IM Memphis 70.3 Cancelled

It really came as no shock, but when I received the email the other day, informing me that IM Memphis 70.3 was postponed until 2021, it stung a little. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand and support the decision that was made. A well known hospital like St Jude would never sponsor anything that could possibly put people at risk, but still, I wanted to race.

I have to say I felt my training was right where it needed to be. The swim distance was already doable and already within the 47 minute range for 1.2 miles. I know with over a month I would have gotten that time down to under 45 minutes.

The bike was going well. I have had long rides of between 30-45 miles in my training plan and really felt good afterwards. The speed ranged around 15 mph, but that was due to much traffic on the Greenline around Shelby Farms and not knowing the path on the group rides. All other rides had been done on the trainer, so you know that 2 hours of spinning, means 2 hours of spinning, no coasting. So I felt really good about where I was on the bike.

The run. Now, this is the area that is not my strongest segment. It's something that I have never really been great at. I often used the excuse that I started running at 218 lbs, vs. the 187lbs I used to run at while doing Ironman and that is why I am slower. Truth is this, my knees hurt more because I am not 187 lbs! I have been losing some weight, thanks to all the exercise and watching what I eat, and I have been improving on my runs. My mileage was where I wanted it to be at this point as well. The course at Shelby Farms was going to be ruthless no matter what, but I still had time to get there.

So, overall, I am disappointed, but I understand. They have postponed this till 2021, and I will have just turned 50!  So in a way, it could actually turn into a milestone age race for me.

So what is next?  Am I retiring?  Am I racing?  We will have to see...

Either way, I want to say thanks to whoever reads this, I know blogging is archaic at best these days, but it is still a good way for me to get out what I want to get out.

MINDSET CHANGE

I have no idea who Hazel Hira Ozbek is, but as I was looking for a photo for this blog post, it struck me. It struck because I seem to always be waiting for something to start running again, or waiting for Monday to come around. It's always something, at least here recently. I am waiting for my knee to get better (that's probably legitimate), I am waiting for it to cool down, I am waiting for me to lose some weight first...excuse after excuse. And I have plenty more excuses!  I don't have the time to run like I did, I need the extra hour of sleep in the morning, I will start when school starts and the kids are up...

I do not know how many Mondays this summer I was supposed to start "my training". The latest one was supposed to be August 1, which was the golden date because it was the first day of the month and a Monday! But, it did not happen. Next Monday the kids start school, so everyone will be up and that should be a "good time" to start right? Mindset change.

All in all, I agree with Hazel, it should not matter what day I start, I just have to start. The doctor has cleared me with my knee (although, he said I should look at doing something else because it is a 44 year old knee) and I know it is going to be hot no matter when I start, unless I wait till late October. I realize it is going to be like starting over and I have to understand that it will not be like it was when I was training. My mindset can't be to get it all back in one day. Mindset Change

As of this morning, I weighed in at 205.7lbs. This is the most I have ever weighed in my life. Now I do think some of it is added muscle since I have been going to lift weights for the past two months while my knee was messed up, but still, 205?? This is another reason I need to get back to the pool and the roads. I know once I get into my groove, I should lose some weight. My first weight goal is to get under 200 lbs. My main number one goal is to get back in the 180s. Man, 25lbs sounds like a lot to lose doesn't it? I really don't feel like I eat a lot, I just eat the wrong things. Another mindset I have to change.

I think the draw to triathlon for me in the very beginning was the journey it would take to reach Ironman, it seemed so unobtainable to me. Will I ever get back to IM? I don't know, I would like to one day do a second IM, so maybe I am starting a journey to a second IM...

I started this post like 8 different times because I could not get this post to flow like I wanted it to until I found this quote. Thanks Hazel!

P.S. I Googled hazel and she is some kind of famous poet!

Here I Go Again...

