Leveling Up

It's been one month since I was diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia and I went back in to the lab this week to have my numbers re-tested after being on constipatingly high doses of iron for the past 4 weeks. I haven't received full results yet, but at first glance, my blood is looking much healthier. The fun part is that I didn't really need the test to tell me that - my workouts have been feeling respectively better as well and that is exciting. I will find out my ferritin levels tomorrow and hemoglobin, which will tell me the "big picture". Just in time for Napa Valley Marathon taper!

Next week marks the beginning of an exciting tri season - the most challenging I will have met. There is something so intimidating yet so exhilarating about it. My goal this year is to take one race at a time and recognize that not every race is my "A" race. They all have a purpose, as does each training session through every week. Competitive athletes are not good at this, as we all seem to want to go out to win every race, but having a plan and sticking to it so the most important/biggest race is our best one is the key to success.

I continue to hold my head high and lead the best example I can in the local tri community, and in supporting my peers, I support myself. A positive attitude goes a long way, and it's the best way I can think of to start off a stellar season of racing. Here's to reaching the next level.

Vitality and Perseverance

There is a corporate wellness program though Humana (insurance company) that we have in place at work which I have been a very active participant in for over a year now. The program is Humana Vitality and about 1/2 way through last year, I made it to the top level. I achieved that mostly by training and racing for triathlon, but in order to make it to the top, I had to focus on complete well-being and not just athletics. For the first time in a while, I was looking at other ways to be healthy besides exercising. 

Part of the system of earning Vitality Points includes biometrics testing (cholesterol, BMI, Body Fat %...) I have kept track of those numbers for a couple years now and am proud to report that just this past week, I have never seen them healthier. 

Another part of Vitality is a "Risk Assessment" - answering questions about your general well-being, i.e.: how many fruits and veggies do you eat a day, alcoholic beverages, do you smoke? Like many people, my fruits and veggies answer was less than par. However it gave me a new life goal - and a healthy one at that. 

While I continue to persevere through early season and marathon training, Vitality is racking up my workouts and everyday I step that much closer to my goals.

In reflection of this past year, and in looking forward to the future season, I am not only excited to once again aim for that top level of Vitality, but also to improving my overall health- not just my fitness. I believe my training and racing can only benefit from it, not to mention also earning points to spend on items in the Vitality Mall - just another perk of leading a healthier life.

Knocking Down Walls

It's been almost 3 weeks since I had my blood tested and discovered an iron deficiency. The good news is that it's iron deficiency and I can do something about it now in my pre-season. The bad news is that it's iron deficiency and I'm in a constant state of tiredness/lactic acid fatigue.

If I've learned anything in this early part of my season, it's patience. It will take 120 days until my blood is healthy again, and at least 30 before I start to notice a difference in how I feel. I'm also teaching my body to be more efficient during this process. Running at a lower heart rate and slower pace than I'd like has taught my body to recover faster. The 20+ miles I ran yesterday hardly feel like half that distance, however slow they may have been.

Through the frustration of iron recovery, I keep pushing forward with consistency as smartly as possible. The name of the game right now is getting healthy and having fun gearing up for pre-season. Knowing that I'll be rocking my training in a few months if I let my body heal and recover while building my iron stores is incentive enough to tone it down a few notches now.

Train smarter, not harder - more relevant now than it ever has been. I am learning more about myself during this time, but am determined to knock down the walls in my way and become the athlete I know I can be.

Thank you to John O'Neill at CRC for his advice and guidance. And the kicks in the rear.

Re Capping and Gearing Up

I ended my 2012 season with a solid top-10 finish at Age Group Nationals in Burlington, VT to snatch my goal of making it on TEAM USA for London 2013 World Champs.

As time off is part of my training regimen (if that makes sense), I did indeed take a few months to play around, let my skin have a break from chlorine, and to reflect on the seasons past and future.

January is almost through, and I have registered for some high-profile mixed with low-profile races for the upcoming 2013 season. First on the list: Napa Valley Marathon for some good solid keep-the-winter-weight-off endurance training. Second: HITS 1/2 Iron Course. Yes, getting those endurance/long course races knocked out early, then it's short course and fast twitch focus until Worlds.

I am beyond excited for this season, as I have been offered a few beneficial basic level sponsorships from my favorite companies: Hammer Nutrition, blueseventy and Rudy Project. Garmin also came through with a small but appreciated discount, and I am forever grateful for the continued support of The Colorado Running Company. Triathlon is an expensive habit, but I love it and am very appreciative of the help I'm receiving this year!

The new hurdle I must tackle before competing: overcoming iron deficiency. I somehow managed to put myself in a deficit, but it's fixable, and in 2-3 months I should be golden. Just in time for race season. Lesson learned: when building endurance and training, always take iron supplements and maintain a healthy diet. Oh, and most importantly: good sleep.

Thank you to my sponsors who have put faith in me this year - I can't wait to show you all off!

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.