So, one thing I’ve been doing very differently in my run workouts is interval training. I had previously done a little interval training, but I don’t think I was doing it right. Now, be it inside or outside, my interval workouts are 3 minutes off, 2 minutes on - but this time, the 2 minutes is actually a hard run. Last time, I think I was jogging. Now I know. A month of that, coupled with longer distance runs, and I went from sucking wind on 4 minutes at an 11 minute mile pace, to cruising through 1.5 miles at a 10 minute/mile pace with little or no trouble.

I have no doubt that I have the interval training to thank for that. It’s like wind sprints for the endurance athlete

Another thing that’s changed is the fact I’m in the gym/on the road a lot more in the evenings now. It just seems to happen that way sometimes.

Yesterday was rough. It was stressful. I was feeling frustrated. I had 50 things to do, and not enough time to do any of them. I wanted to go home, crawl under my blanket, and take a nap.

Then Pat sent me this link:http://www.toosexyformyhair.com/

If any of you have been reading this blog since its beginning, you’ll know that we dedicated our first race to Lori - and tried to use it as a springboard to help raise money.

What you probably don’t know is that meeting Lory and Cary (albeit completely online) changed all of us. Seeing someone as amazing as Lori was, battling such a horrible disease touched us all. The courage and poise with which she fought should be an example to us all.

That’s why it was so sad to hear about her passing away after such a valiant fight. If you read the comments on her blog, you will be amazed by the number of lives she touched and the people that she helped. From this sad occasion comes an important message to all of us (2 actually).

One - appreciate each and every moment. Live, Love, and Laugh in the here and now, and don’t let day to day problems keep you down. You can choose to have a great life - if it lasts for 100 years, or only 30.

Two - stop waiting. What ever it is that’s holding you back, stop letting it. If you’re waiting for that right time to start your novel, dust off your running shoes, call a long lost relative, find a job you love - whatever - stop it. Just go. You never know when the opportunities in front of you today may be gone. Live without fear.

I’d like to close this with a challenge. Lori was an amazing inspiration. I can be one. So can you. So, if it means you have to run forever, volunteer, mentor, stand up for someone else - whatever you feel called to do - take action while you can. Even the longest life is short in the grand scheme of things - so make the most of your time here. Maybe, if you’re lucky, you can look back and see that your life was as full and amazing as Lori’s was.

Sorry. It’s hard to find time to blog this stuff, especially in the off season, but I’ve had little trouble getting back on the triathlon training schedule. I’ve had some pretty solid breakthroughs in this last month, and am pretty excited.

For one, this last month has been very consistent - I made 17 out of 20 workouts, which I’m proud of.

Second - my run is getting stronger and stronger. Chipping off 2 miles isn’t really that big of a deal for me anymore. A large part of that is because I did my research and got some shoes that matched up with my running style. So, I’m able to run with little to no foot pain, which of course lends itself to running more and longer.

I’m still forcing myself not to overtrain. My personality kind of lends itself to that, and I’m doing pretty good about pacing myself. This month is going to be more intense though, and 2007 will end with me being capable of running a 5k non-stop, in a decent time (about 30 minutes).

My diet, however, has not been stellar, and I attribute the fact I haven’t lost any actual weight to that. It’s weird, I know. I look noticeably thinner (and healthier), but weigh the same. I’m hoping to end November in the 220 range though, which will require some Thanksgiving discipline. I’ve also been lifting weights on a pretty regular basis, so I suppose that can have something to do with, as I tend to add muscle pretty easily.

All in all, things are going great, and I’m well on pace to finish an Olympic distance by the end of next summer. And, I’m on pace to do well in it. I need to locate some sprint distance races close to KC in the spring/early summer months, so if anyone knows of some good ones, let me know.

I’m trying not to look too much farther ahead than that right now. One of the greatest things that endurance sports adds to your life is perspective, and living in the moment is a great way to experience that.

If any of the old tri crew still reads this, drop me a note and let me know how it’s going. Until then, run on!