Slip and Slide

Sunday Matt and I headed out for our weekly "long" run. This week was an easy 10 miles around town. It was warm enough to run outside. Yeah! The last few days have been above freezing so the snow has started to melt, and then overnight the wet spots freeze to ice. Well, we were less than a mile from home enjoying easy conversation and skipping over ice patches, when *WHOOPS* down I go. The sidewalk was on a pretty good angle, and I hit an ice patch just right and my feet went out from under me. Faster than a speeding bullet, I was on the ground. I was actually grateful for all my layers of clothing, as that prevented me from a good dose of road rash. I did manage to put a hole in my favorite Mt. Hardware running gloves, but better than a hole in my hand! I dusted myself off, and onward we continued. It didn't take long for the sting to go away, and otherwise the rest of the run was quite nice. 10 miles felt easy, and we maintained an under 10 min/mile pace, so I was really happy with that. Right now it's just about building the base, and I don't feel like I've run much lately, so the mental strength is just as important as the physical strength. It really takes awhile to get your mind to slow down enough and enjoy the long workouts. That's really what I enjoy about them. It's almost like meditating to me. (I know, I know, you all think I'm crazy!!)
Saturday was supposed to be a long bike. But I just didn't have it in me. It was that "mental" strength that I couldn't find. And after 40 minutes on the bike trainer, I was losing my mind. I just wasn't in a good place. I needed fresh air! So I ended up taking the dogs for a walk, and even though it was a little brisk and chilly out, the fresh air helped significantly!
Today was bike and swim day. Our coach, Lisa, is having a rough time with her shoulder, so we were swimming on our own again. She gave us a workout that was 2300 yards. It wasn't too hard, but we got a bit of a late start, so I ended up having to cut my cool down short, and finish with 2250. Oh well. I can make up that 50 another day.
An hour on the bike this morning wasn't bad. It was mentally easier than the 40 minutes Saturday. It's amazing how the mind plays such a powerful role in our lives. I remember that quote "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." How true it is!
Until next time!