Clarendon Day 10K and Tropical Storm Joaquin

Yeah, I know that running a race the week before Ironman isn't on any plan that I have.  But let's be honest, I never "race" these events.  I wanted a supported event and an opportunity to try out my race belt and drinking from only my drink flasks that I carry instead of stopping at every aid station.  This race provided me exactly that.  Heidi agreed to do this with me, and in fact she signed up to do both the 5K and the 10K in preparation for her half marathon next weekend.

Since there were 2 events, and lots of people signed up to do both distances, the start times were staggered.  The 5K started at 8am and the 10K didn't start until 9am.  My plan was to get there around 8:15, get my packet, see Heidi finish the 5K and line up for the 10K.  I can't remember the last time I got to sleep in so late on a weekend!  In fact, I was wide awake by 6:30 and ended up getting to Arlington in time to see Heidi before she started the 5K!  We chatted and I saw her off, and then I wandered to get my shirt and bib number, use the port-o-pots, stop back at my car.  My teammates, Kate B and Jen F, both found me (separately) and I chit chatted with them for a bit.  I had so much time on my hands!

It turned out the 5K was a point to point (as was the 10K) and so I couldn't watch Heidi's finish.  Instead, she had to finish that race and make her way back from Rosslyn to Clarendon for the next event.  She called me just as the 10K was starting and told me to go ahead without her.  I agreed knowing she'd probably catch up.  I started out jogging, then walked when I felt like it.  Eileen, Henry and Megan passed me so I jogged a little more to chit chat with them for a second.  Then about a mile in, I decided to speed walk.  I know I will be walking in Ironman, so I should practice that.

Heidi did catch up with me and jogged beside me while I speed walked, and we kept that up for the rest of the race.  I was maintaining 15 minute miles by speed walking which made me happy.  I didn't stop and any of the aid stations!  I grabbed water, poured it into my flask, or drank a bit, but never slowed down.  This was the point of doing the race in the first place, and I'm glad I got the practice.  Definitely glad I signed up for this.

The race gave us free metro cards to get back to Rosslyn, and from there Heidi and I met up with Deb and had a wonderful brunch at Whitlows.  I got home and noticed some chaffing -- I will have to be more diligent about applying body glide next weekend.  After a shower, I met up with Sweeney and went out to join Paula at a winery for the day.  Yes, maybe I should have spent this day packing and doing laundry.. oh well.  It was a good final long "run", and I followed that up with my last 30 mile bike ride with Tommy on Sunday.

So here we are... RACE WEEK!!!   3 days left... until..... HurricaneMan??

Yep, that's right.  Tropical Storm Joaquin is swirling around in the Atlantic, and a bunch of weather models have it gaining strength and becoming a hurricane within the next day... and moving up the coast right to Cambridge, Maryland.

Grocery shopping is done.  Laundry is done.  Bags are packed.  I have bad weather plans, and backup plans and all that.  All of my focus has been on the weather reports.  Various models have this storm doing different things (though we can 100% count on rain and wind, it seems).  All I ask is please please please, don't cancel the swim portion!!

Next stop, Ironman Village!

an open letter to my iron-friends & family

"There is no shame in taking pride in achievements or position. 
But nobody gets to the top alone."

- Harvey Mackay

To some of my favorite people in this world:

Well y'all, it's been a journey.

I could go on and on about how many hours of training I've put in, all the mornings my alarm went off at 4:30am (or earlier!) and how what I really wanted to do was roll over in bed.  And I am proud of everything I have done to this point.  I've paid my dues and logged the man-hours.  I am ready.

I have the wonderful Team Z to thank for a lot of what helped me get this far.  My swim lane-mates holding me accountable for showing up Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  My ride buddies and the SAGS during our long rides sticking around, often when I was one of the last cyclists in.  All the cheering and encouragement throughout the season.  I absolutely could not have gotten this far without my team, and I will dedicate a separate post to them later on....

