Riding and the heat

Day 11
ibuprofen: 1200mg and counting

Today was slated as a 1-hour bike ride, so I got out there and started riding with some of the fabulous folks I have been training with. So I'm out there, and the one gal who is most at my pace and I get to the 30-minute mark. We are supposed to turn around and come back. She says to me, "Let's go just a little farther! Just a little bit farther." I grudgingly agree to a very small bit farther. We don't have to go fast, she tells me, we just need to go a little farther...

By the time we got back, we had ridden 15 1/2 miles, and shockingly, we still felt pretty good. Just a little farther, huh? But see, this is the benefit of training with friends. They push you to do more than you thought was possible, and encourage you all along the way. It was so great to meet the rest of the group at Starbuck's afterwards and have a little victory to share!

The Praying Guy was out there this week, and it was nice to see him. Good to know he's still out there on the trail, praying for all the folks he sees.

I'm a little concerned about the heat. This event is supposed to be taking place in early June, and it was already so warm today that it had me thinking about how much hotter it's going to be. I was wearing about as little as I could in decency, and everything was the proper "techy" athletic materials, so it wasn't so bad, but what if it's 104 or something on race day? I guess I just will have to get used to really hydrating in a serious fashion. But I tell you what, if I make it through all this training to the Big Day, I will finish it one way or another unless I get hurt or something. After all this work, I'm going to really want one of those pictures of me crossing the finish line!

Thanks again to everyone who's been reading this and posting comments and telling me what you think. It means a lot to me!