The things we do for love

Happy Valentines Day to all of you out there. As you know, I'm a bit of a softie and this "Hallmark holiday" is no exception. In fact, like all of the other holidays, we celebrated this one early, by going to dinner last night. If you haven't ever been to The Melting Pot, or don't know they joys of fondue cooking; it's something I wholly suggest. But you should definitely leave your belt at home, and bring your credit card. It's an enjoyable experience, and you definitely won't leave hungry.

Balancing that hot-dipping food action from last night with our triathlete lifestyle and my weight loss progress takes some work. Normally, Rach and I train side by side, working on the same discipline. With running it's a bit difficult because she's way faster than I am. That difference is compounded when she's running longer distances early in the season, like while training for the Hyannis Marathon that's coming up in 2 weeks. We've each been doing our own things, focusing on where we are in ramping up our miles; me on the bike, and her on the track.

Yesterday was Rachelle's last long run in preparation for Hyannis, and she wanted to do most of it outside. She gets bored running inside, especially during long runs. So, to support and motivate her during her long run, she asked that I accompany her on my bike, carrying supplies and to keep her from getting lost.

2 slow hours on the bike isn't exactly my idea of fun, but I was happy about getting to spend time training with her. Granted, it didn't do much for my stamina, as we were traveling between 5 & 6 MPH for the entire run, but it helped her so I was glad to do it. Even when I got REALLY cold. When I prepared for the ride, I forgot that I wouldn't be getting my heart rate up very much. I really could have done with my balaclava (facemask) and a pair of shorts over my cycling tights.

In the end, sacrificing a little time out of your day for the person you love shouldn't feel like a sacrifice, and it didn't. Other than taking about an hour to warm up, I enjoyed getting to be with her as she ran, and I look forward to someday being fast enough to run with her. I hope each of you will take the time today to show the people in your life how much you care for them, and that you don't wait for the next Valentines Day to do it again.