...but, my teammates and coaches are all triathlon-minded, so it's a little different. You, my iron-friends and family, didn't sign up for this. You didn't take on the commitment of training and racing an Ironman. Yet you have been standing beside me, supporting me, every step of the way.

You ran with me and didn't care how slow I am or how many walk breaks I had to take. We suffered through long runs together in hot temperatures and lots of humidity. We ran through pouring rain and thunderstorms and snow and ice... We ran on ice!! You did races with me... On cold rainy mornings... And made them fun. We faced Eagleman together... Again. You drove long hours and came and cheered for me in races, and still had a smile on your face even when I didn't finish.

You let me piggy back on your gym membership to get in some spin classes when the weather was terrible and I just couldn't bare another session on the trainer... When we didn't feel like spinning... At all. We suffered together. And when the weather got nice, we biked outside together. You took time out of girls weekend in Vegas to go on a long bike ride with me... In the desert sun... On rented bikes... With over 3000 feet of climbing!! We swam together... In the Potomac.

You switched to primarily day drinking on the weekends so that I could participate and still get to bed early enough to make my morning ride or run the next day. You listen to me go on and on [and on and on...] about my runs, my bike rides, nutrition, wardrobe decisions. Sometimes (most times?) things you have zero interest in. But you let me jabber on about all these subjects as you smile and nod and even offer your best advice when you can.

You listened to me bitch, moan and whine about early morning workouts, tired muscles and persistent injuries. You sat with me through my meltdowns, after bad workout days, when I just wasn't sure I could do this. You didn't let me give up. The term "build cycle" has become part of your vocabulary. You looked forward to recovery weeks [almost] as much as I did. You know the exact distances of an Ironman event.

You let me learn from your experiences and your knowledge as you tell me about the day that you became an Ironman. You made pasta dishes for me when my stove was broken so I could eat well and support my workouts.  You brought me ice and heating pads and Ibuprofen and dinner and milkshakes after my long training days.

You came to my super long workouts to cheer me on and support me. You have sent me notes of encouragement and believed in me, even when I have not believed in myself. You told me that I'm strong enough to do this. You told me that I have what it takes. You helped convince me this is possible.

You will be right there with me, along the course during the long day. You are traveling through multiple states to come support me. You are coming after doing your own longest training run ever for your upcoming first marathon! You will make the bike a little easier, and the run more bearable. You've offered to run with me and pace me to help me reach that finish line. You volunteered to be my sherpa and I know that everything will be taken care of so I can focus on racing. You will be cheering at the finish line with a hard cider in hand for me as I hopefully complete 140.6 miles.

I don't know what is going to happen on race day. What I can promise you though, is that I am going to give it all I've got and leave everything on that course. When I toe that line, you will know that I put in the work and paid my dues, and whether or not I become an Ironman, you will be there with me to celebrate the completion of a long hard season.

I thank each and every one of you for all your support and encouragement. Triathlon is an individual sport, but it took a village to get me to the start line. I'll see you all on the flip side!

xoxo,
Jen

knocking off the last checklist items

We're getting close!  Time to knock off those final checklist items that I now have time to do with long workouts coming to an end. 

1. Finalize race day outfits.
Done.  I did a trial run of the bike and run outfits during the 120/20 weekend and am pretty happy with my choices.   On my birthday weekend run, I got some pretty nasty chaffing from my shorts, which is weird because they're the same shorts I've been wearing all summer.  So I am taking a backup pair just in case the chaffing isn't completely healed up, but that will be a game-day decision (well, day before since that's when we have to turn in the gear bags).  I've also decided to wear compression socks on the run (cheap ones since I might change my mind and throw them out mid-race) as I have had issues with shin splints on some of my brick runs.

I will be doing full wardrobe changes for each event.  For the swim, I'm wearing an old raggedy suit that really should be thrown out (and probably will be after this race), but it's comfortable and will be compressed under the wetsuit, so it doesn't really matter what it looks like.  Then, look for me in my Team Z green on the bike and run courses!

