Timberman!

is less than a few days away. Today is my last off day before the race, so I'm taking it very easy in hopes my muscles will be able to recuperate.

Last Sunday I went and rode the course. It was an interesting experience. First off, according to the hourly forecast in Gilford, there was a 0% chance it would rain before 2 o clock. Yet somehow I found myself caught in the middle of a torrential downpour come noontime. The rain was pelting me so hard that it hurt, and I could see literally nothing, so I had to stop and pull off the road until it let up. I was standing in the woods next to two bikers (the leather-clad kind) who were just as unhappy as I was as their harleys got drenched. But 20 minutes later, after I probably started to develop hypothermia, the rain let up a bit so I was able to complete the last 1/2 mile of the ride, very slowly since my sunglasses were so fogged up I couldn't see anything. Once I got back to the car it started pouring again. So much for testing the run course. My mom had come along to spend some time on the beach, and the whole experience was pretty miserable for her too. Bottom line - never trust the weather forecasters. They're idiots.

Yesterday was a strange day. I came home from working at my dad's office and felt absolutely dead - I was hot, tired, and just out of it. I motivated myself to go for a swim because I knew it was the last day of exercise. I ate a powerbar, drove to the pond, and have never felt better in my swim. I only took one break in my 2/3 mile, because my ear was bothering me. My stroke was controlled and my form was good, but I just wasn't getting tired. I just kept going and going. I could have swam much longer, but had to get home to dinner. Exiting the water one of the fisherman comically said "It is Michael Phelps! I thought you were in China!"

In other news, only a couple weeks are left until I return to UNH for fall semester of my senior year. I'm living with two of my best friends from school (one of them being my roommate from freshman year), as well as one other guy. We get to move in early because one of the flatmates is living at UNH this summer and will be allowed in the apartment early. My sweet UNH table that I worked on for a good while last summer is still holding up and will be making an appearance in our apartment this year as well.



Speaking of projects, my fixed gear conversion project is going well. The frame is stripped of paint, and now I need to bring it into S&W sports in town to get the damned bottom bracket and crank off. I lack to tools to do it myself. Once that happens, I can get to painting and rebuilding. Very exciting, hopefully I can have it done by the beginning of school.