Today, I am happy and motivated. With only 25 weeks left until Ironman Arizona (IMAZ), I am ready to ramp things up and get serious. I managed to place third in my age group at the Rock Hall International Triathlon yesterday, and I received this cool pint glass as a reward. Woohoo! Apparently, the Set-Up Events race organizers think you should celebrate with a beer after you place in your division. I say “Okay! Don’t mind if I do!” 🙂
I was actually surprised that I placed, because I had totally let myself go after the Columbia Olympic Tri, and I’m sure I gained a bazillion pounds over Memorial Day weekend. So, I didn’t have high expectations. But this was a small-ish race, so the field was not that large. The run was extremely hot; so I wasn’t at all pleased with my run time. But I was happy with my bike, and I ranked first in my age group on that. So, I am totally happy.
And now I am motivated. The day before the race, I was thinking I just needed to make it a good workout day and get back with the program. So, that’s what I’m going to do. I’ve got an Ironman training plan to follow and a couple of swim training plans to work with. I need to try to keep the run workouts consistent also.
The run is the thing. That’s what I’ve decided.
Speaking of the run, I wanted to report that my run has steadily been improving as I’ve gotten into the second year following my kidney donation. In other words, I was a total snail after the surgery, but I’ve moved up into the solid feisty tortoise category now. Other people told me it would take about a year to get back to normal, and they were right. Last year, there was practically nothing I could do to improve my running. But this year, things seem to be moving in the right direction. But now that the heat of summer is here, I need to have a good strategy. The heat messes with my form, and I tend to injure myself. In fact, I’m already having a plantar fascia problem in my right foot. So, I’m going to try to do some of my running indoors this summer. That way, I can get in more miles but not do so many of them in the heat.
I also wanted to report that the nerve damage I had in my left thigh following my surgery has diminished. I still feel the slight pain/burning sensation when I rub the outside of my thigh. But it’s not nearly as noticeable. So, if any other donors happen to have this post-surgery issue, I hope that means you will also see it go away over time.
I do not have any other races on the schedule for a few months. But we have some century rides planned. It will be time soon to start working in some good, long brick workouts. Craig and I are psyched and ready to get serious. Bring it!
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