In keeping with my theme this year: “FUN”….I am having a great time..but I am finding myself wanting to go longer and do more.  I think part of the problem is that we are having the BEST weather ever.  You know, 60s and 70s and dry (unheard of here)…and sunny!  It just makes you want to train and not work.

I was out on my bike today and my ride was super short..and I thought, “that is all!”  I am so used to training for the Ironman that anything under 3 hours seems silly.  Of course now I am doing harder intervals and harder overall rides, but I am having fun on the bike…and that was the first thing I wanted to throw away after IM.

AND, the open water is basically open now.  Another sign summer is here.  I am dying to get into the water – I wanted to go last week but I could not get any takers (boo)!  And, I will not swim OW solo…you know, the water monsters will get me.

Now it is May 15th and I am starting to race a lot.  I am so happy to race all short stuff…I am racing Galena this weekend…one of my all time favorite races:  hilly and competitive!  I have done it like 7-8x but it is still one of my favs.  Then, I am doing a 10 mile run race over the Holiday weekend…then I am racing Leon’s…which is a VERY competitive OLY race in Indiana…I actually did the original ones (before Leon stopped doing the race – and re-started it) in the mid 90s.

Then, I am racing a little local Sprint the weekend of June 10th.  I usually race Eagleman 70.3 that weekend.  And, for those who have known me, know it is my all time favorite race.  But, we cannot go this year.  In my theme of “low key” it was not making the cut…and the final straw was it is Morgan’s dance recital that weekend.  So, no EM for me (sniff boo)….

Then, the last weekend in June I am doing another local sprint.  I am NOT sure who I think I am doing these Sprints.  Gasp….And, then a 1/2 Ironman in July up in Wisconsin.

Then, I am at a loss.  See, my fitness is actually very good for May because I am coming off the massive training I did last year and then I rested and now feel GREAT.  So, strike when the iron is hot is my motto!  And, as long as I have the desire to race, I gotta go with it.

The last race I have planned is my 1/2 Ironman in July…22nd weekend.  Well, that leaves August and the fall to do some more things.  My favorite distance is the 1/2 IM, so that is what I am thinking I should do…I do not want to do run races (not like a marathon or anything).  I have thrown around the idea of SC Nats or LC Nationals, but that takes away my “FUN” theme….and while I am fit enough to race there, not sure I want to…travel.

So, that is what is running through my mind these weeks.  I am training like I am doing Nationals….I am training like I normally do.  In fact, I was on the track yesterday and FINALLY after 6 weeks of speed work I am seeing some times that I should be doing on the track.  BEST workout ever.  HONEST and hard. Most athletes run too easy and too much on the track.  Get on the roads for that stuff.  The track is for hard running and pace work.  Every time I go to the track, I am nauseous with fear and anticipation.  And, I know what I can do on the track pretty clearly.  And, yesterday was a great breakthrough for me coming off this damn achilles injury from last fall.

Anyway, now I am rambling…but all I have to figure out is what I should do after July 22nd.  And, NO IM please…remember, I said NO already to Hawaii…and I don’t regret that decision at all.

Oh and irony of this?  We took an easy year b/c we put our house up on the market and wanted to start to build our new house?  WELL our house is not going anywhere…we have had NO bites in 10 weeks.  It is a horribly tough market out there …and while I knew it would be TOUGH, I had no idea this rough….so there is NO building anything until this house sells.

I am open to your racing thoughts – throw them out!!