20 days and $0 to go!

I finally got some salt pills! I'm hoping that will resolve my periodic problems with leg cramps and pulls.

The week started pretty well with yoga and a 3 mile run on Monday. The team got together on Tuesday at a local beach on Lake Erie. I was there. We started with a half hour swim in the lake. This is the first time I have been swimming since vacation. It felt good and I was able to maintain a strong stroke for the entire time. The water was pretty rough, which added to the challenge. We had all brought our bicycles. So, after the swim we biked for about 45 minutes then finished up with a 2 mile run. It was a mini-triathlon. I picked up my new "Team in Training" Tri shorts and top. Pretty cool! No matter how I do in D.C., at least I'll look good. It was really good to get together with the rest of the Team. I really don't have the opportunity to do that too much.

I did yoga on Wednesday, but nothing else since I wanted to rest up from the workout on Tuesday. On Thursday, I started with yoga and went for a 6 mile run. I completed 5 miles and waked the last after I felt a sharp pain in my right calf. I knew if I continued running it would just get worse, so I walked the rest of the way. That's when I decided to look for salt pills.

On Friday I did yoga and gave my legs a rest. On Saturday I rode about 6 miles. On Sunday I met up with the Team again and swam for about 45 minutes in Lake Erie. After the swim, we ran about 2 miles. A beautiful day for a nice workout.

Oh, yes. And I ordered a bottle of salt tablets I found on the internet. They're "SaltStick" brand and have all the good stuff - sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. They even have some Vitamin D to help the absorption of the calcium. Hope they work.

27 days and $0 to go!

The Pittsburgh skyline as seen from Mount Washington. The bridge that is visible spans the Allegheny River. The Ohio River is in the lower left. The Monongahela River comes in from the upper right but is not visible in this picture.

My daughter with the biggest owl I've ever seen.

Yoga and running. That comprised much of my training this week. Tuesday and Wednesday, I did my joga routine and ran about 3 miles. No real problems with the calf cramping. That's a good thing. Hopefully, I am past that. I definitely need to start gearing up for the big race, which is less than a month away. I decided to step up the distance on Thursday, covering 5-6 miles on my morning run.

Thursday evening, I was in Pittsburgh to visit my youngest daughter who was interning for the summer at the National Aviary. She is staying on Mount Washington on the shores of the Monongahela River, which joins the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River at the base of Mount Washington. Two blocks from where she was staying is a stunning view of downtown Pittsburgh. Friday and Saturday morning, I ran the length of the aptly named Grandview Avenue along the crest of Mount Washington. It was indeed a "grand view". It was also quite a workout! The crest of Mount Washington is actually quite hilly!

I finished the week by biking about 10 miles on Sunday, after doing my joga routine, of course.

35 days and $0 to go!

Yes, I have met my fundraising commitment and goal. A big thanks to all who contributed. Your generosity is helping those who are truly in need... and, one tri-geek to participate in a truly wonderful event. Thanks!

I spent most of the week running in the "Big Easy". I'm still nursing a slightly pulled left calf but it's definitely improving. Regular Yoga before my morining run is helping a lot. I must stay flexible and that seems to be the best way for me to do that.

On Monday, I ran a total of about 3 miles from the Hotel to the Super Dome and back. This was not a particularly interesting course. So, on Tuesday through Friday I decided to take a more well-worn path through the French Quarter. Much more interesting. Interesting architecture, interesting people, smelly streets - at least early in the morning before they get a chance to hose everything down. You have to dodge the occasional tipsy pedestrian unsteadily wending their way back to their hotel after a night of merriment. In admiration, I hailed the garbage collector who was doing pullups on the side of the truck while it was moving. First time I've seen that done. A couple of times, I passed a warehouse full of women shucking oysters for the days repasts. All in all, a very interesting place.

On Saturday, for the first time since vacation, I climbed on my bike and rode about 10 miles. I had intended to ride out to Headlands Beach but the Greater Cleveland Triathlon was in full swing. I hadn't realized it was this weekend. So, after gingerly dodging a few runners to keep from interfering with their race, I headed back home.

42 days and $120 to go!

I started to get back to the regular running regime this week, but my old nemesis, the pulled calf muscle, got in my way. Back from vacation, I flew to Florida for the week hoping to get in some good running. So, Tuesday morning after a 20 minute session of Yoga, I went for a 3 mile run. I noticed about three quarters of the way through the run that my right calf was beginning to tighten a little. By the end of the run, it was clear that I probably had trouble. It stiffened up over the next day or two, so I was only able to walk. The walking seemes to have loosened it up a little. I was able to run 2-3 miles on Saturday morning, but I am still feeling a little stiffness in that muscle.

