Do you ever lay in bed at night thinking about your run the next day?  The anticipation and excitement keeps you up?  You wonder how your body will perform, you wonder when that second wind is going to kick in, you wonder at what point you are going to hit that “high” that makes each step seem effortless.  The thrill of it keeps your brain too active to allow sleep….I’m kinda experiencing that right now.

I have an 18 mile run scheduled for tomorrow, and it is very important to my training (both physically and mentally) that I finish well.  These long runs are a bit scary in a way.  Long bikes and long swims do not hold the same potential for injury that long runs do…they are not as devastating to my body.  Unfortunately, I am not a lightweight, and my joints don’t take kindly to constant pounding.  I’m working on my weight issue though, trying to cut out both fat and muscle, and become a leaner/faster me.

If there is one thing that I miss about running, its the speed.  My Ironman training has not incorporated any speedwork up to this point,  mostly because it is not my goal to run sub-7min miles…my goal is to finish.  Over the last several months my endurance has increased substantially, but I’ve also noticed an inverse relationship to speed - i.e. it has decreased.  I miss the days of running all-out 5k’s trying to break 18 minutes.  I miss the thrill of pushing my body so hard that I feel like it might break.  There is something to be said for speed, that no amount of endurance can replace.  

But today, speed is not my goal.  I have to stay focused and remember what I am training for.  There will be other years for me to focus on speed.  Today, it’s all about Ironman.

Here is a shot from my 2hr trainer ride this morning.  

Happy Training Everyone!!