Facing your demons - Part 1

The last several days have been hell...hot mostly. Additionally, I feel like crap since wrecking on the bike last week...all sorts of "phantom" aches and pains...and of course the fatigue that still lingers from IM. Mentally, I am ready...the guilt of doing nothing has begun to nag, so I do what any exersize obsessed individual would do...I get off my tired ass and try to train for some of my planned races...der!

Saturday's workout, a 45/6 brick ended up being a 40/6.7 miler in 100 degree heat...in sum, the bike pissed me off to the point of no return because my left aero bar and pedal were jacked up from wiping out, so I cut it short...The run loop around the Rez and Coot Lake was OK at first, but soon turned into what seemed like a death march...All this suckiness was compounded exponentially by the nagging groin pull, hernia, "carjone in a vise" like feeling that I had been experiencing over the last few days...my demons at this point had me. Fini!

Sunday, I rolled out of bed at 5am...(a first in a long while) and had the devil in me...Breakfast of a 1/2 bagel, a 1/2 cup of coffee and 4 vitamin I's to keep my pains at bay and I hopped in the car and headed to Olde Stage in Boulder, for today was the Peak Triathlon. My plan was to don a devil outfit, camp out on the steeped part of Old Stage and heckle, cajole and assist anyone and everyone I could to get up the hill...including my wife, a few HEPsters, a few SKIRTS, a few buddies and Sister Madonna Buder. I think that I may forever pass on doing the Peak so that I can do this instead...note that it also included about 40 hill repeat runs up the steepest part of the hill.

The highlight of the day (apart from seeing Kristina hammer up Olde Stage) was...running along side Sister Madonna, who may well be one of the most inspirational people I have ever met. If you haven't heard of her, do yourself a favor..Google. In a nut shell, and my details may be slightly off - 78 years young, and I mean young...Catholic nun, Ironman, Kona finisher, marathoner, and boy does she have a sense of humor...On her way up Olde Stage, she saw me and said something to the effect of "I thought I might see you out here". I ran with her to the crest of the hill, and then she was off...what irony...it was beautiful!

Low lights of the day were two...Two toolboxes on Olde Stage, both completely bankrupt of any sense of wit and neither all that stellar on the bike...While being coaxed up the climb one replied "get the f#%k away from me", and the other "go help someone who needs help"...Bitches, you're lucky I didn't stick my pitchfork in your spokes...you know who you are...

A few beers for lunch with the Gumkowskis, a solid nap and I woke up feeling pretty OK...the vitamin I did its trick...a day well spent.