Hump Day Miscellany

More bullets for your reading pleasure.  Maybe it's the zombie books I've been reading.  Bullets are appealing.

• Two blog posts in one week.  I hope you haven't fainted from shock. 
• I need to start using sunscreen more regularly.  Okay, I need to start using sunscreen.
• Verdict is still out on my new boss, but as I told a coworker, I'm *less* pessimistic.
•  I either need to chop my hair off or let it grow out.  This in-between length is just not a good look for working out.  Not that I care that much about how I look while working out.  But I could fly away on the wings of hair sticking out from under my hat/visor. 
• I told my PT/bike fitter at my appointment yesterday that I haven't had a good race on my new bike yet.  "That's because you haven't had a race yet, without a flat, on the bike since I started working on it."  Gotta love his chutzpah.
• He also gave me a gold star.  After only 2, or maybe it's 3, years of occasional visits, I've actually gotten my left rotator cuff into some semblance of normalcy.  Huh.  Guess those exercises really do work.  You know...if you do them.
• Turns out that when one is training for an endurance event, cutting carbs from your diet is a bad idea.  I thought that as long as I was getting enough throughout the day I'd be ok not including carbs at dinner.  Evidently not.  Spacing them out is important for energy stores.
• Training for the half IM will commence this week.  After a coach imposed reduced load period due to my brilliant "diet" and my crappy sleep pattern lately.  Yes, these things are related.
• Only 80 days until the half IM.  Only 2 more tri's in the year.  Wow.  This year has gone by so fast.
•  We are taking a trip back to Kona in October to volunteer at the IM. Bonus that just last weekend my coach qualified for Kona.  So again this year I'll have someone to cheer for.  Excellent.
• I am so glad that I planned an earlier half marathon this year.  I plan to spend my time in Kona putting on my "post-season" weight.  Of course being the fattest person there might put a damper on that.  I swear it could give one a complex.  Or already did.  My workouts will be: snorkeling, paddle boarding, sitting on my butt on a boat, maybe diving, maybe driving Jeff around a golf course. Pau Hana time indeed.

SV International Tri

A report of my participation in the Silicon Valley International Triathlon, in bullets (because I haven't posted in so long, I'm not sure I can string sentences together):

• Sleeveless wetsuit was a good choice.  Not cold at all and my crappy, impinged, left shoulder much appreciated it.
• Swim was changed to 2 loops from a 1 loop, confusing course.  More "contact" (polite way of saying got run over, kicked in the head, scratched) in this swim than in any other race I've ever done.  Including a mass start IM.
• Felt flat for the first loop, but found a bit of a groove on the second.  Meh swim time, maybe the course was a bit long, as rumored.
• First 10 minutes of the bike were really good.
• Next 6+ minutes were spent on on the side of the road with a clusterfluff (no, I only *wish* it was the Ben and Jerry's variety) of a tire changing effort. Ending with an under-inflated front tire.
• Mentally blew it after the tire change.  Checked out for a bit.  Including another stop when I swore the tire was leaking again.
• Finally got pissed off at myself and my pity party and started to get my butt in gear.  Too little too late, I fear.  But I did manage to pass quite a few of the people who flew by while I was taking my unplanned rest break on the side of the road.
• Did not eat or drink enough on the bike.  Too much time spent talking to myself I guess.
• Am still waiting for a *good* race on the new bike.  Adjustment period has been much too long for my liking.  Between fittings and mechanicals, I am less than pleased.  Husband has already warned that I can not just replace it. (hee hee)
• The fit now feels pretty dang good at least.
• Coming off a bike under-fueled and with overly toasted legs does not lead to a good run.  
• The last 1 - 1-1/2 miles were spent trying not to throw up. and trying to ignore my lightheadedness.  
• The good news is that I did not pass out nor throw up.  Nor pass out in my throw up.....oh, wrong story.  Sorry.
• No PR, no course PR, nothing today.  But if I subtract my rest period on the bike from my time, I would have had a course PR.  So that's *something* I guess.
• On the run several people said something to me about my biking. I think maybe a woman standing on the side of the road (who was swearing, but only silently) makes an impression?  Not sure.  Impressed that I could actually change a tire? Who knows. Just kind of weird.
• One part of me is incredibly frustrated at my year so far.  As I told my coach, even before this race, I feel like I've been "playing" with this new bike all year.  
• Another part of me has moved on to the next race already.  This one is done.  And in the grand scheme, pfft.
• Onward and upward.  Only one more sprint, then the big one, the half iron in September.
• Perhaps the new bike fit/mechanics will all come together for the half. Wouldn't that be nice.