Off-Season updates

Hello all,

As is common with endurance athletes, I have a love/hate relationship with the off-season. It is great to relax, unbuckle that top button for Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts, and have a little more wine than is probably appropriate. Nonetheless, I find myself clamoring for more time in the pool, on my bike and on the treadmill (since I can't bring myself to run outside in this nasty Chicago weather). I've also been forced to take it easy for awhile as a result of a ruptured appendix two months ago. Fortunately, I've been getting back up to speed with my running and am faring much better than I was this past summer, but still have a lot to work on endurance-wise. I am up to about 12 miles a week, just working on easy base mileage.

Th. and I signed up for a late February half-marathon in the foothills of north Georgia's Blue Ridge mountains. My guess is that it will be as challenging, if not harder than the 10-miler we ran at Hemlock Overlook (VA) in December 2006, which forced even the speedsters to walk up some of the hills. I'm definitely ready to race again (and get the hell out of the Windy City for a weekend).

We also signed up for Ironman Florida, which is set for November 7th, 2009. We've got a ways to go, but I am already preparing for my basework and training. I'd like to work with a coach to see if I can attain my initial goal of sub-12 hours, plus not get injured along the way like last year. Several friends of ours signed up as well, including a friend who committed while drinking at a Death Cab for Cutie concert. He'll be fine.

Anyway, not much more to share in terms of athletic endeavors, besides a bit of skiing in Steamboat Springs, CO last week. Unless you count eating an entire pizza and half a bag of chocolate chips (fortunately not at the same time) an athletic endeavor...

Merry/happy whatever you celebrate,

Krysten