Skip to main content

January slumber? Why not write about it..

I'm sitting in my sunlit bedroom on one of the coldest winters in recent Georgia memory feeling a little tired due to a measly 6 hours of sleep and thinking about my training and racing to come over the next 6 months.  I'm also thinking about my winter weight gain, at least 10lbs. over my usual 175 race weight.  (Preferably race weight would be 170 but settling for 175.)  I know that I am fighting serious evolutionary factors here with my body wanting to rest and store fat for this harsh winter.
This is all juxtaposed with the P90X strength training program that I started in November and I'm wrapping up for this session.  This interspersed with the occasional trainer ride, road ride, and MTB ride.  Not to mention the possibly ill-advised Snake Creek Time Trials, the next of which is next Saturday.
My goal this winter was to strengthen up, which I certainly have, and to give my mind and body a rest from the rigors of running and biking.  So far this is going according to plan.  So why am I feeling down in the dumps?  Endorphins might be the answer.  I'm also battling plantar fasciitis (PF).  Pretty much after ever road or trail run, my feet are killing me for a day or two after. It didn't used to be that way.  Hundreds of different theories on PF but improper footwear is a prevailing one.   I have taken to rolling my feet on tennis balls and stretching more than last season.  Hasn't seemed to help thus far.  I just want to be able to run hard and not suffer the consequences the following day.  Some opinions on me running in barefoot shoes since I wear barefoot shoes to work and pretty much always barefoot. I am currently running in minimalist shoes, which could be throwing my feet into inflamed,confused tantrums.  Hey, there's always swimming and biking!
Unfortunately, the sport of triathlon does require running.

Still sitting here wondering if I can get out for another cold bike ride with 3 ridiculous layers to keep me warmish.  Or I could just hibernate and someone wake me up in April.

Popular posts from this blog

The milk of human kindness isn't spoiled

Something wonderful is happening. I am being serious. For the past year or so I've been developing this sense of love and compassion for humanity.  That sounds like a really broad, general statement but it's true. I'm becoming more perceptive of others and more forgiving. I believe we're all doing the best with the hand we're given. I use these words because I don't know how else to describe this very subtle feeling. It's a swelling in the heart and a sense of well-being and contentment.  Some days it borders on joy. Sure, I still get irritated with nuisances like drivers when they tailgate me or cut me off in traffic but overall, I am developing something here. Maybe my soul is expanding. I'm beginning to feel as though I'm finally a part of the human race.  In the past, I've felt so aloof and misanthropic so this is strange for me. I can't exactly pinpoint when it began.  I wonder if it's just part of the maturation process but I hope...

Allatoona Creek trail run race report

First year doing the Allatoona Creek race. Missed it last year because I had a duathlon on the same day. This course is sneakily difficult with the most challenging being the Mason's Bridge section.  On a bike, it's easier and more fun because you can roll through all the dips but running through those is really tough.  There aren't very many climbs and no big hills but that course is a grinder.  There was a torrential rainfall a few days before the race so the first 3 miles was a mud run through open cross-country.  I really liked this part though felt I got off to a slow start.  Pacing is so difficult because I don't know how much energy I need to spare.   Feet were wet out of the gate but it was no big deal.  There's a twisted part of me that prefers adverse conditions. Went in to the singletrack section at Rusty Bucket and shuffled through twisty sections, not very fast through there.  In fact, I felt leaden the entire race. I had ran the da...

Thoughts on Blanket's Crash

Past few times out on the bike my front wheel has washed out. The trail has been powdery/loose in both cases but I blame mostly my riding technique. It seems that instead of leaning, which one should do at high speed, I'm trying to turn the handlebars too much. It's discouraging because I feel my technique has advanced considerably over the past two years. I know experience is a great teacher but I can't help but feel like I'm regressing some here. Bad habits are hard to break. Common biking wisdom suggests that we crash on trails most familiar to us, perhaps because we are so casual and too loose. This one particular section I wiped out a few weeks ago on but it was more of a harmless 10-foot butt-slide that only ripped my shorts. Now I'm forced to convalesce and heal my wounds. My body probably needs a break anyway. Already looking forward to the next ride. I want the chance to ride the section smooth and fast with confidence. Until next time -J VMT crash