Good friends, Clark and Molly, drove up from Chicago Friday night and moved in for a month until they close on their house here in Minnesota. It's great to have great friends so close. I am doing the Waupaca Tri with Clark also. He is the one who got me interested in tri's two years ago at Waupaca. His uncle Steve has been competing in it for years and I hope to come close to his caliber this year. Molly is a Marathon runner so the three of us went out for my four mile hill run Saturday afternoon. Good times!
Earlier Saturday I had a swim training at Lake Harriet from 10:30 to 12:00. I found out that I have not been breathing correctly in my swim stroke, so it was back to the drawing board.
Sunday it was an early rise to be back down at Harriet at 6:30am for an hour swim then a three hour bike. What a beautiful morning. We have been learning proper lake entry and exit. There is so much to learn about tri's it's great. You really don't need anything but shorts, shoes and a bike, and the wil to finish, yet there is always something to learn to make yourself faster if you choose. There is always smarter and always faster. This morning's swim revealed that I have more work to do on my breathing. I know that patience will pay off eventually. Distance swimming requires comfortable full breathing and I will eventually find it. The bike was fantastic. Not hard core but beautiful. Susan our coach lead us on a loop from Harriet on the Hiawatha trails to St. Paul and back on Summit Ave. What a great ride. There is a crazy hill coming out of St. Paul to get up on Summit. Coach thought it would be a fun idea to do it twice since I had never been on it before. Once was a challenge, twice was all most too much but I got to the top. It is a times like that, when you want to check out because you have nothing left. My mind immediately reflects to Adam. He didn't quit, he never wanted you to know how much pain he was in or how weak he was. The things he endured I will most likely never have to endure. Ever! Certainly not training for this race, nor during the race. So what is my threshold? how far will I go. I am thankful for Suzanne, our coach. She preaches efficiency, running your own race. No waste, all positive, all technique. I need that angle. I am emotional. I push. I want it all now. In tri's you need balance, technique before the push. Efficiency before the emotion.
Tuesday morning, mom dad and I leave for Canada. So the rest of my weekend was filled with preparation for the long drive. I will be bringing my bike and the rest of the gear so I don't loose any of what we have built up to. Did I mention that I miss my girls? We were going to do the drive in two days. Not so much anymore. I'll get us their in one! One thousand miles here we come!
Janet was able to see her mom in the hospital yesterday. Pray for all of the girls (Jennifer, Vanessa, Michelle) and her father (Victor). It is a difficult situation to see your mom in that position. Bernice is struggling to remember who everyone is and fades in and out of reality often. Her mental and physical condition has been turning for the worse for the last month and Janet was very taken back to find her in that condition. It will be difficult for me to be in that position again, yet I feel confident that God will allow me to draw upon my past experience and his strength in the situation.
Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther that it can see. - William Newton Clark
How far will you go today?
1 comment:
Andrew, Please tell Janet that we are praying for her, her mom, and her entire family. God's speed and safety on your trip to Canada. I'm so sorry that you are all going through this again. Love to all of you from us.
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