In the mean time, I have decided to concentrate on my Yoga routine. My left knee, which has had a couple of surgeries over the years seems to do much better if I flex and stretch the surrounding muscles regularly. I have gotten away from the Yoga a bit lately. Getting back to it will be a good "tune-up" for the big race, which is only 6 weeks away now.

49 days and $120 to go!

I actually took a bit of a vacation this week from the training. After all, I was on vacation.

Monday, Heather and I took the kayaks to the south inlet and paddled to an island about 1 mile from the shore. On the way back, we noticed that the skies were darkening quickly and we saw flashes of lightning. We started paddling harder when we noticed about 3 or 4 dolphin had joined us. They are magnificent creatures! They shadowed us for about 10 minutes, once startling me when one of them exhaled loudly through his blow hole right behind me. I almost fell out of the kayak! What an amazing experience. We made it back to shore before the dark clouds closed in.

Tuesday, I got serious (for one day) and ran around the island once more. It was a good run and I felt strong when I finished.

The rest of the week involved two more trips to the south inlet with the kayaks, numerous kayak excursions up and down the beach with Heather, and a 200-300 yard swim between two break-waters with my brother and sister - an annual ritual of ours. Saturday we drove straight home, leaving Edisto at around 7 AM and arriving back home to Mentor at around 9 PM.

This morning I went for a 6 mile run. Now starts the really serious training for the Nation's Triathlon in September. I can't wait!

56 days and $220 to go!

My first week of training on vacation went very well. On monday I ran around Edisto Island from our cottage to the south inlet, out on the beach for about a half mile, then back to the road, down Jungle Road and back up Palmetto to the cottage again. It took about an hour and a quarter, a distance of about 7-8 miles. I finished out the day's training with a one hour bike ride through the state park. Check out the cool pictures of my route.

On tuesday, I did a shortened "brick" workout riding for a half hour, then jumping off the bike for a quick half hour run. Wednesday, I hopped back on my bike for a one hour ride through the park again. Gee, I love that route!

I thought Thursday would be a good day attempt another long run. I was wrong. The humidity was up and there was no wind. So, even at 6:30 AM it was tough going. Half way through the run, I got a little worried about dehydration, so I stole a drink from the garden hose of a house I was passing. Now, Edisto water is so bad tasting that everyone who vacations here gets their water in bottles from the local firehouse, so this is decision I made out of pure desperation. Anyway, I finished the run and immediately jumped into the pool.

Friday, I went for any easy ride with my brother, sister, and my daughter, Heather. Saturday, Heather and I went kayaking up and down the beach. To finish out the week, I decided that Sunday morning would be a good time to try another long run around the island. The humidity was down and there was a little bit of a breeze. The run went well.

70 days and $1250 to go!

Another good week of training, but the fund-raising has slowed considerably. I'm guessing that with the current economic situation, it is harder for people to budget for charity. This makes me all the more grateful for the support of those of you who have already given to this cause. Thanks so much! If you have any friends or family who are able to support a worthy cause, please pass on the following website to them and ask them to consider a contribution. Thanks.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/noh/nattri09/larata

As I said, the training this has been good. After resting Sunday and Monday to recover from my 100 mile ride with my brother I ran Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday while I was in Florida on business. Tuesday's run was an easy 3 miler to start off the week. I decided to go a little farther on Wednesday and was able to cover about 6 miles. That is close to the distance of the run for the Olympic course that I will be doing in Washington, D.C. Thursday I "dialed it back" but just a little, covering 5 miles.

Friday was a rest day and a travel day since I flew back home on that day. Since it has been some time since I have run a long distance, I went for a long run on Saturday, covering about 8.5 miles. I don't want to jinx myself by saying this, but so far my legs aren't cramping up on the longer runs. That's good news! Anyway, I finished the week with a long bike ride today covering a little over 30 miles. Feeling good and ready for the next week's adventures.

77 days and $1485 to go!

This has been a good week. I've been looking forward all week to my brother's century (100 mile) ride, which was Saturday. But, I'll tell you about that later.

