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Smoothies are a great way to refresh after an especially hard workout. Here's my recipe:

• Frozen Strawberries,
• Frozen Raspberries,
• Soy Protein Powder (Trader Joe's works well)
• Vanilla Yogurt,
• Orange Juice, and
• Magic Bullet

(Don't let your dirty mind ruin the recipe, the Magic Bullet is a personal blender.)

Here's how to make magic:

1. Take one of the handled glasses and the four-bladed mixer.
2. Put five to eight strawberries (depending on size) in the bottom.
3. Add raspberries until the glass is about half full.
4. Add a scoop of soy protein powder
5. Pour in some OJ until it reaches the top of the fruit (Careful! It may float the fruit. Don't put in too much.)
6. Pour in some yogurt (about a 1/2 cup or so.)
7. Fill the rest of the glass with OJ.
8. Screw on the lid real tight, and blend it for about a minute, and enjoy!

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Running is back on track. I had my final appointment with Jenny, the Super PT. The ankle is progressing nicely. Just a few more weeks of some jumping exercises and I'm as good as before. (If I said 'good as new,' I'd be a baby, and that's too young for triathlons.)

I finished my first run without a walk break this morning. At just over three miles, I'm confident I can get through the 5K at the aquathon next week. That is if I finish the swim.

Which brings me to Friday's workout where I thought things were good, but the clock said otherwise. I continuously came in about three seconds slower per 100 than I felt, so it was a bit discouraging. But tonight, tired after the weekend and this morning's run, was swimming long course 100s within 5 seconds of the short course yards on Friday. And doing it consistently. If I pace myself, I've got a fighting chance of finishing.

You remember that feeling during final exam week when you realize you know nothing? It is that feeling of despair mixed with a tinge of hope that if you could just stay up all night and cram a semester's worth of notes into a fatigued head, you just might be able to salvage a passing grade. Right now, it's occurring all over campus; and in my training.

I realized last week that I have a test in three weeks that I haven't studied one bit for. The first aquathon of the season is May 29, and I haven't swam with any regularity in the last three months. I've been distracted by my stupid ankle and stupid work. So now I have to cram three months of swimming in three weeks. And the first two sessions last week didn't go so well. I spent the weekend with some sore, stiff shoulders and back, and little to build from.

I need to get to work. HTFU, right?

From a sprained ankle, to increased time at work and a squirrel in the house, the spring base-building season has been trying to say the least. Normally, the Crazylegs Classic 8K run is a good indicator of my fitness level. With all of this, I didn't think I'd even be able to run. But, with good fortune and some good advice from a good physical therapist, I was able to run/walk it. Better yet, I convinced my buddy Paul to do it with me. Paul helped with the wave start so we got to go in the 36th and very last wave, "jj."

We decided on intervals of 4 minutes of running, and one minute walking. As is the norm, we went out really fast on downhill start. Using better judgment, we held back as best we could. A couple of well-placed intervals and we were through the first mile in one piece. The next rest interval ended just as Observatory Hill tipped skyward. Paul walked a bit, but we forged ahead. A couple of more well-timed rests and we cruised through miles two and three. We walked through the water stop, slammed a few cups down and kept running. The pace reduced from this point forward, but we kept things at a sub 11-min/mi pace, and I stayed ahead of Paul to give him something to chase. A quick check of the watch and we were set for a sub one-hour finish, a PR for Paul. I let him know and make a deal to run to the last hill, walk it, and then sprint to the finish. Paul agrees, but doesn't think he can sprint it in. But nonetheless, he sees the end in sight and picks the pace up for a strong finish. We crossed the line at 55:41 for about a five-minute PR for Paul.

I had no issues with my ankle throughout the race, despite spending 10+ hours on a plane and an additional 3 on a bus the day before. (It was supposed to be five total on a plane, but storms in Chicago changed all that.) Paul's shin splits held up well as well. All in all, a good day.

Couple of things that I forgot about. 1) It was wicked windy with quite a chill. 2) Just after the three mile mark at the turnaround, we noticed a member of the band running along. But it just wasn't any band member, it was a tuba player. And he was carrying his tuba! I turned to Paul and asked if he was going to be beat by the guy running with his tuba. He decidedly said no.