T-32 weeks: "Always drink properly!"

Dear Papa, and dear Reader,

This week was the actual first recovery off-season relaxation chill week of the year! Two runs, one ride, one walk, and zero swimming. Except for the first week in the hospital with you after your accident, this was by far my laziest week all year, and the first one without any bad conscience about that. Also, I got a bit sick, which I guess was good timing to get my annual fall cold off the checklist without having to train through it.

First of all, as always, the triathlon-related highlights: I went on an absolutely wonderful gravel ride with some friends from the German Executive Roundtable here in Washington D.C. - easy pace, little climbing, stopping every once in a while to let slower riders catch up, and all of that in the most beautiful gravel environment of Loudoun County, VA, the country's gravel mecca. We did a little more than 20 miles in about 1.5 hours, in beautiful late-summer-early-fall temperatures, and it was just a delight.

Gravel is just such a fun way to ride. No cars around you, exploring routes you couldn't get to on a road bike, a good workout even at slower speeds, and somehow you feel so much closer to nature. But who am I telling this - you are the one who crossed the Alps on a mountain bike every year with your friends! Even though most of your cycling workouts were on a road bike in and around Hamburg, I know you loved being out on the gravel and in the mountains on two wheels much more. And all the multi-day bike-packing trips you did over the years, down rivers, cross-country. Jim and I are looking for a few days back to back where we can attempt to ride from Pittsburgh to DC, all on a continuous trail, which would be around 350 miles in about 4 days. I'm not sure we'll be able to do it this year, but that's an adventure I can't wait to do. Another thing that will remind me of what you loved doing!

The second little highlight was a successful first trial of my new hydration backpack for running. You were always bad at drinking enough liquids as well, so I'm sure you will understand: So far, I've been trying hard to avoid taking liquids with me on my runs - even on long runs of up to two hours! I just hate carrying them! Sometimes during the summer, when it was hot outside, I would leave a bottle at the car and run two loops so I could stop at the car halfway through to drink something, but more often than not, I would just toughen it out without it. Since I don't really get thirsty very fast, I was fine. Now, in preparation for the full Ironman, I don't think I want to chance it anymore, as the runs will be getting longer and longer. So this week, I did a 10 mile run (16km) with my new 2 liter hydration backpack - and it went super well! I wasn't bothered by it at all, it fits snugly and well, and I'm committing to running with it now for anything longer than an hour. I'm sure you would approve. Like me, you always needed to make sure you got enough liquids. "Immer ordentlich trinken," you used to remind me, "always drink properly!"

One more exciting thing to tell you: I ordered a race shirt for next year! It should be arriving in the coming weeks, and I can't wait to try it on and see if it will work. What do you think? Do you like it? I want to somehow carry you with me during that race, I want you to cross the finish line with me, right on my heart, and this race jersey will allow me to do that. I hope it fits, and I hope the quality will be good enough for it to be my outfit of choice. It would be perfect.

I had a dream of you last week, Papa. I was at a race, but it was a short distance sprint on a track, and you were there, up in the stands. I couldn't quite see you, but I somehow knew you were there, watching. I tried to call out to you and get your attention, but every time I tried to shout, my voice dried up, and I couldn't get any words out. You just sat out there, smiling at me knowingly. A lot of other things happened, as they do in dreams, but this part of it stuck in my memory somehow. I wish I could still call out to you, and maybe I can. Maybe you're somehow reading this as I type. It's hard to think of you so often and never be able to just call and hear your voice. I used to try to call you every Sunday. Now, I have to stick to writing these letters.

Papa, I hope you're having a blast up there. Sometimes, we, meaning Mom and the boys, joke about what you might be doing. If they have already tried to convince you to play the harp up there, sitting on a cloud. I'm cracking up just thinking about it. Or if you've already traded in your halo against some sturdy climbing gear and are free-climbing Mount Olympus as we speak. Either way, I hope you feel and know that our hearts and thoughts are always with you!

I love you so much! Send some more good weather days our way in the coming weeks. I can't wait to to more rides in this gorgeous weather!

Kathrin

P.S. Dear Reader, if you have comments, questions, memories, or thoughts to share, please leave a comment (and leave your name in the comment so I know who it's from). I would love to hear from you!

Go to the full list of blog posts or read more about the project Ironman for Papa