Training update

Since November 19 I've swum 3.7 miles, run 45 miles, and biked 57 miles in preparation for the Lavaman triathlon. Fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is going well -- people have donated an amazing $1095 already! Thanks to everyone who has contributed!!!

It's interesting to watch my own reactions to endurance training, especially running. It's difficult until my muscles warm up, and sometimes I'm halfway through the run before I start to feel comfortable running. But once I'm through the difficult part, it transforms into a wonderful feeling. I wouldn't call it a "runner's high." It's just the joy of having a healthy body, watching and feeling it perform like it was designed to perform. Those moments more than make up for the pain it takes to get there. I'm so grateful that I have my health, and that it takes relatively little effort to keep it up right now.

There are a lot of people who are working far harder than I am right now, fighting for their lives. My sister's best friend of twenty years is in hospice care. Someone who I admired a great deal and thought of as a mentor died a couple weeks ago. I know a few other people currently fighting cancer, and a couple others recently diagnosed as diabetic or pre-diabetic. Health is so precious. Take care of yourself.

Racing for the Fight against Cancer

I've got another web page with all the basic details. Check that page out if you're looking for the latest training mileage or fundraising progress, if you would like to help out with a donation, or if you just want the basics of why I'm doing this. The link's over on the right side of the screen -->

I figure I should keep that web page short and sweet though. I'll post more of the day-to-day stuff here since a blog's more suited to that kind of stuff.

Saturday: Got up at 6am to meet at Marymoor Park for a group bike workout. Coach Cathy canceled the bike ride because there was some snow on the ground, so we ran about four miles instead. I wanted to try out my new bike, so afterwards I biked about six miles. I didn't expect it to be geared so high, though. Going up hills is going to be tough! I'll have to do a lot of squats in the gym to beef up my quads before I'll be ready to race.

Sunday: Hit the pool, put in only 12 laps, and was just about beat. I enjoy the feeling of powering through the water, but that's exactly what I shouldn't be doing right now. I need to relax more, focus on my form, and keep my heart rate in the aerobic zone so I can keep going for a long distance. I have a lot of work to do to make my swimming more efficient, and if I don't do that work first, I'm just reinforcing my bad movement habits. Shandy and I were talking about hiring a private swim coach for individual lessons. I should set that up soon.

Tonight: It's raining cats and dogs, and the track is dirt. Or, it was. :-) Right now, it's probably four inches of mud and water all the way around. At least the snow has melted, but we're all going to get filthy. Might as well have fun jumping in the mud puddles! I'm trying to find a lighted, rubber surfaced track that's open to the public in Seattle on Monday nights... Anyone have any suggestions?

Fundraising is going OK. I've gotten some very pleasant surprises -- some people have been unbelievably generous. I haven't had as many people donate as I was hoping for, though -- seven people, including me. I was hoping more people would contribute, even if they could only spare a tiny amount... every little bit helps. But I imagine it's tough for a lot of people to come up with extra cash right before the holidays.

UPDATE: I have gotten a few more donations today. Maybe I was just being too impatient. Also, I got a copy of the planned workout for tonight, and I'm just going to do it inside, on a treadmill. From what I've been hearing, Seattle's a big mess right now, with flooding, mudslides, and snarled traffic. Combine that with the cold rain and the muddy track, and it's just not worth meeting with the group tonight.