2. Get a bike tune-up
Done, but this led me to two additional items to add to the list based upon the feedback:

2a. Get a new bike chain
During my tune-up, the guy told me that my current bike chain is on its last legs.  I don't know why he didn't suggest to change it right then and there, but it's definitely something I'll want to do before the race, just in case!

2b. Swap out the cassette (put on compact)
Xena came with a compact cassette which is great on flats, but since we train hills, one of the Team Z ride leaders suggested that I get a new cassette that would give me some extra gears (thanks for the Christmas present, Jon!).  Now that Maryland is upon us, it's time to put the original cassette back on. 

3. Learn to pee on the bike - it's a time saver and every second counts!
You are not going to believe this, but I DID IT!!!  I was always someone who said, 'I'm never going to be so rushed that I won't spare a minute to use a port-o-john'... until I heard that a teammate missed the Lake Placid cutoff by 4 mintues, and she could account for those 4 minutes wasted in the port-o-john line!

It was during a rainy ride in Cambridge, and I was all alone getting soaked. I figured, what better time to see if I can do it than when the rain will give me a good washing.  I was so proud of myself!

4. Learn how to change a flat!  Get comfortable doing it.
I'll be the first to admit, I need more practice with this!  After Sunday's team ride, I dropped Xena off at Bonzai to get a few final things tweaked (see #2 above), so I didn't have my tri-bike tire.  But, a tire is a tire, right?  So I grabbed the wheel off my road bike and got to work.

I settled in to watch the Ravens game with all my supplies.  I got the hang of changing it but had the hardest time getting the dang tire back on after the new tube was in!  I even broke one of my tire levers! I'll be practicing a few more times before the 3rd...

5. Order new running shoes, goggles... test them out.
Run shoes...check!  Did my final long run from my house last weekend (it's always so hard to run from my house... too many opportunities to cut it short or skip it all together).

I love the color and the shoes worked great... though my body didn't love this run.  Very hard to get going and keep going, I think I only had about 2 miles in there that felt good. OH, but also, check out the new Garmin!!  Happy birthday to me!!  I had been worried about my Garmin 910 running out of battery during Ironman and wanted something that would last the full marathon, so welcome, Garmin 220.  Bonus:  It's purple!

Goggles are goggles, but the last time I ordered a new pair, they ended up leaking (even though they were the exact same brand and style as I've had before) and I had to go through a whole return process.  So it's important to make sure these new ones are good and sealed.  On a side note, if you've ever wondered what a pool looks like at 5am, save yourself the trouble and sleep in... it looks the exact same as any other time of day (just a little darker outside)!

6. Develop a race plan.  Make the lists and check them twice!
Anyone who knows me knows that making lists is my thing!  I've got lists upon lists upon lists!  Also, with my teammate, Val's help, I have developed a thorough race plan to mentally get me through each aspect of the day.  If nothing else, logistically, I am prepared!

7. Stock up on all the miscellaneous items:  Ibuprofen, body glide, bike tubes, etc..
I will say that Amazon is loving me right now!  Seriously, there have been packages at our doorstep every day for practically the past month.

The beauty of Amazon prime is that it's 2-day delivery which means I have until Monday to put in a last minute order before I have to physically walk into a Target (who's got the time or patience to deal with that?!).

8. Come up with bad weather provisions (rain, cold, etc).
Extended forecasts cannot be trusted.  This I know.  And I know I shouldn't stress over elements that you can't control (and I'm not).  That said, knowledge is power which leads to preparedness.  Early reports say that there could be rain or overcast skies.  Low temps have been reported down to about 50.  So I need to plan for that.  Arm warmers on the bike, maybe a long sleeve shirt for after dark on the run.  Extra socks everywhere in case they get wet.

