Tuesday, December 27, 2005

HUGE Yesterday...



First excitement: I met up with Mary Carey, a member of Tri-Drs who has been visiting the moon, um, I mean Arizona, from Colorado for Christmas. Mary and her husband were with family in Mesa, and they were able to meet me yesterday for a run. They kicked my butt. I was able to keep up, with a struggle, but it was a great run. We took a gravel road through the desert in the Superstion Mountains here, the same road on which part of the Lost Dutchman will be run. We didn't measure our distance, but went out for 30 minutes, returned in 28. My lungs and legs were burning. BTW, our route looked just about exactly like the one pictured, although the photo was taken in the Sahara (I found it on Google...)

Then, I started biking home, about 15 miles. Steve was meeting his sister and various branches of her husband's extended family for a hike, which wasn't going to fit with my run with Mary and Brian. However, a few miles into my ride, my cell phone rang, Steve calling to say they were running late and if I wanted we could meet up after all.

So.... after a really hard 6+ mile run and a negligible bike ride (about 5 miles) I went with everyone up the Superstition Mountains to the Weaver's Needle view, 2.5 miles each way. A lot of challenging rocky hiking, strenuous enough to breathe heavy, but easier than the trip down, which has left me with sore quads and a mildly twisted ankle. S-i-l Michelle sprained her ankle, too.

Then burgers and beer at her house. After appetizers. Before hot toddies. I ate too much. As I have for the last 3 days. Or last 3 years.

That was yesterday and I'm whupped. But maybe I'll go to my in-laws' RV park and do slow laps in their 88*F pool. I could use our own park's 88* pool, but it's only about 20 feet long. I'm thinking about rigging up some ropes and a belt to secure me to the side of the pool to do "stationary swimming" (I just coined that expression, although it may already be in use, I'll check...)

UPDATE There IS such a thing. I Googled "stationary swimming" and found this link. It's exactly what I was picturing making, so I don't see why I need to spend $30 on one...

This is an indication of HOPE. Once I get over my initial disappointment, I can pick up the lemons and make lemonade!

2 comments:

Kewl Nitrox said...

Swim with all your strength and get nowhere?!?! That is just too sadistic for me to imagine. Treadmills and stationary bikes are ok, but to swim and not get anywhere would be a real torture for me. It wld probably be good training for swimming in Singapore waters though (the water is so murky it feels frustratingly like I am going nowhere). :)

Ellie Hamilton said...

I find swimming boring no matter what... getting nowhere isn't that much worse than lap-swimming!!