Roadblocks and Bulldogs

Friday 2010 Shannon swam the buoy line with a friend from work. It was my first time in the ocean (in a bathing suit for that matter) since 2009.

For the record, I’m still haunted by images of Jaws in the water. I almost always have a “negative” split on my swim time heading back to shore. Damn you Steven Spielberg!

Adult Supervision opted for a day off Friday. Good for her! And I heard through the grapevine that Goldilocks declared he would be training for the race… not sure if that means more 1 mile repeats with Ritalin Dog or if he actually intends to do more than the weekend work. Honestly, it doesn't matter. He'll still beat both Adult Supervision and I by about an hour. Anyway, more to come on if he actually does train…

Ok, onto Saturday… so you know those days where you keep hitting a road block, but you are damn determined to not let that sideline you?? That was Saturday. Here's how it played out with The Family:

• The Family agreed to start at 6:30am. We had 6 hours to ride and it was supposed to be 'record breaking hot' Saturday. So, after searching for some (never found) sunglasses we managed to officially hit the road at 7:00...


• I take that back, after 3 miles on the ride, we had a major blow out on the bike and had to replace a tire (not just the tube)… so, back to basecamp we went, replaced the tire and we officially hit the road… at 7:45.


• 9:30ish: The Wives actually stopped talking to Goldilocks when “his” route took The Family up a huge hill in Orange/Anaheim.


• 10:30ish: The silent treatment continued as we powered away on the hated River Trail.


• 11ish: Down to Huntington Beach and onto the Mountain to Sea trail where Goldilocks tried to tell us “we are almost there” (there meaning where?? Adult Supervision and I knew we were only halfway thru)


• Noonish: Quick picnic for 2010 Shannon and shopping trip for Goldilocks at the Orchard Hills mini mart


• 1:00ish: Finally on our way back into Lake Forest/RSM area, and Goldilocks starts to feel the effects of the sun and heat.


• About the same time, 2010 Shannon believes we are short on our 6 hours and convinces Adult Supervision we need to head out again to pick up more time. No one wants to tell Goldilocks.


• 1:30ish: The Wives part ways with Goldilocks to pick up "this extra time we need", but 5 minutes in realize we aren’t that bad off for time as originally suspected, so off we go to find Goldy…


• 2:00ish: We found him. He was cooling down outside of Rock n’ Road Cyclery, and looked like a withered flower. The group… exhausted, hot and, now, not talking to each other… decide to finish this ride off once and for all.


• 2:45ish: Pulling up to basecamp it’s determined an hour run on the hot path is needed. Why? Why not? It's 95+ degrees and we should. Goldilocks is out due to the heat… like good wives we send him off to a cold shower


• That leaves Adult Supervision and I to run…


• 3:00ish: We are 30 minutes in, we look and feel… as good as you can look and feel in 95+ weather after a 6 hour ride.


• 3:45ish: 45 minutes in 2010 Shannon walks. Wishing for someone to pop out of the bushes and spray me down with a hose. Just because.


• 4:00ish Just before the hour, Adult Supervision walks. Wishing the same thing!


• 4:30ish… Pull up to The Tap House for a well deserved beer and sandwiches… A happy family once again. And as it should be... Goldilocks, can’t get a moment’s silence with The Wives.
  

Sunday, Goldilocks and I run our last long, LONG run in Huntington Beach: 18 miles. Adult Supervision thought we were crazy… we are, but I say, “hallelujah!” It was about 20 degrees cooler, we had cloud cover the whole time and it’s DONE!

We celebrated, as you knew we would: Bulldogs all around from Sol!