2011 ...

It's here ... 2011 ... another year underway! However, it's not starting exactly how I had imagined it. My training was going very well as I approached the end of 2010. I had a lot of consistency. My running was feeling great and my swimming was improving by leaps and bounds. I was even logging trainer time. Plus my weight was spot on. I had hit my goal weight.

Then, I made a trip to Texas to see my family the week after Thanksgiving. I completed my planned runs and found the local Y so I could swim too. I was so happy that i fit in my workouts while traveling and didn't gain any weight! Unfortunately it's all downhill from there ...

I came home sick. I felt it coming on Saturday and by the time my plane landed Sunday night I was sick! Sore throat, stuffed up, and coughing. By Tuesday I was at the Doctor, who told me all I had was a cold. Great. No Rx. Back to over the counter cold meds and cough drops. That cough lingered for weeks. In fact, I'm still coughing some. I was able to start working out again after two weeks. I got in some good workouts the week of Christmas. Things were coming around. I thought great, I can get back into it without too much fitness lost. THEN, Monday morning I did some shoveling. Nothing major but ended up straining my right exterior oblique muscle. As this week has progressed it got worse and by Thursday it hurt to just walk. I have now lost another week of training.

I started walking (yes you read that correct), walking on Friday. I can't do anything else. Walking is the only thing I can do to burn some calories. I am hoping to ride the trainer this week without too much pain. I think running is still another week away and I fear swimming is going to be on hold longer. I was also hoping to start Nordic skiing this weekend but obviously that is weeks out now too.

I am trying to remember that a few weeks off doesn't mean that I have lost ALL my fitness. And the 5 lbs I have now gained back will come off quite easily once I start working out again.

This injury caused me to miss my first planned race of 2011, the Hangover Classic. As I was out for my "walk" yesterday morning I was thinking was a great day it would have been to race and plunge in the ocean. Oh well. All I can do is I look forward. Here is my planned race schedule for 2011:

Mid Winter Classic 10-miler
New Bedford Half Marathon
Sugarloaf Marathon
Black Fly Tri Weekend
Peaks to Portland Swim
Beach to Beacon 10K
Wildman Duathlon
Lobsterman Triathlon
Colby Triathlon
Maine Half Marathon

My positive thought today ... 2011 can only get better from here. I'm off for my morning walk ...