This dry, cool weather has shown up at just at the right time. After taking a bit of a recovery week following Eagleman, I jumped back into training a little too quickly and ended up angering my calf right down to my foot last Wednesday while doing some speedwork. I forced myself to back off, which wasn't too difficult considering how hot and humid it got around here, and just as the oppressive weather broke, I felt ready to train. So, this past week, I've had some great workouts, including a 72-mile ride up to the orchard near Pomona, NY and back to Manhattan. On that ride, I think I climbed the cruelest hill I've ever encountered. It was so hard I felt it in my abs yesterday, but I followed through with my plan and had a successful 6x800 track workout followed by some strength training in the gym. Today, I'm looking forward to an early brick in Central Park and then it's back out to the boat, where I'll be getting in plenty of open-water swimming and trail running.
I'm also bringing my bike, which my family isn't too happy about. I never thought they were superstitious, but apparently, they are! They keep asking why I want to ride on July 4, exactly a year after my crash, on the same roads. My mom says she isn't taking a picture of me this time (the one here was taken the morning of my crash just after I ran the 10k to my parents' house and before I headed out on my ride). I guess it's just my way of exorcizing the demons that still plague me sometimes and rewriting the past.
