Happy Spring Everyone!

Spring is about blooming, rebirth, new life, new hope. It's where the earth is uncovered and all has a chance to grow again. Blossom, reach, breathe. New air seems to encircle the earth, and new wind seems to blow freshness into everything. It's why I throw open the windows on a day like today, at 40 degrees it cleans out the air in the house and allows us to have a fresh start.

At 0530 this morning as I left for swim practice, I noticed the clear night sky. Every star was visible. A medium training day was on hand, and with four hours of sleep I was feeling tired, but at the same time full of life.

Wednesday is cruise interval day, and I seem to approach it with conservatism. After last week's pile driver event, I decided to stay conservative and rather than increase to 4 minutes, run the same 3 minute CI as I did last week. This time increasing to five. So only 15 minutes of quality running, which for Ironman training is a drop in the ocean. But a year ago I was injured, so I feel happy.

My original goal was to stay below 7:30. During CI #1 when the watch read 6:49, I almost passed out! Was this right? I waited another 30 seconds and looked again, 6:50! I felt good, I felt....light.....and I felt strangely strong.

Through the varying terrain (I tried to pick a flat route, however here in Rochester NY all we have is long sloping hills, unless you run on the Erie Canal..... but that is covered in snow...) I was able to very comfortably maintain a pace between 6:50-7:10. Before I go predicting my marathon time, I realize this is only for 3 minutes. This is a great first step in the direction of building these to 10 X 6 minutes at "X" pace. That comes in June though... baby steps for me now!

Needless to say I was delighted. I was grateful. To see a 6 again was a gift. It allows me to begin gaining my running confidence back, which I lost in 2005.

I thought ahead to Spring Forward on April 1st and reminded myself I need to run 5 miles before the race and 4 afterwards..... so to aim for it is off the table.

Patience. Ironman is all about patience (and a whole lotta other things too! :-)

So as I build through this 42 mile week, I am happy. Happy for sunshine, happy for warm weather, happy to be feeling good. Happy that four hours will be spent on the road tomorrow. Happy that my bike is having the Ergomo installed today. Happy that the Train-This gear is in production.

Just happy.

:-) Mary Eggers