I don't know where I'm goin'

But I sure know where I've been

Hanging on the promises in songs of yesterday

An' I've made up my mind,

I ain't wasting no more time

Here I go again, here I go again

Man, does this song say it all! I have it in my head to go forward with a 70.3 race in October. So my training plan will actually start Monday, and here is a news flash, I am actually looking forward to it. I am looking to go long again, but not 140.6 long, but a half is doable. So I went and designed my training plan and I will be putting on it the blog weekly to help me be more accountable.

I designed this schedule with the idea of a three week build with a one week recovery. I designed it to have 2 swims, three bikes and three runs. The reason I chose the 2-3-3 is because I think 2 swims a week will be plenty for me. I am pretty comfortable in the water and I think the opportunity cost of adding another swim would not benefit me in the long run, so 2 swims it is.

The bike during the week should be something that I can do on the trainer if needed, but I think I might be able to get out of the Greenline once in awhile. For me, the bike is all about being steady and consistent. I am not going to average 25 mph on the bike, but I want to ride steady for the 3:30 hours I expect it to take me.

The run is always my opportunity, and I think it will be even more of an obstacle with my knees. This is the main reason I am giving myself a rest day on Friday. It is basically like I am starting over with running. I am running a 5K tonight with the family that I will use as a baseline of where I am at. I am not expecting it to be fast at all, but we all start somewhere right?

So, I am excited once again. I know this will be a challenge for me and I know it is one that I know I can do! So, come on and follow along on this ride.

It's Time to Get it Back....

This picture was taken as me and my bride finished the Warrior Dash in Mississippi. It was 4 years ago. We had a really great time doing this race, but as I look at this picture, I think to myself...what happened to me?

I mean for one, look at that left quad muscle! My legs were so lean and cut back then, and four years ago I was 40 years old! So yeah, I was quite proud of that muscle.

And I want it back!

Not really sure how it happened, but I went from die hard triathlete, to a "well I still could if I wanted to" triathlete, to a dude that has trouble getting out the door.

(As I sit here sipping a Dr. Pepper and eating sour gummy worms, that should give me a clue right?)

It is so weird how you can want something in your mind so clear, but yet you have so much trouble getting out there physically. I am reluctant now to even say I did an Ironman because it seems so long ago, and I am not referring about time, but a long time ago from where I am now. I literally feel like I am almost starting over.

And that is why it will be so glorious when I finish my next 70.3 in October. I think I have finally gotten the bug again. I am not sure if it is the warmer weather, the fact I weighed in at 199lbs the other day or what, but I can honestly say that I want to start training again and getting back into shape like pictured above. I won't expect it overnight and it will take some time, but I am going to get back where I should be. I am also going to be updating this blog more often, I really think that helps, documenting it all and everything.

Why You Should Write Race Reports.

The other day I went back and looked for what was my first triathlon race. People are always asking me how long have I been racing and doing triathlons, and I usually just have to give an estimated guess, but now, I can tell you exactly when I first started this journey.

Feb 25, 2008, just over 8 years ago, I did my first indoor triathlon. It consisted of a 500 yd pool swim, an 8 mile stationary bike and a 2 mile treadmill run. The reason I know this is because I created a race report for this race. It was pretty interesting and a little bit comical going back and reading my report.

To bad we did not have spell check back then!

So my assessment of this first ever triathlon was that the water was a little choppy. A pool swim was choppy. See how I complained about the water being dirty??  LOL  I had no idea what I was in for as you can tell from the next race I did. My first Olympic and first open water swim!

I can vividly remember that race and thinking my race was over before it started. I also remember thinking "why am I doing this? This is nuts!" At that moment in the water, I thought my triathlon career was over!

And I can pretty much go back and review every race I have ever done. It is a feature on the website Beginnertriathlete.com. This website has really helped me in just about every phase of my triathlon journey, from training questions to racing, so if you are looking for a good site on triathlons, you should check it out.

Other comments in other races speak of how proud I was that I did not float on my back for any of the swim. It was also cool to see the comments people left that read my report. All in all it is a good look back at this journey I have been on for 8 years.

