The Hay Is In The Barn

One week to go. 4 races in the bag. It's been an intense season of training and pushing and it will all come to a peak next Saturday in Burlington, Vermont.

Special thanks to The Colorado Running Company for helping me out this year and for believing in me. It has made all the difference.

GU, Hammer Nutrition, TYR, BlueSeventy, xx2i, Saucony, Cannondale, Sidi, Rudy Project, and Pearl Izumi should all be proud that I spend many of my paycheck dollars on their products.

I have lost 12 pounds since my journey began last October. Doesn't sound like much, but for a curvy girl who wasn't considered overweight at all, it was quite the feat. The key - as my coach has always said - is "power-to-weight" ratio, and knowing your "race weight": the weight your body performs at best. That said, my body has never felt better. I feel like I can easily push much more power without sacrificing energy, and my recovery has been much faster. I am ready.

This has been almost a year of training physically, but it has been a year of training mentally as well. What I had to realize was that I can be as fit as ever, but it would all be for nothing if my mental game is not spot-on as well. Anything can happen out there to anyone else, and there's no way to know that until results are in and final.

The plan for next week: put it all on the line. It's what I've been getting ready for all year. As Steve Prefontaine once said: "There's only one pace - suicide pace, and today is a good day to die." As my coach said: "The hay is in the barn." This week is about rest, taper, and keeping my mental game in check. Sometimes that's the hardest part, but I'll be stronger for it in the end.

Happy Friday. Happy Taper. See you next week!

3 In The Bag, 2 To Go

Denver Tri, done. 3rd Age Group, 7th Overall Female (excluding Elites).
Loveland Lake 2 Lake Tri, done. 2nd Age Group, 5th Overall Female.
Boulder Peak Tri, done. 2nd Age Group, 10th Female Overall  (excluding Pros/Elites)

Next up: State Games of Colorado Tri - last tune up before Nationals.

It's been a busy summer of intense training; but it's all paying off. There's nothing sweeter than reaping the benefits of long hours of sweat and hard work...and it's not over yet.

A month from today, I will be in Burlington, VT hopefully getting some sleep before the big race. I've tasted Victory at every one so far and it's just fueled my fire for more - given me the drive to continue to push.

Boy, am I pushing. 3 more weeks of work. One week soft taper. One week full taper. Now is the time to really be smart - or really, to STAY smart. Listen to the body. Optimal nutrition. Rest. Hydrate. Recover.

At the end of the day, I am accountable to myself, and I'm a pretty hard judge. I can't say that it's easy when the alarm goes off at 4:45am Monday and Wednesday mornings, to fling myself out of bed and hustle to the pool. It's not. It's hard. I tell myself, I went to bed at a reasonable time. I may be tired, but I can still do the workout, and I won't regret it after it is done. I WILL regret not going if I sleep in though... and more likely, will toss and turn feeling guilty if I don't get up anyway. So, might as well get up and go through the motions. It's habit now. Routine. This is what I do, so I just do it... but good thing I pack my back the night before or I would show up with no suit on, knowing me. Thank goodness I know me.

Was it easy to wake up at 5:45am this morning to do hill repeats on the bike? Nope... but I did it. Easy to go out in the heat of the day at lunch to get mile repeats in so I didn't have to do them after a late work day at 7pm? Nope, but I was out there. And it will show next month, because I am out there when others are not. Are others out there when I am not? I'm sure some are, but I am doing the best I can; that is what it's about and what counts.

I'm thankful to my friends and family for standing behind me and believing in me, and I am eternally thankful to The Colorado Running Company and John O'Neill for the continued support - it wouldn't have been as successful a season without your help.

Moving forward, excited for what the next few weeks hold in store... and excited to see what I can really do.

Here We Go

We're well into June now, which means my first race of the every-other-weekend schedule starts this Sunday at the Denver Triathlon. The hardest part will be to hold myself back and keep it fun; practicing the things I need to make myself better for the BIG one in August. 

That's easier said than done, b/c I'm sure the adrenaline will be pumping hard. My solution? Turn it into a game. See how many strokes I can take before the next buoy, take time putting shoes on while on the bike, same to take shoes off on the bike. Negative split the run, but not overextend. Enjoy the scenic Denver course. Sushi (maybe a little sake shot for good luck) the night before. 

