66.6 Miles of Fun

My bib number for Coeur d’Alene is 369, as I posted on Facebook last night. I think this a great number for a million reasons—33 has always been my lucky number.  This is not only multiples of three, but I am thirty-three years old. And there’s the whole lucky three: swim, bike and run.  And we could go on and on. I considered it a great omen.

So on to this morning.

Nervous about my 100 miler on the bike today—since my bum is still bothering me.

I met Yoda at Boundary Waters State Park for the 2013 Tour de Cure century ride.  It was Columbus’ idea to volunteer as a Route Marshal to help the cause and to get to ride the course.  We both wore our new SBM jerseys for a test drive.  Must say… loved it.

As you can see, I wore my official vest quite proudly.

It was literally like a bib.  All jokes aside.  A bib that turned into a wild, blowing cape once I was riding.

Met a few friends along the way.  This is Neil, who is training for Ironman Lake Placid – his second IM – he finished IM Arizona in November of last year.  I rarely meet a stranger. Just saying :).  He proudly wore his bib too.

We started off promptly at 7:00…  Yoda was not a Marshal.  So I joked that I was her personal Marshal and she was lucky to have me—you know—-in case of emergencies.  It was a joke that was convenient pretty much all day long.

Oh, I was happy that lunch was promised at the end. And I had a bracelet to prove it.

Off we went. A little rain here and there. Big fat rain in the beginning—we thought it was going to be a rough one— but it seemed to hold off okay.

Yoda and I were pacing pretty well for cruising… I was thinking we’d have about a 6:45-7:00 100 miles, which add another 12 miles to that, I am at an 8 hour 112 miles for CDA—I will take it, gratefully.

As promised, it was a hilly route, but a great ride… until Mile 66.6  (I kid you not)—-here’s the proof.

A multiple of three, yes…. but not a lucky number.

The bottom fell out right as we pulled into an aid station.  Crazy winds, rain, lightning and rumors of hail.  Weird ribbons of freezing cold air.

We were told that the ride was done, and we were to put our bikes into this U-haul and catch a ride back.

Yoda and I put our bikes in the U-haul (but not before Yoda showed off her CrossFit skilz and helped loaded water into the U-haul… don’t worry, I helped too… but I had to pause for picture… #winning)…

And then we found a random stranger to give us a ride back to the park… the 35 miles back.

So we got into the car for the ride back… and at some point in the car (after a picture, OF COURSE)… Yoda and I were like, “Uh… we are in the car with strangers… and our bikes are on a random U-haul somewhere.”

Then I realized that my keys to my car (to drive home) were also in the random U-haul.

Crap. This could go very badly…

(But it didn’t). After what seemed like an eternity later, we were back at the park… and a very big thanks to whoever gave us the ride because we really stunk up her car.

Then we waited for another eternity for the U-haul to come back.  And we were so glad it did.  Man, I was scared of the possible story I would have to tell my insurance company…

“So you put your expensive bike into a random U-haul?”

Nevermind.

Finally, the U-haul showed…I got notification that Columbus had a sag vehicle headed his way (he was at Mile 75)… Yoda and I walked back barefoot to the car, and without even thinking about it… we got the heck out of dodge.

It was an almost 70 miler that should have been 100 that felt like 100 after the rain and stress.  So it was a good day.

My nutrition was spot-on… it was actually fortunate that this was a ride to benefit diabetes—because there was no junk food at the stations—so I stuck to my nutrition plan… which was Gatorade, Huma Gels and Shot Bloks.  I had bananas and oranges at the aid stations and one rebel Diet Coke… but it was a great balance.

Also, I know that if I can ride 70ish miles with my bum feeling like this… that I am going to be okay on race day. I have 5 more weeks. And I’ll be okay.  We ALL will!

Congrats to all the SBM friends who did GREAT in races this weekend—– Jennifer H., you are an Ironman!  And the voice of Swim Bike Kid, Virginia, who finished her first 70.3.

For all of the girls who missed ATL IronGirl because of this hellish weather—-remember to just keep moving forward and there’s another day and another race. You got that one too.

And finally… the Expert had a CRAZY day on the cursed Silver Comet Trail… blog post from Swim Bike Dad to come soon!