Day 97: 7/20/2010

Plain old solid day. Run an hour with strides in the morning and 3500 yard swim in the evening. Although the water was about 85 degrees I felt surprisingly good in the pool. I think this had to do with my warm up where I did some 75's breathing every fourth stroke. This helps me relax and swim efficiently. Because of the warm water I didn't push too hard but I swam 6 x 250's where I descended 1 - 3 and again 4 - 6 with the faster sets coming in at 3:30. Not super fast but I felt nice and smooth and I had energy which is something I haven't had lately.

Tomorrow is a big day with a long run of 1:40 and a couple hour bike ride. I had a day like this scheduled last week and I wasn't able to get the bike finished. I did run 1:30 but never had the energy or motivation to get the bike even started. It was rainy and windy and it only helped me make excuses. It is raining again now but it should be clear tomorrow and the day means a lot to me.

Today I was thinking about how training for ironman has affected my life. I realized that I challenge myself daily. I am constantly sore and tired and I do my best to still get the work done. Most of the time I feel great but somedays I struggle and don't reach a small goal I had set for myself. I guess it goes to show that anything worth achieving requires hard work and determination. You cannot waver when you encounter adversity and you will encounter adversity. All these challenges make achieving a goal so much more rewarding.