Back to Training

I went out for a 11k run yesterday after being off for 2 weeks. I'm so glad to be able to get back to my training schedule. It just feels so strange to not be out for a run or a bike or a swim. It wasn't the best run I've ever done, but it was pretty solid. (and I was lucky enough to have the rain stop just before I headed out for the trail.) Although I'm feeling much better I was still coughing and choking up muck. Because of that I kept my run to 11k rather than the 20k I had planned and I chose to hold off one more day for Master swim club. I just don't want to set myself back.

I'm feeling a bit better about slow. I timed my run and it took me 75 min to complete the 11k which gives me an average of 6.8 to 7 min per km. So while this makes me less than speedy it's respectable enough and I think by next week as I start to feel even more healthy and recovered that this might even speed up a bit. Furthermore I know that I can keep up this pace over the full 21k so that's all right. I think as part of my training plan next season I will incorporate more speed work. (Not too much.) To date my focus has been almost exclusively on endurance work so I know that I can keep up a nice steady pace and go and go and go. Not super fast but I know that I could keep up that pace over a whole race. And this is true in the swim, bike and run. Well the swimming I actually have done intervals and worked some on speed. So I think considering that I only began seriously considering triathlon racing last year this is pretty good. I have told myself all along to not push so hard that I burn out or get injured because I would like to see myself continue training for Triathlons for years and years rather than it be just a one year or two year goal. Today I'm okay with slow and steady because in the end I will win my race in my heart and in my spirit and that's really what it's all about anyway.