Monday, March 19, 2007

A Wonder of Organizational Efficiency

I've decided that, regardless of what professional athletes with multiple IM titles say to the contrary, training for Ironman is all about organization. At least for me it is!

This weekend was the mass birthday celebration for my nephews (born on March 13 & March 23), my mother (March 15) and me (April 1) and I didn't want to spend the entire time out of the house exercising so I:

  • changed my rest day from Friday to Sunday
  • took Friday off work
  • did my Sunday swim (55min continuous) and run (1:45:00) on Friday morning.
  • ran home from the pool, finishing at Capers so I could pick up the last items for my Mum's birthday gift,
  • also grabbed a recovery snack while I was there
  • showered/changed/ate at home
  • picked up the co-op car I'd signed out and loaded it up
  • on the way to picking up my bike from the shop stopped to pick up cards and gift wrap from my favourite purveyor of such goods and also to get treats for the family from the Bon Ton (Claire always brings better wine than me so I figure I have to find something else to take)
  • grabbed coffee and lunch at the Tim's where I parked my car
  • picked up my bike from the mechanic
  • was on my way out of town by 1pm.

Okay, so anyone with kids will find the above highly underwhelming (no temper tantrums, lost boots, last minute potty breaks, etc.) but for me it's pretty astounding. I am not an organized person by nature, it's only the fact that I've signed up for a race the scares the living daylights out of me that makes me vaguely close!

Once I arrived in Chilliwack it was a good time and worth the crazy morning. Claire and the kids arrived just over an hour after me, although she looked a wee bit more frazzled than I did when I arrived (traffic delays are annoying when you're on your own, add in a five and a three year-old anxious to see their grandparents and they're much, much worse).

I did my three hour ride on Saturday morning and christened my new drive train with lots of rain and Chilliwack road dirt. I proved yet again that I don't know how to read a map by attempting to plot a 60km route and coming up with a 24km one. I did carefully figure out the road I needed to take out to Yarrow and the road to take back, however I somehow skipped over the connecting bits. The upside of getting lost 45 minutes into a 3hour ride is you have lots of time to get unlost! (Hint, keeping the mountains to your left doesn't work so well in a valley.) It was a great ride, the bike lanes occaissionally disappear for no reason but generally they were well marked, the drivers were extremely courteous and the angry farm dogs didn't really notice me so I'd happily ride there again.

After the ride Claire and I ducked out for a 35 minute run. I was a little wound up after my ride so she didn't get much of a word in edgewise (sorry!) but aside from that it was a good, if wet run.

Then I was free to hang out with the various family members, play with the kids' and my new toys, and generally relax and enjoy being with my family. A good weekend all round.

No comments: