... my analyst told me...

... that i was right out of my head....

What is wrong with this picture:

• Yesterday, pm, rain chains frozen solid:
  
  
  
• Last night, sub-freezing temps
• This morning, snow still on the ground (and rain chains still frozen)
  
  
  
• Later this morning, unable to unlock the club OC2 to take it to the race because the padlock is frozen solid, we eventually buy a small BIC lighter to warm it up (and it works!)
• 2 hours later, rigging the boat, I can't get the front iako all the way into the hull because of something... what's in there? a chunk of ice we can't dislodge!
• And then I'm walking around puddles with ice in them, carrying the boat into the Sound, to paddle in a 6mi race, water rising up and over the tops of my booties....
  

Nuts? Uh, yeah! But we had a good race and it was fun. And it was cold. The ice was still on the puddles in the parking lot when we left, and there was snow along the roads and ice even on a couple of tiny, small bays we drove by (that's salt water ice!). Yeah, nuts.

The thing is, I got to race with DougM and I really like paddling with him. The boat feels solid when I'm with him, and we manage to surf well. It was worth it. We came in third, behind a surf ski and another OC2, passing a third OC2 in the last mile due to Doug's surfing skills and our conditioning. I wore gloves and 3 shirts, plus an undershirt, plus my life jacket, plus 2 hats and booties, and I did not get too warm. The wind was coming from the south, and the race went south for 3 miles before turning back north. Which means we pushed into the wind/waves for the first half, then had them with us going home.

We averaged 6.6mph, with our average for the 2nd 3 miles 7mph each mile. Not too shabby. And interestingly, my heart rate average was 170+ over the course of the race (w/ a 178 max). My usual workout heart rate averages 160+. Not sure if this means I'm not really working, or if I was pushing extra hard today.

I did this race last year, and hulied. It was nice to do it again and with company. And to finish ahead of the pack. We even got home by 3.30p, in time for me to be the jump for the girls while they were horses, in time for us all to have dinner together, in time for M and me to watch a movie (The Fighter - good movie).

Here's our track.

I'm going to bed now.