Birthday & Training

It's been a busy couple of weeks. So, for the two or so people that read this blog (one being my mom) I apologize for my tardiness.

Last week was Benny's big birthday bash. So, I had a lot of dad stuff to do (cut grass, grill food). But the miles were not going to get done by themselves, so there still had to be early mornings filled with bike rides on the trainer and runs before dawn.

Friday, everyone came over for a pre-party. Knowing I had a big bike ride the next morning, I decided it was best to carbo-load on some Marco's Pizza and IPA from the Lazy Dog Growler store. It was not ideal, but it was delicious, and I do not regret it in the least.

Our friends, Brittany and Brandi, came in from Cincinnati and stayed at our house during the party weekend. One morning I came back on a bike ride to refill my water bottles and get some food, and head back out into the relentless Georgia sun. Brittany asked Katie, "Didn't he just get back?" I guess it's confusing to normal people why someone would ride a bike for several hours, come into the air conditioning, only to leave again. Yeah it doesn't make much sense to me either.

That was on Saturday morning, before Benny's birthday party. Around the time people started arriving for the party was the time I realized I had a fever and was sick..again. I can't imagine that the hilly 3.5 hour bike ride helped any. But, we kept on with the party, and it was a blast. Everyone, including the birthday boy, had a lot of fun. It was awesome seeing all of my family and friends.

The next morning I was scheduled to run 2.5 hours. There was no way. I was beyond exhausted and still pretty sick. I really wanted to run still, but Katie told me how bad of an idea it was. If it wasn't for her, I would do a lot of dumb stuff. But luckily she lets me know when I am being irrational. Then, minutes later the heavens opened up and it started storming. She was right. But still, having missed such a big workout really bummed me out! 

The following week I hit all my workouts pretty much right as planned. My brother Scott, his girlfriend Jenna and their dog Stella came to visit us this weekend. Then, I woke up sick again on Saturday! What?! I felt really nauseous and decided it was better to get some rest and do the ride on Sunday. Mondays are my rest days, so I could do my long run then! No big deal!

Sunday's long bike (4 hours) was awesomely brutal. I only averaged a little over 15mph, but I had 3000ft of elevation gain. This is super important because Louisville's bike course is filled with hills, and I plan on showing up prepared! I pretended I was some Tour de France guy climbing the Alps or something. It helped. Don't judge me. When you're alone for 4 hours you need something to pass the time.

Next week is a big week! On Saturday I'm doing a 4 hour bike and then a 1.5 hour run. For those of you not familiar with triathlon, this is called a "brick." Where you go from a bike ride, ditch the bike, change shoes, and go for a run. For example, "I had a brick workout today, now I can't walk." I was told that it got its name from your legs feeling like bricks afterwards, but who knows.

Donation Updates:
We are 31% of the way to our goal!  So awesome!

Thanks to:
Matt, the Brunsmans, & Jamie for sponsoring a total of 6 miles!

Benny also received $40 as part of his birthday gift from his Grandpa Tim to sponsor 4 miles!

Also, a big thanks to my in-laws, Patty & Gary, for collecting enough money from their guests, at their annual Music fest, to sponsor 6 miles!

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."