41 days to go and I have collected $5052

"If you are always allowed to stop training whenever you feel discomfort, you will find it too easy to give yourself permission to quit."
- Attributed to Jet Li

I bit the bullet and pushed myself to a 12-13 miler on Monday. Just had to see that it was possible. Trying to exorcise the running demon from my mind. That last leg of the triathlon still seems the most challenging. It was a long slog and I felt the strain through the second half of the run but I completed it. That was a big step.

The following day, I was determined to get back out to prevent my muscles from tightening with the mild injury I undoubtedly induced the day before. The weather was absolutely miserable but I got out on my bike for about a half hour. I was riding well but returned home soaked to the bone. My left quad is still feeling the effects of Monday’s run, but with regular massage is healing nicely.

Wednesday and Thursday were off days for me. The weather was terrible on Wednesday and on Thursday we drove to Cincinnati for Easter. I dropped of my new bike on the way for its first tune-up to be ready for the triathlon. I took my other bike to Cincinnati for the weekend, planning to ride with my brother on Friday. It’s wonderful having a second bike!

My brother and I toured Cincinnati on our bikes for almost 3 hours on Friday. This is the really fun part of training. Most of the riding was pretty easy, but we threw in a few tough hill climbs. I can tell the effect of my training since the hills are actually getting easier. Hills which I used to dread facing are still tough, but not the killers that I remember. We also stopped to get a little “culture” at the Art Museum.