So, the catch here is that we will not get special needs bag contents back.  Special needs bags are bags of gear, nutrition, etc, that we can access halfway through the bike and halfway through the run if we choose to do so.  For example, in the bike special needs bag, most people put spare bike tubes, CO2 cartridges and other necessities as a just in case - no biggie if they get tossed after the race.  But you wouldn't want to put your favorite jacket in here, only to have it hot and sunny and then you lose your jacket forever.  So, my plan:

• Swim - no backup plan, but will take tri top and bottoms in case it's not wetsuit legal
• Bike - I was going to buy knee socks, cut the toes out and make cheap arm warmers, but then Andrea told me I was being silly and pointed me to cheap ones on Amazon - ha!  I probably would've spent more on the knee socks!  I also picked up a pair of cheap socks in case there's water on the bike course (high tide floods Maple Dam Rd)
• Run - I found a cheap long sleeve shirt at Target, picked up some single-use ponchos, and more cheap socks.

9.  Stay hydrated.  Do not get sick!
Vitamins.  Emergen-C.  You name it, I'm taking it over this last week to keep myself as hydrated and healthy as possible!  GAME ON!!

10.  Freak out!  Get excited!
Done and done!  I have a set of completely reasonable paces for each event that, if accomplished, would mean I would finish by midnight.  But anything can happen.  I've also got completely realistic scenarios where I wouldn't finish until 30-40 minutes after the midnight cutoff.  And there are some optimistic (but doable) circumstances where I could finish before midnight with some time to spare (but I wouldn't get too attached to this outcome).  At this point I'm more anxious than anything.

Too many variables that I can't control.  The weather, for example.  Will the currents be in our favor?  Will there be jellyfish?  How much wind will there be on the bike?  How cold is it going to get for the run? -- I want to be in the water, on the bike and doing the run.  I am ready for this to get here already!

My super awesome lane-mate, Leanne, gave me this card and bicycle angel pin.  It's pinned to my Team Z jersey to wear on the 112 mile journey.  It's getting real -- single digit countdown!

birthday weekend and taper time!

My initial thought was that taper would start right after the peak training weekend.  But I was wrong.  There was one more week with big numbers that I had to get through, and that just happened to be birthday weekend.

First, while bike and run are starting to wind down, the swims pick up.  I have 30 minutes of additional swim time that are tacked on at the beginning of each swim workout.  That means a 4am alarm clock.  I'll tell you, that extra half hour really does a number on me!  As if I wasn't tired enough already....

Then, super hot weather kept me inside on the trainer for my midweek rides.  Since I am so behind on laundry, I decided to use my old soccer jersey that's just been sitting around collecting dust.  Gosh, I don't even really remember the last time I kicked a soccer ball... sometimes I miss it and wonder if I will return to playing after Ironman.  Then I remember the 9:30pm start times, coming home so beat up and tired.  We'll see... as of right now there are no plans whatsoever (soccer, triathlon, anything) for after October (other than Disney half marathon in January).  But I digress...

Then, on Wednesday evening, I decided to skip the treadmill at the gym and come home and try to squeeze in a run before the rain started.  I was not successful, and got caught in thunderstorms.  Unfortunately, that meant that on Friday morning (birthday morning!), my shoes from that run were still wet AND my shoes from the long run the week before were still wet.  That's mostly my fault for storing the soaking wet clothes on top of the shoes and not doing anything about the pile for the whole week.

Anyway, I grabbed the lesser wet of the two pairs, which is not the pair I normally do my long runs with, and set out for a birthday morning run with Paula.  My plan was to get the run done on Friday, the bike on Saturday and then celebrate my birthday Sunday with Monday being a complete lounge day.  I had to run a little further than Paula so I did an hour on my own before meeting up with her.  I knew right away it was going to be a long day.  Every step felt like it required a great deal of work, I could feel blisters forming from my wet shoes, and I only covered 3.8 miles in that first hour.  After joining Paula, it didn't get any better, and she was feeling it too.  We finally realized that we both had done our longest runs ever the previous Sunday (16 for me, 17 for Paula) and probably weren't recovered just 5 days later.  So, we forgave ourselves for the crap run, and honestly I'm shocked that we were able to shuffle our way to just over 10 miles.

