Getting back in shape

Getting back into shape can be fun or frustrating depending on your perspective.  I’ve been using the last three weeks to literally get my body used to moving every day.  I commit to one session and on the odd day I’m sneaking in another one.  I’m doing my best to be smart but on occassion the competitive juices start to flow again and I find myself going a tad harder than is probably wise.

I’ve decided to use the fall running scene as motivation and good energy to get fit running.  There are tons of groups going this time of year and a host of events to run in.  The other two sports I am doing more sporadically or when a training mate is available.  The good thing is that during this time of year most triathletes are either on down time or in their off time so everyone has lost a bit of shape…..except of course those competing at Hawaii, Xterra or 70.3 worlds.

Swimming I’m letting happen more “organically” although a friend called me out on that and said “so does that mean your just going to walk around and wait until you fall into the pool”?  Our long course group has started up again Tuesday and Thursday so I’ve now managed about 4000m in the last three days.  I feel surprisingly engaged for 50m.  Beyond that I can feel my fitness.

Running has some more structure.  I’ve spent the last 10 days connecting with Jon Brown and his group who are preparing for the fall road races and cross events.  It’s a mixture of triathletes and runners, all very good.  I’ve done a couple workouts with them and respectfully got my ass kicked but it’s a fun way to get in shape.  You really have to swallow your pride and just accept where you are at which is a good lesson in something.  The first session I did with them last Saturday was 3*10 minutes around a 2km loop.  By the second rep I was so far back I was nearly on the front again.

So now time to settle into the rythm…..workout, rest, absorb, workout, rest, absorb………..plan is to run vegas half marathon december 5th.  Slowly I will add more structure to the framework but for now it’s kind of like play……