Back to school/work/training

Kind of let things go off the rails this summer.  It was my first summer with having both kids home and let's just say that I didn't maintain much focus on just about all fronts.  Work was kind of hit or miss for this self-employed chick.  So were workouts (as you have read).  But worst of all, I didn't even manage to spend that much quality time with the kids when I was skipping out on other resposibilities.  No real excuse - just fighting a bit of a mental slump/funk I suppose.  But it is time to do a bit of a "reset" now that they have headed back to school.  Kind of like New Year's in August.

Stacy and I got in a run last week one evening (Tue I think).  Just around the neighborhood.  Later in the week was really busy with school starting.  Then Saturday we took the kids on a float trip down the Gasconade River.  The drought made this more of a "paddle" trip than a "float" trip.  Thankfully, my son was able to hold up his end of the paddling in our canoe while my husband got my daughter down the river in his.  We were all pretty tired of paddling by the end.  It was also unseasonably cool (low 80s - cooler in the morning as we started out).  The sun was warm and the cold water didn't seem to deter the kids, but I didn't swim. 

Then yesterday, I went with a group Walter pulled together for a long ride through Callaway County.  We started in Holts Summit (at the plaza) and headed up through New Bloomfield, Guthrie and stopped at the convenience store near the water tower in Fulton for Gatorade.  Then looped back down the Hwy 54 outer road (east side) back to New Bloomfield and then west to some other back roads to Holts Summit.  The first few and last few miles were the only "repeats".  The good and bad news is that it was pretty breezy as we started and the temps were again mild for this time of year (low 80's).  It was good because I never really got that hot.  It was bad because we rode into the wind for nearly 2 hours to get to Fulton.  There were some pretty wicked hills in there too, but only a couple that induced outright cussing.  Walter had said this was a "35 mile ride".  Kelly's Garmin Edge put it at 38.9 miles.  Umm...note to self...Walter tends to underestimate.  Regardless, this was my longest ride ever. 

L-R: Eric, Brie, me, Dennis, Kelly, Walter and Bruce

I felt pretty good going out - even with the wind and hills.  But my middle toes on my right foot started throbbing at Fulton - not really sure why.  They pretty much stopped after I got my bike shoes off.  Then, I got a side stitch/stomach cramp about New Bloomfield and I pedaled hard to get back to Holts Summit to get the damned ride over.  Not sure if it was this faster ending pace or just the total miles, but when I got home my thighs were screaming.  So I did some ibuprofen and biofreeze before bed.  I didn't feel too awful when I got up this morning.  We'll see how tomorrow morning feels.

MMNW was up again (165.2 - highest all summer!).  Not sure what is up with that other than I ate my dinner pretty late since I didn't get home until after seven.  Grr.. 

Busy day today so no workouts planned, but then Stacy talked me into some "active recovery" jogging/walking in my neighborhood this evening.  Weather this evening was gorgeous (though I'm bummed it gets dark earlier now). 

Still haven't committed (as in registered) for another tri.  I need to really shit or get off the pot on this.  Part of me feels like the training isn't really there for anything long-ish (long sprint or Oly) and that same part is feeling dumb to travel 2-4 hours to do a 2 hour sprint race.  Will try to think through my options and figure it out or just call the tri season "over" and figure out some other fun events to do.  Better get showered and head off to bed.  Tomorrow is my husband's first day of teaching and the kids have to head out to school and I've got work to finish that clients are clamoring for.  Busy day for all.