The training week started for me, as usual, on tuesday with a three mile run from home, looping through the park and returning home. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet some of my TNT team members so I joined a training ride that evening in Chagrin Falls. I flatted about a mile into the ride but we still completed about 24 miles, one mile short of the olympic distance ride. I met two of my TNT members and enjoyed a cold drink with them at the local pub after the ride.

The next two days, I ran five then three miles. I'm feeling rather sluggish on the runs, so I discussed that with one of my friends, who just completed her first iron man. Awesome! She suggested that I plan a one mile easy warmup to let my muscles ease into the run. I'll try that this week when I run.

I have a second road bike that I use on the long rides with my brother. It has a rack for saddlebags and works well for touring. I haven't ridden it for a while so I checked it on thursday only to discover that the rear tire was flat. So, I went to the bike store and bought four tubes, four patch kits, chain lube, and bike cleaner. After replacing the rear tube and giving my bike a quick cleaning I judged that I was ready to go.

Saturday, the day of the century ride, in Cincinnati was sunny and clear with temperatures rising into the 90s during the day. Seven people started the ride. Two people, my brother and I, finished. The secret for me was making sure I had plenty to eat and drink during the ride. I started with a big bag of trail mix and three full water bottles. I grabbed a handfull or two of trail mix each time we stopped and sipped water every few minutes. Breakfast was a three egg omelet with a side of bacon and the biggest glass of orange juice I've ever seen. Lunch was a bowl of beef barley soup and a spinach salad.

My legs felt good after the ride but I was pretty wiped out. I'm still smiling, though, as you can see from the picture. But, I took the next two days off. Back to running tomorrow. :)

84 days and $1485 to go!

I sprained my foot this week. Actually, that's the good news. I first thought it might be a stress fracture. But, it appears to be easing. The pain and swelling are on the top of my left foot, just behind the toes. This set me back on the training a little, but I am going to come back strong.

I did get in three good runs this week. My foot actually didn't hurt too much on the runs. It seemed to gradually increase in pain and swelling as the day wore on. So, on the days that I ran, it loosened up quickly on the early morning run being pretty much pain free for most of the run. That's the strange part about this injury, it didn't hurt much during the run but gradually got worse during the day.

Tuesday and Thursday were three mile runs. Wednesday was a five mile run. I missed the planned 10 mile run scheduled for Saturday because I decided to give my left foot a chance to heal. Instead, I celebrated Father's day with three of my four children and all four grandchildren by having a breakfast picnic in the park near our house. It's always a special treat when the family can be together.

104 days and $1835 to go!

I can't tell you what I did over the weekend because I was in Vegas (for business, not pleasure) and we all know that "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas". :)

In any case, I wasn't able to train at all from saturday through today. I knew that was coming. So, I shifted my schedule to complete the weeks running by friday. It worked out very well and I was able to finish the four scheduled runs, including a 7 miler on friday, with a little yoga thrown in for good measure. Monday, tuesday, and wednesday were each 3 mile days according to the plan. Thursday was a rest day. So, I did a 20 minute yoga routine but no running. On friday, my 7 mile run went very smoothly. My right calf stiffened a little about 4 miles into the run, but it loosened up a little while after that and I finished the run without further incident. I am very happy to report that I am having no problems with my back these days. That's a wonderful feeling!

I will tell about one thing that happened in Vegas. I met a young lady who is an ultra-endurance athlete. My hero! :) She has competed in "double" ironman races. Yes, that would be a 4.8 mile swim, 256 mile bike, and a 52.4 mile run - an over 30 hour effort! She is currently training for the bicycle "Race Across America". All that, and she's smart too!

I'm looking forward to running in Florida this week. It is a relatively easy week with two 3, one 4, and one 5 mile runs.

112 days and $1885 to go!

"Back" on track! Pun intended. :)

I restarted the 18 week marathon training schedule and completed the first week. I was in Florida this past week and was able to run the 3 miles on each of tuesday, wednesday, and thursday. My back was feeling good through that effort. According to the schedule, monday and friday are rest days, so I did nothing on monday since I was travelling to Florida on that day. On friday, I did a 20 minute Yoga routine. It felt good to get back to the Yoga. Yesterday was my first run this season of any real length, 6 miles, and I completed it feeling pretty good. According to that marathon schedule, today is a day for "cross-training". So, I hopped on my bike for 6 miles then planted four azalea bushes, two hydrangeas, and layed down 10 bags of mulch in our front garden. Some "cross-training", huh? Guess my back's doing pretty well. All-in-all an uneventful week, pretty much to plan.

