Love the Hurt: 5 Day Countdown

Well my 2nd year of triathlon will come to a close in five days. It's become sort of an obsession with me, more so than when I was chasing the four minute mile ten years ago. Running was so one dimensional and I bored easily. Maybe if iPhones where around back in 2002 I would have kept running. I remember I bought a "skip-proof" disc man that was designed for running. It even had a button to switch on or off the "skip-proof." Who would ever want it to skip!? Before I headed out the door more often times than not I'd open up Lagwagon's "Trashed" Compact Disc, open it up and throw it into the bright purple Disc man. Upon hitting play, I'd hear the sound of the little engine turning that miniature record around and around. I slip on my gigantic headphones with ear muffs skip to the song "Rust" and head out the door amped out of my mind to get this easy 1hour, 10 mile run in with my favorite band. I head out running, step down a curb.....skip, skip, "Give it birth to the" skip, skip "machine Too proud to love...." Cross the street, look both ways for cars - giant headphones slip off. Run down a hill, skip. skip. skip.....have to stop, open up the player and wipe off that scuff on the CD. By the time the hour is over I want to throw the player across the street. Nightmare.

Taylor and I watching IM World Champs!

Although I keep waiting for the day that the easy 1 hr, 10 mile run fitness comes back, I don't think it ever will. Especially since I barely dipped under that at the Santa Barbara triathlon in a RACE! It doesn't matter anymore though. I am a triathlete, no longer a runner. Life is good. I run hard, this time occasionally putting on Lagwagons "My older brother used to listen to Lagwagon" album (very fitting) then wake up the next day and get to tackle a new challenge of swimming or cycling or all three! It keeps my mind fresh and alert and I wouldn't have it any other way. I plan on racing until I can no longer make it to the start line. Watching Kona over the weekend is so inspiring. Everything about it - the Pro's, the top AGer's and the older folks finishing. These 70+ year olds blow my mind. I wanna be like them when I grow up.

So SOMA this Sunday is my version of the world championships..ha. I'm really bummed I didn't accomplish my main goal of qualifying but I'm also being realistic about it and giving respect to those that train for years to finally qualify. I've only been at it for two years and with the exception of one month all of that training was done with 15+ hours of commuting and just trying to cram training in when I could. Things have changed with me working out of the house now. I get those 15 hours back to devote to family, training and recovering. It's been a game changer. Fitness has skyrocketed over the past month and I cannot wait to let all of the aggression and potential that I have been letting marinate over the past few months.

Amy will be tweeting out updates on race day which should also show up on facebook and my blog's sidebar. Thanks for reading!