I have been doing a lot of it lately. Pushing hard and making every workout count. I leave nothing behind during a training session and even when I am coaching (which I have been doing A LOT of) I make sure I am giving my undivided attention to my athletes. I can tell by the way I feel that I am pushing hard. I walk a little slower during the day but I'm still seeing improvements. I guess this is all part of the process of turing Pro. Sometimes I doubt myself and my abilities to race amongst the best distance triathletes but if it isn't this season then hopefully in the future. I am not giving up and at 24 years old I know I have many many more years in this sport!
My toughest swim workout of the year was on thurs. 10 x 200 on 3:15 cycle. I was getting enough rest to properly desc. 1-5, 6-10 but I was told by Matt that I had to swim 2:30 on #5 and #10. So, I pushed my body to its limits while telling Matt "hey, I'm not swiming in college anymore" Of course I swam 2:34 on both of them...errr! And then 5 x 50's on 45 sec interval was next, trying to get under 35. Yep- seeing that I am NOT a sprinter, I was coming in around 37 seconds. So, I guess I have a lot of room for improvement in my swim to get me to the sub one hour 2.4 mile Kona swim! Cycling is going great and finally running without foot pain. Still working on the stretching cause my ITband and hip are still tight.
I am excited for Iron Girl on sunday and I hope I see lots of faces out there! I've told a lot of people, done the outreach and promoted the race like its my job....and why??? Cause racing an Iron girl race is like nothing you'll ever experience. Post-race catered buffet, awesome finisher medals for everyone and a great performance shirt..oh, and great energy from the athletes! Check out www.irongirl.com for more details!
Good luck Aaron this weekend. My bro has the Big Ten Gymnastics championship in Minneapolis. With only NCAA left after this meet, I know he is going to do great! Have fun Aaron and Go Blue!
Don't forget to watch NBC at 2 Eastern Time for the showing of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater! Also, good luck to those racing in California 70.3 and to Will who is racing a relay in Texas!
Registered Dietitian.....M.S. in Exercise Physiology...Vegetarian...Writer...Speaker...5x Ironman finisher.....2011-2012 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year...Doggy-mommy...Wife to an amazing Czech cyclist turned triathlete...2x Ironman World Championship finisher...USAT level-1 coach...Oakley women, Brooks Running ID, 110% Play Harder and Hammer Nutrition Brand Ambassador.
3/27/07
New week...time to step it up!
After a great 55 mile recovery ride on monday (yes-it was ALL recovery) I'm ready to step up the training. I put together a 4-week training program to get me ready for St.Anthony's. Becaues I am self-coached, I have the fun of putting together my own programs, but I use specific run/bike workouts to work on my speed and intervals. Swimming is left up to Matt and based on this morning..he is enjoying working on speed and lots of it. After the swim this morning (3000 yrd) I did one of my hardest interval sets on the treadmill. After 1 1/2 mile warm up including 4 x 200 pick-ups, my main set was 3 x 1-mile at 10K pace. I ran 8.6 mph (6:58 min/mile), keeping my heart rate at around 156 and I felt really strong. Because I live by my heart rate monitor for my training, I could tell that the lactate was building around the last 2-3 minutes. That can only mean... keep up the intervals! I really miss my long 2-3 hour runs. No speed, just nice and easy in my zone. That is my style of running! I really enjoyed the set and I finished with 2 x 400 at 5K pace (6:35 min/mile, 9.1 mph) and that felt great as well. Afterwards, I called it a morning. Oh even better, I stopped by Karel's before I went to coach my cop friends in the pool and I had a pancake, eggs, toast and protein smoothie for me. I guess he was taught well :) hehe. Or maybe he couldn't eat all of his breakfast after his cycling workout. Either way...YUMMY!
This afternoon was coaching with Sarah. She has a new tri-bike and she looked great out there. I pushed her for a good interval set and I ended up doing 45 miles (including me riding there and home). I just LOVE being on my bike. Tues and Thurs are my big days of training, including sat and sun. I keep mon as an active recovery or day-off day and friday is a aerobic ride for now (until Ironman training starts to build up). Wed is tempo/speed with a brick in the morning. I will add more bricks but right now I am making sure the foot is healed.
