So far this month, I’ve had a few chances to get over to the university, where I start my run, shower and then jump into the pool to work on my swimming technique.

The past two days, the plan looked the same. But both days the pool has been closed as the crew works to balance the chemicals.

So my workouts have been reserved to runs, and today I made it really count. Coming off a subpar run on Monday, I felt a little more springy today. My stride felt light and easy, so I kicked it in gear by cranking out 12 intervals of 1 minute each, followed by equal time of recovery jogging. The miles seemed to fly by, leaving me feeling refreshed and energized.

One of the biggest challenges ahead will be grinding out mileage ahead of the Twin Cities Marathon. At the same time, I’ll be figuring out a training schedule post-marathon to balance running, swimming and cycling as I set my sights on triathlons for next year.

As I grind out mileage, I also have a secondary goal of raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Hopefully, I’ll be able to reach the $500 mark in the next 3 weeks to help JDRF meet it’s $20,000 goal.