The usual weekly schedule has monday and friday as "off-days", saturday as a long run day, and sunday as a "cross-training" day. But, I will have to shift the schedule a bit this week since I will be travelling next weekend. So, thursday will be my "off-day" and friday will be my long run day (7 miles is the plan). I'll just do some walking and some Yoga next weekend while I am out of town.

119 days and $2060 to go!

I had some trouble with my back again this week. I started the 18 week marathon training schedule. But, it looks like I will have to start it over this coming week, provided that my back cooperates. Here's how it played out.

After my long ride last saturday, I took it easy on sunday. But, my lower back was feeling a little stiff. According to the marathon training schedule, monday was supposed to be a "rest" day. So, I did my yoga routine hoping that would help to loosen my stiff back. Well, it might have aggravated things a little. Tuesday, determined to start the training, I ran the prescribed 3 miles. My back felt a little better. Another 3 miles on wednesday and my back was still feeling ok. However, on thursday when I had another 3 mile run scheduled, I bailed because my back was feeling worse. Darn!

I spent a little time on thursday researching online to try to understand the cause of my pain. The symptoms actually don't feel like a bulging disc this time. So, I have decided that the problem is stress on the facet joints from too much, not too little, arch in my lower back. My fear of causing discs to bulge posteriorly has me arching back too much and putting pressure on the facets, the vertebral joints which limit this backward arching. That's my diagnosis. It actually does make sense, at least to me.

Turns out that a healthy back is the result of a balance between abdominal and paraspinal muscles that keeps your spine within reasonable limits of its proper curve. It is important to maintain this balance (posture) when sitting, standing, walking, running, and bicycling. The only time that you get a pass is while swimming. It's probably really hard to have problems with your back from swimming.

My back is actually starting to feel better now. I ran 3 miles yesterday. This is shorter than the training plan, but I'm just happy to get back to it. I'll go for a short 7-8 mile ride today. So, where my back is concerned, I will concentrate on the basic set of "core" exercises and stretches I was taught in physical therapy and work on maintaining the proper posture for all my activities.

126 days and $2060 to go!

Thursday a week ago, when I went to the Team in Training kickoff meeting, I met one of my coaches for the Nation's Triathlon. He encouraged, no urged, us to begin running immediately - to start to get used to running for long distances. He stressed that the run can make or break the triathlon for many competitors. I've read this before. And, having competed now in two triathlons and one duathlon, I believe it. Being the last leg of the race, the run finds you at your most vulnerable. In the water you are relatively fresh, on the bike you can coast from time to time or find other ways to momentarily relax. On the run all you can do is stop or walk. You probably can't gain a lot of time on the run. But, you can lose a lot of time, particularly if your energy is spent or you are unprepared.

I have had real trouble on the 13 mile run in both of my half ironman efforts. In both cases I probably walked 1/3 to 1/2 of the distance, losing much time in the process. Largely as a result of this and of the coaches comment about training for the run I am seriously rethinking my strategy for preparing for this next race. What better way to enjoy, and to do well, in this race than to really prepare for the run.

I know I can cover the swim distance. And I don't expect to shave much time off of that effort. I just bicycled about 30 miles yesterday - then cut the grass. So, I know I can handle the bike portion which is 25 miles. What I really need to work on for September is the run.

With that in mind I have found an 18 week training schedule for a marathon (http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/novices.html). Since I last ran a marathon about 20 years ago, I consider myself to be a novice. Yes, I am still thinking about the Akron Marathon which will be held two weeks after the Nation's Triathlon. We'll see how the training goes. I still haven't fully decided to enter this marathon, but I will try to stick to this training schedule and see how I am running after 8 to 10 weeks. Wish me luck! :)

13 days to go and I have collected $5112!

"If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, triathlon must have taken Him completely by surprise."
P. Z. Pearce

Today, while packing my bike to be shipped to California, I actually heard about a, possibly, crazier event. It is 3 days of triathlons. The first day is a sprint distance triathlon. The second day is two Olympic distance triathlons (32 miles each). One in the morning and one in the afternoon. The third day is a half-ironman triathlon (70 miles). The guy I talked to was planning to race all four. Crazy? You tell me!

