Harried Holidays

Not a lot of time available these days between preparing for the upcoming holiday, working, and training. In spite of all of that, I managed to take a few minutes out to snap a couple of pictures. As usual, I can't get enough of Mount Rainier and this last week presented some awesome opportunities.

This is one where the sun was just peeking over the top. I did make sure to put use a sun lense as the light was quite intense.

The one below was taken Sunday morning when it was 17 degrees Farenheit. That's pretty darned cold by anyone's standards. You can see the frost on the ground. This is taken from the trail where I occasionally run and bike. Is that not just a magnificent view?



Anyway, back to the harried holidays. Saturday was supposed to be my long bike. However, I still had Christmas shopping (and it's CHRISTMAS shopping, not that blasted holiday crap that I'm so sick of...I refuse to be PC, but that's another story...) to do, so instead of getting on my bike, I hit the local mall at 7:00 in the morning. I left around 5:00 that afternoon. My body hurt as though I'd run a marathon. All thoughts of getting on my bike fled from my poor fried brain.

Sunday, I got up to run the Orting trail with a few members of the Y-Run club (that weren't in Millersylvania running with Rob or IronAyla). As I sat there, waiting for some of them, I realized I shouldn't be there, that I should be on my bike. So, I proferred my apologies to those that were there and left to go hop on my bike. Before I did, though, I did stop to shoot the picture above. I couldn't resist, it was just so danged beautiful and clear out.

Well, I did get on my CompuTrainer. I chose to ride the Richter to Cawston section of Ironman Canada. I managed to get through only 30 miles before my alloted time on the trainer was up. It took my 2 hours and 40 minutes to go a whopping 30 miles. Okay, so Richter isn't exactly an easy ride, and neither is the CT, but I was absolutely toast when I was done.

That meant the long run I had planned for Sunday, got pushed to today and I added a swim to my schedule that wasn't originally on to this morning as well. Wednesday, I have a hair appointment, so the swim that was scheduled for Thursday morning is now switched to Wednesday morning. Oh, the hair appointment was for a cut AND color. New color in the pool the day after it's done? Don't think so. Give me a few days.

And I still need to make deviled eggs for a Christmas potluck at work and the potluck is on Thursday. Make those eggs too soon and they'll turn rubbery (gross). However, if I wait to long Wednesday, I may be too tired by the time I get home to do them. Making the morning of is out of the question.

Add to all of this, the need to purchase a few more presents as I didn't get it all done at the mall on Saturday, and needing to wrap said presents, not to mention, wrapping a few of them quickly enough to get them off in the mail this morning and, well, WHEW! Now you know why I'm feeling a little harried.

Okay, so I'm rambling. And I need to go to bed because I have to do a trainer ride in the morning, so I'll have the evening free to go to the mall, wrap presents, boil the eggs, address the Christmas cards (no they aren't out yet), yada, yada, yada.

Weekly totals (missing my long run, of course):

Swim: 3700 yards
Bike: 52.5 miles
Run: 6.9 miles (a little light here because of missing the long run)

Month to date:

Swim: 8750 yards
Bike: 126.4 miles
Run: 32.8 miles

I'm feeling pretty darned proud of myself. The Monday after Christmas I have my first baseline time trial on a CompuTrainer with my coach. I'm feeling a little intimidated, afraid I won't be able to live up to any expectations even though there are probably no expectations. Stupid, huh?