Doing the distance ... well, trying to ...

It's catch up time!! Sorry folks, been out of town for the last few days and haven't been able to blog. Here goes ...

Friday
- finally got out for a cycle, albeit for only an hour, makes me wonder how I've been able to do any long distances at all ... argh!

Saturday
- got in a very solid swim - an hour of continuous laps

- I catch myself often amazed that I can swim at all, considering what I wasn't able to do at the end of last year. Can that be me gliding through the pool gracefully and efficiently?!!

- I went to Boutique Courir and picked up these little puppies ... figured I needed a new pair 'cause my old ones were hurting


- got interviewed by Era Melinda on CJAD about my Ironwoman Journey and the upcoming Lock & Key fund-raiser for the Canadian Diabetes Association - COOL!

- was supposed to cycle and run later that evening but ended up napping and chatting with friends on the couch. My bad!

Sunday - the day of reckoning
- set out on my bike for a long but conservative ride. I haven't gone farther than 130 km so far on my bike and today I told myself that I would do "the distance". Had to do it ... I needed to know that I could. Dirk had told me that I would hit a hump at 150 km, mental and physical ...

- started out on the bike path leading from KillerChops' house. He told me that it follows the river and goes as far as Quebec City. Yeah, right ... I ended up in suburban wasteland right by the mall. Alright, plan B. Ask directions. That finally got me out to some open road and after a while, I found myself outside on some country roads. Cool.

- went out to Sorel, then south to Beloeil. The evening was getting on and I knew I'd have to get back since the sun would go down soon, but where was I? Good thing I had a cell phone on me. Bad thing is I forgot to charge it the night before.

- many calls to KillerChops as well as going back and forth on the same road finally got me to Highway 116. Finally, on my way back to Montreal. Good thing about the 116 is that it has a wide paved shoulder. Bad thing about it is that shoulder is part of a busy highway.

- I hit 150 km. I felt fine. No different than how I did at 90k when I found myself in Sorel. I guess my nutrition plan was working. I continued on the 116 and zipped along strongly at 29-31 km/h looking for the back of KC's truck where he said he would pick me up. I hit 180 km ... where was he? I must say, travelling that speed on the shoulder of a highway after the sun has gone down is pretty terrifying and not recommended.

- I used the last of my battery on my cell phone to call KC. He had gone all the way out to Beloeil to search for me, too worried about my being on a busy highway at night.

- Everything worked out though and we found each other eventually at a gas station not far from his house. KC learned that two moving objects don't find themselves easily. I learned that I should not do a long distance ride in unknown territory without a map or a fully-charged cell phone.

- I was happy to get to my friend's house where I promptly put on my new spiffy shoes and ran around the block. Noodle legs, but after a few minutes, the feeling started subsiding and I felt on a high! I was able to run, and felt oddly fresh, albeit the long ride!

- WOOHOO!! Ironman Canada, here I come!!

Monday
- recuperation swim: nice easy 45 min. swim, long strokes concentrating on pushing and pulling

- I fell asleep on the couch at 5 p.m. when I got back home and stayed asleep until 3 a.m. Then caught another two hours sleep before starting my day. That's a total of 12 hours. I think I needed the rest ...