So close!!! It's almost time!

So thanks to the Strauss', I'm so FREAKIN' close =)
and very excited. $255 from my minimum of $4200 and $1055 from my goal of $5000!!

So yesterday was the official end of training - b/c in 12 days we'll be in Tucson!

Yesterday was a really tough day - it was slated for 93 miles.
The temperatures were slated from 45 to 65 degrees with winds keeping the temp in the 40's with a very low relative humidity.
For those of you with chronic asthma issues, you know...
ok, so cold air is not so great on the lungs.
Dry air also not a good.
the two coupled can cause some issues.

I got up yesterday know full well and I took my time and took great care, but with the wind cooling things of tremendously, exerting myself as I was, I felt like is was breathing ice fire. it was cold and made my chest tight, it was dry and burned with each inhale.
So, wafter 30 miles I had to stop and upon looking at my queue sheet (our directions for the ride) I saw that I had 8.3 miles of River Road in Maryland to ride before reaching our next Pit stop. River Road is rolling hills, in the car it's like a roller coaster. I knew I could do the miles, but trying to breathe and feed my body with O2 was going to hurt me. I was already feeling that burn in my chest and my ribs were tight. I was with 3 of my teammates and we called a support vehicle to pick me up. While waiting Binni suggested to take a break and skip the next 25 miles of serious hills and see if at White's Ferry, I'd be ok to get back on the bike. DINGDING - we have a winner - that was the bext suggestion and I though long an hard on that. Anne, our trusty support goddess and fellow cyclist picked me up and we followed along the route and stopped at the pits and cheered folks on.
When we reached White's Ferry - yes, a really ferry - I gave it one last hard thought. once crossing the ferry it would be 5 miles to the lovely trail that would take me straight home and I know the trail well enough that if I got into trouble, i'd be ok.
SO I mounted up, got on the ferry, which was a little anticlimatic but fun and started along.
About 4 miles in, the burn was back, so I slowed down significantly, took the hills very easy and gve myself mini goals "ok, just get to the turn on to Rt 15" "ok, just get over the bridge at Rt 7" "Just alittle bit more to the trail"
AND YES mother I was riding with people. the folks I was with are super fast but they were keeping an eye out for me - What a team!
Once I got to the turn on to the trail Rob (the dynamic duo Karen & Rob) stayed with me b/c it was getting harder and harder. So again, really easy on the up hills and on the down, I took advantage of gravity.
Once I reach Partlow's in Ashburn, I sat down and I was spent - i think 50% of my energy was spent trying to deal with this cold crappy air, So i did the smart thing and called it a day, but I stuck around and helped my fellow teammates and saw an old friend on the trail (Hi NICK!).

Turns out the cold took some other folks out but we knew, it's no biggie, we needed to be fresh and rocking for Tucson!

All in all , it was 47 miles of 93 - half =)
but with the asthma and temperatures Bridgett agreed I should get bonus miles and I can say I did 75 =)