I recently caught up with a friend from my church days. It's been about 3 years since I left so I think we met approximately 4 years ago? This might even have been pre-short hair. Seems like ancient history. She was always a runner and would tell me about her "fun" runs, which to her were actually fun. At the time a 3mi run sounded long to me. A 6mi run was unthinkable. During our conversation I told her about my training and casually mentioned that Sunday I had done a 15mi run. "Mel! That's amazing. Look how far you've come!"
Huh?
I guess, it was kind of lost on me. I don't even think about it anymore. I can run 15mi? Ninja Coach says what to do and I do it, like a drone, a student cramming for a final. I'll memorize till the test then forget it all and I'll be as I once was. I would never run 15mi for fun. I'd probably sign up for a half-marathon for fun, because I wanted to, but that's something I had accomplished before IronTeam (and you get a medal for doing it). And the half was always a goal, not a normal training day. Now our next recovery run is 10mi... That's a recovery run? That's MY recovery run? I forget that I'm not the same person that I used to be. It's hard to explain. Maybe I don't give myself enough credit. I don't realize I've developed strength, stamina, and endurance and have the potential for so much more. Every practice we have I attempt what they tell us to do and trust that they're telling me to do it because I can. My google calendar marks every Saturday morning as Practice and the Description is always "Only God knows."
I barely remember starting on the triathlon team. It was November 2010. I don't remember our first practice, running fundamentals or something. How far did we run? Like for half an hour? Then there was my first triathlon. IronBruin on campus at UCLA. We had just got our TnT tri-suits and I urged a teammate that we should go and do a test swim in the pool. Thank God we did! As I pushed off the wall my shorts began flapping with the rush of the water (they remained on fyi)! Ha, that taught me to always tie your tri-shorts. In the staggered start line I met a girl who hadn't trained at all. In the pool it was encouraging, and kind of strange, to see someone backstroking with the worst technique I had ever seen. He looked like he was sitting in the water and I swam past him. Then on the bike I did 4 laps of the steepest hill I'd ever done till then. It was short but steep enough that I had a flash of panic the first time I climbed it. Then on the run I had what I would always have till I joined IronTeam, my calves cramped right off the bike. Then I became a triathlete. Since then I've done a handful of races. At my old place I used push pins to line my wall with all the race numbers I've accumulated.
Tris:
IronBruin sprint
SuperSeal oly
Hansen Dam sprint
Nation's oly
Desert Tri oly
Wildflower long (DNF)
Half marathons:
Pasadena
Santa Barbara
10ks:
1st one was the relay at Big Rock Tri. Someday I want to do the full triathlon.
there's like 5 of them that I don't remember
5k:
Turkey Trot in San Dimas
Longest ride so far: 80mi
Longest run so far: 15mi
Longest swim so far: Only God knows...
Life changes, even when we don't notice it.
I listened to his other songs but after this one I got tired of his voice.
