Rest/recovery day.  My knee joints are really achey.  My muscles are not that sore (yet), but that will come later.  Also my perineum is a little beat up (the "taint" as everyone calls it).

Spending all day at the lawyer's office today to go over our testimonies and for her to cross examine us for our arbitration tomorrow and Tuesday.  Going to be a very stressful few days. :(

Race results are up.  8th overall in the aqua velo (Joel got 4th, you rock!).  1/6 in my AG (the overall winner was also in the AG, so really 2/7).  My bike split was 6th overall, so with a decent swim I would have been right in the hunt (or without sitting up the last 15 miles ).

Well, that's done!

Super windy, super choppy, tough swim.  I think all the times were down.  Only one person broke an hour I think.  I had what I thought was a decent swim at least through the first 2/3rds, then I started getting whoozy and stomach issues from constantly rocking up and down.  Sighting is still an issue and I weaved more than I would like.  I ended up breast stroking most towards the end because of gagging a few times.  Somewhere in the 1:34 range.  100th place out of the guys out of about 152 male swimmers.

Bike was really windy, but I just tucked in and went.  First 56 I was in the 2:28 range and throughout the whole thing I was never passed - at least on the ride portion.  You see ....... because I suck in the water I was not up with the rest of the faster guys/gals and as I started my second lap I passed a few more people (they were in special needs and I didn't use that today).  After that I didn't see another person for over a 1/2 hour ........ not a single rider.  Finally caught someone and passed him.  Then I passed someone who was still on their first loop (ouch!!), after that back to no man's land.

I pass this deputy helping to protect traffic and had seen on and off smoke from what looked like a fire.  About 2 miles later I see 2 dudes with numbers riding the OTHER WAY and chatting.  I'm like "wtf?"  Then I catch another lapped guy and he said "They are saying we have to turn around."  Huh???  So after about 3-1/2 miles or so from when we passed the deputy I see this bus stopped and the driver talking to the deputy at this station.  He waves me around and says I have to go back and follow directions for the deputy back there.  So I turn around and ride (back into a headwind) and ride the 3-1/2 back to the deputy.  I'm starting to wonder how they will make up the mileage difference.  Then I see the thing that totally pisses me off ........... the deputy is waving the people on the course to the road on the left .........

I just fucking had to ride 7 miles more than everyone behind me!!!!!!  I just lost close to 20 minutes!!  Unreal .......  At that point I had an average on my computer of 22.7 mph and I just sat up and said that was it, I'm done.  20 minutes worth of people just passed me and at close to 100 miles into the ride it just isn't worth it on a training ride.  So I small chainringed it and cruised on in the last 15 miles or so.  Ended up that the detour shorted the course right around ...... 7 miles.  So I did actually get to ride the whole distance (according to my computer - I got a magnet to work from Radio Shack on the disc).  Ride time because of sitting up was in the 5:10 range.  Not what I wanted, but I was on pace to be under 5 if the stupid huge brush-fire hadn't started!

The swim/bike fasties (Joel included in that) had to ride THROUGH the fire zone and people were saying it was about 100 meters of thick smoke where they couldn't see anything at all and breathing was hot smoke in the lungs.  Super dangerous, lucky no one got hurt!

So the adventure is over.  This is basically a race report, so I'll probably use it to create mine later with a few more details once they post race results.  I finished somewhere in the 7th or 8th place for aqua velo.  Will always wonder how I would have done if I got to stay on the same course and kept the same speed I had going.

Rest day, travel day.  Working until around noon, then hopping in the car and driving over to the Eastern Shore.  Have to take the bike into the office as there is no way in hell I'll be leaving Blackbird on the back of the car in Baltimore!

Gonna miss Rick and Dick Hoyt speaking at the Natural Product Expo today because of work and having to drive over ..... it would have been interesting to hear them talk about their adventures and races.  My wife is trying to use that as a carrott to get me to take off work and spend the morning with her at the trade show.

Tossed and turned all night.  Slept like crap.  Sinus' dripping and sinus headache.  Almost took off this morning.  But once I got up and moving it was better.  Going to go and do 1,000 yards in the wetsuit for practice and then plan is a very easy run at lunch.  We'll see if I woos out and come home early because of the cold .......

Left work at 1:30, picked up the kids from school and went home.  Had to dig a hole and take some pictures for our expert witness, so was outside sweating ..... maybe that will help the cold.