TNT Race Report: Kick Off!!

And here we are, back for another season of Team in Training. Showing up at the kickoff event at 7:15 this morning made me realize how much I have missed the constant companionship of my teammates on Sundays over the last couple of weeks. Thankfully, through the building of a balloon arch and a morning spent cheering on new participants, those relationships have undoutably resolidified.

So for for next 21 weeks, I will be training for the Mayor's Midnight Marathon in in Anchorage, AK. Contrary to the name, it is not a race held at midnight, but rather on Saturday, June 21st at 8am. It's the summer solstice, the longest day of the year ... and in Alaska, that's a long day.

I can't wait to develop a friendship with my mentees (code word for the group I am assigned to mentor). The four I met at kickoff seem very nice and very enthusiatic about the program. Hopefully this is an indicator of things to come.

ON THE WORKOUT FRONT:

Since I have acquired Max The Bike, I have become slightly addicted to biking. I have an addictive personality, meaning that I myself am not an addictive substance of sorts ... no, what I mean is I become addicted to things easily. I laser focus on a single goal or idea and I run with it (pun sort of intended. it was a spur on the moment pun). On Thursday and Friday I biked to and from work (about 5 miles each way). Today, Saturday, I ran 5 miles then completed a 10 mile cycle loop to and from work. And I'll admit, I stopped by my desk at the studio for 45 minutes to take care of linger "To-Do" list things.

I think the bike is really going to increase my fitness without stressing my legs. The 35+ miles a week were tough to get in, but with a bike, I can scale back to 25-30 miles/week, and add 20-30 miles of biking without really compromising my time or my physical abilities. Cycling is streamlined and aerodynamic. While it still takes a lot of effort and can be quite a workout on my legs, it feels much better. I don't lose the aerobic workout with the sacrifice of running.

So anyway, get a bike. That's my advice. But enough musing for now.

Tomorrow is a long run day. I am shooting for 10-11 miles down in Santa Monica followed by a 60 min (maybe 15 miles??) ride around the city and the beach. Another thing about MAx, he makes me appreciate the beautiful scenery and weather of So. California. Every day I miss New England in some way ... but each day I am also reminded of the things that keep me out here... 3000 miles away.