Back to the spin

Yup, I really like spinning. It's a good sweat. And you work as hard as you want to. Though I did wonder whether I was working perhaps a tad too hard when I gained the sensation of being cheered by a buzzing crowd while nearing a finish line during the very last hard interval (a minute in length.) Was I imagining a crowd or was this the buzzing of my brain right before I passed out? I wondered. (Vivid imagination, I think.) I like to spin with my eyes closed. And I now have this past summer's races and early morning rides to fill my mind as I work my legs. That's a big difference from before. I had never ridden a road bike when I last took the spin class.

One thing that annoyed me (about myself, that is) is that when the instructor came up and asked about how my "season" had gone, I completely minimized it and said, oh I'd only done one triathlon ... which is true, but I could have said how awesome it was to do a triathlon for the first time, or how much I've enjoyed running, or something mildly less self-effacing. That's my instinct. And I wish I could change it without feeling like I'm bragging.

Anyway .... I ran for 23 minutes yesterday, less than planned, but let's just say there was a bathroom emergency (or whatever the level is right below emergency) so I cut it short. Note to self: do not eat a giant meal in a short amount of time immediately before going for a run. Just don't do it. You can eat afterward.

And I think I've decided not to run during the kids' swim lessons today. I'm going to let my body rest briefly from the spin class, and besides I'm running early tomorrow morning. In my running plan this week, also: a run on Thursday evening, another on Friday evening, and a Saturday afternoon long run (the only time I can squeeze it in). I'd like to finish off the week running at my favourite trails during my daughter's soccer practice on Sunday. And then I'll start tapering ... a bit.

I need to think about what I'll do when the marathon is over. How I'll choose to focus my energies. Whether all of this exercise is becoming disruptive or replacing other things in my life. What my future goals are. Where all of this fits in ...