Yep. Sushi. Pre-race. That's my thing and sticking to it. 

Tomorrow is Friday - my one day off completely - and I'm looking forward to it. I'll stretch, hydrate, work (unfortunately, b/c I haven't won the lotto yet), and relax. The plan for the rest of the summer is to continue to train through the first 2 races, taper minimally for the 3rd (Boulder Peak), use the 4th as a tune-up, and do a sharpening with full taper for Nationals. To do that well, Fridays off are mandatory, no question.

I've lost 10 pounds since I started on this quest (October 2011). Race-weight achieved. I think. The goal now is to continue to lean-down, build muscle, and start really watching the alcohol and food in-take. I've already limited a lot, the next couple months will be crunch-time, but the benefits are well-worth it. Cut out the extra glass of wine to shave a minute? Absolutely. Lose the bowl of frozen yogurt once a week to shave a fat ounce? Yes. 

Am I still having fun? You bet your butt. Aches, sweat, chlorine, sunscreen and all.

It's a balance; a life lesson I learn again everyday. It's also a lifestyle change, but a good one: Eating healthier, getting more sleep, exercising (pretty intensely, but smartly too). It's about setting goals and reaching to achieve them. It's about making small sacrifices to meet a bigger better end. And of course, it's about enjoying life and seeing what this body can really do.

Don't worry mom, I'm taking my iron, still drink at least a glass of milk everyday (not at the same time as my iron), get to bed at a reasonable time, and most importantly: moisturize.

A Body in Motion... Needs to find Motion Balance

Although it was a productive weekend full of workouts and freelance, yard work and cooking, my body is beat. Shortly after completing this post, I'll pack my swim bag and head to bed. As soon as my head hits the pillow I'll wonder, "why didn't I do this sooner?" and before I know it the alarm will jar me awake at 5am. Monday. The week will fly by; each day crammed full of a time-crunched mess: swim, work, eat, run, work, gym, more work, eat, sleep. Repeat x5.

Breathe. I never question why I do all this. What I do question is how I can do it all better. How can I perfect this schedule? How can I get it all in and feel complete and rested?

The only answer I find that works is: do what you can when you can. Make every workout count, if a freelance ad or design can be done before 10pm, do it so you can have more time the next evening to work on something else. Every ad is an opportunity to pay for this addiction called triathlon. Or just put myself in a better position to financially free myself from the ball and chain called debt.

I work to live, but living right now is different than living will be 4 months from now when my season is over. Instead of movies and drinks out with friends this weekend, I was enjoying a home cooked meal and working on freelance. Why? Big Picture; and I'm perfectly fine with it. I'm proud of myself for sticking with my plan and not caving in to peer pressure. It's the several little changes that add up over time - those are the changes that will make the difference this summer.

To cap the post tonight, I want to recognize my mom (as today is Mother's Day), for giving me the gentle pushes in life I've needed, for being the wind under my wings, for believing in me and telling me to believe in myself. If it weren't for the strong-willed determination that she and the women in my family have shown me, I wouldn't be the steadfast woman I am today.

Don't Push the Tush

Last week I pushed pretty hard. 70 mile ride w/ 20 minute run off the bike Sunday. 3950 yds in the pool, 5 mile run + weights Monday. 6 mile (part tempo) run followed by an intense hilly 23 mile bike Tuesday. Another 3200 in the pool Wednesday - cut short for a 7am meeting at work which required my presence.

By noon Wednesday, my legs and tushy had it. They proceeded to twist my right hip so far out of alignment I had to walk with my right foot completely turned out to the side to avoid knife-like pain. Although I only went a few hours like that before being able to get in to see the chiropractor (who abruptly popped my sorry hip back into place), my muscles were PISSED. They are still in recovery, although I have been nursing them like crazy - treating them to several foam rolling sessions, stretching, ice treatments, and self-massage.

