Caffeine Incentives

The ride yesterday needs to be glazed over. I had to start at the crack of dawn (still nighttime for others) because I had to be back for a meeting at 9am / 9:30am. So the route changed a little but I think it still rounded out at 142k not that I count :) The highlight? A ginormous python road kill on the MEX. Did no one else see that as they rode yesterday?? You could not MISS IT. We actually (if time allowed) thought about taking a picture...but it was 05:30am!!

Thank you very much Faisal for accompanying me at such an ungodly hour on a Saturday...I will never ride alone so early - it is just not safe and so the thought of hopping on the turbo for 4 hours was not enticing. The week has been bizarrely strong not usually the way it works and so my Saturday ride came and hit me up the head. Not my greatest day but training is not for having your greatest days. Racing is for greatest days and although never guaranteed you only need one:)

So Saturday afternoon was declared 'Emma' time. I had a sports massage with Julianna at noon. Thank you Julianna...my calves needed that. I highly recommend her service (she comes to YOU), and the one main reason I have not had a massage since August is precisely that - I have no time to get out and get it. Those 4 words (I have No Time) I say too frequently of late and hopefully soon I can stop using them. After the massage, I cleaned my apartment. It has not been touched since Christmas (yes I am disgusting and again I have no time).

After that a hair cut and hair rebonding (straightening). I have been wearing a cap because my hair looks so crap and has been making me feel even craper!! Again - 'I have no time'. So to fit that all in and get to bed at a reasonable hour the afternoon session was missed. It is the FIRST afternoon session I have EVER missed. But I know it was needed for me to feel better about myself and for my body to bounce back from the wall it had hit.

I ran again this morning at home. And again had running buddy 'long legs Faruk' with me. Maybe it was the massage or the rest or a combination of both but the long run legs are coming back. This was my third long run in three weeks. I am not looking at how far or how quick I am going if I am running long and able to chat you know you can go quicker if you minus the chat and concentrate a little more (that's my theory).

So anyway, a fellow coffee addict, last week it was tempting to stop at Gloria Jeans as we ran past the Curve on the final loop. BUT time didn't allow. So this week I changed the route and made the first loop longer so on the second we could indeed stop and finish at GJ.

It was a sprint finish once the caffeine incentive was in sight...but I am too scared to do much of a sprint with my little steps and Long legs strode past me - Grrrrr. That guy just does not try hard enough!!!

Perfect end to a great run...trouble was walking back up the hill home afterwards...we must have looked extremely odd negotiating stepping over the GIGANTIC (not) curbs as the soreness started to set in. Feel pretty peppy now and looking forward to an afternoon of swimming - NICE:)