An 18 Mile Detour

Yesterday morning Marty and I arrived slightly late, as usual to our swim session (6:55ish). As I was getting ready to hop in the pool I was summoned by another one of our team mates, Alison. Alison asked me to consider bailing on spinning class (after swimming) to go on an 18 mile run instead. She reasoned that the forecast called for rain on Sunday and it would be much more fun to run when it was nice and springy outside. So, I told her I would think about it, but I needed to get on with swimming.

I seriously pondered Alison's suggestion with few reservations. I was bummed that I had my OLD running shoes with me and my least favorite running attire (too warm and uncomfortable for an 18 miler). You see, I was only planning on running 3 miles after spinning, so I didn't really care what gear I had. However, shoes and clothing make a big difference on an 18 mile run. Comfort is everything.

After 450-550 yards of swimming (I'm not sure of the exact count), I knew I had to get out of the pool and get on with spinning or running. Marty and I decided it would be much better to run than to swim. Besides, who really wants to be shoved on a stationary bike, indoors, on a nice spring day??? So, we got ready for a run and gently informed our spin instructor we wouldn't be joining her because we had to get our mileage in while the weather was right. This left our tri spin class with a meager 4 participants. Sorry!

Let me clarify that I am not afraid of running in rain, sleet, snow, sun, wind, or any potential VT weather elements. I have run in temperatures ranging from -15ish to 95ish with all sorts of wind and precipitation. However, when given an opportunity to avoid inferior weather conditions, I will go for it. Afterall, 18 miles is a long time to be running in the cool rain when there's no sanctioned race involved.

We had a great run together. We ran from the gym to our house and back (with the addition of a few neighborhood loops on each end). The best part by far, was breakfast afterwards. We indulged in a king-sized feast at Mirabelle's--my favorite! Thanks for the detour, Alison! Grrrrreat idea!

This morning, we rose bright and early to join our running friends for a run...only 4 miles. I find it comical that we drove nearly 20 miles to run 4. That kind of dedication illustrates how important our Sunday running group is to us--we don't miss it for much.

I guess I'll get back on the bike another time this week. I may even have the opportunity to take my bike out on the streets if the weather cooperates as predicted. The forecast calls for temps reaching the 60s by the end of the week. Yippee!

Correction: One of my faithful blog followers, noticed that my training schedule was incorrect. I neglected to include my swim sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays--they were accidentally substituted with running. I have since corrected the schedule and you can view the corrections on my post from 3/8/10.

Please support our Team Courcelle fundraising efforts as Marty and I train for the Mooseman Triathlon as a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.