Friday, August 15, 2008

Thursday Observations

Thursdays are always interesting. They start before day break, and usually end after the sun has set. That's when dinner arrives and it is finally time to kick back, eat a huge dinner, watch the Olympics and enjoy thinking about sleeping in on Friday morning, my day off from training.

As the sun rose over the track at 6:00am, I took a mental picture of what it was like to be doing this, right here, right now so that hopefully, someday when I have little kids running all around me, I would remember what it was like to wake up, and feel like I was flying as I rounded each corner as the cool night air wore off into day.

I will always love track, not like cross country, but we still have a strong relationship because of all the years I spent doing that type of activity. Countless workouts, knowing what my split time was going to be even before I crossed the line. It becomes innate in some ways, just like the "feel" for the water, you get a feel for pace on the track.

At 6:30, it was all over but the cool down, 4 x 400, 3 x 800, and 4 x 400 again with great splits and legs feeling good. I sped over to the pool to do my 3500 moderate swim, and was even able to make it to work by 8:30am so I could complete my plan of leaving by 4:30 to get my long bike done.

The thunderclouds were a bit too ominous for me as I changed my plans to ride inside at the gym. Every forecast called for severe storms headed for our area. Riding inside is not ideal, but I still think it is good to do every once in awhile. It's hard work these days, and last night was no exception. I had to kill myself to push my lead legs hard enough to get into my needed HR zone. Once I was there, I made a puddle so big it started to well up and make a small river heading out into the hall. Can you say "lawsuit" as someone slips on your sweat (gross first of all) and cracks their head open (why do Mom's always say that, and now here I am saying it too! Like that is the only injury ever known to man with associated slipping!!)


Afterward, I sat in the steam room and stretched while a load of Chinese women came in and bantered about who knows what. It was so interesting to think about what they might be saying. They would talk, then they would go outside for a minute, then they would come back in and start all over again. I read an article recently that described what a huge part of the Chinese culture "bathhouses" have been for centuries. They just walk around, naked, and get these "exfoliations" that seem more like torture tactics!! Sometimes, they spend the entire day there, soaking & steaming & it's like a gossip/family reunion type fest! Well, they were on it last night!! Finally, although I enjoyed hearing them speak, I decided to let them have their privacy. It was nice. I liked the thought of maintaining your roots here in the good old USA, I guess a YMCA with a steam room is a necessarily element for these people - like me and spin bikes!

After I realized I was soaked with sweat, steam and generally a downed rat, I remembered I left my towel in the car after using it as a pillow to sleep at lunch. Yes, I do now catch a cat nap at lunch in my car.. weird or not, it's TOTALLY worth it! So, no towel, T-shirt will do! I used a semi-sweaty t-shirt to towel off and headed home. The life of a triathlete.

So, my Thurs. observations go like this:

  • The sunrise is nice, the sunset was even prettier.
  • Napping in the car is my newest friend and I think you should start doing it, ASAP!
  • Chinese women like to gossip in the steam room on Thursday night, now if I could just get a translator :)
  • No towel, no problem, sweaty t-shirt (I did take an ice bath & another shower later - shower total Thursday - THREE)
  • I like my Thursdays, they are hard, but they are good. I like my day off Friday too, so I'm keeping it!

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