Summer means the lake

Getting my swim back. Tomorrow I'll extend another 100 for a total of 900. I think my stroke technique is getting better. I'm trying to extend further and keep my arms in the water longer. I think I'm faster, but I don't really remember my splits from before. I've been taking some great rides these past few days. The heat is starting to have an effect on my training. My biggest discomfort is the sweat running in my eyes. We're taking our boat to the lake on Monday. I'm going to try my hand at open water swimming for a little distance I think. Today I did a strength workout with some friends. I was going to cut out early because I needed to do a four mile run. One of my friend says, "Hey you do two more reps with us, and I'll run four with you." I reluctantly buckled and said okay. I got revenge on the run. He was tired at mile 2 and dying after about mile 3. After 4.45 we walked it in.

Training training training

I got back in the pool week before last. I've been working on getting back some running endurance, and the bike is going great. I've been on some great rides lately, and one that was a little harrowing. I got into some horrendous hills thinking I would only have to hit them once. Then I got to the low water bridge. The creek was high and I thought about carrying my bike across, but saw gravel road and decided to go back the way I came. It was tough! I gained some confidence in my climbing ability though. I ran an 8k race a while back and got a fairly decent time. I ran in the rain, but it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. My good friend Don gave me decent Brooks hat and I'm happy to say I've used it a few times since then. I'm looking forward to my next race in Willard on June 19th. I guess I better get registered.

We just finished our SORT recerts and I have to say that all this exercise was a huge help. I finished out obstacle course in the top 5, and felt great afterward. The physical challenges were met pretty handily, but the mental ones were a little tougher. Some written tests were challenging and our MO course was a BITCH! Passed it, officially on the first attempt. Unofficially, after the third and final attempt. Glad it's over for another year.