I love my birthday. I haven't worked on my birthday in almost 20 years. It's MY day to play. In birthdays past, I've run up Pikes Peak, done 7 hours rides and now, I've added this new element....the BFIT Bday challenge. This years was the most fun I've had with any of the birthday "treats" I give myself each year.
As noted in a previous post, I was a tad concerned about the length of the swim. In addition to being behind the curve with swimming, I have horrible chlorine allergies. One of my close Christian brothers, Aaron McHugh, called me yesterday to invite me to his country club for the swim portion. The pool is outdoors and it's saline, not chlorine. This pool is awesome!! I felt great. NO allergy issues. So much so that I went longer than the three miles. Aside from one 1250 set we did, it was all pretty easy swimming. I finished the three mile portion in 1:25.
I ate two Snickers Marathon Bars on the drive home to refuel for the bike and was ready to roll. The goal for the bike was to go hard. Living in Colorado Springs, hills are always part of the equation. I made sure to include some of the classic climbs on the Air Force Academy and Roller Coaster Rd in Black Forest. The wind picked up significantly for the last 15 miles which added another challenge. I pushed beyond my comfort zone to finish my 39 miles in 1:51:15. My legs definitely felt the climbs by the time I got home.
I made a quick transition and then headed out for my run. Like the bike, the goal was to run hard. I just didn't know how hard I would go having completed the BolderBoulder 10k three days earlier. The wind was still blowing so I made sure to run into it for the first half. The temperature was climbing rapidly and I forgot to bring a drink. Uh-oh... Well, I was able to push through the dehydration and complete the 9 miles in 1:00:16 which I was pretty happy with. As I was coming down the last stretch to the house, my wife and two daughters were waiting for me. My 10 year old ran the last 200 yards with me which was pretty cool. My overall time ended up being 4:16:31. It was a great training day. It was just what I needed to get a feel for where I am this early in the season (I'm not racing my main race, Ironman Arizona until late November).
My family treated me to some tri specific b-day toys such as a new bike computer, some swim cords and the old standby...multiple tubes for all the flats that inevitebly occur. Thanks girls...I love you and you're the best!!
f you have the chance to swim in a saline pool, please do so. It's easy on the skin and just feels good.
Spending the first part of the day with Aaron was pretty special. Thanks for joining me brother!
Now the key question is....beer or cake? Somehow I think cake is going to win this round.
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