Lots of people have been asking me when I will start training seriously for Kona? OH my..I guess I DO need to start thinking about it. Well, probably in about a month I will step it up in volume as I am getting ready for Ironman 70.3 Florida but my focus is on my speed for racing Elite at St.Anthony's. Plus, I'm enjoying my weekends and finishing training before 11am :)
I must brag about my brother. He had an article written about him in the Michigan Daily. He has his two biggest meets coming up, Big Tens is this weekend and I will be watching him at Penn State for NCAA's in April.
http://media.www.michigandaily.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=6bb477e2-f9d3-409e-af95-618d0ee45e64
This afternoon was coaching with Sarah. She has a new tri-bike and she looked great out there. I pushed her for a good interval set and I ended up doing 45 miles (including me riding there and home). I just LOVE being on my bike. Tues and Thurs are my big days of training, including sat and sun. I keep mon as an active recovery or day-off day and friday is a aerobic ride for now (until Ironman training starts to build up). Wed is tempo/speed with a brick in the morning. I will add more bricks but right now I am making sure the foot is healed.
Lots of people have been asking me when I will start training seriously for Kona? OH my..I guess I DO need to start thinking about it. Well, probably in about a month I will step it up in volume as I am getting ready for Ironman 70.3 Florida but my focus is on my speed for racing Elite at St.Anthony's. Plus, I'm enjoying my weekends and finishing training before 11am :)
I must brag about my brother. He had an article written about him in the Michigan Daily. He has his two biggest meets coming up, Big Tens is this weekend and I will be watching him at Penn State for NCAA's in April.
http://media.www.michigandaily.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=6bb477e2-f9d3-409e-af95-618d0ee45e64
3/25/07
Subaru Women's Triathlon Race re-cap
Woke up around 5:40am. For the sake of daylight savings and a dark march morning, today was sleeping-in for a race day wake up call! The transition bag was packed (sprint races are so easy to pack for!) and the coffee was brewing. I warmed up my normal race-day morning (and training) breakfast of 1/2 banana, a few raisins and half a cup of oatmeal. Once the coffee and oatmeal was in me, I was ready to head out the door. Normal race day music is rock and alternative. The drive took me about 45 minutes so I had plenty of time to sing in the car and fill myself with excitement all the way to ft.desoto. Although I kinda new where I was going, triathlon races are easy to find. Just follow the bike racks and USAT stickers! IT works every time!
Coincidentally I ran into Sarah (the girl I coach) and we chatted in the bathrooms before we headed to transition. Because I was a little late arriving to transition, the racks were packed and I was a little overwhelmed with all the bikes. In the case of a race like Subaru, not all bikes are Tri-bikes. Therefore, you have hybrids, mountain bikes and very creative looking bikes on the racks to take up space. And because there were over 300 athletes, it was a little congested in the transition area. Nevertheless, Seduza was racked. I was happy to see Blair Lahaye and we chatted a bit as I put on my wetsuit, ever so gracefully. hehe. I headed to the water and I couldn't have been more excited to get in the water. Suprisingly, the water wasn't that cold and I would have rather not worn the wetsuit, but i did anyways. I was in wave 3, so after 6 minutes behind the first wave a quick picture from my dad, I was off for the 750 meter swim. The swim was great and I felt strong in the water. I knew i needed to swim hard in order to gain some time on the girls who were strong sprinting cyclists and runners. I managed to stay right behind the top 3 girls in my wave and we all exited the water together. T1 was a bit slow (due to the stupid wetsuit on my ankles) but i managed to get out and on my bike. I must admit that this was the first time that I wanted to power it out on the bike, rather than my old self who always wanted to get the bike overwith. We started out in head wind but that is nothing knew for me. I held around 18-19 mph but i was still getting use to the bike after the swim. So I was passed by 2 girls, but no worries cause in the tailwind I held 26 mph and almost caught up to the pack. I was impressed with my cycling skills and seduza didn't let me down. We felt fast today for a PR bike split. T2 was quick and I was running before i knew it. Although I didn't get warmed up until around mile 2 of my 5K run, I was pretty happy with my 21:48 5K run. Not so shabby with only running 3 days a week (<20 miles) for the past 4 weeks. I know I can be a stronger runner (with hopes of running sub 20 min/5K soon) but for now I am happy. The overall results were 1st age group and 12th overall. So even though I am in a new age group (25-29) I managed an age group win (well, the girl who beat me in my age group placed for an overall award, so lucky for me!). I had a great time today and I'm happy to start off the season with a great feeling that this is going to be an awesome season! More to come....Iron Girl 10K on April 1st!
