A banner weekend

There was some pretty intense training to be had over the past couple of days. First, on Saturday, we did another swim then run combo in Vienna. Kali and I felt like champs during the run. We give credit to the intense Burke Lake runs we've been doing on Mondays. With the varied inclines and gravel terrain at Burke, a flat surface feels like buttah ;)

Sunday, Kali and I rode our bikes 16 miles then ran two. My legs were a little jello-like during the run, but by the second mile I started to feel my grove.

Monday, Kali and I had a mental break through at Burke Lake. Over the past couple of weeks, we have only been able to run 20 mins straight, breaking for 2-3 mins then run for 20 more. We ran for 35 mins straight without breaking, and on top of that we felt good. No "oh my gosh, if I run one more step, I'm going to heave over" No, "I'm soo thirsty" No, "Burke Lake is the bane of my running existence" We kept positive and the result showed. We are anxious to see how we do in the 9/11 5K in September.

I have taken to the habit of pushing myself harder towards the end of my workouts. Running a little faster at the end, pedaling a little harder, extending my stroke a little more. Call it a small competitive spark left over from my days as a junior USTA tournament junkie or call it heart. Whatever you call it, I would like to think it makes people around me work a little harder too. For me, I know that I have just given my workout my all whether it is a run, a bike ride or a swim. My dads voice sometimes drifts back through my workout thoughts: "It's not how you start, Kathleen, it's how you finish"

Today, my body screams for a well-deserved break and it will get one :)

Cheesy motivational quote of the day: "This is about limits. Reaching them, exploring them, exceeding what you thought yours were. Coming to the conclusion that there aren't any limits."- Unbekannt