Challenge Accepted.   But wait… that wasn’t a challenge.  No, no one even told me to do it… but I HAD TO!  

I met a really nice cyclist at a happy hour in a bike shop put on by the team where I train now.  The guy was ALL worried about me being able to handle the heat of Eagleman.  Eagleman has historically been a hot, windy, scorchingly brutal course.  Flat… but really hot!  

Now, for some reason, this “concern” got me a little “riled up.”  I’m not one to turn away from a challenge, a dare, or an exciting activity opportunity… so, what did I do?  I thought back to March of 2011 (pre wreck) where a little idea I had in the back of my mind for a long time was just waiting for me.  You see, back in March of 2011 I was trying to take the sport more seriously so I could crush Ironman CDA.  I was being coached by a guy who didn’t “get” my extreme  “challenge seeking” nature quite yet.   I was a group coached athlete, but he did look at my workouts at least once a week.  I had been whining a bit in “training peaks” where we communicated on work outs.  I was complaining that I got all ready for a tough day in the rain and it would up being sunny.  I wanted to be all tough in poor weather conditions. You know what he said?  He said, something like, “You are tough?  Tough would be a couple hours on your trainer in the dark with no AC….  I am kidding.  Please don’t try that.  : )”
Well, that got me a bit, “riled up” too.   I haven’t forgotten his “idea”over one year later.  It seemed like a darn good idea to me, but since I didn’t want to get a scolding, I listened to him and didn’t attempt the feat.  I still have the e-mail where I decided this was going to be a piece of cake though.  My poor coaches, I am definitely a tough to reign in….
“Unfortunately, I realized there is a glitch in my training peaks system!  I think it would be wise to contact IT due to the technological difficulty. I am missing a “witty comeback” or “defend yourself when coach makes fun of you” field in the training section.  I only discovered this because someone hacked into my account on Sunday and pretended to be you!!
The hilarious hacker almost had me fooled too, but then I saw his idea of a ” tough” workout only consisted of 3 hours of indoor heat acclimation in the dark.   That is my grandmother’s typical warm up routine before her water aerobics class… So surely, that wasn’t YOU typing on Sunday!  Thanks for looking into this IT issue.”

So, this week I had an opportunity and a REASON to put this idea into action.  Eureka.  

1. Guy from bike shop gets me thinking about racing in the heat.  
+ plus
2. This little “challenge” from over a year ago still waiting in the back of my mind.  
= equals
3. Obviously, I had to drag my bike trainer up into the super hot attic after work.  Yes, the Attic, in Richmond at the close of a scorching hot southern day.  

DO NOT  TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS, its not for the faint of heart.  Ouch.  I had plenty of energy drink/fluids and ice on hand.  I only had 1.5 hours of bike training in the dark, hot attic after a long summer day in Richmond and I’m sure that “counts” as being tough….and nuts!  Challenge accepted and finally accomplished.  To be honest, this was really fun!  I wasn’t sure I’d make it the full 90 minutes but I suffered through and am stronger for it.  

Don’t try it though!  Seriously.  It is probably not “recommended.” When my poor mother reads this post, I just might get a scolding after all.