ONE MORE WEEK!

It's been a strange week, what with doing a triathlon in NB last weekend and doing another one next weekend. I felt like I didn't have the days to take off to recover because I'd have to just get right back out there and seriously ramp up my miles. Hence, I jumped in the pool on Monday and did a 1700 meter workout because my body was just driving me crazy, all itching to get moving again. In the end I took Tuesday and Wednesday off because WOW was my rear end feeling the effects of those crazy hills in NB, but then ran 2 miles on Thursday, biked 20 miles on Friday, swam the 1500 meters on Saturday and this morning did a brick.

What's a brick you say? I can't remember if I've explained this yet but it's where you bike then run, and "bruike" and "bikrun" aren't words. Anyway, it was a special brick because I have a "team" down in Austin that is doing the olympic distance with me, Kate and Ian, and I got the idea from Kate because she mentioned that they would be doing the long brick and it was going to be FUN! so I volunteered to do my own long brick up here. It was nice because I train a lot for this stuff by myself, but this morning I wasn't so much by myself. I also ran into the Plano cycling club so for a little while I really wasn't by myself, but the little Plano peloton kept on moving and left me to my thoughts on the White Rock Trail.

The bike was mostly uneventful - I was pumped to get a bike in on my new triathlon shorts. The ones I purchased for the Danskin last year were a MEDIUM and, um, I don't know if you've met me but there is nothing medium about my lower body so I have NO IDEA what I was thinking. Wishful thinking that all these crazy workouts would earn me a medium. HA! No dice :) So, I went to the local bike mart and picked up some shorter, more appropriately sized ones and WOW have they made a difference. They're cooler and lighter than the last pair, feel awesome. The only drawbacks are that I'm going to need some extra chafe-proof gel around the thighs because the seams rub, and there's generally a squishy part in the part of the pants where one sits whilst biking and that is quite a bit lighter, but it's only 24 miles, and instead of looking like a stuffed sausage I actually look really cute.

Because cute matters when you're swimming half a mile, biking 24, and running 6.2.

The RUN though today, oh my goodness was it AWESOME. MAGICAL, even. I know. Who is the person who's writing this blog and what have you done with Christina?! Well, in the first mile things got crazy in the stomach cramp department, so I took a pit stop at my house after which upon running again I hit this little spot of zen. The only way I can describe it is that I felt sort of like I was above myself, watching me run. I observed the pain in my calves (yowza), the overall exhaustion, but my breathing was really, REALLY great and I knew that no matter what I could keep running and be just fine. This was a big deal because running during races is really glorified walking. In fact, at my first tri this summer I was "running" and getting PASSED by WALKERS. Then at the tri last week I would run for a set amount of time, then walk. I've determined that it's not going to be like that this race. I need to suck it up and run the darn thing, even if I'm getting passed by power walkers, and even if it is only "running." I want to become a better runner before doing another triathlon so I've decided to start over from total scratch on the Couch-to-5k program after this tri is over.

I realized something important. I've been blessed to have grown up in a town where open water swimming was so readily available and where I HAD to learn to swim really early and have had a love for it all my life because I know for many people the swim is the toughest part. It's the best part for me, and I also really love to bike, so I think that if there were two events that I struggled with I think I'd not have such great time doing these races. The running part for me puts everything into perspective though because I have the time to think, to pray for the people who are supporting me through their funds and encouraging words and who have all fought the good fight against cancer, and no matter what I'm going through during the training or the races, it's nothing compared to what people who have actually battled the disease themselves have dealt with.

So, there's a little more time left to reach my goal. Please donate here: http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots2009/christinaaustri09

I'll be sure and take lots of pictures next weekend - it's going to be so fun, a football game in Austin and then the triathlon AND the weather has FINALLY had a break in the heat. It's going to be awesome. Thank y'all so much for your support on this adventure and keep livin' strong :)

much love,
Christina