Big props to jhrunning on Fitocracy for the pep talk earlier this week (loads of luck with your tri!), and mentioning the phrase "embrace the suck" - he was talking about running through bad weather, but I used it a lot to get through the burning shins and marshmallow knees phase of my run this evening - and to get up the last rise on my way home (I pictured that belly from the old Reebok ad as "the suck" and ran after it, chanting "I'm going to hug yooooou!!". In my head. Yes, I'm well aware that's weird).
Something I have definitely learned tonight: at the moment I can't do without a big warm-up - a mile walk uphill seems to be about the right amount. Less than that and I'm hurting and discouraged very quickly, so I'm going to drop that short warmup/2.5km route off my list and always do the long warm-up first. It's a pain because it adds 20mins or so to the time I'm out, but if that's what it takes I guess that's what I'm doing. I started out more slowly, using my last warm-up song (India Arie: Video) to start running to rather than my usual kick-off tune (Barenaked Ladies: One Week), and that seemed to give me a more confident pace. I also gave myself permission to walk up the horrible hump-backed bridge which is my nemesis, and that gave me more energy to go further at the other end, which I'm pleased with. So I'm feeling more positive despite noticing the frost appearing on the grass verges...! Overall it was nearly 2k in part one, a 2min/200m walk up the bridge and then about 1.5k for part two. That's much better, I feel more optimistic about adding back my favourite, totally dark moor section now and trying for the 5k again sooner rather than later.
I spent a lot of the evening chatting on Fito and Facebook to various other swimmers (Iron Fish FTW!), which was lovely - really feel like I'm starting to find a bit of a tribe, people who really get the whole open water thing. I'd been somewhat low and bitter to be going back to work today (which is saying something as I love my job) instead of doing the last session at Salford, but it was cancelled due to issues with the water quality - and USwim announced their "polar sessions" this week. So with a quick date shuffle of classes and a sincere (but I must admit, slightly gleeful) apology to my families, I am delighted, excited, and a little scared to be going to the November session. Man, it is going to be COLD, and I think I may invest in some neoprene socks. But it will be awesome, even if I'm only in there five minutes.
Hoping for good weather tomorrow. YaaL on Fito challenged me to get my bike out in return for her run, so I'm thinking of cycling to the pool first thing. Fingers crossed! I have done some lifting also and am leading one of my duels...somebody, mentioning no husbands, has been sneaking in the weights after hours so with that and a horrible chunk of roof mending logged as "yard work" (which, to be fair, deserved the points), I've dropped back a bit on that. Guess I'd better to remember to log all the absent-minded calf raises and get little D to do weighted bridges with me this week...:-P
