Saturday, April 14, 2012
I was up at 5:30 a.m. I wanted to be on the water by 7 for the first leg of the Quadrathon. Rain was in the forecast, which did not bode well for a bike ride of more than three hours. I’d prepared everything the night before, so I only needed to eat a good breakfast and head out. I had my normal bowl of Kashi cereal and a banana. This would get me through the kayaking and running and then I figured on a large smoothie before beginning the bike leg.
There was some sunshine breaking in the east as I was crossing LaDue Reservoir, but by the time I had the kayak in the water at Russell Park twenty minutes later…it was gone for the day.
I found the parking lot empty at Russell and for the next two hours, would be the only person on the Upper Cuyahoga…which is just the way I like it. I paddled hard downstream, planning on going around 58 minutes and then figuring if I worked even harder, I could make it back…against the current…in around an hour. It wasn’t a practical plan…but mine seldom are.
Being alone on the river gives me the opportunity to be the first around every bend, and at dawn that means if there is any wildlife to see…and photograph…you get first dibs. I spotted two beavers…the first I’ve seen this year, five great blue heron’s and more waterfowl than I could begin to count. It was cool and crisp and I had a long and a short-sleeved t-shirt on, but on the return trip upriver, I began to break a good sweat, which is always my intention.
I made the return trip in an hour and two minutes…not bad for paddling uphill…and quickly reloaded the kayak on the Jeep. I’d planned on doing an hour and 57 minutes, but I was over by five and that was okay.
I drove to the North Chagrin Reservation for the run and wasted no time in getting on the running trail once there. Conditions were perfect for running…but deteriorating for the bike ride. It was cool and a light rain kept spitting as I ran. I felt great for about 40 minutes, but I haven’t been doing too much running since the calf issue and began to fatigue at that point. By 50 minutes I was slowing some to allow for a twinge I’d felt in the calf, but it never got worse. I spooked up on a couple of whitetails on the run and saw almost no one in the park. When I reached Clear Creek in 57 minutes…my goal time…I figured what could it hurt to run the last three minutes to make it an hour? So I did.
I was still a half-mile…and one steep hill…from the Jeep. My legs felt the climb and I knew I would be feeling them even more over the 57-mile bike ride. But so what? I’m young. I’m in shape. I’m a little whacked.
I returned home and decided a shower would be in order. No sense in riding with all that salt caked on my body and the chafing it could accelerate. I’d be creating more sweat quickly…better to start with a clean slate though. I made a huge smoothie and took it with me to the bathroom, where I guzzled as I prepared for the ride. I was dressed and ready to go in ten minutes and made my way back to the garage. And that’s when things went south.
The driveway was wet from the rain that had started falling while I showering. I will not start riding in the rain…particularly a 57-mile ride. I don’t mind the rain so much on me, but don’t like what it does to my ability to control the bike…stopping, cornering and climbing. It was chilly too, and hypothermia and I are friends but not someone I was looking to visit with today…or any day. It was a very gentle sprinkle, and I had time…it was only noon…so I thought I’d try to wait it out.
By 4 p.m. I gave it up. Another birthday triathlon turned to Quadrathon foiled by the weather. We’d had such wonderful weather for so long this spring that I was certain it would work out. Like the Indians…maybe next year. I knew the forecast for the next day was much more favorable and decided I’d do my long ride and Survival Workout then making it kind of a birthday Quadrathon weekend.
Kayak duration: 2 hours and 4 minutes. Run duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 90-120 for the kayak and 140 for the run.
Calories burned: 1200 for the kayak and 1020 for the run.
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