Wildflower is just around the corner and, man, has this been an eventful week! It all started friday a week ago when I received a summons in the mail to appear for jury duty this tuesday, 4/22. This is not something you can just ignore. I immediately saw my plans for Wildflower going straight down the drain. I started thinking about a plan "B". I promised to complete a half-ironman for all my wonderful donors and, by golly, I am going to complete a half-ironman - even if it ends up being the Cleveland triathlon in August instead of Wildflower in May. Well, I may still sign up for the Cleveland triathlon but I WILL be going to Wildflower afterall, thanks to an understanding judge.

Early tuesday, while I was waiting for word from the judge about my jury summons, I went for my third 13 mile run while in south Florida. The run went well and I felt like I was recovering nicely so I ran 3 miles the next morning and 5 miles the morning after that, Thursday. Well, the 5 mile run was a little more than my legs were ready for. And my left quad let me know it in no uncertain terms. Seems like bicycling, not running, is the best way for me to recover from a long run. Anyway, the best I could handle on friday was a 3 mile walk.

In the mean time I got word on Wednesday that my oldest daughter had gone into labor with my third grandchild, a boy, Evan Louis. Mother, father, and new son are all doing just fine. She left work at 3PM and Evan was born at 7PM, just 4 hours later!

Yesterday, back home in Mentor, I got together very early in the morning with some of my half-ironman wildflower teammates for a 56 mile bike ride. We were riding in the Cuyahoga valley on a beautiful, warm spring day. The ride included a number of sizeable hills which were good training for the Wildflower course. My left quad, still a little injured from the long run early in the week did not give my much trouble at all but I had to beg off on the run (after the ride) because I was afraid of doing more damage. That's now looking like a very good decision because an easy 12 mile bike this morning has me almost fully recovered from yesterday's long ride and my left quad is feeling pretty good. Although, I do think I detect a touch of tendonitis in the back of my left knee. Better get the ice pack!

As I said, it has been a VERY eventful week.

My third 13 miler

Yesterday, I ran my third 13 miler. It was a cool south florida morning. I was up at 5AM and on the road a little before 5:30. I ran for just a little over 2 hours. It's still a bit of a struggle to complete that distance but the real news is that I am recovering much faster after the run. My quads were not very sore at all after this run. I still have a small knot (trigger point) in my left quad but with the massage it is holding up fine. A few twinges in my right calf are also responding to the massage. I have time before the triathlon for one more 13 miler next week. The following week will consist of very easy training since that is the last week before the event.

Today I did yoga and ran an easy 3 miles. Feelin' good!

20 days to go and I have collected $5112!

"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking."
-- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (author of Sherlock Holmes)

Monday evening TNT hosted a "transitions" workshop. They talked about how to shave seconds off your time in the transition between swim and bike and between bike and run. I listened attentively and pretty much kept my mouth shut. In Philadelphia I spent 7 minutes after the swim and about 4 minutes after the bike legs. In the triathlon world, that's practically having a picnic! But, I figure I want to make sure that everything is "just so" before I hit the road on the bike or on the run. If I hurry out of transition and I have forgotten something or am not completely ready, it's going to be a long and probably more painful leg. So, I say, take your time and get it right. But, I didn't say that at the workshop. :-)

My goal is to finish the triathlon (70 miles total). To that end I am concentrating these last three weeks on building my stamina. Since the run is the last leg of the triathlon, maintaining my stamina through that segment is crucial. So...

After taking monday off, just a little yoga and a half hour walk, I tackled my second 13 miler on tuesday. This time, my recouperation lasted no more than about 2-3 days. At the end of the run, I was walking kind of slow since both quads were "screaming" at me. I could tell I have developed a "trigger-point" in my left quad and my right quad was just overall sore. six to twelve mile bike rides on wednesday and thursday along with a lot of massage - mostly using the "stick" and my thumbs on the "trigger-point" trying to knead out the knot - cleared up the soreness in short order. Now, that's progress!

This is one of the few weeks in which I have actually trained in all 3 sports. Bicycling formed the core of the training. This is usual when I am at home. But I also had the long run and this morning I had the last swimming workshop before the race. I am one of the slowest swimmers in the workshop but I am able to complete the hour and a half workout strong. As I said, I'm all about finishing this thing.

I've started thinking about what, and how, to pack for the trip to the race. I went shopping at Dick's sporting goods and picked up a good bike lock and a small flashlight. I mounted two water bottle cages on my bike since our coach said for the 56 mile bike it's best to have two water bottles especially if you miss one of the bottle exchanges. Finally, I mounted my small "flat fix" pack under my saddle. It has a spare tube, tire levers, patch kit, and a CO2 trigger with two cartridges. I really should try that CO2 trigger out at least once before the race.

