Pages

17 May 2012

When did running and I unfriend each other?

So my legs were a bit more tired than I thought they would be after this weekend's long ride at Skyline and long run on the hills of Arlington.  During the warmup at bootcamp Monday morning, I was already flagging (and tried desperately not to show it!) and during my swim workout after bootcamp, I could feel how tight my back was with each flipturn.  I'm making an effort to take recovery seriously.  This means that I haven't biked to work once this week because my legs have felt kind of like lead blocks.  Last year I made the mistake of jumping back into bike commuting way too soon after Ironman (not that biking Skyline is as bad as Ironman on your body) and I just remember being miserable.  Anyway.  Ironman training, in all of its glory, has really arrived.  And you know what the scary thought is - it's going to be over in a blink of an eye.  Just over two months from now, I'll be up at Lake Placid getting ready to race.  Two months is nothing.  Taper is going to be here before I know it.  The next 6 weeks will have the bulk of the long workouts and then... ease into race mode.  I already have a weekend of training planned for Memorial Day weekend that I CANNOT wait for.  A 5K swim, no wetsuit (hate the wetsuit bite), and then I'll be living on my bike with a bunch of other fun girls as we tackle Skyline.  I'm ready for Memorial Day weekend to be here, and not just because it's a 3-day weekend.

So I've been thinking about my running lately.  And how I'm not exactly jumping off the bike in a triathlon completely eager to get going on the run.  Sadly, my T2 time is typically slower than my T1 time (even though I'm not exactly wrestling with a wetsuit in T2) mainly because I'm in no hurry to run.  I remember my first half Ironman four years ago being a rude awakening to the fact that a half marathon in a triathlon feels substantially worse than an open half marathon.  I don't think I've ever quite gotten over that shock.  And I think I can count on one hand, using less than 5 fingers, the number of times I've felt really, really awesome on the run.  This is especially strange because I came from a running background.  But I simply am not in love with running after I've already swam and already biked.  I'm more in love with the idea of sitting down and enjoying a nice cold beverage and a Chipotle burrito instead.  I think my issue is more of a mental block than a fitness block.  I need to fall in love with the run leg of triathlon.  I would say I need to fall in love with it again, but I don't think I was ever in love with it in the first place.

So, blogosphere.  Any tips?

7 comments:

The Miller Family said...

I think it is HARD to love all three equally...everyone has one that is not their favorite.

Have a GREAT holiday weekend....sounds like tons of fun

Sarah said...

Hmmm... no tips here because I was thinking the same this morning on my run. I have been getting excited for my swim & bike workouts, but not my run days lately. I somehow need to change my attitude towards running.

Anonymous said...

Aquabike? No, just kidding. For real though, I want to fall in love with swimming. I do like swimming with you though, so maybe that's the key. Want to run with me sometime? Maybe love for sport is contagious? Worth a try.

Caroline said...

Stacey - I completely agree. And there are definitely times that one leg of tri falls in and out of favor with me. Right now it is running. Sigh.
Sarah - I am glad I am not alone! It probably is 99% attitude, I need to change mine stat!
Kendra - You are a good, strong swimmer. You will find the love with it. I used to not be its biggest fan, but that has changed. I would love to go for a run with you!

GoBigGreen said...

One of the HARDEST things i had to deal with when i started racing Tri ( coming from cycling) was the idea that every ride could not be a coffee ride. "What? I cant stop for 30 minutes mid ride and get a drink and hang?" Now I dont mean on a short ride i mean on a 3-4 hour ride, what happened to my stops?
I think running a half or a full marathon is hard on the head after you have had a tough ride. I know i camped in T2 after STX bc i was freaked out andrich had to shoo me out. My best advice is to not think about the run. Dont think about anything other than getting OUT Of T2. Then you can get your legs back over 3 miles or so and start to tackle the run. I think my head gets in my way. ITs like i want to deny i have to go run a half now.

Dawn said...

I hear you--also identified as a runner pre-triathlon and still sometimes dread the run. At Kinetic half because my legs felt fatigued 10mi into the bike, which made me TERRIFIED for the run. I tried to keep that out of my mind and just hold goal pace on the bike, and you know, the run just came...pace dropped off a bit loop 3 but I got it done, ticking off the miles and doing a mini-celebration at the halfway point and start of loop 3. Maybe focus on how many times you've gotten the run DONE at the end of a tri...you've rocked it again and again!
Sounds like you figured out the run at Columbia already--congrats :)

Unknown said...

One thing I'm finding on the runs these days is that, when you pass someone, that's usually it -- there's none of the yo-yo nonsense that goes on during the bike leg. There's no posturing. There's just passing people and knowing that, each time you do it, you get a power boost and they get a little bit deflated -- especially if you say something cheerful along the way!