When I did my 140.6, lo those many months ago, I came out of that experience feeling like I could handle anything.  Not that I was so amazing – just that I had done the distance and if I wanted to go out and do a Half – no big deal!

Last season I trained as best I could but I was hamstrung with injury (ITB) and a new job that had me on the road and under the gun 7 days a week.  It was kind of brutal and I just didn’t have a lot of time to train but I still had that ‘eh- no big deal… I’ll just put in a few good training days and voila!’

Hahaha…. I spent the race season going on a perpetual roller coaster ride of “I suck.. I can do this… I shouldn’t do this… whatev“.  I don’t think I even wrote about how incredibly painful Vineman 70.3 was, sandwiched in between flights Friday and Sunday (they red-eye).  I did decide, however, that I would never have a season like that again.  That this year I would train and be race ready or not race.

So here we are, Mid-March and I have been on my bike 3 times since the beginning of the year.  5 times since I raced Big Kahuna in September.  My run volume is pathetic- less than 40 miles total since Jan 1.  I have been swimming quite a bit, though.

Yesterday on ride 3 of the year I decided to go up to the junction on Mt. Diablo, a climb of about 2200 feet. It was really hard for me to do. I actually had to get off the bike to get some air at one point.  I spent the time thinking about training and about how all we can do is put in the time, spike up our heart rate, sweat and get stronger.

So as Spring springs I am looking forward to building back my mojo and having those heart pounding, muscle straining workouts that make me stronger.  The good news is that with the shape I’m in getting my heart rate to spike will be really easy.