What a summer so far! Since June 1 rolled around, I’ve been super busy. I’m taking several classes this summer – a statistics class, auditing Organic I, and seminar. Somewhere in there I’ve managed to keep up my triathlon training. My swimming has suffered due to Organic Chemistry meeting at 11:30, when I normally swim on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On top of it all, I’m still working on what seems like a massive, and overwhelming, dissertation.
On June 2, I met with my committee to finalize a dissertation topic – “Sustainability of Legume Inclusion in Warm-Season Turfgrass Swards” – and to talk about my objectives for the next THREE to FOUR years! The morning of the meeting I was up early and at work setting up the projector and finishing the slide show. As a token of my appreciation, I bought Panera bagels and coffee. Overall the meeting went well, with just some minor changes to some of the project methods.
This past weekend I took a trip up to CT for my first Half Ironman distance tri. It was too short of a trip – left Atlanta Friday evening; few back Sunday night. Good news is: I was first overall amateur, 16th male and 17th overall – I was ‘chicked’ by Merinda Cafrae (a chick). It was a fun 1.2 mile swim, a grueling 56 mile bike, and a tortuously hilly 13.1 mile run .
The tri was at Quassy Ammusment Park on lake Quassapaug. It was certainly a very pristine lake compared with what I am used to around here; meaning I could see more than a few feet deep. During the swim I tried to stay on the two leaders feet, but they were zig-zagging all over the place. I finally swam alone for what must have been a quarter mile. Then another swimmer took the lead, so I had a nice draft the last few hundred meters.
The bike was as hilly as any ride I’ve done. It was truly unrelenting. I think it was so hilly that the flattest part was a three mile climb. Then the run…. The run was as hilly as the bike but with two miles of gravel roads and a lot of well needed shade. There were aid stops about every mile, at which I usually drank Pepsi or water. The Pepsi really helps get sugar into my system quickly.
Anyways, enough war stories. It was a good weekend. I’m glad to be back home. I’ve worked today – mostly on statistics. I am really sore; so sore that I’ve had to make sure not to moan or groan in public while walking down steps or standing from a chair. Anyways, all is good.
Jay