Back in Business- Destination 2014
This week marked a return to swimming and structured training. If you didn’t grow up swimming and take a long time off, the first time back HURTS!! I amazingly made it through the first three swims with 1-2 more to go for the week.
For the last month, I took a pretty substantial break. A few rides at the lab, a few easy dog yogs, and ahem, VERY minimal swimming. I think the official total was < 3k in one month. I needed the break, but that doesn’t mean I don’t experience the same fear that everyone else does. Ie.. am I going to come back with the same passion that I had before?
I jumped into the Thanksgiving half last minute last week for fun. I wanted to do it “for fun”, but not so fun that I actually wore a costume. I wanted to do it “for fun” with the alternative definition that mean you try hard but your expectations are minimal due to whatever factors. In my case, my ‘training’ between FL consisted of a handful of 2.5 mile run/walks and 100% of runs with dogs. I went to TNR one time and ran seven miles. Also, I ‘tried’ to run/walk to spectate the Village to Village 11k a few weeks prior but changed my mind and got about six miles between run and walk.
Dog Yoggin’
Anyways, I got talked into running ‘for fun’ instead of ‘for real, for fun’ (which involves Party City) by Tim M who was trying to tackle sub 1:30 for the first time. Also, another teammate Eddie was pacing the same group and there were some other folks who decided to run about that pace. Well I didn’t want to start alone so I figured I would at least start there. .. and hopefully be able to finish at some point.
I should also mention that it was pure pride (registering last minute and not wanting to eat that 85 bucks) that made me show up in the first place. It was the coldest morning in my recent memory and the start and post –race were absolutely miserable thanks to the 25 degree temps!
Felt good at the beginning with some residual fitness, but after about 4 miles my complete lack of muscular endurance started to show and I gradually faded to a 1:32. I also got righteously pipped at the line by my new ATC Race Team teammate, Chrissy. She played it dirty, too, running behind me the entire way until the last 10 meters. My pacing was so terrible it couldn’t have been an accident 😉 (Now realize that is a compliment because I have totally done that same move many times, I just have never had it happen to me! It’s gonna be a great year!)
The half had the desired affect though. I had preemptively emailed my 2013 consultant/2014 now coach on Tuesday anticipating that Thursday would be a jump start for my motivation. Indeed it was. I went from daydreaming about my next cake mix score to planning for PRs at all distances. 2014 I’m coming for ya!