A few lessons learned.
A) Don't do an intense hilly bike with tempo run 2 days after a hard endurance workout
B) Don't wear 3 inch stilettos the day after said hilly bike with tempo run 2 days after a hard endurance workout
C) Be nice to your tushy

A forced recovery is ok - I'm happy that I didn't end up with an injury; it could have easily ended up that way.

This coming week holds graduating-intensity workouts - always keeping the rear-end in mind. It will also be the start of more time management skills, as it's that time of the quarter that my freelance picks up - good for the bank, not great for training or sleep...

I think a professional massage will be in the schedule soon.

V is for Victory

This past Sunday I had my first "V" in triathlon. Sure, I've won my age group. But this time I was first female overall, and it was just the confidence booster I needed to kick my season off.

I could come up with all sorts of reasons why I won; no one showed up that day who was good, it was just a sprint, it was a first-year race back after a 10 year hiatus... but why would I do that to myself? A V is a V, and I earned it. That said, I do realize that I still have a lot of work to do before Nationals in August.

The next step to still having fun is finding cool, fun, helpful vendors to sponsor me. This sport is expensive and I love it, but to continue to be able to compete, I need help. I tried to apply, but was shot down, many times for no good reason other than they already have too many athletes. Well, considering all I want is some product (primarily nutrition) and a few race entries, I really don't think that's too much to ask. I use countless brands; Hammer Nutrition, GU, Powerbar, Honey Stinger, New Balance, Garmin, Pearl Izumi, TYR, BlueSeventy... the list goes on, and I've had to pay for it all.

So, if other "lesser" athletes can get sponsorship, surely I can. My issue?

I didn't use my curves!
Shoot, if those curvy lines aren't helping me race and aren't going away without lipo and a boob job, I'm gonna use those puppies to my advantage. If it's one thing I do well, it's knowing how to "clean up". One of my great assets lies in not only living the life of a hard core athlete, but at the end of the day I can pull off the latest runway attire with Manolo's on and LOVE it! Photoshoot, here I come.

Moving on. Sleep. Good food. Train smart. Keep pushing. Never settle for less than you deserve.

Moving Past Winter Training Blues and into Spring Fever

Napa Valley Marathon 2012

The holidays are long-gone and my early Spring marathon (Napa Valley, CA) is done; recovery almost complete. Napa went well, putting up 3:36:41 - a PR (personal best) by a minute - and negative split the last 1/2 by 3 minutes. Not a bad showing, but my perfectionist-self was aiming for 3:30 or better. I am not unhappy with it, and think had it not been so hot that day (compared to CO training), I could have easily sailed in at my goal. It wasn't an "A" race for me, but it's always good to set some sort of goal. I'm content with this.
Although we didn't have much of a winter here in Colorado, the longer days are a welcome relief for after-work training. The long months of solid marathon training have managed to get my weight down to a solid 127lbs. Not what I was looking for, but I have a feeling that will drop another 5 pounds or so by the time I race my first big triathlon June 10th (Denver). 
Coming off my marathon recovery, I've run into a couple of 'snags', but am managing to work through them. The first was the shifter break on my bike. A triathlete without a bike for a week is like an alcoholic with no liquor - you can get by drinking light beer, but it's not the same... At least, that's how I imagine it would be since I felt like I was going through cycling withdrawals. Thank goodness for my friends who have connections. I am back up on my girl as of this past Sunday with a new set of SRAM RED, and it has been amazingly smooth riding.
The second snag has been finances. Holy COW, this sport is expensive. I think it's an amazing feat in itself that I have not COMPLETELY bankrupted myself by doing this at a pretty competitive level for the past 3 years. Yes, I've only PARTIALLY bankrupted myself. I don't have any good fix for this one except to keep working 2 jobs - which puts a strain on the training... lovely catch-22.
I am very thankful for The Colorado Running Company, as they have helped alleviate some of the financial hurt with a few shoes, nutrition breaks, and coaching advice. Applications to additional sponsorship opportunities have so far yielded nothing, but I hope to apply next year - maybe with a picture next go-round - and put these curves to SOME good use!
As for the swim... it's coming along. Still getting back into swim-shape, but am feeling good about it. We'll see how 5:30am feels tomorrow morning...