Folks, this is God's country. The beauty of the lake and the mountains in Couer d'Alene is amazing. Absolutely stunning! The temperature is a glorious 72 degrees with an easy breeze.
Today was a long but productive day. We had to register, weigh in, get our gear, check out our bikes and test the water. We are going to dinner soon and then we will drive the course.
Registration was quick and painless. I weighed in at 161 lbs, Estuardo at 163 and Les at 138 (he's such a girl.) This is a good weight for me. My run and bike times have improved with the weight loss. Two weeks ago I clocked in at 152 which is way too low for me. It probably contributed my current illness and I have been eating non-stop to get my weight up.
There are no words to describe the water. It is beyond cold. It is liquid pain. I suited up with wetsuit, neoprene cap and booties and submerged myself in the 52 degree water. I was warned numerous times but you cannot prepare for the shock. It was immediate and brutal. I could not breath or talk and my chest was heaving as I tried to take in air. As I bobbed on the surface like a swollen flounder my wetsuit slowly took in the water and warmed it against my body. I rolled over and took a few easy strokes, stopped, gasped for air and took a few more strokes. Eventually my face numbed and my hands detached themselves from my body. There is no more feeling. I have left my body. I have now achieved a morphine-like state.
As I eased through the wter I felt my body moving at a nice clip. It's wonderful when your brain disassociates itself from those pesky nerve endings. You are just a head moving through the water. We swam for about 15 minutes and climbed out onto the steps. The outside temperature was rising and it felt good to bake for a few.
Afterwards we picked up our bikes. It was great to see my bike again. I turned it in 10 days ago and I was going through withdrawal. After this much training your bike becomes an appendage. Yeah, I know, that sounds bizarre. We rode for about 30 minutes to make sure everything was in working order. It really felt good to be back in the saddle again.
We put our bikes away and drove back to the hotel. I really needed to rest as I don't feel that great. I sleep for about 30 minutes and then we go to dinner. Next we load up and begin checking out the bike course. It is a good idea to know the location of hills, etc so you can prepare.
Bad idea.
This course looks rough. Visions of Wisconsin are coming back. The middle portions are terrifying. God help us.
We go home and crash. I'm feeling worse.
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