Transition

So instead of signing up for bike races in order to fill time over the next year, I've decided to (as of now, at least) give competitive running a try. I know, I know. Running is a sport usually reserved for people who just aren't good at anything else due to their extreme lack of hand-eye coordination or overt obsession with body fat percentage and aerobic thresholds.

Along those lines, I signed up for my first 5k a couple of days ago in the hope that I could get some small satisfaction after doing well in a totally different kind of race. Having never run competitively before (even in middle school or high school) I don't really know what to expect come 'race' day. My history with cycling has promoted the idea that I can just sit in the pack and wait until the final sprint to shake people off my wheel and come out with a good result. That is, of course, a sweeping generalization but the point is that I am positive that I will finish this race and be completely exhausted - something that (I think) doesn't happen quite as much in cycling.

Adding to my complete lack of knowledge on the subject is the fact that I have never (as far as I know) run more than 20-30ish miles in a week, tops. I know a 5k isn't a very long race but, as with cycling, I'm confident a base fitness helps a great deal. Training with the goal of doing well - in my age group - is a complete different type of running for me. In the past it has been running with the goal of getting in shape for intramural sports or cross-training for cycling. I've never run more than 5-6 miles in one outing, having usually limited my runs to about 3-4 miles or 30ish minutes. So the idea of doing a 7-9 mile long run once a week is quite daunting, to say the least. Especially considering I've never figured out how to pace myself adequately for anything lasting longer than 30 minutes. For me it's always been about intensity and never volume. Even when I was biking regularly that was mostly the case.

So, with about 2.5 weeks before the first race of my budding running career, I have a lot to learn and a lot of training to do in a very short time period.

This will be me after the race...

Owned.

Also:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT45EhTIxqU

Foxtrot....