Um. Wow.

Things are going really well in my little corner of the world. For one, this blog has been featured in the USAT-Midwest Region newsletter. So cool. I wish I could think of something brilliant and insightful to say, but AJ hasn't gotten back to me with any ideas.

Secondly, my friend Sally and Adam Zucco, both from Training Bible, are doing a VO2 Max demo tonight at Little Shark (team headquarters)and guess who gets to do the demo test? Your's truly!! So, I will finally know my true Lactate Threshold and what my freakin' heart rate is "supposed" to be when I'm training in any given Zone.

Should be pretty handy for these next few weeks as I pile on the mileage and intensity (yeah, yeah, I'm following the 10% rule and all that) getting ready for the Lake St. Louis Oly Distance in September. And, it will really be useful this fall when I begin marathon training for the Space Coast Marathon in Florida the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Yes, gentle readers, I did say MARATHON! Its time this Fire Bird got some run on. My run has improved greatly this season but I think it can only get better with some focused training. Plus, I just want to say I did it. What the hell, a couple of triathlons under my belt, I might as well do the 26.2, right? Sure. What the hell.

So, my motivation, which has been sorely lacking after my incredibly relaxing trip to the river (post and pictures to come, I promise), is starting pick up again. I can feel that fire in my belly starting to burn and I'm looking forward to what it has in store for me.

Tomorrow morning, I'm racing a 10k - my first - so I can start to get the feel for that distance at race intensity. I've run that far (and farther) many times, but, as you all can attest to, training is not racing. Wish me luck, sports fans!

And be careful out there!

**** Edit - Ok, so I'm the type of person to constantly "rear view mirror" edit myself and it occurs to me, after much thought throughout the day, that my above "scoff" at the 26.2 miles might not clearly be tongue in cheek. So, there ya go. Totally tongue in cheek. 26.2 miles is terrifying!! But I'm doing it because that's what I do - I look stuff that terrifies me right in the face and stick out my tongue and say "I'm doing it anyway." When I was four, I insisted I was big enough to ride the kids roller coaster. My mom and dad warned me that it would be scary, that it was bigger than it looked, but I insisted that I wanted to do it and that it would be fun. I got on that thing and I did it. With a big smile plastered on my face - right below saucer sized eyes filled with terror. I was, in fact, terrified, but I wasn't going to let my mom and dad - or the roller coaster - know this. I still love roller coasters. That is the nature of this beast.

Whew. I feel better now.