Serious Training.

While I didn’t do much running in Argentina – we did a single 5 mile run – we did walk 90 miles in 8 days. Often carrying packs, and often at altitude. So my fitness shouldn’t have dropped much. My knee has been bugging me for weeks and I’m worried it’s from biking. So I’m resting it from that perspective for a while. I have exactly a month until my triathlon.

I’m not worried about fitness, really. I can do the things I need to do. It will be difficult and challenging, especially if it is very hot, but I believe I can do this. I just need to keep up my basic training regimen until the race. Which means lots of running in the heat, and a few more serious bricks.

I’m going to do a big-time brick on Wednesday in the morning before work. I’m thinking 20 miles on the bike, and a five mile run. I’m looking forward to doing some big things and working hard. I’m just hoping I don’t shred my knee doing it. I lost some strength on the trip, but I know what to do to get it back.

I’m excited and nervous for the race, but I’m feeling like physically I will be in a good place to do it. It’s just a matter of being steady and not caring about pace or time; I just want to finish. That’s what I’ll be proud of. I don’t need to be a great athlete. I don’t need to break three hours. I don’t need to have fast transitions or keep people from passing me. I just want to cross that end-line like a boss.

And then I will return to mostly running again, as we have a half marathon and a full marathon on the fall schedule. My knee doesn’t worry me too much. I’m always dealing with a minor injury. First an abs strain. Then a calf strain. Lately a knee, and a glute and a hamstring. All minor. The knee feels a bit different than the muscle stuff. But it’s all just a matter of getting in the easy work to convince the body to heal.