Subaru Results at http://onlineraceresults.com/pdf/4591.pdf
Coincidentally I ran into Sarah (the girl I coach) and we chatted in the bathrooms before we headed to transition. Because I was a little late arriving to transition, the racks were packed and I was a little overwhelmed with all the bikes. In the case of a race like Subaru, not all bikes are Tri-bikes. Therefore, you have hybrids, mountain bikes and very creative looking bikes on the racks to take up space. And because there were over 300 athletes, it was a little congested in the transition area. Nevertheless, Seduza was racked. I was happy to see Blair Lahaye and we chatted a bit as I put on my wetsuit, ever so gracefully. hehe. I headed to the water and I couldn't have been more excited to get in the water. Suprisingly, the water wasn't that cold and I would have rather not worn the wetsuit, but i did anyways. I was in wave 3, so after 6 minutes behind the first wave a quick picture from my dad, I was off for the 750 meter swim. The swim was great and I felt strong in the water. I knew i needed to swim hard in order to gain some time on the girls who were strong sprinting cyclists and runners. I managed to stay right behind the top 3 girls in my wave and we all exited the water together. T1 was a bit slow (due to the stupid wetsuit on my ankles) but i managed to get out and on my bike. I must admit that this was the first time that I wanted to power it out on the bike, rather than my old self who always wanted to get the bike overwith. We started out in head wind but that is nothing knew for me. I held around 18-19 mph but i was still getting use to the bike after the swim. So I was passed by 2 girls, but no worries cause in the tailwind I held 26 mph and almost caught up to the pack. I was impressed with my cycling skills and seduza didn't let me down. We felt fast today for a PR bike split. T2 was quick and I was running before i knew it. Although I didn't get warmed up until around mile 2 of my 5K run, I was pretty happy with my 21:48 5K run. Not so shabby with only running 3 days a week (<20 miles) for the past 4 weeks. I know I can be a stronger runner (with hopes of running sub 20 min/5K soon) but for now I am happy. The overall results were 1st age group and 12th overall. So even though I am in a new age group (25-29) I managed an age group win (well, the girl who beat me in my age group placed for an overall award, so lucky for me!). I had a great time today and I'm happy to start off the season with a great feeling that this is going to be an awesome season! More to come....Iron Girl 10K on April 1st!
Subaru Results at http://onlineraceresults.com/pdf/4591.pdf
Let the Season Begin!
It's over. There is always a first race of the season and it is already over. I can't tell you how much I love triathlons. Everything about them, from the expo, to driving to the race, racing the event and then everything that comes with a triathlon finish.
I would like to give a big congrats to all those who finished the race for the first time. Congrats-for you are now a triathlete and not a triathlon-virgin! Some special congrats go to Sarah who did just awesome today at Subaru! I have been working with sarah on her cycling for the past couple of weeks and she pulled off a great race today! See ya on tues Sarah, get ready to work hard on the bike!!! hehe. Also, Chrishelle, Tracy and Celia - great job! And it was wonderful seeing Blair LaHaye...can't get enough of her!
I also want to tell Karel how proud I am of his 9th place finish (9th or 10th-we aren't really sure yet) at the Spin City Crit in Orlando. He has been fighting bad respiratory junk and he rested with his training (somewhat) this week and fought it out to race at 8pm last night, after working from 11-3 at Gearlink. Congrats Karel! Hope you are enjoying your winning money! Congrats also to the other Gearlinkers who raced this weekend.
The race recap is coming, but I thought I would start my post-race blogging with some congrats to all my friends! Also, thanks to my parents for driving out to Ft.Desoto to watch me race. As my biggest fans, the best picture taker (dad), and my mom who keeps me from being lost in transition, thanks!
I would like to give a big congrats to all those who finished the race for the first time. Congrats-for you are now a triathlete and not a triathlon-virgin! Some special congrats go to Sarah who did just awesome today at Subaru! I have been working with sarah on her cycling for the past couple of weeks and she pulled off a great race today! See ya on tues Sarah, get ready to work hard on the bike!!! hehe. Also, Chrishelle, Tracy and Celia - great job! And it was wonderful seeing Blair LaHaye...can't get enough of her!