Then on Saturday, I headed down to Cambridge with a small group from Team Z to ride the IMMD course.  After the hills the last few weeks, I really needed a break and to do a ride that was not demoralizing.  Take a look at that pace!!  I really felt like I was just cruising along.  For a few minutes there I wondered if my Garmin was broken, or if somehow it got switched to kilometers instead of miles.  I made sure to focus on the course and break up the ride into smaller chunks for race day.  12 miles to the high school (which I didn't do this ride), then 10 miles to the wildlife refuge which I made sure to enjoy the scenery.  3 miles through the refuge and then 5 miles to the next turn.  8 miles after that was the next turn and then it was 5 miles to the dreaded MD 16 route.  I hate MD 16, and we're on it for about an hour... twice!

This day there was a decent wind on that road, and slowed down some, but managed to stay at 16.1mph at the end of the first loop (back at the high school).  I decided rather than doing the whole loop again, my plan only called for 80 miles so I would do an out and back.  I actually maintained 16.2mph for the first 60 miles, but then faced a nasty headwind after I turned around.  Still, 15.5mph for 80 miles?!  I will take it!  Goal for IMMD is 14mph.  I'm trying not to get too excited about that speed... any given day and all, and who knows what conditions will be on Oct 3...

Then, on Sunday it was finally time to play to celebrate my birthday!  I spent the day on the river with Jon, Joann, Daz and Cindy, and then we went to a winery.  Monday was complete and total lazy day!  I slept in, laid in bed awhile, moved to the couch and watched 2 movies (Wild and Theory of Everything), took a long nap, ordered in dinner delivery.  It was a perfect couple of days.

And.. I am happy to say that I am officially in taper mode!  I have a 3 hour ride/1.5 hour run brick workout on the schedule for this weekend, and am going to return to Cambridge to give the Ironman course one more ride before the big day. I've started making my packing lists, race plan and to-do chores... hard to believe that in one month, this journey will all be over!

hello there burnout, I've been expecting you

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out
how far one can go."

- T.S. Elliot

August started out with a bang!  A fantastic long run through the nation's capital and along the Mt. Vernon trail.  Under 14 minute miles, even doing my 2/1 intervals (2 min run, 1 min walk). 

Longest run AND fastest pace!!

Of course the chaffing that resulted from that run was one big fat FAIL.  Ouch!

The next day, I met a few of the self-proclaimed back of the pack ladies from Team Z for an unofficial ride, and ended up riding with Maddison.  It was the first time since joining the team that I had a riding partner who was exactly my pace, and we stayed together from start to finish!  Maddison, where have you been on all my other rides?!

Ignore the nail polish.... who's got time to get to a nail salon these days?!

A minor setback came during recovery week when I found out I have extensor tendinitis on the top of my foot.  No idea how it happened, but it's painful.  Rest, ice and ibuprofen is what the doctor ordered, so I took a few days off of running and biking (the bike shoes are too hard and aggravate the foot).  The doctor also suggested that I get another steroid injection at the location where I had surgery as it's still a little inflamed, but it only really hurts when I try to stand on my toes (think yoga), so I decided to wait until after the race to deal with that.

Check out those paces!!  I was downright giddy about this!!

But.  I bounced back from that injury and had a great Power Run workout.  What's a Power Run?  Well, it's a run and boot camp combo.  We start with a one mile run, then do a 10 minute boot camp circuit, and then repeat that three times.  On the first night of this workout, Kerri, the workout leader, gave me a goal to not walk at all during the mile repeats.  Boy, that was going to be a challenge!  I was successful, even that first night, though my mile pace was close to 14 minutes per mile.  I didn't care because the goal was to run the whole thing, and I did that. But... look at these paces!!  If there is one thing I can say about training this season it's that my running is getting better.  I'm not promising anything more than a death march in Ironman, but I am going into that race with a much better run base than I had anticipated, and that makes me happy.

