Thursday, July 23, 2009

Lake Placid

It took me exactly 24 hours to get here. I left my house at 2:45P on Tuesday to catch a 5:52P to LA. After a long layover I caught the red-eye at 9:45P to Newark, NJ, where I arrived early in the morning (5A local time). I had to wait until 10:45A for a ride to Lake Placid and that ride arrived at 5:45 in the afternoon on Wednesday. 24 hrs to the minute. I could have traveled half way around the globe...

I ran on the treadmill on Tuesday morning for 45 minutes. I included a fast 5K in 20 minutes, with the first mile at 10 mph. I did nothing on Wednesday, other than take a shower, have dinner and fall asleep. It is pretty here, but rather cool (in a temperature sense) and quite wet. We have had rain twice already.

This morning I swam 1.2 miles in Mirror Lake, very nice and clean and with a buoy line that went all the way across the lake so you could follow it. Open water swimming with pool-like convenience. It was fun. Unfortunately it won't work that way on Sunday and I am sure the line will be pretty busy. The lake is small enough that 2,000+ people will create a whirlpool-like current, or at least that is what the locals say. It may very well be true.

Then I registered and picked up my bike. In the afternoon, we drove the bike course. Early on there is a 9 mile downhill and our tour guide had this great idea that we should ride it. It goes through a rather narrow canyon with lots of traffic, but the descent is fast enough to keep up with the cars, or so they say.

Once again, reality was a bit different. There was a rather strong headwind and then, as if by magic, it started raining as soon as we started riding. That made for a very treacherous descent with lots of traffic trying to squeeze by, and a tremendous soaking. I was totally wet by the time we reached Keene, the little town where the road flattens out. My shoes were full of water, my socks soaked, my race suit drenched, and I was very cold to boot. Not fun. Certainly not something I would do for 112 miles. At one point the rain fell so hard that it stung like hail -or maybe it was hail.

Less than 9 miles, all pretty slow due to the wetness and the headwind and I was toast. So much for that. There is rain in the forecast for Sunday as well. I can't wait;) Where is Arizona when you need it?

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