I have race reports form setting PR's and feeling great and I have reports from my 1st ever DNF at Ironman Branson 70.3 (which still stings). I remember everything about that race, and the frustration I had in not finishing, but then I also got to read about the joy I had from coming back and getting my redemption on that course!

A race report can help you remember little things about a course you might not find on a race website, and it will also not only help you, but it can help another fellow racer competing in that race for the first time. So I would urge you to blog, journal or whatever about your races. You see, sometimes a blog is not really about writing stuff that everyone will like, it is often about talking to myself. Cause if you learn nothing else from me, remember this:

Like an Old Rusty Lever...

Don't worry, I am not going to do a week by week of my training, but I had to blog about my first week back into the triathlon world. It was not epic! The running was hard, the swimming felt like it was fairly new and the biking reminded me that I have not sat on a bike seat in awhile.

I guess the best way to describe this week would be like this: imagine you have an old lever that is supposed to shift back and forth with ease. Now imagine that lever all weathered and rusted. It takes a lot of effort to get hat lever to move like it did when it was a newer younger lever. So you really have to work to get that lever to move. And you do not want to give up on that lever because you know about the goodness that will flow after you release that lever. So you slowly inch that lever forward, and then backwards, until it loosens ever so slightly.  Sometimes it takes multiple sessions to get that lever loose!

Well my body is that lever if you did not catch my attempt at symbolism. Day 1 was tough and felt like I had not run since October, probably because I had not run since October. My first bike was only 7 miles, but this was 2013 post Ironman JFORD thinking "it's only 7 miles", not JFORD who hasn't been on his bike since June. My first swim was probably the easiest of the 3 disciplines, but it was nowhere close to what I remember swimming, speed wise. So it was a wake up call. I always tend to think like "2013 post Ironman JFORD" and now realize I have work to do.

One new thing to share is that I bought my 1st pair of Hoka One One and they arrived the other day. I admit they look weird, but they seem so comfortable and I can't wait to get them out on a run. I am hoping the Hoka's will help like WD-40 does on old rusty levers.

I Knew This Would Happen...

Saturday afternoon, the Ironman World Championship aired on NBC. I did not watch it live, but I did record it. And I knew exactly what would happen once I watched on Sunday afternoon. I knew I would be thinking about Ironman again.

So I ask myself, Am I that easily swayed? Can a simple TV show fire me up that much?

Simple answer: YES!

I always love watching this presentation and I love the way the narrator builds each athlete up talking about how each athlete has their own personal reason for doing this race. I like that. And its true. I love watching the beginning of the swim and I remember how I felt wading in the water waiting for the gun to fire. I love seeing the riders flying down the road (much like I was not doing), but I felt like it, and I envisioned my run looking exactly like the pros ran. Effortlessly. It's funny the way we can look back at one of the most painful days of our lives and still smile and sigh.

So yeah, this show got me thinking about getting back. I only raced one triathlon in 2015.I did some run races and Ragnar, but only one sprint triathlon. So that will change in 2016.

While I am not sure about committing to a full 140.6, I do have my eye set on a 70.3 down in Bama! I have been wanting to do this race for a couple of years and I am thinking a 70.3 is perfect. (It's funny how 70.3 miles does not seem that far anymore)

I have been hitting the gym, swimming and running short distances already, and I am starting to feel really good. My wrists are not as big an issue anymore and I have some other physical issues that I feel I am turning the corner on, so it is a definitely possibility.

 

 

P.S I am doing No shave November right now, so there will be pictures to come!

Training Plans

I think  that a good training plan is one of the most important things to hammer out before you start training for a triathlon. Years ago, I would have just gone out and S/B/R whatever I wanted and just made sure I could do the distances. Now I rely on a good training plan to start off my training on point.

