that I would get a cast. I said that was malpractice and then Elizabeth threatened to sentence me to this chair if I didn't behave myself.

High chair or chair for "Whinese" people

So I shaped up and shut up. Low and behold after 4 days of rest I was cured. Just in time for Sunday Funday. I worked on Saturday so Tim and I had to cram all of our fun into one day. Oh what a job!

We started with a morning bike ride coastal inland style. Then we headed to the coast making a frozen yogurt stop 20 miles from home at one of the many Team Fatty sponsors along the Coast Highway. Who can beat that?
Next up was the run -swim-run. We ran to the cove for a one mile snorkel swim fest followed by a run home. We saw hundreds of fish and even a few bat rays. I am a bit of a freak show running home in my soaking wet tri clothes. Honestly, it saves me the work of rinsing out my wetsuit. It was great. According to Tim, frozen yogurt is performance enhancing so technically we should have stopped for frozen yogurt on the way to or from the cove.

Solana Beach Sprint

Solana Beach Sprint Triathlon.

I told the guys to at least look tough.

I'd say Tim looks a little better collected than me exiting the swim.

He must not have been going hard enough.

Slacker!

What Tim won't do to get out of a recovery run!

I'm smiling.

The look on Tim's face says "what did I get myself into and I'm not sure I signed up for this"

Negative Attention> No Attention.

Tim tries to make a hairy bagel.

Too bad he doesn't have enough dough or hair.

Actually Thank Goodness

Sunday, July 26

Sunday was the TCSD sponsored Solana Beach sprint triathlon. I am not sure how much of a sprinter I am. I had so much fun at Encinitas I figured why not. I convinced Tim to do it too. I really had to twist his arm. We both had something to accomplish. I wanted to improve my transition times. Tim wanted to score a roll down spot for Kona ;0) I think my transitions were pretty quick. I'll never really know because when the results came out they didn't post splits for transitions. The race directors must have heard there were some high calorie bets on transition times.

The waves were a bit large on race day morning but I actually found them fun to play in. I liked ducking underneath them and waiting for the wave to pass before I hopped back up. At the look of my swim split I might have had too much fun. Determined to have a fast transition time for once in my life. I took my wetsuit off just as I exited the water. It comes off quicker with more water in it. I swear transition was a 1/4 mile away and up a hill. Initially the wetsuit was coming off very quickly until it got stuck on the timing chip around my ankle. I struggled for a bit then sat down in the water and pulled it off. I'm sure it demonstrated my grace and coordination to the fullest. The wetsuit did a fantastic job of filling up with water as I floundered getting it off. I got some extra strength training running up the hill with my wet wetsuit.

Once in transition things went very quickly. Too quickly. I think I needed to take 5 and catch my breath. I'd have to wait another 50 minutes to breathe easy. I missed the time to sit down and catch my breath while I put on my shoes. They were already on my bike so I was off.

I tried to go as fast as I could on the bike. My legs felt like they were on fire. I hoped that meant I was going fast. (I don't think it did though). A few miles into the ride I looked over to left as a women began to pass me. We were heading down the slight downhill north of Solana Beach. We went back and forth. After we rounded the corner I pulled ahead on the uphill (legs burning). Me thinking, well that ought to have done the job. The coarse flattened out and she passes me again. I notice she is wearing lipstick. She pulls ahead and I can't go with her not even for 9 miles. Maybe if I had worn my lipstick I could have held on. We finish the bike ride and I see her just a little bit ahead of me. I think maybe I can run her down. The gap gets bigger, in her favor. I think maybe it's the lipstick. I get passed a couple more times before the run is over. Neither of the girls are wearing lipstick so I have lost my excuse. I'm amazed I can't dig a little deeper for a measly 5k of running. I find Tim and we have fun socializing for a few.

I become Cruella Deville and insist Tim and Paul do a cool down run with me. They are both complaining. Tim says he was in pain because of me. Paul is upset because he is afraid the beer garden will be dry when he gets there. I am smug as can be (despite having the slowest time of the 3 of us). I tell them I exerted myself for way longer than they did today. If anybody should complain it should be me. I brag that when I did the Encinitas race with Stacy and Elizabeth, we ran for an hour after and nobody complained. Therefore girls were stronger and tougher than boys. At that Paul tired to pick up the pace and make me puke but there was too much traffic and we kept having to stop at stop sign. I'm surprised Tim didn't make a run for the car and leave me to run my smug self home.