Offerings in the countryside

So much to catch up and be current and I'll do most of it in photos.  Going to keep it brief:

How can I not start off with this baby?!

This was from my Saturday long ride - 115 miles / 185 km.  Longest I've ever ridden and happy to have kept a 30.8 avg km/h over the 5:55.

I past this sign at a good clip, near Brockville, ON but had to go back to it.  I mean, who names a street after triathlon anyway, haha.  I just thought it was cool and it gave me something to think about after 3 hours on the bike at this point.  I was nearing the turnaround to head home.

These 4 souls were part of the 'Run to Remember' - raising funds for the families of fallen Canadian police officers and they were part of a run across (at least) Ontario and I saw them from Brockville to Ottawa.  I cycled past them in the opposite direction, went for about a km, then turned around as I wanted to know what they were running for.  I cycled, they ran, and I took their picture (and spilled my Chomps all over the road when I pulled my phone out of my Bento box for the picture.

I started cycling again and saw another team - perhaps the previous relay team taking a break - so I stopped this time, gave them half of my $40 emergency fund for their cause.  I felt bad I hadn't given it to the first crew, but thought it didn't matter, it'll help anyway, albeit just a little bit.

My route this time took me south of Ottawa, then West along Hwy 2 into Brockville.  The St. Lawrence river is behind my bike and there's an ocean liner heading from the Great Lakes back east down the river, eventually to hit the Atlantic.  Ogdensburg NY is in the background.

I had actually wanted to bike over the bridge from Canada, but on this particular bridge - it is HIGH and has a steel see-through floor - you aren't allowed.  Way to dangerous for cyclists and those on foot.
Oh yeah, some bike bling and race wheels to get used to.

When you have a family, everyone has to make sacrifices in order to do an IM.  On my long run, however, no sacrifices were necessary.  My 6 and 8 year olds cycled the 23 km from our house as I ran.  They are total rockstars, never complaining, never saying it was too far.  They have their own water bottles on their bikes and we brought some snacks for them as well.

The path is a fomer rail line and has been turned into a multi use trail with fine granulars.  For anyone doing IMMT or MT 70.3, this is what part of the run course will be like.

Along the path, there are some look-offs, usually over marshes or fields so if you are so inclined, you can stop and check out the local wildlife.

While I have tried running in true running shorts and/or a running shirt / singlet, I HATE HATE the baggy wear.  I get chafed every single time I wear anything baggy.  Not to mention my 90 minute ride before the long run meant I was already in cycling / tri gear.

As an aside, I bought a new Kiwami Tri Suit and was hoping to wear it at IMFL.  My other suits have become a little baggy - either stretch or weight loss, but they don't feel like the used to.  Anyway, I tested the new Kiwami on my 6 hour long ride - was awesome and worked like a charm.  It's my new official long distance race wear.

This last one is really sad, actually.  I need to get into a new line of work, in animal rescue or conservation or something. Only problem is, it doesn't pay the bills and if anything, looking after animals is really expensive (we have 2 dogs and 2 cats, so I feel the cost daily!).  Anyway, this guy was hit by a car right near my running path.  He (she?) is a Fisher and has surely preyed on wayward outdoor cats and other small animals.  He was gone by the time I saw him but they are such elusive and shy creatures, they are almost never seen.  I can't tell you how bad I feel that a person (accidentally) took his life.  He's got claws and teeth like a Wolverine and the coat of a mink.  Such a majestic animal for his size, he deserved a much more honorable death than he got.  I stopped twice to see him today in the car, wishing I could do something for him.  Sounds irrational to most, but he's such a rare animal around here and deserved far more than he got.

My hip is really improving, though I have to be very careful...the muscles around it, incluing the hamstring are very tight.  I'll keep up my 1x week ART appointment, which has been fantastic.

That's all for now - thanks for reading!