I normally will search the web prior to pick out a training plan. I have tried dozens of search terms to try and find a great plan for me, but I have not ever found it yet. I always end up going to beginner triathlete and using a plan from them. A lot of plans on the web are expensive. They require more time than I have (after all, this is a hobby, not my life) and it is not quite what I want.

For example, I do not want weight room training in my workout schedule. Now I am in no way discounting the benefits it may or may not have, I am simply saying that I do not want to go to the weight room. With all the swimming, biking  and running we do, I am not sure I could find time to lift things up and put them down. My core workouts even slack off once I am into a plan. So there is no way I am going to the weight room.

I also want to find the right length of training. In 2013, when I became an Ironman, (suttle enough?) I trained for months. I started training in March for a September race. 7 month long training plan!  By the time race day got there, I was so ready for it to be over! I think that is one reason that it took me so long to recover mentally from that race. So now I will be sure to not train to long for a race.

SO, here is what I use. I use the Beginner Triathlete's custom made plans. I input all the information like, date of race, when I want training to start and even the pace I think I can do throughout the race. I then select how I want to focus my training. Do I want to focus on swimming, biking or running?

This time for Redman, I am swimming 2 times a week, biking 3 times a week and running 3 times a week for a total of 8 workouts:

Monday- medium swim
Tuesday- medium run, medium bike
Wednesday- short bike
Thursday- long swim
Friday- short run
Saturday- long bike
Sunday- long run

I know there is no rest day, but if you read this blog, then you know I am not opposed to taking a rest day when needed. This schedule gives me some flexibility to live my life and do the things I need to do all while training to be a two time Ironman and to beat Brad. It also means that I do not have to get up early every single morning so I can sneak in my lunch swims if possible. The beauty of this IM plan is that I will not start it until mid May, which I think will help me a lot more than last time.

90 Day Challenge- Join me???

Welcome 2015 and welcome all the "new" me's and better eating habits we will all have this year. As with every January, I have been hit with several challenges to start off 2015 the right way. I really looked into these challenges and I have finally focused on a couple (meaning 3) that I am going to participate in and I have one I want to share with you!!! But here are the two challenges I have accepted for the next 90 days, beginning Jan 5, 2015.

1.  The church I attend has issued a challenge to read one chapter of the Gospels everyday for 90 days. This doesn't sound all that difficult does it? Many years I have always tried to read the Bible through in a year and I have failed. I struggle with finding a quiet time, but I can always find time to train!  That seems messed up right?
2. Drink water with all my meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will all have a big O glass of agua to wash it down. (Okay, I count coffee as my water for breakfast). I always agree with people when they say I should drink more water, but somehow I am tricking myself into drinking by saying I am going to have it at meal time, and not totally giving everything else up.
3. 90 Day Plank Challenge or 90 Core Challenge- This is most likely more up your alley as readers. I am going to really work on my planking for the next 90 days to build up my core strength, because I know a strong core will benefit my swimming, my biking and my running, plus it will make me look good! I have thought about doing Day 1 picture and then day 90 pictures, but I make no promises.

Here is how my planking challenge is going to work:

• On Sunday, will do a max out on plank time. Each Sunday, every Sunday.
• Monday through Saturday I will plank 5 times, letting me have one day to rest.
• I will take my max plank time and divide it in half, and then do 3 sets of planks for that time.
• Example: Last night I planked for 2:30. So my weekday workouts, which I will do on MTWTHF will consist of three (3) 1:15 planks, as my max time increases, then my weekly time will also increase!

Sounds simple huh? Will it work? I have no idea. All I know was that when I was serious about my core, I was doing 5 minute planks. I want to go longer. I honestly think I can get to a 10 minute plank. It might take longer than 90 days, but you never know. If I do hit 10 minutes, I will video it and out it on my blog! Who is with me???

We are ALL getting along...Swim Bike Run Plank

Me and running are back together. Running, biking and me are all getting along pretty well. Swimming is not really like running and/or biking very much, but it is puytting up with us.

Strength training and me are tight. Real tight, like starting to see some payoff type of tight.

