June 28, 2009

I've been thinking a lot about this date because it's the annual Philadelphia Triathlon and I'm competing in it for the first time. I've been training for about a month now and feeling stronger each day.

It was cold this past Saturday, like frigid cold. The kind of cold that seeps into your skin and tests your determination like nothing else. I drove past a bank on my way and it said it was 26 degrees outside.

As I began my run, I knew I needed to block out the pain because I knew it would subside at some point. And sure enough, 15 minutes into my run, I felt like I was running on the beach with my bathing suit on. I ran 6.5 miles at a 6:45 pace.

Here's my question- when I run in the gym (with a water bottle, shorts, t-shirt, and a warm facility), I usually run at a 7:15 pace. So how was I able to slice 30 seconds off each mile, 2 minutes and 10 seconds overall (with a sweatshirt, long pants, and running directly into the wind)?

I'm just focused on getting stronger. KL.