Sight Seeing

Today was a great day to go for a run, and that's exactly what I did! It was back to Bayshore for another 7 mile run. I'm still not in race shape yet, but I'm confident I will be by June. The key is to be consistent in my training and gradually increase the intensity and distances of my bike & run.

Ironically, the swim is my weakest of the 3 sports, but it's my easiest! My goal in the swim is to finish the 1.2 miles using the least amount of energy I can. That way, I can go a little harder on the bike and (hopefully) the run. People rarely win a triathlon with a great swim, but you CAN lose it with a bad one. My swim is decent, and I can swim that distance right now if I had to because I swim year round because it's great exercise.

Now the bike & run are different! lol Trying to keep up the level of fitness to be able run 13 miles and/or 56 miles year round is too much for me. Not only would I get burned out, but my knees couldn't take the pounding of the running. I do try to keep some level of fitness though: My goal is to be able to ride 40 miles at any given time, and run 7 also. If I can do that, it'll make it that much easier to get ready for races.

Thankfully, I can do that as I type this, but I can't put it all together in the same day. That's not an easy thing to do, and that's where the training comes in: Mental AND physical training. You have to be in the right frame of mind to do all 3 disciplines back to back to back. It can take up to 8 hours to finish, so the mental preparation is just as important as the physical.

To get my mind right, I like to watch old triathlons, Tour De France races, and track & field on dvd, read sports magazines and find motivational quotes. Quotes like “You are the only person in existence who can use your potential. It is an awesome responsibility.” Zig Ziglar and "In life, we choose whether or not we want to be a winner or a loser. To be a winner, we must devote time and hard work. To be a loser you do nothing, and that's exactly what you will get, nothing." ---Patrick Boles. Quotes like these really motivate me to get out there & give it 110%! I try avoid all negative thoughts, people, and actions, because all that will do is bring you down & prevent you from fulfilling your potential in anything you do...

Anyway, I had a great run today! lol It was another perfect day. There were a lot of people out& about having a good time.



I've been coming out here for years and I never get tired of it. It's quite relaxing and each time is like a new experience.

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Here's a quick video I shot before I started my run:

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What makes it nice is there's so much to look at while you run. You have the water (of course,) all the people, and the million dollar homes across the street:

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Each house is different and some of them are VERY nice. Stopping to snap pictures of them while running won't help my training, so just take my word for it. They are nice! lol.

But what really makes Bayshore so incredible is the water itself. It's very relaxing and makes running that much easier. Running on a treadmill is boring to me (even though I do it often) but I NEVER get bored coming out here! Now I said I won't stop to take pics of the houses, but I WILL stop if I see dolphins!



There were about 5 of them, and they came right up to the seawall! It was mad cool. I HAD to stop, because I don't see them every time I come out here.

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I tell ya, this beats running on the treadmill, watching old reruns of SOUL TRAIN any day! lol



After this brief 10 minute intermission, it was back to the business at hand, which was to run. Seeing the dolphins got me fired up, and I felt like I had a bit more energy. I was still running on the grass, so I was running a little slower than if I were on the concrete, but I still felt good. I get to the turnaround and take a look at the water and what do I see this time? Stingrays! Should I snap a pic? Oh what the hell, you only live once! lol



Heading back, I'm feeling really good. I feel stronger than my last run and my mind is as clear as the sky! Any stresses I had before I came out here are gone. All I'm thinking about at this point is enjoying my run as I place 1 foot in front of the other:



I finish the 7 miles in about 70 minutes or so. It's not about time right now, it's about how I feel during and after the run. I want to have good form: I want people to look at me & think I just started running, even though I've been at it for 45 minutes. Why? because that would mean my form is good AND I look strong and not tired. I'm not quite there yet, but Will be soon!

After the run I walked did my 20 minute cool down walk, then kicked my feet up and made a short video:



I like to relax a bit before I head home. What's the rush?



Besides, if I DID rush, I woulda missed this:



Kinda hard to see, but in person it's pretty cool!

Overall, it was a great run. I'm feeling stronger & my confidence is growing. I'll stay at 7 miles for a couple more weeks, then move it up a bit. By race day I'll be doing 10 mile runs, but that's a little ways off. No worries though. I'm almost there!

Thanks for reading! Till next time, peace!