Pinch Me

Nothing too exciting has been happening here. Met with the coaches to talk about plans for next year. I'd love to do an HIM. We'll see how the body holds up.

Have been getting to the pool about once a week. Given my foot-dragging when it comes to swimming these days, Erica even suggested we take swimming off the agenda for a couple of weeks. I hate the idea of that first breathless practice after time off, so I'm telling myself once a week for maintenance until I get my head back in the game.

Been having some bike issues. Would love to get back on my road bike, but the set-up seems to bother my sensitive left leg, so it's the tri bike or nothing for now. Problem is, the saddle on the tri bike is causing problems. So I'm meeting with Craig to see if we can adjust the set-up on the road bike. And I'm contemplating yet another saddle change on the Giant.

Oh, wait. I did do something exciting this week...

I went running with Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor!

Yes, you read that right. I ran Friday morning in Central Park shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials winner, Ryan Hall. I was with a group of magazine editors sponsored by Asics to run the ING New York City Marathon. (I was just along for the run; obviously I didn't do the marathon!) Deena Kastor, who had just received the green light to start running again after her broken foot at the Beijing Olympics, pedaled a bike alongside the group.

(Side note: Both were perhaps the skinniest, most elfin people I have ever met. Deena is about the size of my thigh. And my thighs aren't actually that big! And none of the throngs of runners in the park even batted an eyelash as they ran by these two marathon stars. Gotta love the anonymity NYC affords.)

I've never felt the pull of the marathon. Mostly because I can't imagine my body staying in one piece during the training for such a distance (never mind that I have triathlon aspirations well beyond just 26.2 miles). But after Friday, I might be inspired. At breakfast after the run, they each talked about how incredible a feeling it is to feed off the energy of the crowd during a marathon. It was fascinating to hear Deena talk about her injury; I even told her about my stress fracture. We agreed that the mental devastation of an injury is almost worse than the injury itself.

Um, yeah. He's a hottie.

With Deena.