My second 13 miler

After my "day off" yesterday, I decided to attempt another 12 to 13 mile run. My previous run went well but left me with about a week long recouperation. After a rather tentative start, I gained confidence as the miles slipped by beneath my feet. I was starting to drag about an hour and a half into the effort but I knew that as long as my muscles held out the effort I put into the latter stages of this long run would pay off. I finished in two hours and 9 minutes with my energy pretty well spent but no serious problems with my muscles. My quads are very sore but I can already feel them starting to recover. The next 3 days will be easy ones for me, alternating running and riding. I hope to shoot for another 60 mile ride on saturday.

27 days to go and I have collected $5082 so far!

"Runners like to train 100 miles per week because it's a round number. But I think 88 is a lot rounder."
Don Kardong

Well, I hit 133 miles for the week - 3 walking, 23 running, 107 bicycling. That's not a round number any way you look at it, but I think it's a good number.

It has been a busy and a fun week on the training front. Monday, I was travelling so I took the day off. No time, really, to run. I have to do my running very early in the morning when I am in Florida. My training week started on tuesday with a 10 mile run in about an hour and a half. The important thing about this is that I am getting much smarter about recovering from these long runs, understanding and compensating for the extra stress they put on my muscles. I no longer dread the effects of a long run on the rest of my training week. With that in mind I ran a modest 3 miles on wednesday to recover, asking a co-worker to punch me in the nose if I ran farther. I didn't, so my nose is still intact. :-)

Thursday was a fun day! We had a large group from my company attending the annual "Corporate Run" in Ft. Lauderdale. Mako set up a tent and had a great spread of food and "munchies" catered. At least a couple dozen people showed up with friends and family. Not wanting to wear myself out for the event, I "walked" 3 miles in the morning just to loosen up. The Corporate Run is a 5K (3.1 mile) run/walk and is heavily attended. I took the opportunity to "tri" out my "triathlon" outfit. Pun definitely intended! It was not my best time, but it was the best I was going to do for this specific event. I finished in 25 minutes, 54 seconds. I was struggling from the opening gun - not really sure why. The fun for me actually started after I finished when I quickly downed some water, grabbed two cups and doubled back on the course to offer water and cheer on my colleagues. I had a great time! The next morning I went for a "leisurely" 1 hour run.

Now for the "real" miles. The time till the triathlon is growing short. It's lss than one month away. I have resolved to experience at least the full distance for the bike and the run. So, yesterday, I decided to try for a 60 mile bike in around 4 hours. I was approaching 45 miles in about 3 hours when a poor split-second decision landed me in a pot-hole. I managed to "jump" the hole with my front tire but for the back tire, there was no avoiding it. The back tire went "spongy" on me almost immediately and I knew my ride was finished. Still, not a bad effort.

I had resolved to try again next weekend, but what the heck! Although I was nursing a very saddle sore posterior, I changed my plans to take advantage of today's excellent weather. I wasn't sure how long I would last, but I held on for the full distance, riding a little slower than the day before. Saturday's ride had sure taken it's toll, but today's ride turned into a good "mental toughness" test for me. I am now recouperating.

Think I'll take the day off tomorrow. Maybe just do some yoga or go for a short
walk. :-)

Recovering from my 12-13 miler

The recovery actually went quite well. Yesterday, I rode for about a half hour. The weather was miserable, drizzling and in the upper 30's. I got home soaked through and through and miserably cold. The ride, however, did a nice job of loosening up my quads from the long run the day before. Today, my legs feel very good with only a little residual soreness in the quads. My calves feel great!

12-13 mile run

I started thinking about this yesterday. I wanted to do a run that was long enough to convince myself that I can complete the last leg of my upcoming triathlon. So, I settled on completing two circuits of my 10 kilometer route (12.4 miles). Add the few tenths at the start and finish and I have a run which is closer to 13 than to 12 miles. Good enough.

I woke up around 7 this morning. The temperature was in the low 40s. There was a very light drizzle which persisted throughout the run. It's all about persistence, toughing it out even though the conditions are not ideal. And, they were definitely not ideal! Anyway, I persisted for nearly 2 hours and covered the distance I had set out to complete. My quads (particularly my left) have taken a beating. But, it's training pain I am living with now not injury pain. Big difference! I'll take it easy the next few days - maybe some light bike riding - to give my legs a chance to recover. Building confidence for the race. It's all good!