Fund Raising Update, Clermont Biggie Quickie

DP Fund Update:

In just one short week, I received a couple of checks in addition to a few pledges. You guys are awesome. We're well on our way to raising enough dough to pay for (at least) one scholarship in DP's name. I will wait another week to post exactly where the campaign is at dollar-wise.

Clermont Quickie

Last weekend KC and I went up to Clermont for a "big day". You may be asking what exactly constitutes a "big day", in which case I applaud your curiosity because you knew I was going to explain it anyway.

After a good volume-oriented swim (200x1 warm up w/ easy drills, 500x4 w/ specific focus, 200x1 cool down) in the AM, we booked north just in time to catch the end of the Opening Ceremonies (capitalized for posterity) in Beijing. Watching that sort of thing with someone who has actually been in the Olympics (ahem, twice) made it even more interesting.

The morning kicked off with a visit to the NTC (National Training Center) for a swim. Going there may not have been a great idea because I am officially spoiled now and no longer want to swim at my crummy LA Fitness in the 'Ridge. Ever. But I guess I have to make due. Anyway, 45 minutes solid swim, about 2,000m all aerobic.

Along with a group of Miamians training for IM Wisconsin, I set off for a Tour de Clermont. After a lap around the lake, the ride turned into a climbfest of hill repeats. With KC running sag support, everything went smoothly until a few afternoon squalls moved in and pounded us pretty good.

Awarded at around this point of the ride was the Quote of the Day, which went to a gentleman named Tim who said, "Sometimes it rains during Ironman."

Simple, eloquent and truthful. Valiantly (or stupidly, depending on who you ask) we rode on.

All in all, I put in about 94 miles with over 6 hours in the saddle and LOTS of climbing. Probably the most one could get in the State of Florida without doing the same hill over and over and over again, like that friggin' Key Biscayne bridge.

The bike gear came off and running shoes and shorts went on, and I made an assault on hospital hill. This was more of a fitness test to see how my body would respond after a longer/harder bike workout, and I am happy to report that I felt freaking great. I charged up the hill and felt dominant in my pacing, that is until I ran through about six different walls of gnats. I'm not sure if they were out looking for cheap real estate deals or what, but there were a bazillion of them and I managed to run into every single one. KC said they are a good source of protein, and he may be right.

I figure the "big day" entailed around 8 hours of actual effort. Finishing the day strong put me in a great mood and I celebrated with a supreme slice of Sbarro's pizza - Ronald Reagan Turnpike style - on the way home. Hold the gnats.