We woke early and finished prepping for our little road trip. The plan was to head up to San Luis Obispo, take the train to Monterey Bay,and bike back to the car over a series of days. The plan changed when we got wind of a landslide on highway 1 just south of Gordo. This morning we set out to drive to San Luis Obispo with our bikes and gear--to do a sort of exploration of the area on bike. Just before Atlantic Ave in Long Beach, the car started making huge clunking noises and lost power. JE pulled off the highway and into a parking lot where we called AAA and I called our mechanic. The tow truck was there within minutes.
The drive to the mechanics was about 35 miles, that is a lot of time to talk. Our tow truck driver was awesome. He is a very proud father of 3 little girls who he tell us he wakes up every morning for and goes to work. Apparently it didn't use to be like that for him. He has been driving tow truck for 10 years, and before that he stood on the street corner and sold drugs. His family keeps him honest.
When we got to the auto shop, Tim of Tim's Auto Center, greeted us and attempted to start the car. It knocked and shook and sounded so terrible, he turned it off quickly. Broken piston. A whole new engine--or at least a re-manufactured one. So much for our trip. (So much for our car!) I am just so glad we got it back to Tim--one of the last remaining honest reliable auto-mechanics in the OC.
And so begins the social experiment of having no car in Southern California. I wonder how long it will take to get it back.
So, otherwise:
Lately I've been wondering why I am doing this, wondering if I should continue or give it up after my race (3 weeks away). Well, I had a big FAT reality check this morning as I was getting ready to leave. As I was looking for a book to take on our trip, tucked between a couple books on the shelf was a bunch of photos taken in 2008 of our trip to Kauai. I flipped through them and saw one of myself with JE, perched on a rock. I was working at the opera and completely submersed in my life. Every night we would come home, eat dinner and watch movies or TV then go to bed and do the same thing the next day. That was just before our TV broke and I started cycling to work regularly--doing a 21 mile loop. But the me in that photo is really pudgy and lumpy. Since that then, I have maintained a weight loss of around 30 pounds, gained far more muscle, and am more aware of what goes into my mouth (most days).
We biked home from Tim's, put on our suits and headed for the pool. It was gleaming in the beautiful sunlight, such a welcome thing. Around lap 20, I discovered a secret stash of turbo, I didn't know I had! My shoulders were burning with fatigue when I stopped at lap 24 to take 30 seconds. The rest of the pool time, I kept revisiting that place of power. Time flew by and I had so much focus. If I felt tired, I reminded myself that I am stronger than I think, and kept going.
Dinner tonight was an emergency. We hadn't eaten since breakfast with a bit of trail mix added just before our swim. There is very little fresh food in the house right now, but I did find a can of fish--smoked herring, some caper, lemon and onion. That and crackers and bread and cheese, carrots and the fruit we had taken with us on our trip. Oh, and don't forget the kohlrabi!
One hour later:
I am eating a well deserved bowl of cereal. Around 10, I convinced myself to get out for a run. It has been awhile. I've been trying to stay off my left foot and allow my tendon to heal. It seems to have worked. I ran, about 30 minutes at under 11 minute miles, with no pain in my ankle. Hurray! The true test will be upon waking tomorrow morning. I have three weeks to work toward my 10K and add all my workouts together... Yikes!
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