3athletejen

Today's run was less than stellar - a meager four miles until knee pain kicked in. So the run turned into a walk which turned into a cheese omelet that was completely unearned. Intended to go to yoga, but skipped that too. Gonna be a long training season if I keep this up. If it's really possible to love and hate something at the same time, for me it's spin class.  Every minute feels like an eternity. Last night I went to spinning with my sadistic instructor Toni. Never take any sort of fitness class from someone named Toni. It's the name. Just sounds tough as nails. She's not afraid to make you hurt while screaming "faster, faster" in your face. I've always been a people pleaser, and I definitely don't want to piss off Toni, so I spin until my calves cramp. Then I drag my sorry butt home, shower and lay on the couch and moan while eating chocolate ice cream bars. It's all about balance.

Good news for readers who actually believe I do triathlons. A mere 12 months from now I'll be toeing the line at Ironman Wisconsin, God-willing. So that means plenty of time to contemplate exciting subjects such as periodization, nutrition, training plans and the current state of my general slothiness. Yippee. I thought my Ironman days were behind me. After crossing my last finish line and feeling my knees seize up like at arthritic octogenarian, my brain said "no more!" Instead, I tried to become holistic and kind to my body. I meditated and practiced yoga. Tried to embrace leisurely walks instead of runs. I naively thought my appetite would decrease as my energy needs dropped. (Yeah, right.) I would become Sting-like with inner peace. The results of Project Peaceful Jen are in -- total failure. Then David started grumbling about always wanting to do an Ironman. I inwardly groaned. Really? An Ironman? Why not a half? Maybe a couple sprints? Nope. He wants the whole enchi...

As a holiday weekend comes to an end, nostalgia tugs at me. Labor Day is the end of summer. There still may be a brief stretch of hot days to come, but kids are at the bus stop, Halloween candy is on the shelves and leaves are covering my running trail. Each year, summer seems to speed by more and more quickly. Barely have I settled into the warm-weather groove, than it's over with the quick shift to fall. I love fall, except that it's the prelude to winter. And winter is tough, long and cold. So in an effort to put a positive spin on what's around the corner, here is my top ten reasons winter is good list. 1. You can put on jammies at 6 p.m. without looking like a crazy person. 2. The fleecy blanket recently bought at Costco will get lots of use. 3. Garbage doesn't smell before trash day. 4. Coats. 5. The smell of snow. 6. No more raking. 7. You can count shoveling as a cardio workout. 8. Snow days. 9. Bailey's Irish Cream. 10. Mashed potatoes.