Grizzly!!

Schedule- Wednesday is big which we already talked about. Thursday is going to be big too. I think I have 7.5 hours of sitting in front of a machine and putting little plastic tubes on it every 2 minutes. Uggh. Kill me now. The rest of the week into next will be busy but nothing abnormally long or anything. Staying home for the weekend. At this point May is clear. I am not sure if house stuff is going to be taking over my life in May so was thinking of another trip to Missoula. Weekend training camps in Missoula are fun. I talked to Sue about doing something.

I have a meeting with the Tri club kids tonight. If they are interested I might try and pull together a transition clinic for them sometime this weekend. Just an hour or so getting them to practice jumping on their bikes. It likely won't happen but we will see....

Question: The Bozeman Tritons race is Sunday and there is a trail run race on Saturday that I really like but always seem to miss. Can I do that to? I think it would be fun to see how I feel racing hard the next day.

The taper leading up to Saturday was a little rocky. Just figured I was getting all the kinks out before the race. First, and this is in hindsight and I am going to take this as lesson learned. I think I did those 800s a little too hard. I was so tired that night and super bonky when I got on my bike to ride home. Probably not good for these legs right before a race. Second, I went out to ride on Thursday and got a flat. I have been getting flats, many flats. This time I finally took off the tire and there it was buried in the tire a little piece of glass. I got a ride home after this flat and did the rest of the ride on the cross bike. I think this was a mistake. The fit is so different. I actually think my seat on the cross bike might be low. Then on Friday morning it was pouring. Was not going to take out my newly cleaned, lubed, and race ready TT bike in the rain. Rode to and from work, rode to do something during the day. It was dry at 4pm so rode the TT bike around a little to make sure it was working.
Other than that I think I did good leading up to the race. Kept food in me better than normal, drank Hammer Fizz all week and a spicy V8 on Friday night to get ready. Came with my friend Mary and we drank chamomile tea and went to bed at 10 on Friday night. My heart was racing all night every time I would think about the race. Woke at 7:30 ready to go. Got in a good breakfast. I know I was at the race a little too long before my heat, but I really think it makes me more ready than staying away. Had too many friends to cheer on. Every time you asked if I was ready I really did feel ready.

Race
4th at the Grizzly!! Woop! I will take that! (Third next time) The swim was a little slower than I hoped. Ali and Sue both thought it was slow too. I was shoulder to shoulder with Jacquie which caused a lot of anxiety. Then I figured I could draft but drank water and missed a couple of turns so that didn't work well either. Better than last time though. I am not in fear of being the last one in the pool. Motivated to keep working on the swim. 14 minutes next year! (Question: Is swimming 5x a week a way of life from now on?) I was tired from the swim when I got on the bike. I have never consciously thought that before. It took a while to get my legs going around. I was definitely thinking that I don't have a good sense for pace outside right now. Then I would think about doing  a 20k TT and that I definitely wasn't breathing hard enough so I would surge but then maybe too much so I would unsurge. I think the whole ride went like that. Felt the best when I could remove myself from the fact that  I could not see anybody in front of me and look down and get in a good groove. Need to work on this more. Thanks for being at the corner and giving me encouragement and advice. Scarlet (she sure grew up) wasn't close (in my mind) but you put it into a good perspective. It always takes to the very same point on the race for the legs to remember they are running. Thank god I didn't eat it on the obstacle course of curbs right outside of transition.  I caught her on the hill which was awesome because it made the hill less hard for me. I passed her at the bottom. She tried to hold on and I did push a little harder to gain some ground! I had no idea that Ali had dropped out and I was sooo stoked to be in 5th.  After looking at the running times I probably could have pushed it harder. My pace wasn't killing it. .After I finished Lisa told me I was 4th. What!! Took 2 minutes of my best Grizzly time.
I want to get faster. Someday I want a sub 1:10. I love how I say this now and then race day comes around and I get so nervous and worried about how much it is going to hurt that I wish I hadn't said it.

Great race coach!!! I just saw one of those pictures and I really should have gotten 3rd. Coach Elliot with top 3 in womens and mens would have been awesome. Sorry for being the outlier.
Question? Not one brick all year. What's up with that? Overrated? I don't think it mattered.

Also, I am such a bitch and I feel really bad about being so down on my friend. She got into the final heat and did a great job. I need to be nicer in the future. She has been super nice to me too. Telling me I am an inspiration.

Sunday- Total bust. Erik forgot my bike so the fun day of riding with friends in Missoula was out. We got in big fight on Saturday night about it and I was reminded why I don't want to ever go on spring break with John and Lisa again. I decided to just get a ride home on Sunday morning and not be have to figure out a way to get a bike. It was a beautiful day and I fully intended to ride in Bozeman. Called my parents when I got home at noon and they were just sitting down to Easter dinner with some of their friends and invited me over. Hung out with them until 5. Headed home with the intention of riding. Got on the bike at 7 to just spin around. Went around the block and then went back home. Terrible. A waste of a beautiful day. Not sure where the lack of actual motivation was coming from. Tired from racing, fighting etc. I think. At least Erik and the rest of the crew had a good time riding.

Monday swim- I don't understand. First- pull? Just pull with a buoy? Was it to get my arms loaded up? I did have a hard time going fast on the fasts.

It is supposed to thunderstorm today. I am fully intending on going out to the TT but probably not if it is pouring down rain. Alternative?