Weekend update. 2 weeks out.

Was I suppose to be training this weekend?
Whats that I heard about a 4 week taper? Oh, thats for down hillers. Well shit.
I'm not having fun anymore.
Ok, time for a new hobby. I've heard making scented candles can be rewarding.
The little lady would be happier if I did that . It'd save me money too.
Do you know how much of our disposable income goes to that damn Yankee Candle Co.

So, you want to know what pathetic attempt I did for training with THE race 2 weeks out.
Friday I got myself invited to an early road ride Sat morning.
A guys in the shop picking up a new road bike (Steve). While Bennys taping the bars the guy starts talking to me. Turns out he's a friend of Pauls (Rosey liaison). He recognized me from some trailwork. He looked familar, but I can't keep track if I know people from trails, or if they're just regulars who come into the shop.
They're doing an early RR Saturday. Early as in ride at 6:30, an they're only doing about 50 miles. While 6:30 is early for me, and I was hoping for a century, its supposed to be hot as shit and humid again and I'm getting real bored biking by myself.
The shop had some sort of meeting with some real bikers types, I say this as I wasn't invited, so I was out of there at 8pm. Plenty of time to get home and get ready.
I got over Pauls house at 6:25. It wasn't easy getting up 5:30 on a Saturday morning.
Me, Steve and Paul ride a few miles and meet up with Randy from last weeks Shed ride, and another Randy ("fast"Randy, and "slow"Randy).
10 miles after we meet up, "Slow" Randy decides that the ride is too much for him and goes off to do his own thing.
Pretty uneventful ride around the So. Md. area.
Randy did shoot off the front a few times and I'd do my best to hold on.
On one flat we hit 30 mph and I wasn't evan drafting off of him.
We ended up with 57 miles. Not the long ride I was looking for but the intervals helped.

You know what happens when you start rides at 6:30am?
You get home by 11:00.
WTH do I do now?
Keeping the training in mind, I cut the grass.
Burn more calories,make the wife happy, and work on my tan.
Win-win all the way around.

Sunday.
After being hit with "severe" thunderstorms all night, I knew any trail riding was probably out.
I got up and walked outside to see how things felt. The storms were supposed to usher in a cool front. I walk outside and its as nasty as it was yesterday. Do I really want to ride road again in this shit? No not really.
Wasted 2 hours piddling around trying to figure out what to do.
I finally loaded the Niner and went to the bike shop.
Not riding? Might as well do some maintenance.
I converted the front wheel over to tubeless. I was expecting a huge PIA, and luckily I was wrong. I put the slime in, put air in it, and didn't have the 1st leak.
I also cleaned the drive train using the shops parts cleaner, wrapped the chainstay, and lubed things up. I've gotta wait for another valve stem to come in before I tackle the rear tire.

I got home and decided I had to do something.
Hit the road for a quick RR. The only goal was to ride about 2 hours while pushing the pace.
I ended with 40 miles and a 17+mph avg.
At 25 miles, I think I sort of bonked. Thats what happens when you ride with nothing to eat all day.
That last 10 miles I just kept thinking about the cold Coke and bag of pretzels I had waiting at home for me.

Not real thrilled with the way the weekend turned out. This should have been like the last big push till the race.
Looking at everybodys elses blog, I'm the only one to start the early taper.
Please let the new bike make up for my lack of conditioning!