I also want to tell Karel how proud I am of his 9th place finish (9th or 10th-we aren't really sure yet) at the Spin City Crit in Orlando. He has been fighting bad respiratory junk and he rested with his training (somewhat) this week and fought it out to race at 8pm last night, after working from 11-3 at Gearlink. Congrats Karel! Hope you are enjoying your winning money! Congrats also to the other Gearlinkers who raced this weekend.
The race recap is coming, but I thought I would start my post-race blogging with some congrats to all my friends! Also, thanks to my parents for driving out to Ft.Desoto to watch me race. As my biggest fans, the best picture taker (dad), and my mom who keeps me from being lost in transition, thanks!
3/24/07
All Ready!
The bike is looking so good. This morning I took her out (Race wheels and all polished up) and rode with the Gearlink guys. I actually kept up through the whole ride until I started heading home. I had a good 30-mile warm-up ride with a couple high intensity sprints/intervals. It was just great to be out there....
I'm so excited for tomorrow. I just want to race! Not sure if I am excited about a 750 meter wet-suit swim, but I guess I will have to get through the "short" swim. Just seems so short for a wetsuit! hehe. Went to St.pete to get my race packet and browse around the Expo. One of the booths had Zoot clothing and the new line of clothes looks awesome! One of the girls I coach, Sarah was down there with me and it was great to share my excitement with another athlete. Karel is ready to rock n' roll and he is on his way to Orlando for the Spin City Classic. Too bad I can't watch him 'cause the Pro 1,2 race is at 8pm but I'll be cheering him on from Clearwater! GOOOO KAREL AND GEARLINK! My other friend Ryan is racing..so GO RYAN!
Oh, I just love cycling, triathlons...anything really!
Thanks to all my friends who gave me a good luck phone call, text or email. I really appreciate it and I'll be thinking of all my "Training buddies and coaches" during my race tomorrow. I better have my sprinting legs on...cause this will be a fast one with the other chicks!
I'm so excited for tomorrow. I just want to race! Not sure if I am excited about a 750 meter wet-suit swim, but I guess I will have to get through the "short" swim. Just seems so short for a wetsuit! hehe. Went to St.pete to get my race packet and browse around the Expo. One of the booths had Zoot clothing and the new line of clothes looks awesome! One of the girls I coach, Sarah was down there with me and it was great to share my excitement with another athlete. Karel is ready to rock n' roll and he is on his way to Orlando for the Spin City Classic. Too bad I can't watch him 'cause the Pro 1,2 race is at 8pm but I'll be cheering him on from Clearwater! GOOOO KAREL AND GEARLINK! My other friend Ryan is racing..so GO RYAN!
Oh, I just love cycling, triathlons...anything really!
Thanks to all my friends who gave me a good luck phone call, text or email. I really appreciate it and I'll be thinking of all my "Training buddies and coaches" during my race tomorrow. I better have my sprinting legs on...cause this will be a fast one with the other chicks!
3/23/07
Couldn't Feel Better!
Slept-in until 8:15am. OH YEaH! I guess I needed it after another 37-mile ride in the wind yesterday afternoon.
Also, more Press releases
http://www.triathletemag.com/Departments/News/2007/Introducing_the_2007_Zoot_Sports_Triathlon_Team.htm http://www.transitiontimes.com/2007/index.cfm?ID=9033
http://www.competitornw.com/article/?Guid=979c9f02-d4d8-4765-9bff-98839c458bd4
Feeling ready to rock n' roll on sunday. Helping out at the Tri Shop today so if you don't have your gear for the race, come on by and visit me!
Good luck to all my cycling buddies racing at the Spin City Classic in Orlando. Have fun!
Also, more Press releases
http://www.triathletemag.com/Departments/News/2007/Introducing_the_2007_Zoot_Sports_Triathlon_Team.htm http://www.transitiontimes.com/2007/index.cfm?ID=9033
http://www.competitornw.com/article/?Guid=979c9f02-d4d8-4765-9bff-98839c458bd4
Feeling ready to rock n' roll on sunday. Helping out at the Tri Shop today so if you don't have your gear for the race, come on by and visit me!
Good luck to all my cycling buddies racing at the Spin City Classic in Orlando. Have fun!
