Woke to rain Saturday morning (and hot/humid the rest of the day) so I pulled the plug on any riding and turned to house/home related chores. Ian and I played some catch at SBU's multi-purpose gym. Finished hanging the light fixtures (thanks IB) and by afternoon's end made a pretty decent dent in the 'chore check list'. Played some cards with friends Saturday night and had a good time (but not great as I played really stupid) as the company and 'wit and banter ' is always fun. Still on the fence about racing Sunday at this point, but the forecast remained at 102* heat index - not looking too promising.
Saturday was a big day for Ian as it was his cat's birthday (1 yr old) and numerous rounds of 'Happy Birthday' were sung (to include a rendition referencing Shadow's bladder infection that was pretty clever). Ian bought his pal a mini 'kitty condo' and here are some pics (more coming):
After a couple days of following forecasts and playing the odds I decided to skip the Omba Caramba mtb race (sad that I don't make the closest race of the year and support local racing) as I saw little gain out of paying an entry fee to not perform well in the conditions. I have a long history of suffering in the heat and humidity and I am getting pretty good at knowing my limits and avoiding potential pitfalls (like spending some quality IV time in a hospital in Nowhere, Nebraska two summers ago). Instead Ira, Dale, and I hit the road for 2hrs of solid pace riding at 6am to avoid the harsher conditions later. It was in the low 70's and although the humidity was already thick it turned out to be a great ride and the right choice for the day. For some unknown reason (#1 - girl drives car into support spans, #2 - track hoe exceeds weight limit on bridge while clearing debris and crushes it, #3 ...) various bridges around Polk County are doing down left and right. The below clip is one example:
Ira called me from the Sac race (he watched and not raced) and said even though the cloud cover kept the temps under control the humidity was still stifling in the woods and reconfirmed we made the right choice in our early morning trek.
Mid-morning we dropped Jake (and run gear) off with his crew as they are heading to the Joe Bill Dixon Wilderness running camp (first of three sessions). Those those who don't know, Dixon is the head XC coach at West Plains and is an icon in his field; he is not only an incredible coach, but a Godly man who finds more value in 'team' than individual results and teaching kids 'life' over running success. His running camps are far from luxurious as all participants sleep in their own tents (Coach Bandy has a big one all the guys are sharing), meals are on picnic table and instructional seminars are under open air pavilions. Morning runs start at 6am and afternoon runs at 5pm. This is not tauted as a 'fun' camp, but a mental and physical challenge to test each individual. If you look at the list of state champs (not only from MO, but other surrounding states) probably all attend one of the sessions of this camp. The highlight at the end (Thursday) is a 13.5 mile run called the Dawt Mill run. It is supposed to be a butt-kicker with huge hills; Jake feels pretty good about it not being too big of an issue as he has several 14+mile runs under his belt and a solid 11mile run last week where in he felt fine. I am looking forward to hearing all about it when he returns.
Deb, Ian, and I had a pretty lazy day including several rounds of catch in the backyard, Deb snagging a nap (which she loves, but rarely get to have), Deb and Marla riding 1:30hrs, and she and I watching "Knowing" after E-ball hit the sack. Movie was pretty interesting and entertaining (worth a rental).
We are all looking forward to our San Antonio trip on Thursday. Will be fun to see friends and old stomping grounds and eat some great Mexican chow. Included is a Saturday morning ride with the Joe's Pro Bikes crew (which for me is the highlight) and hopefully a couple more rides snuck in somewhere.
Fitness: Saturday - nothing Sunday - 2hr road ride
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