Over my heart attack and I love it when I am right.

After LFT last Saturday the temps really picked up so we decided to convene at the Mall of America instead of spending another night hunkered down inside with air conditioning. The mall has a seven story parking ramp which continues to be a final destination for a handful of destitute souls, so the top floor is often cordoned off unless the mall is particularly crowded, as it tends to be on a hot, humid, Minnesota evening. The Tribe talked me into parking at the top of the ramp because the ascent is a little like a roller coaster ride, and seventy some odd feet in the air provides some breathtaking views of the city. So up we went, with excitement mounting on each turn of the ramp. "Park at the edge mom! We want a view!" So I parked, and buzzed Trihubby on the cell phone to see where he had parked Stella. Before I knew what was happening, Buck Naked Boy had jumped out of the car and headed for the outer wall of the ramp. It took him about 2 seconds to begin to scale the wall "to get a view" and look over the edge.

My kids assure me that every head in the mall popped up like a colony of prairie dogs when I screamed his name, I'm not sure Niagara would have drowned me out.

And that is all Trihubby heard. My screams and

Damn it!

Hyphen Girl and Swinging Girl had already jumped out of the car and were standing close enough to grab him down from the 4 foot wall. All I saw in that flash was him going up the wall, and over the wall. He had no concept of how much momentum he had gathered as he jumped up to the top, but my mind calculated that instantaneously, and just about exploded right up until the moment his sister caught him and dragged him down off the wall.


I ordered the Tribe back into the car and got out of the car leaving them with mouths hanging open. I had to calm down and pull my mind back from hysteria. I called Trihubby and choked out what had just happened, he having only the benefit of my screaming into the phone and then silence. We agreed on a meeting place, I pulled the car down to a lower level and we made our way into the mall. I was still shaking when I went to bed that night. I had screamed his name so loud that for the remainder of the night, when I would call his name no sound was produced from my vocal cords. BNB just had that deer in the headlights look for a while. My kids have never seen me react like that.

That's the tough thing about having kids, you love them, you pour your life into them, and sometimes, tragically, they can be taken from you prematurely. If I don't have to re live an experience like that again it would be just fine.


Now, on to training. When I planned my season this past winter I periodized it to include three main races; two half iron and IMFL. Eleven months is a long time to implement a training plan, so I knew I would need some down time, and definitely a mental break from the rigors of training. I decided to take a break from June 11th until July 6th. At first my down time felt great. For two and a half weeks I trained when I wanted to train and only pushed as hard as I felt like pushing. As it turned out, I didn't have a lot of time devoted to swimming and my runs pretty much sucked banana monkeys. It occured to me pretty much daily in that last week and a half that I suck, I'm never going to do an ironman, I should retire now while I could and go live in a big fat cave somewhere, it's over. I had no mental energy left, and every workout felt like hell. In the back of my mind I knew this was exactly what I needed. Well, not the cave part, but the non compelled training. I needed to panic a little, I needed to fret and I needed to rest. Then I rode my century ride. Yes! I can ride 100 miles, strong. In elements of wind and heat and hills. I took it easy at camp, letting the recovery time set in and then began to train again in earnest.

Now, I feel great! I've had several great runs, a fantastic swim, and (drum roll) a rockin bike ride. Our Weds night tri club ride intimidated the heck out of me for weeks. It is fast and technical, with several turns, dips and switches. I didn't know the route, I usually got dropped by the hammer heads and I just didn't like it. The ride was cancelled early Weds due to storms, but by staging time, the clouds had parted and a handful of us gathered to set out. I knew from the outset I'd be biking alone, so I was going to ride out the first 10 miles and then instead of turning into the "technical" portion, I was just going to continue down the highway and turn back. Solo rides can be so mind clearing and one thing I realized, finally, is that part of the reason I get "dumped" is that the group of 30-40 ride out in a pack, and I tend to hang back, and duh, therefore do not get the benefit of drafting. They draft, and therefore travel a lot faster through the first part of the course, the part where I get dropped.

I am going to learn to draft. I am also going to start warming up 5 minutes before we ride out. I am old. I need to warm up before I hammer.

When I reached the point of decision, do I go down the highway or do I try to navigate the ride course on my own, my mind just said, damn it all to hell. Am I Trimama, or what? I think I can manage my way through a lousy bike course. So, I took off. Someone, for who knows what reason has marked our course with white arrows, so I followed the arrows. And I made it. Well, I missed one turn, but it only took me a few moments to figure it out. I tend to underestimate myself-often.

By the time I returned to the part of the course I knew, I was flying, both physically and mentally.

I did it!!!!

I know, it's the little things.

Skynyrds "Freebird" hit the mp3 when I was coasting through town, and I felt a little love left in my legs-it was hammer time.

Sorry to roadie who thought he would hang on my shoulder. I don't know you, but I sure as heck am not waiting for an introduction. See Ya! Poor guy. I think every time I would ease up a few seconds to recover he thought he was catching me, then it was go time and good bye. Ok, that was fun.

I set a 7 minute PR over the 23 mile course. Trimama is Back!!

Swim, run and work today- 2 hour slow bike tomorrow

Happy weekend!