Me and planks are besties! I just set a new PR on my plank! 3:12 My goal is a 5 minutes plank and I WILL reach that goal. I am also goignt o say that planks are getting along with biking and running and swimming loves planks, because I can really feel a stronger core in the water!

Me and my blog have not really been talking so much lately as you can probably tell due to the lack of posting, but I am starting to feel the triathlon buzz once again. I think daylight savings time has jump started me a little. So things are good here in Daily Trainings land. Other highlights include:

The running group that I lead at church has started again and we have 41 new runners signed up to make their journey to a 5K! They inspire me!

Two of my friends just completed their first marathon! Congrats to Jay and Matt

All my Final Four picks are still alive (as of March 24)

And the family is about to head out to Colorado to go skiing! Can't wait!

So things are good, and I hope all is well with you. Thanks for reading.

P.S. My trainer, Leigh, has begun her journey to her first Ironman and she has started a blog. Please go to her blog at MILE BY Mile and drop her an encouraging line!

No Excuses Here.

I am really getting sick of blogging about lack of motivation and piling the excuses on, so hopefully this post will be different. I have decided to give myself a grade over the first 2 months of 2014. It is not going to be pretty either. I am going to break it down into 5 areas. 1. Strength 2. Rest 3. Swimming 4. Biking 5. Diet  and 6. Running. So here we go...

1. Strength- A

• Normally I do not do strength workouts except for maybe some crunches, but this year I signed up to workout with a trainer, and I have been for the last 5 weeks. The workouts have been tough and more focused on balance, core and triathlon related exercises, so I have loved it. I have loved it so much that I am looking at doing an additional 7 weeks! The only downside that I can see is that I am not dropping weight like I hoped. I think I am adding muscle tough and my grades on the other categories will have something to do with the weight.

2. Rest- A

• Nailing it! I think I have been in bed before 10 more this year than ever before. I have enjoyed the Saturdays where I do not have to get up at 6 to ride or run. It has been great!

3. Swimming- B

• It really has not taken me long to get back into the swing of things. 2,000 yards is pretty easy right now and my pace is about where I want it. I know I could focus on my swim and drop my pace down even more, but I am solid, and can come out of the water not winded.

4.Biking- B

• Today was the first day I got my bike out on the road and I loved it, all other times have been on the trainer/drainer. My longest ride has only been 18 miles, but again, I have felt good afterwards. I finally removed all the Redman stickers off my bike today, which was kind of sad in a weird kind of way. It felt great hitting 26 mph on the road though, for real!

5. Diet- C

• Shocker huh? I went on a 3 week kick without Cokes awhile back, but other than that, I have not really focused on my diet. I think I eat smart, but I know I can eat better. Really not a whole lot to say, other than I just haven't been hitting it coach.

6. Running-F

• My relationship with running is so bad right now that I do not even want to type about it! The treadmill sucks. The weather sucks. I am not sure what I need, but it just does not interest me at all. Two of my good friends are running their first marathon this month, and while I love to talk shop with them about it, I can't get the excitement to transfer over to me. So I am looking for answers, or suggestions. I am thinking of ditching my training plan (that I haven't really been following) and making this next week a run focus week. The next race (which I have yet to sign up for) is an Olympic, so it is only a 6 mile run, so I have plenty of time to prepare for it right?

Taper Time, It's Taper Time!

Crap, it's taper time. I hate the taper, although I know it is a much needed time. I spent this labor day weekend finishing my long workouts. Friday was a 4000 yard swim, Sat was my first century ride and Monday morning was suppose to be a 12-15 mile run, which turned out to only be 11 miles (but, I am OK with that).

I feel like I have had some strong workouts in July/Aug. I have been peaking in other words. Here are my July/Aug numbers:

July
Swim-  20,400 yards
Bike-  283.84 miles
Run- 54.88 miles

August
Swim- 19,100 yards
Bike- 359.59 miles
Run- 60.91 miles

My biggest month's by far. So Am I ready?

