Short timer...

Time is getting short now. Not much left to do in terms of fitness. I'm still working out but the volume has dropped. Swims are now in the 2200-2500 yard/m range. Cycling is 1-2 hours max. Running is 60' or less. I'm focusing on doing some light strength training with my left hamstring. After 5 days off of running, it felt good today so I decided to test it out. If it felt awkward, I would jog or walk back easy home. No need to risk anything now. If I've only got a few matches to burn, I'm going to save them for when it counts. I ended up feeling pretty good on my run. Enough to let go a bit and do a 12' Tempo Effort letting my heart rate float to 170-174 bpm. It started to tighten up at the end as I ascended some hills on Cottage St. but overall it's showing a lot of improvement. Iced it and did some electrical stim.

Now is the time to get your head in the game. Sports and competition in anything in life among equals sometimes comes down to strategy and mental toughness. When the blows are coming and the opponent doesn't flinch when you throw a punch, what will you do? Will you back down or will your take the blows and hit back even harder?

At the pool I am seeing the "Phelps-Effect" everywhere. Maybe I just didn't notice it before or maybe the All Universe Swimmer is really having an affect on all of us to swim. I notice a few more people working on dolphin kicking just like Phelps does after pushing off the wall. I noticed a high school teen warming up his arms and shoulders on deck, cap on, goggles on his forehead, Ipod in his ears, posturing, getting ready to crush some sets of fly just like Michael.