It was a mixed bag today.  I started out with my 6AM 4000 yard swim.  It was pretty much the same as it always is.  No faster, no slower, no issues.

My triathlon bike was still in the shop just like it was last weekend waiting for a new crank covered by warranty, fortunately.  For the second week in a row, I opted for my road bike and lots of climbing.  Today it was hot and windy with the Santa Ana winds blowing with temps reaching 90 later in the day.

I got on the road at 9AM and felt great.  However, after about 2 hours I felt a little behind on nutrition and I could feel the low humidity (Only 5% to 10%) was draining my water and energy.  I stopped to fill up as much as I could at a drinking fountain and take on a little more nutrition.  However, another hour into it I still felt sluggish with heat continuing to climb.

By this time, I was looking forward to my traditional stop at Nessie Burger where I can get really cold water out of their soda machine and take a bathroom break.  However, upon my arrival, I found that they were not open due to a power outage.  PG&E was rolling power outages to rural areas due to the Santa Ana winds and this area was part of one of them.  I rolled back to the gas station nearby and found that they were closed as well.  Fortunately, they did have some porta-johns out back so at least I got that done.

Fortunately, I had loaded up on water back at my first stop so I wasn’t completely out.  I had one full bottle that would take me up the road to the Rainbow Oaks Restaurant where I usually steal some water from a hose bib after I unscrew a hose from it.  I was exceptionally happy to find all was good and I left there fully loaded.

Still, it was a grind getting there and back.  On the way back I was hoping that I would have enough energy to do the run.  Last week, I was out of gas.  This time I planned ahead and downed some Clif chews with 50mg of caffeine to wake me up.  It worked even after the 78 miles and 5,700 feet of climbing.

By the time I got to the Subaru, I was feeling a little better and decided to lace up the shoes.  Even if I got in only 3 miles or so I figured that was better than nothing.  To my surprise, I was feeling pretty good right out of the gate!  Much like two weeks ago, I improved with every mile.

It was a motivating end to a long frustrating day on the bike.  I continue to feel so much better about my run and how it has improved this year.

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Please join me in my efforts to support the Challenged Athletes Foundation as I take on my own challenge to complete my second Ironman race.

At my own cost, I will attempt to swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles on November, 24th, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona to bring awareness and funding support to the Challenged Athletes Foundation and the needs of their clients. This challenge race is intended to raise at least $5,000 in funds to make those dreams come true for challenged athletes everywhere. Please click on the donate button and give what you can to help CAF athletes overcome physical disabilities and be able to afford the cost of equipment such as sports wheelchairs, handcycles, mono-skis and sports prosthetics, and resources for training and competition expenses.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) raises money to help people with physical challenges pursue an active lifestyle through physical fitness and athletics. CAF’s mission is clear: give those with the desire to live active, competitive lifestyles every opportunity to compete in the sports they love.

Thank you for any donation you can make to this cause at the following link http://bit.ly/2lIDEI4 or just click on the CAF button below.