I (andrea) have been realizing the last few days how much I tend to compartmentalize different parts of my life. Doing so has helped me with creating boundaries, but it also keeps those people that I encounter and relate to through the different parts of my life (work, TNT, family, friends) separate to a large extent. Like keeping the peas out of the mashed potatoes by using one of those children's plates or cafeteria trays. And that is a partial explanation of the slow down in blog entries. But maybe I want to try some peas in my potatoes.

We've been busy with big things happening other than and in addition to our training. I finished my time working for Tenants & Neighbors on Wednesday--after about five years. Murph attended orientation for his grad school program this week. And here I am with Hope, Susan & Mari in Chicago last weekend for the very wonderful wedding of Sara and Clark. Lifelong friends from the college years that it was, as always, to so energize to be with. I laughed through a good portion of the weekend. And in addition to that core workout of laughter I got in some running with Team Chicago! (Hope, Martin, Courtney, John and myself)

Thanks to Team Chicago! I was better able to pinpoint some of my running troubles in PT. Apparently I run mechanically wrong. Somehow I don't use my butt to stride when that is what makes the most sense. I've been pushing from my hamstring causing hip pain and tight hamstrings.

And this is the other reason for the slow down in blog entries. Writing about abouts pains and frustrations is not that fun --for you or us-- but it is real. All the advice that we're both getting is that it is better to be undertrained and healthy for race day than overtrained and injured. I think that Murph and I are both playing it really safe and trying to follow the lead of our bodies.

The one place where there is no pain for either of us is in the pool. And on Tuesday we got to swim with our wetsuits on for the first time. They're very cool...well technically they're hot...in the swimming pool we didn't really need the extra warmth that they provide. But they really help make you more buoyant and hydrodynamic. I was having trouble slowing myself down everytime I came to the wall. Plus Murph looks like a superhero in his--I'd say that I more resemble a woman wrapped in tire rubber than anything else.