The CFF Cycle for Life is tomorrow. While my longest ride this year was 30 miles, I’m still hopeful I can ride the 65-mile route. I’m fairly certain I’ll ride the TT bike instead of my road bike. My longest ride on the TT bike was Race the River, and that was less than an hour. This will be a challenge, but I’m feeling pretty good and I feel prepared.

I’ve heeded my call for a two-week lay off. I rode last Sunday, and it was a hill climb, but I didn’t over-do it. I commuted by bike a few days this week, but I kept my heart rate low and let my legs have a break. Because they were tired from climbing Clodfelter, the commutes did my legs far more good than they did harm. I skipped Thursday morning’s swim and slept in. I didn’t sleep much last night — note to self: no iced tea with lunch unless it’s decaf — but overall I feel well-rested.

I’m still debating two options for tomorrow: road bike or TT bike, and ride to the venue or drive? It’s 6 1/2 miles to the venue, and the only elevation gain is the I-182 bridge over the Columbia River. I’d like to  be there by 6:30, so I’d need to leave around 6 a.m. I imagine I will plan on riding, get everything ready, but see how well I sleep and how this evening goes. I can always set the alarm for the later time and let my body decide.

Our little team has already raised almost $4000, but there’s a bit of smoke & mirrors involved. The event director said the national office thinks Team Nathan can break the $5000 mark, and she’s done her best to make that happen. She put her husband and a corporate donor on our team – that’s $1900 right there.

I keep telling people all those $5 & $10 donations add up, and they really have. I’m passionate about this work because so few people have CF that the pharmaceutical companies have little reason to invest in the research. The CFF has made amazing progress over the last half-century – from not knowing what caused it to creating a medication that makes CF patients’ bodies act like they don’t have CF. That breakthrough only works for 3% of the CF population, but it lead to a combined medication that treats 40% of the CF population – including Nathan. So, if you have an extra five bucks … http://fightcf.cff.org/site/TR/Cycle/132_Washington_Seattle?team_id=51059&pg=team&fr_id=5336

I’d like to get right back to work with half-marathon training. Although the HM I’m running on October 1st is flat, the trail run I’m doing September 25th isn’t: 1600′ of elevation gain & loss over a 10K. (It’s straight up, and then straight down. I figure it’s a good last workout for the HM.) But since I haven’t run for a few weeks, Sunday’s run will be flat (I may opt to run at Chamna).  It’s going to  be hot, too, so if I don’t do it early in the morning before church, I’m going to have to be careful. I want to test myself in the heat, but I must be patient. I’ve already lost three weeks of training off my 10-week plan. A seven mile run at 100°F is not “easing back in.”

This two weeks “off” has been good. I’m surprised I’ve stuck to it. Funny how someone who’ll shirk a workout because she’s tired has such a hard time NOT working out when she needs the break. But I’m glad I did it, because I feel much better. All of these little things are leading to my decision to – or not to – run the Badger Mountain Challenge 50K next spring. If I can’t work through these issues with a half-marathon, I won’t survive training for a 50 km trail run with 5000′ of gain & loss.

Yes, I hurt just typing those words. It’s going to be an awesome winter.