Jaw Dropping

  I am procrastinating my studying for a test to update this blog so it better be worth it. Actually I just need a break from Philosophy of Biology so this is it.
  Tuesday morning was a 4:45 am wake up for a Team Rogue Run. I really like my coach. John Schrupp is very attentive to his athletes. He is aware of everybody's needs and injuries which I think is very important. I am coming off an injury and am coming back to running very tentatively. I do not want to get hurt again. I hate being injured! I had the absolute pleasure of running with my friend and former coach Amy Andersen that morning. Our workout was supposed to be a 60 minute run with 10X50 meter hill sprint repeats. Amy and I only did the 60 minute run and I am so glad I did. I got to catch up with my friend who I have not spoken to in quite a while.
  Later on in the day I got in a nice swim at UT. It was a mile total in distance with a 400 m warm up. 800 m of kick and pull drills followed by a 400 m cool down. I love swimming at UT and one big reason is that if I get a good swim in it keeps me awake for my last class of the day.
  Wednesday I was planning on visiting my friends who just welcomed a little baby girl into the world. The father is also my swim coach/massage therapist. We worked out a trade where he would do a little body work and kinesio taping if I helped install a pull up bar. Score. He told me the tape would wear off if I swam so I should get in a workout hard enough to necessitate a few recovery days afterwords. That wasn't a problem. I was already at school and looking for a break so I headed over to the UT pool.
  I got in a did a 400 m warm up followed by alternating 25 m sprints and recoveries for a total of 200 m. About halfway through the sprints is when the jaw dropping part of this entry takes place. I am not the slowest swimmer in the pool but neither am I the fastest. I am comfortably in the middle and getting stronger with every swim. I was resting near the lane ropes when I hear a conversation between the guy in the lane next to me and a girl who is getting ready to jump his lane. I look up and at first notice that she is definitely an athlete. Then I notice that on her swim cap is her name under an American flag. Lastly I see a little tattoo of Olympic rings on her hip before she dives into the water and proceeds to blow us all away. It may sound cliche but her stroke looked so effortless and she was just screaming down the lane back and forth. I was awestruck. There are always faster swimmers than me in the pool but this was different. This was a level of technique and speed that you usually only get to see on TV. Actually she competed in Beijing in 2008. Her name is Kathleen Heresy and she was awesome. You don't tattoo Olympic rings on your body unless they are well...real. Hers were real. It's not everyday you get to swim next to an Olympian.
   Total recovery day for me today and then a run and hopefully a ride tomorrow.

Run and a Swim

  Today started out with a nice and easy 4 mile run around Town Lake with my friends Tony, Mandy and of course little Oskar. My off season has not been kind to neither Oskar nor I. Recently the vet did not explicitly call my dog fat but he said to try and not let him gain any more weight. What?!?!?!?! I couldn't believe it. Then I took a look in the old mirror and decided to get my ass and Oskar's, in gear.
   I ran 4 miles around Town Lake to ease back into running and test out the leg. Besides a few minor aches, and I mean minor, everything seems to be working as it should be. Tony and Mandy continued on for the seven mile loop after dropping Oskar and I at the 4 mile mark. I am not ready to overload myself with too many miles.
  After my discussion class at school I went over to the gym at UT and got in a mile swim. I started with a 400 m warm up followed by alternating 50 m kick drills and 50 m pull drills for a total of 800 m. If you add in a 400 m cool down you come up with a mile. I also made use of the UT hot tub to relax parts of my legs that were starting to cramp up.
  If I can get in 4 runs, 4 swims and at least 2 rides a week I will be happy and very tired. Yesterday I rode along the Austin Marathon course to cheer on the runners and find some friends. I rode the majority of the course and I am once again inspired and awed by the marathon distance. I definitely want to add a marathon to my list of races this year. I just cannot decide which one yet.
  Off to bed soon. Team Rogue starts at 5:30 in the morning.

Update

   I have a updated vision of my racing season that I am still working on. I was originally going to race the Vineman. That race changed to Ironman UK and due to circumstances beyond my control I am thinking I may not due that race. I still plan on racing all year long in 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon distances. But I am a little weary of my triathlon race schedule. Part if not all of the Texas Tri series is in play, but I still need an "A" race to focus on about 5-7 months from now, preferably a full Ironman distance race.
  My training for the past month has been spotty due to weather, school commitments, life commitments, family concerns and injuries. I had shin splints that sidelined me for a week and then I rolled my ankle at work which kept me from running for another week. I have been able to get in some quality swims for the past month and I think I am back at my level of swim fitness that I was at the end of last season. There has hardly been any cycling done so we are not talking about that right now.
  I think I have a handle on some of the curve balls that life has thrown my way recently and now I am ready to commit myself to the whole process all over again. Woo Hoo!