There are 3 more weeks until the Strawberry Fields Triathlon, my first tri of the year. I am glad this event happens to fall on the same weekend as “Carmaggedon” (A.k.a. the shutdown of the section of the 405 freeway between the 10 and the 101 freeways so that they can remove the Mulholland bridge).
Training has been going all right, but I don’t know that I will feel ready until next weekend, after I do at least one ocean swim. It seems a little more daunting to hit my time target now, since the notable recent surge in summertime temperatures. This week I’ve swum dozens of laps, run at least 7.8 miles, biked 12 miles, and hiked 4 more miles. I should think about brushing up on my transitions and getting a proper nutrition pack together for the course. I should also secure some sort of temporary shelter between my place and Oxnard soon.
To my fellow Americans, have a wonderful fourth of July! I’ll leave you with a mini-review of a book I finished reading today.
Goodreads mini-review: Catching Fire
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I liked this one, but the very end left me saying “whaat?” with each twist of the plot after the major event occurred– with some time/space travel issues that required another level of disbelief suspension. Also, the main character seems to be written much older than her age of 17 at times, but I suppose teens grow up fast when thrown into the Hunger Games. I wish there were more ways for the reader to figure out what was really going on, rather than being forced to buy in to what’s going on as it was understood by the protagonist, only for her to change her mind and have the situation actually be another way entirely.
Again, blatant set up for the next book, but overall enjoyable.
A Mad Notepad 
July 4th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
Man, you’re brave to be doing a marathon…the swimming part freaks me out. I’m not a strong swimmer and I’ve heard of people swimming over you, haha. Good luck!
I need to read the Hunger Games, I’ve heard so much about that trilogy, and I’m intrigued.
July 4th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Thanks. The swimming leg of the tri is the most daunting for me too, but this will be my 3rd official ocean swim, not counting the dozen or practices in the ocean over the last year. I wear hard contacts under my goggles so I am totally ok with moving to the side to let the thrashers and splashers go ahead of me.
I also heard mentions of THG for awhile as well. Glad I chose this series to delve into this year over, say, Twilight. I’m halfway through part 3 now.