The Final Countdown

Well, it's getting close to Elite Track Nationals in 11 days. I'm feeling good about my workouts. Tonight's motorpacing was tough. I sighed something about it being hard to "stay on as long as I can," without a for sure end.

"It's supposed to be hard!" reminded Dean.

Good point

I'm feeling snappy and have a much better attitude about nationals this year. I just have to stay healthy for another week or so.

My realistic goal is to be on the podium for all of my events. My ambitious goal is to kick ass all around.

We all know that racing is 90% in your head, so I'm going to focus ambitiously!

Going and going and going and...

Here's a whirlwind recap of the past week. We opened a new school this year, so besides the buzz of the beginning of any school year, there are so many new things, or things not yet in place, and there are more kids than we expected, and it's just overall busy. Mix the job with a birthday party, a visit with my brothers and niece, and other general errands, and I'd be busy without cycling. Now, finally add on a few workouts, and I haven't stopped for about a week. Here was today. Punctuation was left out for affect.

Thought I planned it all very well. I have my cycling clothes packed in my bag, I had a shower bag and towel packed, and I had a plan. This plan was to get through my school day with one class that is very well behaved and the other, containing about 3 kids that fill in every mili-second of dead air with chatter. I was going to do my intervals on the beautiful roads of north Clark County, then go to Haley's to shower, eat, and rest for curriculum night, where we talk to the parents about expectations and procedures in our classroom.

I get to school in the morning and start to tell Haley my plan. But I got stuck on the first step, because at the part where I was about to tell her that I was going to do my ride... it dawned on me that I forgot my bike.

I live 23 minutes from school.

I can leave school at 3:30

I make it to my car at 3:47, because no one ever leaves school on time the first couple of weeks, contemplating what I will do- skip the workout and be disappointed that I did so, or go for it.

Gentlewomen.... Start your engines!

I drive 23 minutes home, eating some pretzels and an apple on the way, then I get changed into my cycling clothes that were in my car all day, so they are toasty warm, I fill 2 water bottles- one with water and the other with ice, since it's 90 degrees on September 11th, then I hit the road. The workout was 40 on-20 off- 40 on (seconds that is). I'm supposed to do 7-8 intervals, but I didn't have that valuable resource of time, so I cranked out 3 into the wind and 2 with a tail wind- out to Vancouver Lake and back. Then I hung the bike, put the Lean Cuisine in the microwave for 2.5 minutes, and took the protein smoothie out of the freezer, hopped into the shower, then managed to get dry in the heat, by pointing my floor fan into the bathroom. I took about 4 minutes to get looking presentable, ran downstairs, fed the cat, inhaled my Lean Cuisine, and grabbed the protein smoothie along with a spoon. I was back in the car 65 minutes after I got out of it, including my 42 minutes power workout. I made it back to school and even had time to shoot the breeze with some other teachers before the 2 waves of parents came in to hear all about their kids classroom.

Bed will be good.
Photos of nationals and others coming soon, I promise.