90 K 3:29:30 then 5K 36:53

I felt the blogger love!

Big time!

Thank you.

90 K
3:29:30 (stopwatch time) 3:27:16 (bike computer trip time)
26 Kph overall average speed
79 rpm average cadence
77 Kph max speed
128 bpm average heart rate overall
148 bpm peak heart rate
4198 calories
5 min transition
1K 7:50
2K 7:16
3K 7:02
4K 7:35
5K 7:10
Total run time if I've done the math right is 36:53
4 Cliffs energy bars
1 litre energy drink

Hoo-RA!
It started off cool and cloudy and I was beginning to think I'd be on the trainer again. But about noon it cleared up and started getting warmer. So I dressed for the bike, got run stuff ready, and stuffed pockets full of energy bars and extra drink.

My best case goal was to do 100 K, and test out this new-fangled nutrition thing, but I was willing to back down the milage depending on how I felt and what the weather did. At first I wondered what the heck I was doing. My legs felt heavy and tired. I probably should have worn another layer. I did a bit of a systems check and decided to keep going for at least a while yet. Plus, the blogger love began to kick in.

Opening a Cliff's bar on a bike at 30 Kph is an interesting experience for someone who's teeth don't quite perfectly meet. A small nibble said I liked the taste. But the whole reaching around to the pocket every 10 minutes is for the birds. I figured I'd be on the bike 4 hours, eat one bar an hour, spaced into 3 bites. Yes, I can get a third of a Cliff's bar in my mouth at once. Washed down with energy drink it's pretty good.

Passing Priddis there was a lot more snow and it was getting colder. Oh, I was wearing shorts and a short sleeved Speed Theory shirt. I can just see these other cyclist all much more heavily dressed blogging about this lunatic they saw on an orange and black Orbea that wasn't wearing enough.

Past the Bragg Creek turn off and things are going pretty good all things considered, but it started getting cold. I was beginning to reconsider 100 K. Then, right at the 45 K mark, exactly at the 45 K mark, almost perfectly exactly at the 45 K mark is the Elbow Valley info station. Open. With washrooms. I took it as a sign, turned in, peed, drank, and turned around. The people that want to call me a weenie for "only" doing 90K can email me at the address kcartmell@bitemybutt.com.

The thing I like about this ride is that it took almost exactly 2 hours to get there, for an average pace of 22.5 K. Coming home is more downhill than up, and usually the wind is behind you. I got home in 1.5 hours for an average pace of 30 Kph.

The ride back was great! I was feeling strong and pedaling well. Passing the on ramp from 22 south I began to realize I had a shot at 3.5 hours, and pedaled a little stronger. I had the gas. My inner shark came to visit about then, as I passed two other cyclists. On mountain bikes or hybrids, but still. My inner shark was all excited and snapped his teeth at them as we passed. I just smiled. As I was coming up to 37, someone crossed coming from the road to Nepal. I tried catching him or her, and if it hadn't been for the damn light at 37th street I'd have done it too. My inner shark was a little disappointed and says that sharks don't have traffic lights. I pointed out sharks don't have to contend with objects 10 times their weight moving at least 3 times as fast and possibly 10 times as fast. He swam off about then.

The start of the run was pretty scary. Somebody taped a big weight to the back of my calves. I had to walk a little bit, maybe a dozen steps or so during the first K. My left knee twinged a few times, but then I settled and chugged along. The 2nd and 3rd K felt pretty good, then I started getting a bit tired. But the blogger love came through and helped push me to the finish.

I walked for 5 minutes after and did about 10 minutes of stretching, then was starting to get cold. Nice shower, pasta dinner, a beer! and some blogging. I'll stretch more a bit later.

For lots of people this would be a hohum experience. But not for me. I'm tickled pink. I'm not sure there's any other time in my life that I'd be able to have done this. Now I'm going to sit in a comfy chair with my feet up, hopefully with a cat walking on my legs, drink my beer, and chat with my wife and her sister. Life is very good.

Hope everybody has a great race in Lethbridge! I'll be sending some blogger love down for you.

Weekly total
Swim 2.3 hr
Bike 5.75
Run 3.1 hr
Total 11.15 hr