For training this always seems to be the hardest part of the year. Early January, the holidays have just ended and (depending upon where you are in the world) winter is in full-swing. The first races of the season probably are months away, and the idea of getting back into the pool right now just does not seem to click. I suffer from this, even here in the Canary Islands where I can train outside all year. But today, 10 January, is the first “normal” day after the holidays and it is cold and gray outside, windy, and I’ve been trying to motivate myself to do my run session for the past several hours. And I am still sitting here typing.

I took the first step yesterday – I registered for several races for the upcoming months. One here in Gran Canaria in April, and the other in May in Marbella. These have somewhat given me a sense of urgency to get my butt in gear. Hey, I’m not a total slacker, I did a 4-hour bike Saturday and a 13km run yesterday. But I skipped my pool session this morning for a somewhat legitimate reason (traffic jam on the highway, I would have never made it on time) and then motivation for the run started to fall off.

But I’ve accomplished almost all I set out to do today so far, other than the run. I figure I can start that in about 45 minutes, and then when I finish it will be shower time and then I am ready to be a soccer dad for Sid’s late practice. So it will be at least a semi-productive day, even if I missed a workout. But I do have a few months to get fully back in the swing of things, so not that bad. Not bad at all.