Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Looking Back – One year ago I was completing probably the most difficult thing I’ve done in my life. 

I suffered through an IT Band injury and I finished the Flying Pig Marathon.  My pretty weak race report can be found here.  This was before Eric became my official race photographer (although I believe he took pictures at the race, I just didn’t post any?  I guess it was too painful to think about!).  I wish I would’ve written more about the race, but at least I have something to look back on to remember it in all of it’s painful glory!

I woke up this morning and turned on the tv to find that they were doing live coverage from the marathon.  Not gonna lie, I got a little teary eyed watching everyone cross the finish line.  I’m glad I didn’t try to take it on this year (it is incredibly rainy and gross outside), but it gave me that feeling of “maybe I could run another one someday?”  But then I remember that I’ve already attempted to run another one and my knees failed on me miserably.  We’ll see what the future brings!

Looking Ahead – Oh wait, I do have the opportunity to run another marathon in the future..and that would be in the form of the last leg of an Ironman!

I’m going to be completely honest and open right now – I’m scared.  Keeping up with my training has been incredibly difficult lately and if I were to receive a grade for it, I’d get a big fat F.  Maybe an F+, but an F nevertheless.  I just keep telling myself to do as much as I can possibly do for the next month, because then I will be done with work for the summer and I can get really focused. 

I’ve had a lot of people recently ask me how training was going.  I usually mumble something about how it’s not going to great and try to move on to another topic.  I don’t know how people do this who have families and full time jobs.  I have the full time job, but with the knowledge that in a month I will have all the free time in the world! 

I shouldn’t be too hard on myself though, because I actually have had a decent weekend of training (it’s just the weekdays that are tough!).  It’s been raining all weekend, so my plans of running outside and participating in an organized bike ride this weekend were quickly squashed.  Instead, I decided to suck it up and headed to the gym yesterday and did my run/walk intervals on the treadmill.  70 minutes on that dreadmill, but I did it! 

This morning I woke up to more rain and sucked it up once again and hopped on the indoor trainer to get 50 miles in, which is what I would’ve done had I participated in the organized ride.  Granted, riding on the indoor trainer is much easier physically because you’re not competing with the elements and the changing elevation, but 50 miles on the indoor trainer is by no means fun. 

I’m hoping all of this rain and what not starts heading out of here so I can start riding outdoors more often.  The only chance I get to ride outside is usually on the weekends, and the weather has just been so awful lately!

But, another busy week is head of me and I have some work I need to get done so I don’t completely lose my mind!  Adios!