One for me...and one for my homeeeeeyz.

So I've been feeling a bit burned out on the bike lately...perhaps because the last 3 Saturdays I've averaged 100 miles each day on the bike?

I would venture a guess that's why.

Anyhoo, I asked TriEric 2 weeks ago at the start of a 106 mile ride if he ever felt burned out a bit at this point in his IMUSA training. He suggested to me to think about what I'll do next, think about how much fun I'll have with Wil, SLS, and my blogger friends, and think about why I got into this stuff in the first place.

You know. Basically, think of anything except my butt sitting on a bike seat for the next 6 1/2 hours.

So yesterday, Matt and I enjoyed the Feast in Little Italy. Today, I went into school.

Yes, school.

Remember when I said the next time I'd be back I'd be in taper? Well, I wasn't kiddin'.

I was the only one in my hallway today. We start a week from tomorrow. It was pretty quiet when I unlocked my door and heard the familiar "click" of the doorknob sticking a little. And I went in, and it looked just as I left it. Only much shinier and cleaner.

You know what? It felt good to walk in.

Now, I'm not sayin' I love my job every day. There are days when I am very frustrated. But as I got my room ready, hung up my "beginning of the year posters" (I rotate them based upon topic) of Thomas Jefferson quotes and some Newsweek Interactive Posters my awesome college professor Doc hooks me up with, put the new pictures of my classes up from last year (I take class pictures every year), and hung up a drawing a student sketched one day of Queen Elizabeth, I really just felt the good of my job. And that was good.

Then I headed home to get my workout in. I did a ride and kept it in Zone 1-2.

Zone 1, for the record, feels like walking.

And sleeping. Sleepwalking.

But Coach says that is how it should feel. And I think it was just what I needed. I didn't feel like smacking my bike after it was done, which, I'm not gonna lie, is kind of how I felt on Saturday.

So I'm mixing it up. Trying to get out of the little rut of craziness I was in, and trying to think about other things besides IM.

I then checked the mail and got the best surprise: a card from my good buddy Jaclyn. She apparantly read my post about making it to taper, and sent the nicest little card with the nicest things in it! She did that once before and she has no idea how much I appreciate it. I am so proud of her as she's training for her first marathon in Chicago, and I bought my ticket already to go see her! I want to run with her for a bit and keep her company. Jacks is one of those people you kind of want to hate: freaking gorgeous, talented, smart, funny, etc. etc. But you just can't hate her, because she is one of the coolest people in the whole world. :) She's a great friend and I can't wait to see her on my way to Madison, and then again as she kicks BUTT in Chicago!

I also last night got to catch up with my girl TriShannon--lives in Denver, who did the very first sprint tri ever with me almost 5 years ago to the day. She did a half-Iron 2 years ago (?) and then had a ROTTEN injury that sidelined her for a while. This girl has more grit and determination than ANYONE I've ever met in my life. She makes me look like the biggest "oops-I-broke-a-nail" sissy. She has wanted to do an IM for pretty much as long as I've known her. She told me before she'd sign up for IMMOO 2007 if this race went well. Her last HIM didn't go as well for her, as she had to walk most of the half marathon. I really wanted her to do well.

You know what she did? PR'd by FIFTY MINUTES and finished in 6:16.

6:16!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so proud of her. Looks like someone's heading to Madison next year!

So then I got to thinking about my girls. My girls ROCK.

My girls all live so far away.

It makes me sad. See, when I was in high school, I had a couple of REALLY close girl friends who rock, but most of my friends were guys.

Why? High school girls can be very catty, mean, and just not very fun to be around.

High school boys make fart jokes.

Who would you rather hang with?

But in college, my friends were my girls. These girls were amazing. They still are amazing. We would lay down in traffic for each other. We would throw blueberry tarts at each other's head. We would jump in a bush after running full speed down the slantwalk and tear our jeans. We would throw coffee tables off our front porch. But I digress.

For the most part, my girls live very far away. Denver. Chicago. Cincinnati. Columbus. Indianapolis. St. Louis. It's hard to stay really close, but I think we've done a damn good job.

So I really am excited that some of my girls are going to make the trek to Madison--to spend time with each other, and as much with me as possible, given I'll be doing the race pretty much all day. It makes me so happy to know they are going to be there, probably cracking jokes while I'm doing my best not to crack....but knowing they are there will make me think of all the stupid jokes we have from those years. And I'll be scouting the course out for TriShannon, so she can continue to kick ass and take names there next year.

So here are my girls that will be there, since they are as much a part of this as I am:



Hedda, Sammy (who can't come anymore but will be there in spirit), me, Lush, Cerveza, Po, and Jacks who is making a funny face so let's find another one....

Here's a good one!

Sam, Po, Jacks, and me

Even if something falls through and they can't make the trek, just the thought of them even trying to make it up there means so much. Thanks, Nutters.

Luf,
Arx. :)