Long Time

Hey all,
It has been awhile since I wrote but so much has happened.  Somehow I let my life get crazy busy and I usually love it.  So what has happened since Disney.
  • Had Lasik done!  Greatest thing ever to see all the time.  Amazing how many positions Callie sleeps in during the night.  Strangest surgery but so worth it. Also swimming knowing that I won't lose my contacts is pretty great.
  • Ran a 10k in DC for Alum Run and kept around a 9:30 min mile pace.  By the way, that is great considering I hadn't been speed training
  • Hiked Old Rag and Billy Goat trails.  I have finally hit the key hikes in VA and want to keep exploring.  I love it!
  • Decided to sign up for a marathon in November with Jen with the goal of breaking 4 hours.  This will be hard for this normally 10 min miler but I am ready to get "fast" with my hopefully 9:09 pace.
  • Built my first garden.  So much more on this hopefully once it starts producing but I am so excited.  Embracing my yard this year and learning how to weed, grow, and maintain my yard. Baby steps
  • Spent a week in London for work and loved it. Tourist stops included St Pauls Cathedral and saw Romeo and Juliet at the Globe.  Enjoyed some fun runs around the city as well
  • Raced Kinetic Sprint.  I will try to do a race report on this soon.  This happened two days after landing from London so I am happy with how well it went.
  • Ran a 5k with Jen to set our race pace.  It went really well. My goal for the year is a sub 25 min 5k and I am only a minute off to start the summer.  This will happen!
  • Oh and my parents visited and we spent 2 days in Charlottesville touring Monticello, UVA, and of course wineries.
  • Finally I have been training hard for the Bay Bridge swim. 
To chat on the training for the swim.  The Bay Bridge swim is 4.4 miles long which by the way can be a long run for those not used to running.  Jen and I decided to do it since it wouldn't hurt our knees and would still provide a challenge.  I never realized how boring the training would be.  I love running and biking with others because you can chat with others but swimming is really a solo sport.  Jen and I have done almost every swim together but chatting for 30 seconds between sets isn't quite what I prefer. 

Our longest swim was 7000 yds.  I am slightly faster than Jen so I just keep swimming and hit 7,600 yds.  All of this was done in a 25 yd pool meaning that I did 152 laps or 304 lengths.  This is a long time staring at a black line. So what goes through my head during that time.  This is just a sample:
  • This isn't too bad...I feel good.
  • I can't believe this happened at work this week.
  • What should I eat after this workout.
  • Singing pop hits from the 2000s...usually Nsync, Backstreet, or any other song from that period that I know all the words.  My favorite random songs that popped into my head, Sound of Music, Dr Dre, anything the water aerobics class is playing
  • I really hate this
  • Wow I need to take a gel soon
  • Backstreets Back alright
  • Why am I still swimming? Why did I sign up for this?
  • It better not storm for this race
  • I am ready to eat a horse...so hungry.  Maybe I should get ice cream today
  • Oh and it just keeps going
Yes, my thoughts go everywhere and anywhere. 2 hours with no changing scenery or music is tough.  I can't wait for this to be over in 2 weekends.  Also reminder to self, never do a long swim.  2.4 miles is your max from here on out.

Big two weekends coming up with Jamestown International to try to qualify for Age Group Nationals followed by the Bay swim.  Oh and then vacation to Yellowstone!  My crazy June is about to start.