Ready, Set, GO!
Today was the first group practice of the new season. Around 40 of the 70 athletes that have signed up so far to participate in the Team in Training triathlons in May showed up bright and early at the Cranbrook Natatorium.
Though there was a football season chill in the air outside, the inside of the building was unusually warm and tropical-like. It made huddling up at 7:45 that much easier! Our practice started out with some words from Coach Anne, and then the floor was turned over to me for a few minutes as I was given the opportunity as a team mentor to dedicate this day's practice to an honored hero.
Having found out just a few weeks ago that my friend Vesna was diagnosed with stage-4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma, it was only natural to highlight her as our honored hero for the day. I was so happy to be able to dedicate today's practice to her, especially since this was truly the launch of the new season. It was symbolic in a way. Here, all of us are facing a long ang grueling training schedule for the next six months. Vesna, on the other hand, faces a totally different and more difficult challenge than I could even imagine. It makes our schedule look like a cakewalk.
The actual practice went well for me. There were so many people in the pool this morning that it was hard for me to see who was really having a challenge with the swim. Coach Anne did a great job, working with the beginners as well as the advanced swimmers. Once we were all done, some of us met up with Coach Anne after practice for an unofficial run through the beautiful trails of the Cranbrook school grounds.
She is training for her Ironman event that takes place next June, so her run was going to consist of a 10-mile route this day. About 10 of us decided to join her, though most of us surely wouldn't be able to go the 10-mile distance. I decided to try and get around six miles in, which I felt would be a good distance for me, especially since today would be a 100% trail run.
The weather was awesome for running. There was a slight breeze and an overcast sky, and the temperature was the low- to mid-40s. I was wondering how warm I'd be having to run with wet hair, but once I got started it didn't seem to bother me. In fact, I think the wet hair was quite refreshing.
Running through the Cranbrook trails in the fall is beautiful. Many of the leaves are still on the trees, though the colors have subdued to mostly yellows and browns. The smell of fall surrounded me as my feet would land on the soft ground below. I ran through a beautiful trail that took me around a lake, various benches, a bog and a georgeous oriental garden. It seemed as though I had found my own private sanctuary. I enjoyed my route so much that I ended up running it four times overall.
In the end, I probably ran around seven miles. Pretty good for just having gotten done with swim practice. It's amazing how far I've come since I first started training in May. Now that I have one Olympic distance triathlon under my belt, I am excited to encounter new opportunities in my training and my goals.
-----------
PLEASE HELP ME in my mission to raise $4,000 in the fight against cancer!
Donate safely today on my Team in Training web page at:
http://www.active.com/donate/tntmi/andi
Though there was a football season chill in the air outside, the inside of the building was unusually warm and tropical-like. It made huddling up at 7:45 that much easier! Our practice started out with some words from Coach Anne, and then the floor was turned over to me for a few minutes as I was given the opportunity as a team mentor to dedicate this day's practice to an honored hero.
Having found out just a few weeks ago that my friend Vesna was diagnosed with stage-4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma, it was only natural to highlight her as our honored hero for the day. I was so happy to be able to dedicate today's practice to her, especially since this was truly the launch of the new season. It was symbolic in a way. Here, all of us are facing a long ang grueling training schedule for the next six months. Vesna, on the other hand, faces a totally different and more difficult challenge than I could even imagine. It makes our schedule look like a cakewalk.
The actual practice went well for me. There were so many people in the pool this morning that it was hard for me to see who was really having a challenge with the swim. Coach Anne did a great job, working with the beginners as well as the advanced swimmers. Once we were all done, some of us met up with Coach Anne after practice for an unofficial run through the beautiful trails of the Cranbrook school grounds.
She is training for her Ironman event that takes place next June, so her run was going to consist of a 10-mile route this day. About 10 of us decided to join her, though most of us surely wouldn't be able to go the 10-mile distance. I decided to try and get around six miles in, which I felt would be a good distance for me, especially since today would be a 100% trail run.
The weather was awesome for running. There was a slight breeze and an overcast sky, and the temperature was the low- to mid-40s. I was wondering how warm I'd be having to run with wet hair, but once I got started it didn't seem to bother me. In fact, I think the wet hair was quite refreshing.
Running through the Cranbrook trails in the fall is beautiful. Many of the leaves are still on the trees, though the colors have subdued to mostly yellows and browns. The smell of fall surrounded me as my feet would land on the soft ground below. I ran through a beautiful trail that took me around a lake, various benches, a bog and a georgeous oriental garden. It seemed as though I had found my own private sanctuary. I enjoyed my route so much that I ended up running it four times overall.
In the end, I probably ran around seven miles. Pretty good for just having gotten done with swim practice. It's amazing how far I've come since I first started training in May. Now that I have one Olympic distance triathlon under my belt, I am excited to encounter new opportunities in my training and my goals.
-----------
PLEASE HELP ME in my mission to raise $4,000 in the fight against cancer!
Donate safely today on my Team in Training web page at:
http://www.active.com/donate/tntmi/andi
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