DSB's and OWS's

I am so tired I can't even type out full words and am having to abbreviate my titles...jokes...this weekend was full of Dave Scott Brick's and an Open Water Swim.  Saturday was a LONG day with the previously mentioned brick workout (for those who need reminding and just 'cause I want you to think I'm a badass, it was 20/2, 20/3, 20/4, 20/6...ride/run mileage).  We were off by 7:00am sharp and there we were quite the motley crew.  There were 7 of us to start, each person doing their own section of the workout.  Some only did one leg (20/2) others did two (20/2 and 20/3) while some did three (you get the picture) and some, ahem, ahem, me, did all four.  It was a very cool and crisp morning, but after 7+ hours of work and the sun rising to it's full potential, it was HOT!  We all rode the first 20 mile loop together in order to learn it and not get lost and ran the first piece together as well.  Needless to say, we were hauling arse!  I felt good and knew it was probably a death wish, but I went along for the ride.  The first run was a little swift as well...heck only two miles, you can push it...again, death wish.  We held 8:15's for the 2 mile run and about 8:20's for the 3 mile run and 8:30's for the 4 mile run...by the time I was on my own for the 6 mile run, I was lucky to hold 9:30's...blech!  

Ben and I were the last two standing on the final ride/run leg (other's didn't need to do as many and Sarah is recovering from a wreck) so we had a mentally tough ride/run as well as physically.  I let Ben go ahead so I wouldn't feel the need to keep up...good thing, because I started to fall apart on the bike.  Legs...so...tired...must...keep...pushing.  It was a hillier course than the last DSB workout, so I was shot come the last round.  The plan for the run was to do the 3 mile loop twice and stop at the house if we needed more water, fuel, etc.  As I was out on the run I thought..."if I stop at the house I am done, no way I will do another loop"...especially because before I even headed out on the run everyone was sitting in the garage drinking an ice cold, frosty, delicious beer...jerks.  So, I grabbed my water bottle and headed out yelling "if I'm not back in an hour, come find me!"  I decided to not go all the way back to the house and ran the loop part twice, making for a 5 mile run...not the full 6...oh well.  When I got back to the house Ben claimed he only went 3 because he couldn't force himself back out there once back...I knew it would happen...glad I didn't go back!  I also started making deals with the devil on the run..."ok, if you let me walk to that mailbox I will give you my first born child"...good..."if you let me make this walk interval 1:15 instead of the normal 1:00 then I will name my first son Lucifer"...deal...  I kept the walk one minute per mile interval pretty consistent up until the last mile, but was ready to konk out in someone's grass during the last 10 minutes.  I finally ran back to Andy's house and everyone was in the garage chanting "Tilghman, Tilghman..." it was hilarious.  I sat down, blurted out something that would make my mother proud and chugged some water in preparation for my well deserved beer!  It was a great, albeit long, day!

This was my mixology station at home the morning of DSB's.  Thirsty little fella?

A group of us also got together to do an OWS on Sunday morning.  There were about 15 of us who met at Percy Priest Lake to do the 1.4 mile route.  I wanted to do the route twice, but I felt like I deserved the rest and only did it once...leaving the longer option for this coming week!  On the way out to the buoy (turn around point) I was a little freaked out...breathing every other stroke and trying not to notice what was going on in the water around me.  On the way back in I got into a nice groove...breathing every third stroke (as I have been instructed, over and over and over again) and really feeling good.  I am so damn ready for this race!  The big dead fish on the shore did not make me happy going into the water and I was just waiting for a big mouth Bass to come and swim directly into my face...ahhhh!!!!!

Some of the crew getting ready for the swim...7:00 comes really early on a Sunday!

The marina where we do the swim...it's nice and calm.  You can see someones heading popping out...you're almost there, keep going!

I took Cash to the lake later that day so he could get in some open water practice as well...apparently fat doesn't float...his butt sinks like a rock!  I might have to use his technique on the final push of the IM!