Run Naked!

Ah, those hot, still, sultry New Orleans nights. When the temperature doesn't go down just because the sun does. Summer is just about here. A perfect night for a naked run. It was my first "no gadgets" run in a long time, and I was excited as I put on my run stuff and left the HRM strap behind. Since it was a short easy run, and because I was so into the naked idea, I even decided to... are you ready for this? go WITHOUT my calf sleeve! I'm not trying to wean myself off of it per se, but I am interested to know if I actually *need* it or not. A few minutes into the run, I started getting a funny feeling in my shin. Stopped and stretched and it went away. Phew! It was probably a complete mental thing anyway.

I had to laugh at myself as I walked out the door. As I was stepping outside, I had a brief moment of, "wait, how do I do this without my Garmin??" I quickly reminded myself that you run with your legs, not your wristwatch, and all was well. It felt GOOD actually! Liberating! Running without the calf sleeve, I felt like a little kid trying to get away with something just so slightly naughty. And after just having a good swim workout where I surprised myself both with my times and with how good it felt, I was definitely enjoying my night. So, try it! Run naked! You'll like it :)

In other news, I did my first century ride on Saturday! 100 miles, in the bank! Coach Kevin rode with me on the first 25-mile loop, but he and the rest of the GNOTri crew were racing Crawfishman the next day so the other three loops were all by my lonesome. I didn't plan ahead very well and found myself out of water on the third loop with no money to buy more. I stopped at a convenience store that I figured would have a fountain soda machine that I could get water out of, but no luck. They didn't have one. And there's not much out there on Hayne Blvd so options are limited. So I was totally thrilled when, just as I was leaving to find another place, a nice lady offered to buy me a bottle of water. She went in to the store, leaving me with Stella outside, and brought out a big bottle for me a minute later. Thank you, nice lady!!

In keeping with the "longest-ever" theme that my weekends have become, I then did my LRE (Longest Run Ever) on Sunday. Three loops, with some speedwork on the last loop. Although I was tired by then, I was excited to do some faster intervals since it means my coach must be pretty happy with my base level at this point which is encouraging. Both the ride and the run definitely felt long, and it was hot for the run, but really I didn't feel too bad. Also encouraging.

Unfortunately I had to miss Jazzfest, for the first time since I moved here. Where I was running in City Park, I was able to hear some of the music drifting out of the Fairgrounds, and I saw lots of people walking and biking over that way. So at least I got to share in the excitement a little bit :)



Last Week's Training Totals (4/27 - 5/3), Swim-Focus Week:
Swim- 10500 yards
Bike- ~135 miles
Run- 21.5 miles
Total Time- 16:01