Natural habitat!!!

It has been raining almost the whole day, when I went to work, while I was there and also when I was driving to the track. But magic happens and it stops almost immediately after I got there!

I went to the track because I knew that the trail would be a mess. I hate rain but this is good, it will speed up melting process, I hope. Unless it starts to freeze again, then that would suck big time. Track is not perfect yet, there are stretches with ice on it, but it is runable. I am going to do a workout there tomorrow.

As I was running 6 miles on the track I was very very happy. I love track and I was thinking the whole time, this is my natural habitat. I loved it so much!!!


ITB felt ok, not great though, I could feel it was tightening. I actually stopped 600m to go and massaged it, then it felt good again and I did strides. I need to carry a tennis ball or something and massage it after few miles. That should help. But tennis ball is pretty big...any suggestions?

I am definitely not doing the full workout tomorrow and I am cutting my long run short this week. I need to sort out this ITB issue asap.

I loved running today, which I cannot really tell about my swim workout. At least about the first half.
I warmed up and did some drills and then had 2x100 with 30sec rest with the question "Can you make it under 1:30?". Well, I would try.
Doing the first one, I definitely was not thinking about how much I loved it because it sucked. It was the hardest interval I have ever done in water and I just felt horrible and could feel my form falling apart. I kept thinking, oh gosh, I feel horrible, this is HARD, I hope it will be at least 1:30. As I finished it I knew why it was so hard. I did it in 1:23!. Wooo-hooooo.
Then I started to think, I love this as well!
I knew that the second one will hurt as well but now I was ready for it and I was ready to do another sub-1:30. Sure, it was hard, I was breathing more water than the actual oxygen and my arms were all over the place. Maybe psychically harder then the first one but not mentally. I knew that it was hard because I was going fast not because I was tired or something. 1:24. I will take it.
I had to take 1min break because I had to catch my breath. Then I swam easy 200 (100 breaststroke, 100 free) and another 1min break before the real fun started.
200 under 3min. To be honest I have been dreading it since I did that first 100 because it was hard. I started and did not feel that bad. Yes, I was working pretty hard but I was worried to start very very fast and then die after 100. So I tried to go reasonably fast for first 175 and then I gave it all I had for last 25 because I suddenly got worried I will not make it. 2:56. Another wooo-hoooo.
Final 4x50 @ 41-42 felt like a stroll in a park after those 100s and 200:) Not really. Maybe the first three felt like it, but not the last one.

It seems that I got over some kind of a barrier last week. Before last week I could hardly make my intervals and most of the time I did not even make them. And then last week, suddenly I got much faster.
Part of it is surely that my form is improving. And then I have also learnt how to make turns more efficiently.
I just wish that I could go to Hawaii and spend one whole weekend in a pool with Michelle. I am sure that she would be able to help me get even faster by further improving my form. Oh well, will have to wait for that one.