Team McAlister

This is late because I’ve been trying to write this from my iPad, which as it turns out isn’t that easy to do. Since iPad uses the same OS as the iPhone, Colin had to allow mobile updates on here. Still, it doesn’t work very well on WordPress and we’re experimenting with fixes.

Briefly, cycling along some, but not enough. The big event was last weekend in San Francisco where I decide to swim in the Bay with Schuyler. OMG! DON’T EVER DO THAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE TO!

The water was 55 degrees; the wind was blowing in shore; the tide was making. I thought I was prepared to swim in there… but not true! It took probably 10 minutes to get acclimated to the water. Then I started swimming, made it maybe 50 yards, realized that I was completely out of my league and wasn’t going to finish the distance. I turned to head back in to the beach which was only maybe another 50 yards and discovered that I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t raise my arms out of the water to stroke.

I was trying everything I knew to do – side stroke, getting on my back to relax and kick, turning on to my stomach to doggy paddle, anything. I pulled up once to catch my breath and that didn’t work either. So… I started calling for help. Really calling for help. For what seemed like a long time, but was probably a few seconds, I wasn’t sure anyone heard me or was responding. Finally, Kathy did hear me and she got Colin moving. Schuyler even heard me and turned around to swim back to help.

As it turns out, Colin got to me pretty quickly, we hooked up and he pulled me in a few yards until we could stand up. Fortunately, I never went under or swalllowed any water or panicked.

Someone called 911 and the response team got there in time to have recovered the body, but not in time to prevent there being a body. In fact, we were all sitting on benches, dried off, and having a laugh when they showed up. I think they were disappointed by the whole thing.

There is much work to be done.

The day began with a little 500 yard swim.  Schuyler is ahead of me in the water and I need to catch up – especially since he and I are going to swim in SF Bay in a couple of weeks.  Yes, it was in a pool so I had lots of turns, but I don’t push off of the wall and get that good coasting/streamlining effect.  Not that it really matters since I coast like a barge going upriver.  I try to simulate never getting a rest or break on the turns.  That was a great beginning to the day and I was still feeling strong when I hit the bike trail later in the afternoon.

I set out on the route below fully expecting to ride a new personal best.  Not only did a personal best not occur, I didn’t even finish the route. Ouch!  Was it the wind?   Was it the nearly crushed testicle about half way up the penultimate (as it turns out the actual ultimate) climb?  Was it the powdered sugar doughnuts instead of a banana for my mid-morning snack?  Was it the fact that I ate only peanut butter and vanilla wafers for lunch? Or, drank only coffee all morning and not really any water?  Excuses abound.  The fact remains clear, though.  I came up short and was totally wasted at the end.

It was one of those rides that makes you fell like you’re gonna puke at the end.  And, puke you would, except for pride.  It’s been a long time since I was so toasted after a ride that it took several hours to recover, but this was one of those times.  I was too tired last night to even attempt posting this.  Today, is better than I thought it might be and I’ll go out again today, only for something a little shorter and easier.

http://j.mp/blr6sA

Tags: cycling, swimming, Training

I’ve been trying to work out how to post this from my new iPad – Macs – since last week when it actually occurred.  No luck yet, but maybe next time.

http://j.mp/cGDXiH This was my birthday ride.  I was going to jump on here and post it from Macs, but I’ve given up on that for the moment just to get it on here.  It was a beautiful day, although a little breezier than ideal.  It was such a beautiful day that I didn’t even put on a playlist to push me along.  And, I got a tweet from Colin via Cyclemeter during the ride.  Very cool!  I got tired at the end and shortened up, skipping the last climb in the interest of getting home and having some birthday dinner.  All-in-all this went pretty well and the best thing is that the 2 “big” climbs were easier than usual.  Payoff for extra training?

I feel like I’m falling behind.  Jett’s ahead on the running of course—and maybe the swimming.  Colin’s ahead on the running and probably the cycling… and he’ll always be ahead on the swimming.  Schuyler is ahead on the running and, now that he swims IN THE BAY—YIKES!—he’s ahead on that too.

So, today I went for a 500 yd swim and will cycle for about 2 hours this afternoon.  I’m looking forward to being in SF in 3 weeks.  Schuyler is taking me to swim in the Bay!  We’ll see how that goes—at least I’ll be in some sort of swimming shape by then.  And, we’re going in trunks only – no wet suits.  There’ll also be a good bike ride in there somewhere.  I can’t wait.

Tags: cyclemeter, cycling, swimming