Then there was the Poconos fail.  August sure was filled with ups and downs!  I was told that I should absolutely not worry about making up the lost long run and long bike from that race.  So I didn't.  Instead I shook it off and concentrated on the peak training weekend, the 120/20.  And no, I didn't get to 120 miles on the bike, but I am still calling that a success -- everyone says 100 hilly miles is the same as 112 flat miles.  I sure hope that's true!  And the run.... meh... my great run from earlier in the month was on fresh legs, I can't possibly think I'd repeat that the day after a century ride.

I will say though, I am tired.  All the time.  Even if I get 8+ hours of sleep per night.  If I am not at work, swimming, biking or running, then I am sleeping.  My friends might actually start to forget what I look like.  I'm kind of sick of swimming.  And biking.  And running.  I wish I had time to do other fun activities like hiking or kayaking or paddle boarding.  I miss hanging out at wineries on the weekends, and happy hours during the week.  I think I am ready for this race to be over.

Me testing out my new seat during an after work ride on the W&OD

Oh, but in awesome news, Bonzai bike shop let me return the bike shoes that hurt so much last weekend!  Even though I'd worn them on a long ride!  They also helped me pick out new shoes (same model but wider) and modified my old shoes to give the right one more ventilation, just in case I need a backup pair.

Holy shitballs, 30 days... THIRTY DAYS... One month!!  I've got my bib number... lucky 961!  It's getting real. 

the epic 120/20 weekend - peak training!!

It's been sitting there on the calendar since the beginning of the season, the epic 120/20 weekend, peak training for ironman.  That is, 120 miles on the bike, and a 20 mile run.  Though for full disclosure, my weekend was more like 100/16... here's how it broke down:

Some of us slower folks were invited to start the long ride early, giving us an hour head start on the rest of the group.  So, we showed up at Nokesville Park at o-dark-thirty and prepped for our 6am start.  It was a little hard getting everything ready in the dark!  I hadn't even considered needing a headlamp or anything. 

Prepping Xena in the dark!

I started out with Maddison and Kate C.  I do have to say it was really pretty riding so early in the morning with the sun just coming up.  There were more hills than I expected, pretty early on in the 74 mile route.  I always fall back from the group on the uphills and then catch up to them on the way down.  But the hills are disheartening, and I just had to remember that Maryland will be flat. 

Kate and Maddison

Oh, in the last week, I also made a trip to Bonzai in search of a new saddle.  Mine had been killing me and I couldn't imagine doing another long ride on it.  I'm not sure it's the best idea to switch something right before the longest planned ride, but I knew it wouldn't be worse.  After testing out a few, I decided on one that was unfortunately out of stock and had to be ordered, but they let me keep the tester saddle so I could start riding with it.  I also bought a new pair of cycling shoes that would hopefully address the hot spots I'd been getting, specifically on the outside of my right foot.

I'm happy to report that the saddle worked well!  We picked up Kim O. around mile 30 and the 4 of us continued on together, with a quick potty break around mile 45 and then the aid station at mile 55 that Val and Kim N. had fully stocked with food and goodies.  I was feeling good, happy to be sticking with the pack and happy with my decision to buy that new saddle.  My feet on the other hand were not so great.  The new shoes were too narrow and squeezing my feet.  Funny that I bought the shoes to address a problem on one foot and the result was both feet hurting!

Kim, Kate and me!

Back at the cars at the end of the first loop and I was relieved that I still had my old shoes in my car, so I changed back into them.  Maddison wasn't feeling well and decided not to go back out for the next loop.  I started out with Kate and Kim, but they immediately took off and there was just no way I was going to be able to keep up, I didn't even try.  I wasn't feeling it anymore and this ride was no longer fun.  I put myself in a super low gear and just started spinning, going forward inch by inch.

Around mile 85, I was on a long slow incline, and I was done.  I got about halfway up, pulled over to the side of the road, texted Joann that I wanted to quit, and just stood there for awhile, trying to get my breathing under control and my head back in the game.  A bunch of Zers passed me in both directions, asking if I was OK and cheering me on.  Later Kate V. told me that as she was passing me and cheering for me, a truck came speeding down the road and terrified her.  When she looked back, she couldn't tell if I was laughing at her or crying.  To be honest, I'm not sure either!  It was definitely a low point in that ride.

