WEEK IN REVIEW

This week was an excellent training week with all workouts completed and heading in to a recovery week I feel great.

I had 2 swims of 3000m and 3200m. 3 runs for a total of 3 hours including a long run of 1 1/2 hours. One bike of 4 hours 10 minutes (120 km), one bike of 40 km (1 1/2 hours) and taught a spin class for an hour. Also got in 2 weight workouts and 2 shorter yoga sessions. All this while Anaka was sick and planning our ISAC Basketball tournament.

This week is a recovery week, well scheduled as I have 5 teams flying in from outside Egypt to compete in the basketball tournament we are hosting. In the sights after this week is a ride to Ain Soukna (140 km) where Jaz and Anaka will meet me and we will spend a couple nights on the beach. The weekend after we have our annual Taba-Sharm assault. We drive to Taba on the Egypt-Isreal-Jordan border and stay at the Taba Hilton. Bright and early the next day we ride to Dahab along the coast (Gulf of Aqaba). This is a 140km ride with some MASSIVE climbs. We spend the night at the Dahab Hilton then ride to Sharm the next day. This is about 110 kms with several moderate climbs. I will probably try and get in a run after each day's ride.

Cheers for now.

THE KHUMSEEN WINDS

There was a change in the weather today. At 5:oo when I met the guys for our morning ride there was a new crispness in the air...it was downright cold! When we headed out of town we all sensed what was happening. This time of year everyone starts to talk about. 'Will today be the day?' 'It is the time of year!' 'Any day now!'

Khumseen is the arabic word for fifty. The khumseen winds are a phenomenon in this part of the world and basically is the season of 50 days of wind. Today seemed to signal the start of the season. The wind blew all night and picked up during the day. The sky was filled with dust and you could see a wall of dust heading through town until we got a small rain whick took care of the dust. Does this mean the wind will blow for the next 50 days. Not exactly, but it does mean that one needs to be prepared for days like this over the next 50 days. The trademark of the Khumseen winds are the 3 day sand storms we get 2-3 days per year. The sky goes black and a wall of blowing sand blankets the city for up to 3 days before it subsides.

Today I rode through day one of the khumseen. I felt strong and prepared. 49 days to go...I can't control the weather...bikes have mechanical issues...work gets hectic...kids get sick...what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...bring on the wind.

EARLY BRICK TRAINING

It is a little early in my Ironman training plan for brick work, but in my opinion it's never too early for a brick.

I had a 10k race early on Friday afternoon...the Digla Dash, an off road race run in the Wadi Digla (a dried up riverbed on the edge of Cairo). The course is tough with lots of hills and some soft and uneven footing. I decided this was a good opportunity for a little test, so I decided to get in a 65km bike in the morning before heading out.

I could definately feel the legs were a little tired, especially considering we biked hard with some hill repeats, but it went well and I finished strong. The run 44:02 which is very good for me considering the course is not a fast one. I finished 4th and was quickly gaining on 3rd place. My intention was to start at a good pace and then see how long I could hold it. Luckily I was able to maintain this for about 8km comfortably, and then was able to hang on for the last two.

While this is certainly a far cry from 180km + 42km, it was good for the confidence, and the training aspect of it will definately pay off.

Key workouts this week:
Swim-this mornings 3200m interval workout.
Bike- 110km steady state ride on Friday
Run- 1 1/2 hour LSD run on Saturday

Cheers for now

OUT TO PASTURE

Last Friday I saddled up a new ride and took it out for a test drive. After 100k I new I was in love. Sadly it may mean I have to put 'the goat' (as in the old goat!) out to pasture. The new bike is a Cannondale 1000 bout second hand off a guy from our local cycling club. It is full of upgrades and has very low mileage. Needs one little repair, but the seller is going to take care of that for us.

The Goat is an old steel frame Sansineto that I bought off a guy here in Egypt a couple years ago. It has been a warrier, not only for me but for the previous owners in Cairo. The roads in Cairo are very hard on bikes and The Goat has stood the test of time. I won't completely put her out to pasture, I will still use her on the trainer and on my Monday morning rides to school as she can handle the strip down to fit in the car to bring home at the end of the day.

As for the new bike, I don't have a name for her yet, but she was a very comfortable. She was light and fast and climbed like a dream. It was hard wheeling her past The Goat in the morning but I'm sure she'll understand.

I will post pictures when I get a chance, and when she has a name, you'll be the first to know.

Cheers