May Wrap Up

How is tomorrow June 1st already?  I mean, wasn't it just May 1st last week? No?  Oh well.  

Looking back at my Garmin data for the month I definitely started with a bang and ended with something slightly louder than a whimper, but all in all, it was a solid month of training.  Back at the end of April I had set up 3 goals for May, and I've succeeded at two of them - and barely missed on the 3rd.

My first goal was to beat my April mileage total of 97.27 total miles(between running, cycling and hiking).  I really wanted to see if I could put 100 miles on my legs this month and it turns out...I could. My May mileage total was 101.50!

I decided to subdivide that 100 miles into 2 sub-goals: 50 miles of running and 50 miles on the bike.  The Madison half put me over the top of the 50 mile goal, and I tacked on another (fast for me) mile during my mini-brick workout last night, bringing my total running mileage for May to 56.26 miles.  I didn't quite make my 50 mile cycling goal.  I could have done it if I would have either A) not cut last night's ride short because I was freezing or B) dragged my sorry butt onto the trainer tonight instead of going out for a few drinks.  I'll live with 45.24 miles instead.

I'm feeling pretty much recovered from my adventures in Madison last weekend, so I'm ready to face the next challenges on my racing calendar.  Next Sunday is the South Shore Rock 'n Ride Duathlon.  This will be my first real attempt at a multisport event and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little freaked out by the whole thing.  I've never done this before, so I'm going in completely clueless how it works. How do you rack a bike? What if I blow a tube? What if I accidentally find myself drafting off another cyclist and get penalized?  What if I hit a massive pothole and am launched over my handlebars?  I'm sure I'll figure it out. I mean...you gotta learn somewhere...right?

What I can't get over is the run course.  I was talking to Walter & Spot's veterinarian of all people (turns out she'll be racing that day too) and she warned me that the run course is a tough one.

(source)

See that cute little red arrow I added? Yeah...that's apparently a run up a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan - on the second mile of both run legs.  If you've been reading here for any length of time, you know how I feel about hills!  This is definitely going to be interesting - and possibly a bit painful.  Here's hoping my downhill splits make up for my uphill splits!

If the Duathlon on Sunday and the required packet pick up on Saturday weren't enough, my little sister is graduating from high school on Saturday afternoon and her party is on Sunday afternoon.  I'm really hoping that I don't have to go to the ceremony with body-marking sticking out of my dress and that I can stay awake for her party!  I'm pretty sure she'll kill me if I embarrass her with body-marking or by falling asleep!