 

 

I mean, I believe I am. My only goal is to finish. I feel good about the swim. I feel good about the bike and eating on the bike, and I feel OK about the run/walk. I have a plan in place that I want to execute to get me to the finish line. So in other words, I think I am prepared. I am prepared for:

1. It's going to be a long day.
2. I am prepared for what I want in my specials needs bag on both the bike and the run.
3. I am prepared for it to be painful.
4. I am prepared for me to want to stop at some point.
5. I am prepared for all the awesome ideas I know I will have out on the course.
6. I am prepared to know I have no set time goals on any segment.
7. I am prepared to get an IV at the finish line!
8. I am prepared to represent my God, my  family, the G.I. Jess Warriors team & my friends well.
9. I am prepared for the satisfaction of completing the race.
10. I am prepared to find out I am not as prepared as I think.

I am excited. The hard work is done. It's time t not go crazy for the next few weeks. It's time.

I can't wait!

I Had the Dreaded Ironman DQ Dream....

First off, I had a great weekend of training and a huge boost for my confidence. I finished a 3 hour ride on Saturday and felt great afterwards. Sunday was a 9.2 mile run which felt amazing. I had the right mindset going into it and I had the right fuel for it. I was really feeling good about everything and went to watch NASCAR on Sunday afternoon (which is code for taking a nap). And that is when I had the dream.

I have heard many people talk about the dreams they have leading up to Ironman. Many are dreams about forgetting their bike or some other valuable piece of equipment they need, some dream about waking up late for the race, but my dream was about me getting disqualified! So here it is:

It occurred on the bike. I remember I was riding up to a hill that was lined with blue carpet which led up another hill to the transition area. As I was coming up to it, I asked the volunteer that was sitting there if I was in the right area. She did not move but said yes, you are in the right spot, so I hopped off my bike and gave it to another volunteer that was going to rack my bike. The volunteer ran my bike up the hill as I went around the corner to change clothes for the run. As I got the to changing area, they immediately said I was the first one there! I knew this could not be right, so I looked at my GPS watch and saw I was still 30 miles short of 112. So I turn back around and run back to the volunteer and head back up the blue carpeted hill and see my bike on the rack. It is the only bike in T2 and there were 4 officials standing around my bike.

I ran over and told them I was totally off course and I still had some of the ride to go and they wouldn't let me take my bike. They told me that since I went so off course and missed the turn at the blue carpet and since I had racked my bike, they had no choice but to DQ me!

I tried to argue my case, but they were not budgeting. I thought if I could get that volunteer who told me I was going the right way to admit that, then they would know it was an honest mistake and I could get back on the course. As I trotted back to the volunteer, I got a good look at her and saw that it was my Nanny!

Then I woke up...


Weird.

It Doesn't Always Fit...

I always worry about missing a workout, I guess I am a little anal about it, but I figure that if it is in a plan, then I need to get it in. That is the way I approached all my races in the past. Maybe I am getting more seasoned, and more willing to focus on what I need to focus on.

For example, Now, I am ok with moving my days around. I used to think if Monday was a swim day, then I WAS swimming on Monday. No questions asked, and if I could not swim on that day, then I just skipped it. Life Happens right?

This time I know I am going to miss some scheduled workouts due to vacation and work, but I think it will do me the most harm to miss bike workouts. To me, the bike is going to be a major factor in how my race will go. I need those miles, I need the bike fitness to have any shot of having a decent run. And, let's be honest, I am shooting for 10-11 minute pace on my run, so I want to have the legs.I would prefer to run most of the run.

So gone are the days when I worry about missing a workout. I have already switched up this week, but going forward, I do not want to miss any bike workouts. At least that's my plan!

On the Road Again...