I knew there was a gas station at mile 90, so I figured I could make it there and just sit for awhile. What I didn't know is that some of the SAGs set up an aid station there.  I wasn't in the mood to talk to a bunch of people, but they did have cold towels and Gatorade.  I hadn't realized how hot it had gotten!  Other cyclists came and went and I just sat there.  Linda and Katrina (the awesome SAGs) told me I was done and wanted to pull me, but I had decided that I wanted to at least get to triple digits.  I didn't do the full 110 ride a few weeks ago, and I was determined to at least do another century. 

The next aid station was 5 miles up the road, so I figured I could make it there and then do a small out and back to get to 100 miles.  And that's exactly what I did!  100 miles!  I guess I'm happy with that.  I had wanted to do 120, or at least 112, but it was hot, humid and hilly.  And I knew the last 5 miles of that route had a bunch of hills also... there was just no way, not how I was feeling.  Everyone says I'm fine.. I hope so!  I hung out with Val and Kim N. while they packed up the aid station and then caught a ride back to the park. 

I drove home, took a shower, ate some pasta salad and crawled into bed.  Another early day was greeting me on Sunday... the long run!  I arrived at Lake Accotink at 6:30 and joined the long line of Zers waiting for the gates to open.  The run was to be a 3-mile (each way) out and back route, plus there an additional 1-mile out and back route for anyone who needed an additional 2 miles.  We had a 4 hour time limit on this run, so I knew I wasn't going to get in all 20, but thought I'd get 17 or 18.

I felt good as I started out with my 2/1 run to walk intervals.  Again though with the hills!!  Some people decided to run the trail around the lake instead because it's flatter, and maybe I should have joined them, but wanted to be with people.  Usually it takes me until mile 3 or 4 to start feeling OK on the run, but I actually felt pretty good that whole first loop.  Kate V joined me for miles 3-6(ish) and it was nice to have someone to talk to while running.  That almost never happens for me.  I hate holding people back though so I was happy she decided to speed up a little for the 2nd loop. 

I spilled half my water bottle as I was trying to refill my hydration pack - oops!  As I started the 2nd loop, my legs were beginning to feel every mile of the bike ride the day before.  I maintained the intervals, minus walking up all the big hills, for the first half of that loop.  Then I started walking more than I should've.  I was definitely slow moving.  My pace for the first loop and a half was in the 14-something per mile range, and I could see it slowly creeping up.  Oh well.  About a mile from the park is where Joann and Daz found me, as they were there to cheer.  As a bonus, they gave me a water bottle which was awesome since I was completely out.  I realized that I would not have time to complete a 3rd loop, and decided instead to do the smaller 2-mile loop twice to get to 16 miles.  My goal at this point was to make this my longest run, and to do all 4 hours. 

Joann helped me refill my hydration pack this time so I didn't end up spilling anything.  Then she walked the first part of the loop with me.  Her and Daz leap-frogged the rest of the loop and Joann would get out and walk parts. That was awesome!  I walked a lot, ran when I could, but was getting bad calf cramps when I tried to run, to the point of not knowing if my legs would keep my body upright.  Then Allison appeared and joined me for my final stretch!  Those 4 miles seemed like they took forever and I was so happy to finally get back to the park and finish that run.  My socks were completely wet from all my sweat and blisters were forming on my feet.  Actually, all of my clothes were completely soaked.  Disgusting. 

I changed into a towel to drive home, took a shower and then it was off to a winery to celebrate being done with the peak training weekend!  I am only going to have to bike and run that far again during the race.  I can't say that it's all downhill from here, but we should definitely start winding down as we head into taper. 

We had a fun afternoon at the winery, stuffed our faces, drank lots of wine, and I was home and in bed by 6pm!  It's sad when you're actually looking forward to a Monday morning because it means you can sleep in longer than you were able to either weekend day (and still be at work by 7:30)!