It's too hot to get back into training. That's my excuse today. Well, it was until yesterday. Ran 4.25 and actually got a little cold. Well, not really cold, but my sweat was actually cooling my body off just a little bit...

Travel should slow down just a bit now, maybe I'll be back on the bike a little. I have a 100-mile ride September 25th. Thank goodness for coasting!

Well it's gotten just plain ridiculous. I'm too busy. Too much going on. Time to focus on slowing down, managing time, and what's important.

Training goals for 2010 have gone by the wayside, suffering at the hands of life's speed bumps. Hardly salvagable. But I guess I'll try. I hope everyone else is doing okay...must be a sign of the times or something???

I had to put it on here (an entry for June), even though it's the 27th. That's an all-time record for late entry. Oh well. Looks like the Weeks of Insanity are coming to a close with GLCBS 2010...a nice way to finish it off.

So training has been quite a bit less than stellar. But I did mount up on Javelina yesterday for the first time in about 2 months...felt nice. She has missed me. Running was okay until last week; and I swam once this month. Really unbelievable how busy things have been. But as I said, looking to slow down in a few days. Oh and did I mention it's wicked hot-and-humid?

I love this word. It's something for which most people have intense desire. The thought of things which are "inspiring" evokes emotions and physiological responses like increased heart rate, breathing rate, etc.

Yet inspiration is so simple. It's an everyday - actually every few seconds! - process. It's just breathing in, which is then followed by breathing out. Inspiration is for me, this night, the presence of Geoff and Casey. Two guys that are just getting it done. Plugging away. Inspiration is getting on the forum and breathing in a little message about a GREAT race by Geoff or an encouraging word from Casey.

Let's make inspiration an everyday activity this month!

So we head on into 2010 boldly with goals and dreams and some wild hairs. But the road is un-tested and unknown. So along the way, we run into some bumps. We keep plugging, but alas, it's just not what we expected. How will we react?

Our training history has built some physical and mental character that demands we press on. We will weather the bumps and roll with the punches. Time has been short for training for me, but I will not go down without a fight.

So we continue inevitably on in 2010, towards another annual set of goals. How are we holding up? Have we managed to stave off the winter poundage? Have we managed to avoid losing all sense of fitness?

Begin visualizing the accomplishments you are working towards. Begin owning up to the fact that, back in January, you thought your goals were possible. Begin buckling down and doing the work to get there! (I speak mostly to myself, here!)

The bitter cold and snow has set in all over this great land (global warming!). We must dedicate ourselves to running just to stay warm (be exothermic!). We must resist the temptation to load on a layer of winter warmth around our midsections (too late!).

Seriously, though - what are those goals for 2010? How are they coming? February is the month when the resolutions have worn around the edges...maybe we've gotten a little more realistic? I'm sticking to my goals...500 sub-5:40, win Whitney Classic, better than 7th at Tri Arkansas.

Now I just have to get to work...

Has anyone set any new goals for the year? I have. This year, I will race my first swimming-only race, and my first biking-only race. I am swimming the 500 and maybe the mile. My goal is to swim the 500 in 5:40 or better. Then, I'm racing the Whitney Classic bike race in September. My goal is 1. survival, and 2. to win. My lone triathlon which I'm planning to do is the Tri Arkansas in August. I finished 7th there last year, and my goal is to try to improve upon both my time and my place.

So there you go. Should be a great year! I have a few other things lined up that may materialize as we go along. Also, I just finished the book "Born to Run" and recommend it as a fun read.

I've been quite the slacker here lately. 8.5 miles in 20 days. 1 swim workout. Javelina still has the shipping wrap on her. Why? I dunno. Been busy. Been very busy. It's all good.

Thanks to you guys, especially Geoff and Casey, for pushing me through your blog entries! It definitely helped. I'm now in the new-goal-setting phase, dreaming again of what's possible. Wondering how to set the goal high enough to push me along, yet realistically enough to ensure I have the ability to actually reach it. Fun times!

Well, there comes that point where all the training may pay off - or maybe not. how fun! regardless of the outcome, as Asher says, "it's about the journey, not the destination," right? i dunno....something about failing in a race doesn't seem so chock-full-of-valuable-lessons to me. i'd prefer a PR, personally.

So here we go .... get ready, arizona, dyronman's en route. and here's to a PR for casey, or at least a bq, and a sub-3-hour PR for Geoff, while we're at it!

I never understood this phrase until I started intense core training a few years back. Having good core body strength enables better form and faster times in all three of the sports I primarily engage in - swimming, biking, and running. I test it from time to time - am I maintaining a good solid core? What if I focus on it for the next little bit - am I getting faster? Is it helping my form?

So I encourage ye to gird up thy loins like men. Buckle down, tighten up. Work harder. Get your whole body, fitly joined together, working together as every joint supplieth to the whole part. etc. etc. Training advice from the Bible rules.

I run out of a lot of things. I run out of energy. I run out of patience. I run out of time. But I never run out of running.

Running keeps me running. I liked a recent comment by our Brother and former Commentor, Ray - he said he's been having back problems. And he said he'd never had back problems when he was running. So what's he gonna do with his back problems? He's gonna run them out.

I hope it works out for him! Meantime, I'm gonna run. When I'm frustrated, I'm gonna run. When I'm hungry, I'm gonna run. I'm not running away, mind you. Just running out.