Feeling Good

I had a great run this morning. I did 5 miles under overcast skies with a cool breeze. I had a minor calf issue but not enough to stop me. I think that one warmed up legs I could definitely finish 3 miles.



My swimming is going fantastic. I love, love, love swimming. I wish I had taken it up as a kid. I tested myself and finished 300 yards in 5 minutes. I'm sure that is fairly average but considering I have only been serious in the the pool for a few months and was barely a novice to begin with, I am impressed with myself. I'm taking a Tri Swimming course at the local community college. I am looking forward to improving my technique and all the time in the pool but am going to have to face my demons when it comes to having my stroke vidoetaped and figuring out flip turns.

Cycling is another story all together. I am bound and determined to figure out how to clip and unclip my fancy shoes and pedals. My first two attempts, in early June, were disastrous. I was out of commission for weeks from fall injuries. I finally did some research and discovered the my clips could be loosened and I could use a lubricant to make the parts come apart easier. I have tried a couple of times with the bike stationary but this weekend I plan to attempt movement again. Yet another demon that I must face down.


"To succeed you must first improve, to improve you must first practice, to practice you must first learn, and to learn you must first fail." -Wesley Woo

Highs and Lows

It seems like my training is at a standstill. I don't know why exactly but I just feel like I am going through the motions but not getting much better. Blah.

Some positive stuff happened this past week.

I finally received my race confirmation. I am officially signed up, paid for, and good to go for my first triathlon. It will be the Tinfoilman event on October 10. I was relieved to get the notification but then the reality set in that this is really going to happen and my endurance needs to improve.

I also hammered out a decent weekend of workouts.

Some not so great stuff also happened.

I got very sick after my run last Tuesday and was OUT for all of Wednesday and Thursday. I finally made it back to the gym on Friday and got a good ride and swim in. I'm still a little congested but it is workable.

My ride on Saturday morning was enlightening in how bad it was. I am great on the indoor bike but overwhelmed, intimidated and unable to get my road bike form in any shape. I get past by everybody.

I have thyroid disease and my body is out of whack right now. I am waiting until this Friday to have bloodwork drawn and then will get to see my endocrinologist next Wednesday. I cannot wait. I am having bouts of palpitations, insomnia, and the general depressive icks. I am so frustrated with my body at this point. I feel like I work my ass off and I continue to gain weight. I just feel like no matter how hard I train, as long I am carrying around an extra 40 lbs, my times and endurance are not going to get much better. It is a self-defeating philosophy that I am stuck in. Also, in the back of my mind, I worry about how treatment is going to effect my training. I don't want to be on beta-blockers to stop the palpitations and insomnia because it will lower my aerobic capacity. If I gain weight while training I am scared silly about what will happen if I am not working out. I just don't know what to do. Hopefully my doctor will have some answers.


“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.” ~William Barclay