We're still here

Just in case anyone is wondering - yes "the other Allen & Gates" are going to ride again in 2010. Sorry for not posting this year. Those of you who we talk to regularly know why... and also know that it is a miracle that we are going to participate in the Seattle Danskin triathlon next weekend, because we didn't start attending the training sessions until over half way through the program, and have only been doing about half of the recommended workouts each week, so we are only about 1/4 trained. The good news is that we seem to have some muscle memory, and have built up enough technique in past years that we can draw on to get us through this.

I wish I had some photos of Trixie to share with you. Trixie is the manikin that our coach dresses up each week as a gag-inspiration. Coach Lisa has been particularly creative this year. One of the highlights was a hunting outfit (complete with a hip hugging bullet belt) with fishnet stockings on the week that all the deer antlers disappeared from alongside the road on our bike training course.

Today was the practice triathlon, which is a tradition one week before the actual event. We swam, biked, and walked/ran, just as if we were doing the Danskin, but in a calmer atmosphere, closer to home, at Wildcat Lake instead of Lake Washington. The swim distance was the same 1/2 mile but the bike and run distances were easier (only about 67% of next week's event). This is taper down week. I didn't break any speed records today, and won't break any next week either, but I feel comfortable that I can complete the race and enjoy it.

There is one thing important thing that I need to decide between now and next week, and that is whether to try to ride up the narrow steep "S" shaped access road to the bridge between Seattle and Mercer Island, or whether to walk my bike up. I'm leaning towards walking up, but am not sure my pride will let me. This would be the first time I've done that. I think I can ride up it, but it would not be pretty and I am concerned that if I have to abort the ride part way up, that I'll mess up the faster riders behind me. This is the one and only semi-dangerous portion of the Danskin course. It would be less of a concern if the Danskin was more like the Trek (i.e. fewer participants = less of a zoo).

Deb and I are also doing the Trek tri in September. So the Danskin will be a sort of warm up for the Trek. These events are really fun!