I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday weekend!! I certainly have, though it has been a rather soggy one, the rain here was incredible this weekend...I think overall, this area received 10+ inches. The joys of living in a semi-tropical climate!
My first duathlon went well. It was sponsored by the city of Val Paraiso, Fl, on the Fourth. It was raining buckets that morning--I ran through standing water on the road that was over my ankles several times--but all the rain made the temps pretty cool. Only 75* which was pretty awesome for Florida in July. The swim was in the Boggy Bayou; the water was pleasant, though I worried about both alligators AND bull sharks in that location, lol!! The city made absolutely certain that we were monitored at all times in the water (and I don't think either the sharks or the gators would give that much noise a serious thought) but it was still kinda freaky when I opened my eyes underwater and saw the tea-colored water that is a bayou. Sometimes my overactive imagination is just that though--overactive. I ran the 5K in about 33 minutes and transitioned to the swim. Overall my time was 39ish minutes--well enough to place third in my age group! :)
Friday was a great ride. It was still cloudy and cool and I got rained on a bit on the way home. It was a 16.5 mile ride in 60 minutes. The area I ride in was very quiet that day, and I really enjoyed having it to myself. Sometimes solitude is a good thing, though I enjoy a good group ride as well.
Saturday was long run day...bleh...14 miles in a downpour makes for a miserable time. I checked The Weather Channel before I started running and they claimed a 0% chance for the hours I was out. Unfortunately, the deluge that I went through didn't know it wasn't supposed to happen. I did the first four miles in my neighborhood with my lab, Minoo. The first 2.5 miles was clear but then it started. I went ahead and finished the distance with her and then went back home to drop her off and to decide if I should keep going. I decided to risk it, based off of TWC's reports, but...yeah. It was a gentle rain until about mile three of the remaining 10...but by then I was seven miles into the 14, so I just decided to go. Then the bottom fell out...running through giant puddles, the cars that were passing by were drenching me in sheets of water from the road (they couldn't avoid it, I don't think that was intentional). But the thing that really got me was this: I'm running along, quite miserable but minding my own business, when I look up and see a guy in a van coming towards me stick something out of his window...an air horn. Luckily, I realized what it was and didn't give him the satisfaction of jumping (I may have given him a sign of what I thought...sign language is useful in times like that) but that just kills me. Normally people in this area are very respectful to others (at least in my experiences) and don't do that sort of thing. But seriously--I wanted to punch this guy in the face, old or not. What was the point of scaring the crap out of someone who was already completely miserable, just because? Grrrrr...but again, at least the temps were mild!
I normally do my open water swim on Sundays, but the rip tide current warning made me rethink that. So today was only a brick workout--45 minutes on the bike and then a 15 minute run. My legs were really heavy throughout, but I finished (WITHOUT being rained on, I might add!) and am looking forward to a peaceful day tomorrow.
Here's to rest days!! :D
Beth
