So this was our last big training weekend before SOMA. Two weeks from tonight, we'll have completed our first Half Ironman triathlon. Hopefully, if all goes well, we'll be relaxing (unconscious?) in our hotel room, tired but happy. But now, we're really down to brass tacks. While we'll do a 3 hour bike ride next weekend, there's no run off the bike, and not much for a long run on Sunday – probably only an hour or so. This was our last chance to put our bodies through the paces, so to speak, to see how we'll respond come race day, and to get some confidence.
It was a good weekend.
Saturday was another group ride with JFT2. We did the Hollywood Hill loop again – 29 miles or so of steady climbs mixed in with some flat trail sections. Then off to ride Juanita Hill again, the Holmes Point Loop (oh goody, my favorite!) but then this time, back DOWN Juanita, and up 116th Ave NE, back to 405, and then south on 124th back to the Red Apple. The good news was that while Holmes Point was hard, it wasn't as debilitating as last week – I was even able to stay out of the smallest gear (in my middle ring, of course) AND shift up 2-3 gears as I crested the hill. Which, for the record, hurt like hell.
But once again, that wasn't the worst hill. While it was LONG, it's relatively steady and not incredibly steep. That honor went to 116th. I've ridden down this hill, I've driven this hill. I knew it was steep. I didn't know how steep, and how long, it was, until we were on it. WOW. It was really, really hard. It hurt. It was so steep that I had to climb pretty much the whole thing out of the saddle – I wouldn't have been able to turn over the pedals if I was seated. I had to talk myself more than once into keeping going – the idea of stopping & walking was somewhat appealing – but not knowing that Jill was behind me! I knew I couldn't just stop & rest – the hill was steep enough, I'd never get going again. My only hope was that the hill would be over soon – funny, but I never considered dropping out of my middle ring.
After that, the steady climb up 124th back to the Red Apple was pretty much a piece of cake. For whatever reason, I felt really good on the ride Saturday, and I was stoked about that. Once we got back to the Red Apple, I had to do a little convincing of Jason, but then we were off on our hour run through Bridle trails. By noon we noon we were done: a 3 ½ hour bike ride, and a 55 minute run.
Today (Sunday) was a long run – two hours on the schedule, which turned into a 2 ¼ hour slog through Bridle Trails with Jill in the pouring rain. It was great. This was an AeT run, so we were able to chat quite comfortably the whole time (except for the really big hill in the middle). Jill showed us the inner loop trail – we did two of those, and one of the outer loops and then headed back to Red Apple. Jill still had 1 more loop to go (she was doing a 3 hour loop) but frankly, while I could have kept on going if I had to, I was glad to be done. My feet were squishy in my shoes, and I was soaking wet. Back in the parking lot, a dry shirt, flip flops, and a hot latte from Starbucks, and I was feeling much better.
By this afternoon, it had stopped raining and things were starting to dry out.
It was a good weekend. SOMA, here we come.
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