This weekend was my last long workout before the Memphis in May Olympic triathlon  and if I am being honest, I was a little worried about my bike speeds. As you know, I have been doing a lot of work on the trainer this year for various reasons, so I was concerned about getting on the open road. I had reached out to several of my friends to ask their opinions on bike speed on the trainer vs. on the road, and most thought that if the trainer was used correctly, with the right amount of tension, then I could really see some gains on the bike. However, if I was simply using the trainer to spin my wheels and watch TV, then I might not make the gains I wanted. So yeah, I was curious and nervous.

So Sunday my workout called for a ride. I decided to break it up and get a brick session done. So my plan was to ride 10 miles on the trainer hard, then hop off, complete a transition and run a mile. then I would come back and ride another 5 miles hard, hop off and run a 1/2 mile, then I would take my bike off the trainer and hit the road.

And it was awesome!  A definite do again workout!

My run off the bike was great, I kept a 9:05 pace really easy, and I was faster on the second run ( I know it was shorter, but I felt great)

Once I got my bike on the road, I felt like I was flying. I was in the low 20's pretty fast and didn't seem to take a lot of effort to maintain it. This was a huge confidence boost for me. The trainer rides have average out to be around 16 mph. My ride (although only 20 minutes) average 18.9 according to my Timex, and that is with fairly busy streets. Thankfully MIM is a really flat course. We normally have a headwind going and a tailwind coming back, so I feel pretty good about where I am at today!

I Found It! It was right Outside!

I had been in a funk of sorts over the last week. I had a lot going on with work, I had some traveling to do and I was nursing a sore hamstring, so that gave me permission to slack. I had tweaked my hamstring at the last trail run 10K on a Sunday and I self diagnosed that I should rest it for awhile. So I did nothing (except for my crunches) for a couple of days and then the day I went out of town, I did a measly slow 3 miles. The hamstring felt fine by then.

I got back Thursday night and life was still hectic with family obligations and basketball games and play practice and tennis tournaments, it was just one of those days where everything is happening at once. So it took some planning to pull it all off. It also made for a long day. My head told me to ride my bike when I got home, but my body screamed "BEDTIME". My bed won.

Friday is a scheduled rest day every week, so I continued with that and didn't do anything. The kiddos were gone to a Disciple Now weekend at church and Granny was keeping the little guy, so me and my bride took off and grabbed a room at the Memphis Hilton. We slept in till 10:00 the next morning!  HEAVEN!!!!

So anyways, I knew I had to get back on schedule, back to my training plan. My plan called for a 6 mile run that day. I really had no desire to go, but I literally forced my self to go (after I finished watching the Daytona Nationwide series!  Did you see that crash at the end of the race? Crazy!) It probably took me 30 minutes to get ready, cause I was in no hurry. When I say I had no desire to go, I can not emphasize how much I did not want to run that day! 6 miles sounded like a lot to me that day, so I decided to break it up, thinking that would make it easier. We are lucky enough to live near a walking trail that is not used by many. I literally can run 3.2 miles on it without having to hit the road for more than 1/4 mile. It's great! I decided that I would run this twice, rather than trying to run all around the neighborhood trying to hit 6 miles. The main point of this was to trick my brain.

This actually worked for me. The first loop went by fairly quickly, and as I made the turn for the 2nd loop, I started thinking to myself that now is the time to start getting serious. If I want that sub 2:40 Olympic triathlon time, I have to start hitting it. I have to start being more intentional about my workouts. This actually turned out to be a better run than I would have imagined it would have been before I left. And it carried over to Sunday with my bike. I had a good, strong ride while watching the Daytona 500.

I think the spark to my motivation was just getting outside on a beautiful Memphis day and running. I really had zero expectation besides just finishing the run and getting the miles in. Also I understood, that there are going to be days where a run is simply that, just a run. It is not going to be fast, it is not going to be made up of a workout, it is going to to be hard to get motivated to get out there, and I guarantee there will be a race sometime this year where I want to give up and walk it in.That is where this run will come in handy, that run is what will get me to the finish line. It did not take me long to be glad I was out there running.