Week One, in the Bag!

What a week! You all heard how excited I was to get back at "real" training again, and this week did not disappoint! It was an easier than normal week as my coach eased me back into the rigors of my usual schedule, but it felt SO good to be back on my bike and getting some good runs in. Other than just getting the fire back, moments of particular note this week:

1. Two runs in my Newtons! The first run was early in the week, and to be honest, I wasn't so sure about these after that first run. They were fine, but .... I was looking for more than fine after spending double what my usual shoes cost (and my usual shoes aren't particularly inexpensive!). But, I knew that there was a break-in period with these shoes, and they have a 30 day return policy, so I was going to continue to give them a shot. Today was my second run in them, and I'm feeling MUCH more excited! I had an easy 30 minute run on the schedule, and I found it VERY difficult to a) keep my pace where I should have been running - my legs wanted to go FAST!, and b) to stop after just 30 minutes. I just felt REALLY good - leg turnover was really, really quick, and my feet and legs felt cheetah-like. Good, good stuff! So I'm now actually pretty excited about these shoes and am really looking forward to seeing how they feel on longer runs.
   
2. Two great rides on the bike - both on the trainer as I had to get them in very early in the morning (pre-dawn). The first was a nice technique focused workout, with lots of one-legged drills and high cadence spinning. I used my aerobars quite a bit and L O V E D them. The second workout was an aerobic ride on Saturday (an hour + warm-up / cool-down), with 10 second pick-ups every 5 minutes - I was watching "Without Limits" in the background, which is a decent little movie about the great distance runner Steve Prefontaine. I watched until he took 3rd in the Berlin Olympics (he is NOT a guy who liked to lose!) - I'm looking forward to finishing the movie during one of my upcoming indoor rides. Great motivation for background viewing.
   
3. I'm totally digging the kettlebell workouts. I took a 1-on-1 session at a gym in Worchester to make sure that my form was good, and for help on some moves that I was having trouble with, and it was well worth the trip. I learned a lot, had fun, and got in a nice workout. Can't beat that! And, I came home with a 35# bell, which is super cool.
   

This week kicks it back up to normal training volume - back to lots of double days (i.e., bike in the AM, run in the PM). I'm psyched!

I'd like to give a BIG thank you to everyone who quickly helped me to meet (and surpass) my December fundraising requirement! I'm sure I'll be able to meet my overall goal by the race.

In other news, I just received information about my patient partner. I'll be contacting her parents today to learn more about her, and will post back with details shortly. I'm really looking forward to meeting them at the upcoming Miles For Miracles team kick-off party in early December. I felt very strongly about being paired up with a patient to help make my training feel more purposeful - I can't wait to learn more about her.