The Water Boy...

I was feeling tired with stiff legs this morning and I'm not sure why. I had a decent amount of beers last night, but not too much, and we got to bed around midnight, which is early for a weekend.

Even though I have a Half Ironman tomorrow, I couldn't not celebrate our Anniversary last night. That wouldn't be fair to Alice, and the wisdom is in "knowing when to hold them and know when to fold them".

It was tough to walk until around 7 pm tonight when I started changing a flat tire on my race wheels. The movement helped loosen me up.

I hate fixing flats on those wheels. The tire bead is so tight, it is near impossible to put it back on. I've been training with my regular wheels for a while now and was debating if I should even put the race wheels on for tomorrow. I was even considering using my 25 year old Centurion. I would have if it had cadence on the speedometer. I'm curious to see how much of a difference a bike makes.

My concern on why not to use the race wheels was the possibility of getting another flat on them. I wasn't sure if the previous flat was caused by something that was still in the tire and would puncture a new tube as well. I spent a lot of time checking the inside of the tire and removing any dirt. I then examined the old tube and realized it was a stem problem.

I ended up putting the race wheels on for the race and took the bike for a short spin. Good thing I did. The speedometer magnet moved out of place and I wasn't getting my speed readings half way through the ride. I would have hated for that to have happened during the race.

I thought I was going to get in some afternoon of napping but was so busy with Internet related work stuff and catching up on writing yesterday's blog post. I didn't finish working until 7 pm and then started getting ready for tomorrows race. I've decided to get up early and do the 90 minute drive from home. Carlos offered me to stay with him in his hotel room but I figured I'd get a better sleep in my own bed.

This morning I was up at 7 am for Reid's Time Trial swim meet. We got to the pool only to learn they gave us the wrong time, it was an hour later than we thought. Maybe it was a good thing. With the G20 in Toronto, we had some detouring to do in order to get to the pool.

I still can't get over that it is costing Canada $1 billion dollars to have these world leaders here for only 4 days. It beyond belief. They showed the Canadian protesters on TV, very passive. Lots of granola eaters sitting on the ground cross legged and playing the guitar. Stoned I presume. Gillette wouldn't do well with these people, lots of hair and the men where scruffy too.

Reid was a little nervous until he got in the pool area. He had some misfortune on his 100 meter free style time trial. At the turn, as he was breathing every fourth stroke and took in water on the flip turn. It stopped him in his tracks. It took him a while to catch his breath and then he started up again and made one more pit stop at the 50 meter point.

It was a shame. I took video of him and figured out his time by removing his stops. Had he not taken in water, he would have been about a 1:35, which is an amazingly good time. With that speed, he could give me a run for my money and beat me on any given day. In only two months he has went from a 2-2:20 to a 1:35.

His only other time trial was a 50 meter free style and he did that one in 45 seconds. Another unbelievable time. I think my best is 40-42 seconds. Reid is definitely a natural at swimming. I think he could even swim faster if he had a killer instint. His nature is very passive, he'll aways be the last kid in line to do a practice drill.

I've got to say I'm very proud of Reid. Tonight for example, even though it was not on his training schedule, he decided to go for a run for no reason. He told Alice and I yesterday that his bones don't feel sore anymore since he started running and now he can run without side stitches.

It's a shame he doesn't want to continue with the club. He did tell Alice he wants a swim pass for the local pool so he can swim on his own. He really does like swimming. This week he's going to come swimming with me a couple of times. He has to make up a couple of swims because the club cancelled those days. He's only missed one session due to sickness and he made that one up a week later.

Tomorrows going to be interesting. I have no idea if I'm going to do well or poorly. If you asked me earlier on Friday, after my fantastic 4:44 moderate run, I would have said great. After feeling so tired and stiff today, I'm not so sure. All I'm hoping for is that I'll have a good nights sleep and a low heart rate in the morning.

My strategy for tomorrow will unfold tomorrow. I know it's a mass swim start and I'm going right for the middle of the pack. Nothing like a little full contact swimming. The bike is the question mark. If I can get off to a strong start, I'll maintain it, my competitive spirit tends to mask any bike leg pain. The run transition will be slower, I have to tie my shoe laces. I forgot to stop and get race laces. That'll add 30 seconds or so.

All I hope for is no mechanical issues. I don't mind finishing slow due to fitness or alike, so long as I finish. I just don't want to go all that way and have an issue beyond my control and not finish. Anyways, I'm looking forward to racing and the water is going to be 74 F, which should be warm enough for me not to have to worry about my calf cramping.

One last thing. Alice took a picture of Reid and I today as we had a post swim meal at Licks. Nothing like carbo-loading with a hamburger, fries and ice cream. My body was craving it. Reid wanted to show me how close he was to my height and he's constantly telling me that he's going to be taller than me soon. He savours that thought and I know he'll be rubbing it in my face for years to come. He's already started calling me "shrimp".

I keep telling him that he's done growing. He doesn't know it, but I'm using reverse phycology. I want him to be tall. In our world, if your tall, you have a greater opportunities. Research has shown that taller people make more money than shorter people and have more senior positions. I believe my telling him that he's stopped growing causes him to will himself to grow more.

Rest-Taper day.