Another Long Run

9.15 miles, 142 minutes, exhausting. I was done when I was done. So to speak.

Duane and Jim and I took off, John met us on the trail and we ran together. Gary is our other training partner, but he had kid duty so he couldn't make it. I like the group, all good guys, all better athletes than I am. I am coming to grips with the bottom of the pecking order. At some level, it is important, that athletic thing, but on the other hand, it has nothing to do with me completing Ironman. I think about it this way; My lack of athletic ability isn't a limiter, it's just something I need to deal with. My limiters are, in no particular order, poor swim technique, below average swim stamina and a crooked swim path, over-aggressive bike riding leading to early stamina depletion, poor run form, poor run stamina, old knees that get sore running. With all of those, poor athleticism isn't even making the top 10. In a way, that is a good thing. Weird how that works out.

When I got home from my run, I put on compression socks, fixed a protein smoothie, put my feet up with ice packs on both knees. Patty got home 30 seconds later with groceries, which she told me to bring in. I refused. That was dumb.

I have been training for about 2 weeks straight with no days off, I am tired, I might take a day off tomorrow. Maybe I will just read a book about training for an Ironman. That seems like a good substitute.