Tri-Polar Express

I'm having fun running again, and I don't want to spoil it by attempting another marathon this winter. I've decided to maintain my off-season training at a reasonable level and to focus instead on my primary target in June, IMCDA. I'm happy with my decision. I'll try again for a sub 4:00 marathon after IMCDA when I can devout more time and energy towards it and not worry about potential injuries jeopardizing my A race of the year.

I'm also having fun biking again. It took a long time after the Death Ride last July before I felt like getting on my bike again. Even then, I never really "loved" it like I used to. But this weekend my husband, Peter, and I had a great little 2 hour ride from home. The out and back route we usually do has a nice 7 mile warm up followed by rolling hills for 24 miles or so, and a 7 mile flat stretch to end it. Much of the route is the same as the San Jose International Triathlon course.

Continue reading "New Years Resolution" »

Posted by Cindy at 02:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I can't believe how great I am feeling this week ... I mean it hardly seems like I ran a marathon last Sunday at all. My body has recovered so incredibly well. I guess that's a testament to the regular training I did throughout the year and the fact that I was able to build a strong, solid base. In addition, I was able to swallow my pride and not push harder in order to finish faster at the expense of risking injury.

I'm over being disappointed at not qualifying for Boston, and since I'm feeling so good I decided to give it another go in the New Year. I've set my sights on PF Chang's Rock and Roll Arizona Marathon on January 14, 2007. My friend, Fred, is doing the 1/2 Marathon, a course I did in 2004, which happened to be the inaugural.

I'm psyched about my decision ... Hopefully I'll be able to turn a negative, of running slower than anticipated at SVM, into a positive - by going into Rock and Roll Arizona with a really great 26 mile training run under my belt and a good mental attitude. If I assess myself honestly I would have to say that I didn't really feel "ready" for SVM ... but I am already feeling hyped up about Rock and Roll ... so maybe that's a good sign!

I have another odd (in a good way) piece of news to report ... the plantar fasciitis that has been plagueing me for the past year and a half is completely absent as of Tuesday - gone. I don't know what I've done differently, other than taking a dip in the ice bath at my massage therapy appointments pre and post-race, and doing Bikram Yoga on a fairly regular basis. I'm happy as a pig in s-h-i-@ about it, but am also acutely aware that it could come back at any moment ... and probably will, once I ramp up my training again. But it is so nice to be pain free, even if temporarily!

Posted by Cindy at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I convinced myself that getting up at 6 a.m. on Saturday to drive to Santa Cruz for the Sentinel/Big Kahuna practice day organized by my tri club was an excellent idea, even though I was tired ... I would cut out the run practice in order to get back in time for an afternoon commitment. I planned to use the day as a guage of my readiness to "maybe" do the Big Kahuna 1/2 Ironman on Sept. 10th. (It's still open to registration my friends kept telling me ... Are you gonna do it they kept asking) ... Why not indeed, I began to ask myself ... the Silicon Valley Marathon is still more than two months away and I have some gaps in my training schedule.

Continue reading "Lessons Re-learned" »

Posted by Cindy at 09:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)