Illin' (and I don't mean like the Beastie Boys)

Dry mouth.  That is what I awoke with randomly throughout the night, my nose stuffed and my mouth the innocent victim, essential a desert.  This always seems to happen to me as the weather starts to turn from the cold winter to the warmer spring-esque temperatures.  The frustrating part is that I didn't feel 100% yesterday and did think to myself that I might be starting to get a bit sick....then WHAMO! it hits me last night.  My only hope is that it will pass quickly (whatever "it" is I mean).

I managed to get on my trainer last night and did a quick 30 minute spin while watching "Modern Family".  I probably should have gone for an hour but I just didn't have it in me and I really wanted to get to sleep early.  As it turned out I didn't fall asleep until aftern 11:00PM, partly because I was lazy in getting showered and in bed, and partly because my wife was folding laundry and then was watching TV late.  I did ponder going into our guest room to sleep, but nixed the idea when I thought about the ramifications it might have (my lovely wife might have gotten the wrong idea).

This morning was tough.  I kept waking up at random times, 3:30AM, 3:55AM, 4:30AM and then of course I slept through my alarm and didn't get up until 5:20AM.  DAMN!  I contemplated not going swimming, but then I convinced myself that I would be better off getting in the water and that it might help to clean out my sinuses (FYI, I do not blow snot in the pool, I keep a towel on the pool deck to handle any discharge).  The first 200M went pretty well, although my shoulders were burning, so sore and tired.  I then managed to get in another 450M before I realized that it just wasn't happening for me.  I was totally wiped, I had nothing in me and ultimately my stroke was deteriorating quickly.  I didn't want to be counter-productive and regress the improvements I have made in my stroke, so I opted to just cut my losses and get out of the pool.

I am supposed to do 3 miles w/ 4 x 100M strides this afternoon.  I think I will be able to do the workout without any issues.  Plus tomorrow is supposed to be a rest day (optional swim), so I may take full advantage of that and just not do anything.  My half-marathon training plan calls for a 5K race on Saturday, but I can't find one anywhere.  I may just get up early on Saturday and run 3.1 miles as quickly as I can and simulate a race.  Too bad I don't live closer to my Chubb running pals.

Last bit of news, I am eleven days away from the official start of my Ironman Training program.  March 15th will be 36 weeks from Ironman Arizona and it officially kicks off the start of my training plan, with a two week orientation.  I am actually really looking forward to starting it, I do much better with a formal plan as opposed to the pieced together one that I have been following this winter.  Work time.  Ciao!