Success, failure, progress.

Basically this.

Today started off a nothing day and stayed that way for some time. It's school holidays and the days get quite directionless quite quickly (unless you have lots of money to throw around, in which case it's foreign holidays and trips to the...I dunno, what would rich teachers go to? Dive shops?). As has become the standard physical response for "I have nothing to do and I've looked at five youtube videos by the same person and the jokes are starting to merge together" I slung on my running gear and headed out into what was a surprisingly hot, sticky day (hermitism = lack of weather understandings). As I wrote about before, I run better when I'm just running so I ended up in a park a few k's away, going "aw!" at ducklings and baby pukeko (pukekolings?), avoiding children on tricycles and feeling really rather good. I ran for about an hour all in, only stopping for traffic lights (and doing my dancing-on-the-spot-I'm-like-a-shark-and-if-I-stop-I'm-doomed thing), and figured (hoped?) that even with a right bastard of a hill in there I must have run 8km, had to have. Man, was I disappointed when I mapped the route to find I'd only gone 7km. 7km? That all? Really? REALLY? I was a bit down to tell you the truth. Then I had A Think, and realised I'd actually done pretty damn good. Because:

• I'd run longer than I ever have before (50 minutes being my previous record)
• I'd not stopped, even when my body hit that "you have got to be taking the piss" point about two thirds of the way up the bastard of a hill
• I know I can run farther, faster than that. 

So, duly buoyed up with my success, I saw that a few skaters from the league were heading out to the waterfront for a skate and decided it was time to change my indoor wheels for outdoor and head to the beach. I wasnt sure how my ankle would hold up to it, but hell, if I could run for an hour I could skate for a bit, no worries!

Badass Hangtimes Fun Crew!

It took a bit of getting used to, being back on fat, soft, cheap-ass wheels in the great outdoors. Although I've done a good job strengthening and conditioning myself in the last few months, skate muscles are different to the ones used for cycling and running, and I was SLOOOOOW. Not out of breath, not "kill me now", just..not very fast. But, I managed it, my ankle was fine, and I think if I'd eaten more than half a bowl of rice between run and skate I might have done a little better. (nutrition is something I really need to learn more about next year).

So, all in all I have earned my sleep today and no mistake. Tomorrow's plan is to cycle to a far-away swimming pool, try to work on my front crawl technique (swimming not drowning), and cycle back. Maybe some more skating in the evening. I've also suggested running an off-skates fitness group for the fresh meat starting in the new year, which has seen some enthusiasm already. I'm pretty excited about the idea actually, would be nice to mix it up and work out with others.

Skate season starts in February, next triathlon is in early March, the season opener is in late March, and I'm entered in the Orewa 10.5k in mid April. Plenty to be working towards!