It is a Giant, but not really that roomy

Happy Birthday to Me

Happy Birthday to Me

Happy Birthday dear Tri-guy

Happy Birthday to ME!

This is what I imagine 40 candles looks like:

For fear of raising the temperature any higher than the predicted +35C today, I opted for one candle.

What better way to reward yourself on your birthday than to begin with a killin' hill workout. Regardless of the minute significance of this day, it is my last session before the "mini-taper" into the Osoyoos half-iron.

On thing all us prairie folk can all agree on is that we are not lacking in wind, but we are lacking in hills and I am going to have to climb a few under race conditions this weekend. So it seemed like the best plan to hop on the bike early in the morning and get it out of the way.

I really like this route. I wind my way upwards for about an hour on the Green mountain road to the Apex Valley guest Ranch. Along the way as I climb and climb and climb, I always seem to pass some interesting things. Check out this old truck.

Sitting in someone's yard.. all of its potential drained from its interior and left as a lawn ornament for tired cyclists to stop and stare.

Or even better, this beauty....

I found her abandoned by the road cradling her baby.. I thought I would stop and do my good deed for the day, as , if you look closely, she has really done some serious damage to her Left arm. I am pretty sure it's broken..... but alas she was completely unreceptive to my offers of assistance..... maybe she knew there was no way I could fit her and her newborn on the back of my bike.... it is a Giant... but not really that roomy.... not like the old days where you could get one of your buddies on the handlebars and one on the rear lugs.

So after the guest ranch there is a section of descent that lasts for about 20 minutes or roughly 13kms..... yep it is wickedly fast. The sun had not quite come high enough over the mountains, so the valleys were quite frigid. I had been sweating like crazy during the ascent and now I was literally shivering as my bike and I plunged through the dark humidity that was ever so prevalent in these deep valleys full of infinite twists and turns.

But, before you knew it, the road spit you out and with a bone jarring rattle of the cattle guard you join up with hwy 97 and the beginning of the ascent to Yellow lake. Many people refer to this part as the hardest section of Ironman as it comes at about the 140K mark and your legs are really starting to get tired. There is a beautiful shoulder to ride on as this section has just been paved, so it is really not as bad as they make it out to be.... whoever "they" are.

At the top of this climb is of course Yellow Lake. If you haven't has the chance to see it for your self, here is a shot I took this morning at about 9:00 a.m. of this Dad and his son sharing a moment fishing.

From there... by that I mean once you hit the end of the lake, you are basically home free. A couple of wickedly fast descents... (I hit 70KMPH today in a headwind on one of them) and you are staring at Penticton off in the hazy distance below you.

All in all my ODO gave me 74K for the morning..... not a bad hill work out at all.

When I got back to my parents place the house was decorated and my son handed me this book.

I think the title says it all.... no?

We had a wonderful party with balloons and cupcakes - one candle. Then it was off to the beach for some well deserved R and R and a swim in the lake is a great way to ice down the legs.

I think I needed some more suntan lotion... I don't look greasy enough.