You Can't Take That Away From Me

Sometimes I feel like I'm a double-agent in my own life. From around 6 to 10 a.m. during the week, I'm the Ironmadman.  I fight sloth, gluttony and temptation by trail, path, road and water.  On wheels, via foot or freestyle.  I am a lean, mean, training machine!

Then, from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., I'm Joe Working Guy.  Behind the desk.  In meetings.  On conference calls.  Multi-tasking.

Today was one of those dual-identity days.

Less than 12 hours after last night's yoga session, I swam with the Fortius team at 6 in Sherman Oaks.  We worked extensively on technique, which I really needed following my performance at the Desert Tri on Sunday.  I learned a valuable lesson doing the fingertrip drag drills, which are what they sound like.  You can really can go faster by slowing down.  There's something to be said for effortless movement and working with the water, not against it.

Following the swim, I immediately changed into running gear for an hour jog.  I had until 8:20 on the dot to finish, because I had a plane to catch.  Fortunately, Coach Gerardo's brother, Ray, ran with me.  Ray is also the race director for the LA Tri Club and an accomplished ultra-marathoner.  He helped push me a little farther and faster, and kept great company along the way.

As fast as I felt on the road, that's how fast I needed to move to stay on schedule to meet my flight out of Burbank Airport to San Francisco.  From the moment I left the pool shower to now, I've been on the move.  Since 5:30 a.m.  And it literally feels like two separate days.  One part of the day I lived for me, the other I lived so I could pay for more days like the first part!  I'm amused by how separate both experiences today feel, as if I crammed two days into one. I think that's the delicate danger of business travel -- you have to guard those precious moments of free time like a rabid pitbull because meetings, dinners, parties, etc. all can easily hijack your routine.

I'm proud to have carved two hours of training out of a packed day with travel and meetings.  I did something for myself today.  But I'm happier to be alone in my hotel room before 10 p.m.  That means one thing for me tomorrow: The Ironmadman will rise early.  Ready to run.  And no matter how busy the day gets, nobody will take that away from me.

259 days and counting.