Ever felt like you have bit more than you can chew? After a tough workout today (4 mile run, 20 mile bike, then 2 mile run) I came to the realization that despite training with the intention of finishing well at the California ½ Ironman, it seems that a more reasonable goal will be to simply finish without completely cramping up and crawling the last few miles. My running mileage has not been able to advance as planned. I am still down at 5-6 miles for my long run… still enough time left to get it up to 10 in the next 5 weeks. But any intention of finishing with a strong run seems unrealistic. It’s tough when you have the time and will power, but the legs just don’t feel comfortable after 3-4 miles. I experimented with a different stride today: lower to the ground, softer touch. It felt really good for the first mile, almost effortless, and my time was easily on the 7:40 pace. But the hamstring tendons started to feel tight. I don’t know if I’ll have enough time to get comfortable with that stride. I guess it’s all about just having a realistic goal and then putting everything toward that goal. That’s what I’ll measure success with: that I train hard, not get hurt, and have fun!

Dr. Jim

Did you miss one of Dr. Jim's previous entries?
Click here for the blog index.