Well, hello February!

I can’t believe we’re already into February!  Things are just flying by this year.  I better keep up!

I did a 16 mile run outside on Sunday since we were having such gorgeous weather.  It was absolutely fabulous.  The only problem is that I’ve done all my runs on the treadmill lately since when I get home it’s already dark.  My body forgot how to run hills!  I powered through my run (16 miles at a 10:06/mile pace) but I was wiped out after.  I haven’t felt that stiff and sore after a run in a long time!  Holy cow!  I think I’ve just about worked out the stiffness now that it’s Tuesday night.  But that was rough!  I need to make sure I work in as many outdoor runs as possible before the marathon in March so any hills don’t kick my butt on race day.

I got over to the pool for a bit tonight and am continuing to work on my form.  It’s getting a little better every time.  I’ve been learning a lot more about proper catch (check out swimsmooth for some useful info) and trying to pay attention to my hand placement in the water.  I keep hearing that when you have proper catch, it just feels right.  And tonight, I felt it.  All of a sudden, I felt like I was flying through the water.  Granted, I’m still way slower than many people, but I’m improving!

Next thing to work on – 2 beat kick!  I keep trying, and every once in a while, I get into a rhythm, but then about 30 seconds later, everything goes all wonky and I start feeling like I’m just flailing my legs around and getting nowhere.  It will come eventually.  I just need to get the muscle memory.

As for the bike – things continue.  It’s definitely my least favorite of the three, but it’s not bad.  I think the more time I spend on the bike, the more I will like it.  Also, it will help a lot more when I can bike outside – the trainer isn’t nearly as entertaining.