Swim, Run, Power Meter!!!!!

Exciting day today. Had some ups and downs, but mostly ups!:) Got a great swim in this afternoon. It was endurance based and one of the longer swims that I've done all year. My swimming is really becoming so much better it baffles me. I'm so excited to get in the water for my first triathlon of the year I can hardley wait. What was a huge limiting factor for me in the past has become something that I no longer have to worry so much about. It's taken some hard work, but I'm happy with the direction it's headed.

Funny thing about the swim came at the end. When I was cooling down, my leg cramped up aweful! One of those cramps that wakes you up in the middle of the night practically in tears! And during the "cool down" no less! Had to stand on the wall for 10 minutes until it worked it's way out. The girl in the lane next to me asked if I needed help. Keep in mind she was all of about 4 feet 11 inches. Defintitely would have looked funny if this tiny girl was helping me get out of the pool so I declined with a smile:).

A few hours after the swim, and after I was done with work I headed out for a run. Nothing big, just an easy, longish (at least for me at this point with my injury) run. Should have been simple. Well, at about 45 minutes in, my stomach decided to go against me. Let's just say that I left for the run wearing gloves and came home without them. If that doesn't make it clear enough, imagine a bathroom break, just without the bathroom. Yeah, not one of my finer moments. So anyway, after all was taken care of on that end, I started runnning again, only to get one of the worst abdominal cramps I've ever had. Usually these things just work themselves out, but this one was with me for the rest of my run. Had to stop at least half a dozen times, and by the end of the run, I was stopping ever 100 meters. What should have been a 90 minute run without stops was made into a 2 hour death march. And the ironic thing was that my legs felt fantastic almost the entire time. Must have been the few chocolate covered strawberries I ate beforehand...won't make that mistake again!!!

And the most exciting event of the day....I FINALLY got a power meter for my bike!!!! Really excited about this one and very thankful to the guys at Campus Bicycles(more on that in a minute). I'm excited to train with power because I really believe with the right guidence (and I've certainly got that) I'll be able to take my cycling to the next level. Although I was happy with my results this past weekend, I'm still certain I could have gone faster if I'd been training with a power meter. I'm intruiged by the "absoluteness" of power-the fact that it "is what it is". Nothing effects it except for what you're putting into the pedals. It'll be a blast to see how strong (or weak:) ) I am!

So the thankful for Campus Bicycles part....
My local shop, Campu Bicycles, have been great in hooking me up the last couple years. They've got the best mechanics on Long Island as far as I'm concerned, and really work with you to help in any way they can...and I mean ANY way. So, as I went in to pick up my power meter today, somehow I wound up locking my keys in the car-haven't done this in years! Luckily enough, being the great mechanic that he is, my buddy Nelson found a way to "break" into my car and save me from having to cancel an important appointment. I didn't ask any questions, but boy did he get in the car with ease...Hmmm..... hahaha! So thanks Campus Bikes, where you can not only get some great bike gear, but get you're car broken into for free!!! hahaha, all kidding aside, thanks guys for the help! Saved me in more ways than one!

So that was my day. Little up, little down, but that's the way it is. Looking forward tomorrow to another good swim (hosted by coach Kerry), and a long run. This will be the longest run I've done in quite a while so I'm a bit nervous about it. Haven't had any problems with injury or anything else, but it's always in the back of my mind. It'll be interesting to test the waters. Fingers crossed!!!