Mom, I have blood on my face OR 9 consecutive days of 110-degree weather and counting

Post #:3
Weeks of training complete: 10 weeks
Time until Ironman: 21 weeks, 6 days
Miles swam: 34.1
Miles biked: 434.45
Miles run: 133.76

Goal: $5,000
Total money raised: $270

First off, I know some of you have asked about how to make donations. My live on-line donation center is not set up yet, so for those who plan to donate by credit card, hang tight. I'm waiting for Janus to finalize my ability to take plastic on behalf of the charity. For those planning to donate by cash or check, please contact me at ed@ecollegetimes.com, and I can give you all the details. Also, another donation came in today. Thanks for the latest contribution from one of my best friends and his wife. I'm not sure they seek public recognition, so I'll respect their privacy.

First, to explain the picture. Today, I come home and sit down on the computer to check a few things. From the master bath, I hear water running - and running and running. Finally, I say, "Beck ... whatcha' doin'?" To which he replies with silence. So I go in there and find him slicking his hair back with water, his face covered in lipstick. Stifling a laugh, I say, "Go show your mom what you did."

From the kitchen I hear: "Mom, look, I got blood on my face ..."

Thus, an interesting lesson, I suppose: One should never jump to conclusions about what exactly their kids think it is they are doing ...

In other news, it has been hot - really hot - here. Today was the ninth consecutive day with temperatures over 110 degrees. On an average year, the Phoenix metro has 10 such days total. Tomorrow will be # 10.

Living in this heat has its impacts, not so much on work days, when you sit in air conditioning, but certainly on the weekends. After 10 or 11 a.m., it's difficult to do much of anything. Even the inside of your house, with the air conditioning blasting seems warms. You have to keep it at 80 or so to avoid astronomical electric bills - and it many parts of the house, it's hotter than that.

And, yet, this really is good training weather. High temperature training challenges the body much the way high altitude training challenges the body. And lucky for me, I get to do both.

Two of the last three weekends, I've been at 6,000-7,000 feet - swimming, running and biking. Doing lots of intense hills at that elevation, too. In fact, on Sunday, I did a pretty solid jog straight up a 1,000 foot mountain face in Mogollon Rim country. Talk about a nice way to start the day.

To avoid the heat, though, mostly I just train early. Tomorrow, I'll probably get up at 4 a.m. to run (projected temperature: 81) and then hit the pool at about 5:30 a.m. (projected temperature: 79). The early start also helps me help Heidi get the kids ready.

An early morning awaits - 1.7 mile swim, 6.5 or so mile run tomorrow. Talk to y'all soon.

- Ed