Day 5 -- using sense(s)

Day 5 – using sense(s)

Friday was kind of a flex day. We had some options open to us on varying rides, runs and swims. I made my day look more like sensible (for me) recovery than not; meaning I swam 3000 meters, rode 60k and ran 50min. It turns out to be about 4hrs or a little more but mostly easy stuff.

At the pool, Jeff Miller and I turned in a simple swim set: 1000 straight freestyle followed by 4x500 as 450 free and 50 breaststroke. Jeff is from Boise Idaho. He was focused on short course racing back in the day but has turned toward IM distances and HIM races of late. Last year he took 90min off his Ironman PR (10:30ish). I believe he has just scratched the surface of his potential at the distance. As a husband, a devoted father and a full time worker it is difficult to reach ‘true potential’ but reaching potential within the constraints of family and job, while maintaining balance, is a worthy goal. I look for Jeff to be a competitive AGer in the IM ranks if he chooses to be. He is having a great camp and I can see the wheels turning. We eat, sleep and train with elites here. Jeff knows that if he does appropriate similar training he will see the results. “Knowing” is a big part of the battle. Discovering that you can do more than you thought, recover from it, do it again, and again, and recover from it, is a great lesson. Acquiring that mental edge at Epic Camp has been as much or more important to my performance in an IM as the fitness gains. I know I can match and beat the dark side when it shows up on race day. Great stuff!

One hot shower and a solid breakfast later and I was prepared to do a little work on the internet. When I say ‘little’ I mean dial up speed. We are not quite as productive as we like here using phone lines but the location at the University is really nice. The whole trip has been extremely organized. I am offering huge kudos to the crew – again.

Post work, there was the option to ride the bike about 35k to some famously beautiful trails outside Nelson and run. Then, one could ride back, or ride the van back. One could also take the van out to the trails, run, and ride the bike back. Finally, you could ride/run/ride. I chose none of them. My ride was a nice recovery spin with Gordo and Monica out to Wakefield for lunch and coffee. It felt great to warm up slowly, chat upright, find a relatively easy spot on the taint and set the steady efforts aside for a half day (tomorrow will be a very tough ride!).

The g-man and M had stayed in Wakefield last year while Gordo was doing some bike racing with some roadies. They knew the little shops/cafes and chose one with wood interior and nearly empty seating. Ten minutes later the place was packed. I was happy to hear that a full lunch was planned over just a long black and a muffin. The sandwiches looked great and the pizza sounded delicious. Monica had the former, g and I each ordered the later (separately). How much pizza can/should Kevin eat? I was a distance (not far - but far enough) to hear Gordo and the cashier talk over options of either one piece or two pieces. I opted for the two pieces of Hawaiian pizza. A few minutes later an enormous, whole pie is served to me, big enough to fill “two people” not two pieces. I did what anyone would do, I ate enough for two people. My sense of hearing is dwindling.

Lunch for me: two long blacks, one large pizza. MonGo eats plenty as well. Gordo excuses himself to go to the restroom and I sit chatting away with Monica. Have you sat with two people who are really in love and are best friends as well? It is a wonderful thing to witness. So natural. That’s how it is with MonGo (Monica/Gordo). All real, all true. I could go on but I digress. So g-man hits the room for hombres and when he weaves his way back out through the crowded restaurant, not closer than a few feet from Monica, she looks at him and say “did you brush your teeth?”. He calmly says “yes”. I look at him, then her, and ask how the hell did you know that? She says she could smell the toothpaste. I suggest that she has an awfully keen sense of smell. Gordo’s response was “although it is very nice of her to notice, it is not always beneficial to have a keen sense of smell around me!”

We split up on the way back; them to do pick up a couple items at the store, me to get back to home base. On the way I see a nice bakery. I crater and have a couple of large pastries. Living large.

I remember that I still have that run to do. Probably best to take 60min to let the food settle a bit. I get the run in, doing circles around a large cricket field with the g-man who joins me at about 25mins. No digestive problems to date and I just finished a large dinner of mashed potatoes, peas, fish, beef, apple cobbler and 40oz of skim milk. I may be carrying a couple extra kilos up the hills manana.

The ride tomorrow: 170 kilometers with a 15k climb and a 12k climb. The climbs will be steeper than Palomar in the San Diego area if that gives perspective (10-12% and more in spots). So, we ride about 105 miles with some rain, wind and add a double Palomar ascent at the midpoint. Makes perfect sense to me J

See Yaaa …