"Jesus Said"

"I Will Come Again"

Are You Ready?

I passed those words on a bill board 4 times today. I wonder what it means? It sounds like some kind of a threat doesn't it? As if Jesus is coming back to wreak some kind of vengeance on anyone who's pissed him off! I don't buy it however. The only Jesus that I could believe in would be the kind of guy that would come back to give a helping hand...the kind of guy who might help you get through a tough training day. Maybe favorable winds or something. Alas, my Jesus didn't show up today and I had to do my workout by myself.

Besides, maybe Jesus just wants to know if I'm ready? Yes me. Maybe he wants to know if I'm ready for my Ironman? What would I tell him? Honestly? I would say "I think so". But thinking is not knowing is it?

Regardless, my attitude from here on is is "BRING IT ON!" Bring on the water, bring on the hills, bring on the heat (38 deg in Penticton today) and bring on the whole freakin world. One thing I'm sure of is that I have the guts, the mental strength, the intestinal fortitude to do this. If I've trained hard enough and if I'm very, very smart on race day then my odds of success are good....and if not.... "Lord help me Jesus"

So on to my workout report. There were a few complications the least of which occured before I even got out of the driveway. I was carrying a plastic bag full of water bottles in one hand and a bag of bananas in the other (to put in the mailbox) when the bananas somehow got wrapped in the spokes of my front wheel! What a mess that was! So back to the house for more bananas and to fix my computer sensor which got turned around backwards by the bananas. The next complication was at about 40 kms. Thank goodness there was a corn field nearby and I had a bit of paper towel that I used to wrap my phone. The one drawback to this cool triathlon suit is getting in and out of it quickly...it's just not possible. I had the same problem again at 100 kms but fortunately that was right near home. I'm pretty sure that the whole problem was caused by the Kraft dinner I had at 9:30 last night. I guess they call it "crap" dinner for a reason eh?
The last complication I don't quite understand and it was stressful. For the last 3 hours the big toe on my left foot just throbbed. It's the toe that I dropped my pump on some weeks ago, but I thought it was all better. It was bad enough that I considered stopping and pulling my shoe off, and if I hadn't already spent so much time in the corn field I would have done so. It felt much better on my run but remains sore now. I hope it feels better tomorrow.

Anyway, other than those few problems I had quite a good day. Two hundred kilometres in 6:36 for an average speed of over 30 kms/hr. (that's traveeling time) And after a quick transition, since I was trying to simulate race day, I had a very good 10 km run in a time of 48:48. I still can't call it easy, but other than the tedium and the mental battle of such a long workout, I was never in any trouble. That, despite a warm day, high humidity and steady winds.

Music on such long workouts really helps and today I found a new favorite riding song. Perhaps you know Queens, Fat Bottomed Girls? I remember thinking that my all time favorite driving song is Golden Earrings 'Radar Love', and now how cool to have a favorite riding song as well. Of course it's the beat that inspired me, even though I kind of like the lyrics as well, but what's really neat and which I had forgotten is that there's a line in the song that says "get on your bikes and ride". Too much!

For obvious reasons no chicken house update today. Other than to tell you that I've changed the plans a little again. Windows were out because I couldn't find something cheap to fit, but now they're back in....I'll just build my own.

I wish to dedicate day 318 to the memory of Freddie Mercury.

"I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like"---Freddie Mercury

"Why me, Lord?
What have I ever done
to deserve even one
Of the pleasures I've known"---Kris Kristofferson

love
peter