Cowpoke time...

It was our second day of post-IMLP family activities. We went horse back riding with the Grants. Alice had been the only one who has done horseback riding before.

I wasn't scared until they stressed how important it is that we sign the release forms and truly understand that what we are doing is dangerous and we can get hurt. They followed up with an instructional session, and throughout, highlighted all the bad things that can happen.

All kidding aside, I was asking myself, "What have I gotten myself into?" Even the instructions were intense. It seemed like you needed a PhD to know how to "drive" the horse. I've never listened so intently in my life and actually wished I had brought a note pad. This was way more intense than I expected.

The only one more scared than me was Jamie. I could tell when I looked over at him as he was listening to the instructions. I didn't see a pee stains, but blood did seem to be drained from his face.

I got the biggest horse, his name was George. It looked like a clydesdale wanta be. I know horses can sense the type of person that rides them and I was trying to stay as calm as possible. I'm still sure George sensed my fear and was laughing about how he's going to "own me".

When we got going, I pulled the reins a little to hard and he started galloping a couple times and it freaked me out. My ass was severely smacking on the saddle, it was like George was giving me a spanking. Somehow I got him to slow down and stop. I just envisioned myself falling. Later on, he gave Jamie and Barb's daughter Jessica's horse a kick to say, "get your nose out of my ass".

By the end of the ride, I got the hang of it and it was a lot of fun. I'm so glad I went. It was a better experience than I thought it would be. I can now say, "I'm a Kona Qualifier AND I can ride a horse". I think that would look good on a tombstone.

The hardest part was getting down from George. He was so tall, the jump down was high and I forgot I still had sore legs from the Ironman. When I hit the ground my legs buckled a bit and I started falling backwards into some shrubbery. I was shocked I didn't fall down and into some horse mud pie. I'm sure George would have like to have seen that.

We finished up and went for lunch, I had a "12 oz Monster Burger", fries, onion rings and a couple beers. I couldn't even eat the entire burger. I decided today was my last day of debauchery, at least until the weekend, and I may as well make it good.

I figured it's post Ironman guilt-free calorie freedom and a bit of family vacation time, you have to let loose a little. And for those that know me, they know I tend to be tight and need to loosen up a bit more.

After lunch we drove back home. It was an easy drive. The GPS gave us a much easier and direct route. Even after stopping for dinner, we still managed to get home by 9:00 pm. It was nice arriving in daylight. It was also nice to get home and relax and I was looking forward to sleeping in my own bed.

Even though I ate a salad for dinner, I asked Alyssa to pick me up some ice cream. She told me about "Stone Cold Creamery" a new ice cream shop nearby that mixes ice cream with all sorts of toppings. I told her get me large and with nuts and fudge. She came back with one that even was even better with chocolate brownies in it. I was by far the BEST ice cream I've ever eaten.

It's right around the corner from us. To keep my waistline in shape, I think I may have to burn the place down. I hope they have good insurance.

Today is my last hurray, then it's back to reality and getting my head back into what pays the bills. Which is good, the last 7 days have been a blur. It seems like it's been in one long continuous day.

Post IMLP Recovery Day - No training

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