Training Update

Each week gets better.  In week 7, I ran four times for a total of 13.39 miles, swam three times (1600m and 3200m on my own and masters swim on Thursday night), biked 35* miles on the trainer, and walked 7 miles (including a glorious 4 mile hike on the C&O Canal with my wife for date night).  The best part of running this week is that I hardly felt anything in the pelvic region.  Now, I'm not so naive to think that I'm 100% healed or that I should start running sub-7's again, but I am very optimistic.  Indeed, this morning I felt so good that I could not restrain myself to a 9 - 9:15 pace, and did my 3.47 miles at an 8:10 pace.  That felt good.  I was actually starting to get a bit worried whether I would be able to resume my old pace.  I am so glad that I think that I will be able to once I start increasing the mileage later in June.

Meanwhile, once again Masters swim is kicking my butt! One would think that a 3:01 marathoner would be a stronger swimmer.  This week, we did some long hard drills.  350meter warm-up. 4 x 75meters.  Then 3 sets of 5x100meters (first and third set, a build up in pace; second set at the pace of the 4th 100 of the 1st set).  Easy 100meter. 8x75meters. Easy 100 meter.  8x50 (alternate kick and swim -- still can't kick worth a damn).  Easy 100 meter cool down.  Total of 3450meters swum.  Funny how perspective changes things.  When I swim laps at the JCC, I'm probably one of the faster swimmers and I'm thinking to myself, hey I'm a pretty decent swimmer.  Then I come to the MAC pool and I'm barely able to keep up!!  But what do the sages say:  better to be a tail to lions...

Meanwhile, what's with the * next to my bike mileage?  So I'm showing my brother (who used to race on the Marine Corp's triathlon team when he was stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA) my cycling results.  15 miles in 40 minues?  22 mph?  Are you sure your trainer is set right?  I check it looks like the rear wheel may not have been engaged with the trainer.  Not that I wasn't getting any workout, I was just spinning with no real resistance at all.  Oh well.  A few turns of the bolt and I have a feeling Tuesday's ride will be a lot more difficult.  Live and learn. 

So, now that I'm starting my 3rd week of multi-sport training, I think I can safely conclude that I LOVE RUNNING!  I've got nothing against swimming or biking, I just love running.