Log roll. Long run.

I've mulled for a week over distances and how fast I need to increase my distance while trying to decrease my body fat. My first long run since June was today. I didn't have a distance planned except that I wanted to exceed 6 miles. Bah! What a "long distance" that is after training for a marathon and then an Ironman. Six months ago a 6-mile run wasn't worth leaving the house. At this point in my training a walk/run with the dog is my standard run and now, my baseline long run is 8 miles. While I ran today I thought about very little, having a clear head for once. I let the dog off the leash, which always brings me a great deal of joy, watching her romp through the forest and jaunt toward me after sniffing and losing track of time. She ran the 8 miles with more ease than I, and was still sniffing and exploring while I stretched after the run at the car. Amazing poochie!

Yesterday morning I attended the Team in Training kickoff breakfast where we all got fired up yelling "GO" and "TEAM" alternating sides of the room. This will be the greeting for any upcoming racers or runners/bikers wearing purple TNT logos. It's been two years since my last event but I remember hearing that incessantly for 6 months and I wanted to wear a name tag by the end of the season. I thought, if you're going to cheer for me, cheer for me. Not my shirt. At the kickoff breakfast I realized I'm no longer in this just for the triathlon. I raised the money before, but it was with the goal of finishing a triathlon for the first time. I was so focused on finishing and quelling my tri-fears than raising money for charity. I'm in a place now where I know I'm going to finish any race I start, short of amputation or unconsciousness. I'm not worried and I have a time goal. My focus is now to raise money and to be an unknown contributor to the money-raising cause. I have the time. I have the energy. I'll use this as a volunteer opportunity. I'm feeling good about being part of the TEAM. Go Team.

The people at my table and I had the standard get-to-know-you-triathlete concersations. One of them asked me which races I'd done and I was at a loss. I haven't thought much about the races I've done and I feel I need a list. Here's my tri-resume (and other races of note):

2004
Chesapeake Bay 1-mile swim
Seagull Century

2005
Escape from Fort Delaware Olympic Distance
Diamond in the Rough International Distance

2006
Diamond in the Rough Oly
Columbia Oly
Eagleman 70.3
Outback Big Lick Oly
Soma 70.3

2007
Miami Marathon
Lake Anna 70.3
Ironman Coeur d'Alene
Lake Audobon 2-mile lake swim
Reston Century (86 miles of it :)