Is it redundant to say I'm busy?

Yes, definitely. But aren't we all. Here's the catch, I'm not really busy per say, just bumping along the same routine, but summer is different. Summer is crowded. By crowded I don't mean crowded with running here and there, but crowded with The Tribe. They are everywhere, all the time! For some undefineable reason, the moment I sit at the computer to check mail, blog, touch base with all of you they go LOTR, except instead of "one ring to rule them all" it's "one tap,, tap, tap" to rule them all. They are drawn to the tap. They are ruled by the tap. Swear to mother earth, the minute they hear the tap, they drop everything to crowd the computer and relay the angst and anecdotes of their lives. I want them to be ruled by the swish, swish of the washing machine, or maybe the dishwasher, but those sounds seem to make them disappear. Perhaps a sound effect relayed over the tap, tap noise is the solution to my sequestering problem.

At any rate, I'm doing my best to keep up with my fellow bloggies, wherever I check in I see good things going on.

The Huddle camp was fantastic! So much information, so much fun. About 30 people with a common passion for multisport. Everyone with busy lives, doing what we can to eke in some training, with others as often as we can. Cold beer just goes down better when shared with friends at the end of a training day.

I have lot's of info, which I'm working to write up as a separate link, should be up in the next day or so. Two highlights however:

1) When you are biking and your cell phone rings, even if it is a call from a party in a "huge" deal, make certain you have actually stopped your bike before answering said phone. Braking and answering will produce a header, a face plant, and 3 stitches, a black eye, and a nickname of "crash", as our lovely hostess demonstrated for us all. She claimed the crash was born of a desire to do anything to avoid a transition run.

2) Prior to an "A" race, (absolutely you need to plan your season and demarcate races by priority to attain overall goals) you need to go caffeine free for 3 weeks. The 3 weeks isn't as troubling as the first 3 days. I am not a coffee addict in the sense that I drink the stuff all day long, but I do enjoy my morning cup. I tried skipping it this morning and quickly learned that Trimama without that cup is crabby Trimama. It might be a bad night's sleep and a little PMS, so I'm going to try again.

The rationale is that by going stimulant free over those weeks your training is "true" compelled by no artificial stimulant. You will sleep better, train a little harder and when you finally drink that cup on race morning, it will be like rocket fuel.

On a long day, such as in half and full iron distance races, once on the course, when you go to caffeine, you've gotta stay with caffeine. Caffeine has a half life, so a constant source, every couple hours or so is essential to prevent a mental crash.

I realize this will be point 3, take it as an extended trailer-lucky you:

Recovery is important. I took a training vacation that began June 11th and extended to July 6th, when we did the 100. Over that time I only trained within the parameters of where my mind was willing to go, if I felt like walking, I walked. I didn't count my laps in the pool, and I biked at whatever speed my legs wanted to produce. Still in recovery from the 100 at camp, I swam slow, I biked slower and dropped from the 40 mile hot, windy ride at mile 13, when my deep glut muscle was burning, and then proceeded to have the best run I've had since May on Sunday. I'm hungry again. Hungry to train, hungry to focus, hungry to do what it takes to make the iron distance. Given my mental mumbling when I trained after Liberty, if I'd pushed through, I'm fairly certain I would be injured, discouraged and burned out by the end of August.

November is a long time away.

Ironman training should be planned over 12 weeks max.

Food for thought.



Liffetime Fitness Tri comes to town again Saturday. The forecast is for 100 degrees. My friends, that is not a "dry heat" 100, that's a hot, humid 100. That lake is going to feel like syrup, that bike is going to feel like a lava field, and that run is going to melt your legs.

Can't wait to watch it all unfold.



Snowsill is my personal favorite this year. She was passed by her fellow Aussie last year in the final K, and the men finally claimed a vicotry. She won the race for the women, and I don't think she is going to get passed again. There is $250,000 at stake for the winner, with another $250,000 in cash for each additional spot.

I am the "out to run" number marker-so I get to see up close and personal the start of the run for the pros (cool) the elites (amazing) the 80 + year olds (remarkable) and the everyman (inspiring). Volunteers rock and it's fun to be one in a race such as this.

I left my camera at a friends house on the 4th-must get it back- all dialogue and no action makes for a boring film

Until then,

Happy tap tapping!










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