Big Weekend

First, Bike Porn: This is my new Anthem. Which I "hate". Passionately. With every muscle fiber of my being. More on that later.

Friday was rest day- went in to pay for the bike, got fitted and took the small one to the doctor. Spent an hour or so in the yard weeding.
Friday night Joe took me to see BB King and Willie Nelson at the amphitheater on the river. BB was much like the last time we saw him, a lot of talk making us wish for more music. What he did play was great. Willie rocked. What'd you expect? We were good, no beer, one hot dog each and shared a cup of french fries.
Got up early and drove to Arkadelphia for a swim clinic. I was thoroughly intimidated. I did not have the nerve to tell the coach or fellow attendees that I hadn't even been in a pool (except to cool off after laying out or to go on a water slide) in about 2 years. Ouch. 99% of the attendees were serious triathletes, full on. The morning was spent in the pool doing 25 meter drills in waves. There were a few times when I got screwed up and either lost my place and sat in the water in the middle of the pool trying to collect myself or swallowed water. But I did, or at least tried everything and faked my way thru it. Learned a lot. Then after lunch we headed over to the lake for some open water practice with mass starts and bouy sighting. On the second try of about a 100 yard swim around the bouys I lost my way and ended up way off course and was so beat I had to back stroke. Poor Fred (our race organizing bud who puts on several local du's, tri's and adventure races) was lifeguarding and I think, no I KNOW I scared him. He really thought he was going to have to rescue me but I made it to shore. Most of the girls were pretty cool about it, very encouraging. Some were definitely just irritated that I was there but that's ok. I would be too if I were them. There was a 5K in town that night and a whole group of them were going out to ride the upcoming triathlon bike course THEN doing the run. I barely made it home without passing out. Okay not really. We got home, rested then took a passle of kids to see Dark Knight. It was great.
Today- a close to 14 mile mtb ride, mostly single trak. I still hate the bike. I hated it around all the rolling curves that I usually brake on, I hated it up the hill I have NEVER made before, I hated it on the BMX track. Did I mention I hated it? OMG, so THIS is what a mountain bike is supposed to do?? ROCK ON.