5-mile mudfest

Today, 5 mile pass was more like 3 mile mud pit. So how bad did Dot and I want to do this lousy race? Bad enough that we dumped the boys' Karate tournament on Grandma! I am still regretting it.

It was pooring! So I told Dot that she shouldn't go because she would be miserable. Plus this was a good way to NOT get blamed when she is miserable there (husband psychology). I also told her she'd probably get first (husband know how and a bit more husband psycholgy). She decided to go. We got there to find out the race was postponed for an hour. Again, I told Dot she should take this chance to go to the Karate tournament. (yet more husband psychology) She decided to stay. I was proud of her.

Ed was climbing out of the muddy Ravine we had to race through and he was slipping and sliding up it. Walking. I thought for sure he was going to postpone. Nope the race went ahead but was shortened DRASTICALLY! It was just over three miles per lap vs the usual 11. Talk about feeling cheated! But it turned out to have saved me A HUGE hike. In short, I started out first for 20 seconds and dropped to last by 5 minutes worked up past three guys and just wasn't feeling strong in the legs. Later, I was pushing for the next guy in my class when I hit a sharp rock and pinch flatted. It was stupidity and laziness on my part. I had flatted on a ride last week and left the tube in instead of making it tubeless again. Well to make a senseless story short, I had to walk about 1.5 miles back to the finish. The biggest thing that bothered me about the whole thing was how weak my legs felt. I'm in that mode of not being able to tell if I am recovering enough from my training and racing or just NOT training or racing enough.

So back to the wife. She finished first! Husband psychology worked! I guess I'll have to enjoy racing vicariously through my wife.