3/22/07
The Bad and the Good
The past couple days have been hard. Strictly speaking of wind and cycling, I am getting my butt kicked out there! Come on now, why do I get head wind in all directions!?! I am not one to complain so I'll look at it as GREAT Kona training. I don't really get mad at the head wind but I find myself laughing and wondering when I will get a break in the wind...NEVER I guess. I've been cycling a lot and feeling really strong. Aside from a little foot pain, I'm counting down the days until my first triathlon on sunday! I don't know why I am so excited for Subaru, but I'm totally ready to race! I can't wait to meet people as well.
Matt was tough on me this morning and I expected a hard workout in the pool. If it wasn't for the other 15 or so people in the pool, I probably wouldn't push myself as hard. Matt hasn't been too happy with me holding 1:30's for a 100 yrds, so he's been giving me crazy speed sets (grrrr) to work on my speed. But I must say that it is working. Today's set was 3x300 (#2 and #3 were with fins) and I was holding around 1:20's for the first 300 and I came in on 3:30 for the last 3oo (remember..with fins!). So now that I know I can hold 1:10 for a 100 with fins, maybe I can do that in Kona in 7 months???
I am super excited that I can announce my new sponsor....ZOOT! As the only clothing I feel comfortable racing in, I just LOVE the zoot clothing line. The first thing that sold me were the pockets in the cycling shorts...what a great idea! The wetsuits are just AMAZING and even the transition bag is great! check out http://www.zootsports.com/ or check out the current press release for Zoot http://www.xtri.com/features_display.aspx?riIDReport=3994&CAT=24&xref=xx.
3/21/07
Major News!
http://www.zootsports.com/athletes/zoottriathlonteam/
First sponsor for 2007 is announced......keep checking the website for additional sponsor announcements!
First sponsor for 2007 is announced......keep checking the website for additional sponsor announcements!
It's Getting Close!
It's finally here! The end of the week is approaching and so is my first race of the season! I spoke last night at an all-women triathlon clinic and it was just great! Of course, anytime I talk about sports nutrition I am in "my zone" and I could probably TALK forever but this talk was really special. It was special for the reason that there were SO many new people - newbies (as we call them). I am really looking forward to seeing people at the upcoming races and anytime I can meet someone and encourage her to do a triathlon, I feel like I am serving my purpose as a triathlete. Training is going great and I've had 3 days of great training! Mon was a training ride with my cop friends, tues was a 7.2 treadmill run with Tony after a challenging 2500 pool workout and this morning was the normal spin class that I teach, followed by a 5.6 mile treadmill run. Feeling good and healthy and really really strong. I'm really excited to race! The foot is bothering me at times, but I am keeping it iced (like right now!) and stretched and being a good "stubborn" athlete. Yes-I know I am stubborn at times as we all are with our training.
Last week was kinda rough for me because the training enthusiasm was not all there. I didn't feel like myself and didn't have the energy that I normally have. So I layed off the running for the weekend and tried to get on my bike as much as possible. I'm really spending the time cycling, working on the skills, power and aerobic training and I really hope it pays off this weekend. I know this race distance is not my distance of choice... but I am looking forward to racing at my best and seeing all the awesome ladies out at Ft.Desoto racing with me!
Last week was kinda rough for me because the training enthusiasm was not all there. I didn't feel like myself and didn't have the energy that I normally have. So I layed off the running for the weekend and tried to get on my bike as much as possible. I'm really spending the time cycling, working on the skills, power and aerobic training and I really hope it pays off this weekend. I know this race distance is not my distance of choice... but I am looking forward to racing at my best and seeing all the awesome ladies out at Ft.Desoto racing with me!
3/19/07
Thanks to my coaches!
A lot of people ask me if I have a coach. Well, the answer is yes and no. I have NO formal coach, nor do I have someone specific to train with, to write me workouts or to help me with my skills and form. *I think I have the nutrition thing under control :)
However, I must also say YES that I do have many coaches in the triathlon community. I'm not sure if I should consider these people coaches or rather as training partners? Well, I look at these special people as coaches.
My friend Tony just wrote me an email and told me that he has a treadmill (speed) workout to do of 8 X 400 at 5K pace after our swim in the morning at Palm Harbor YMCA. We have run side-by-side on the treadmills the past 2 tuesdays and we both kinda encourage each other during our interval sets. Well, Tony is looking forward to me running with him tomorrow because he could use the help getting through the set. Well, I am excited to do the workout with him and have HIM push me along. Although we run at different speeds, based on our different HR thresholds, the workout is great and we both keep each other going. Especially when we do this workout after our 5:30am swim.
Another example was this morning when I spent 2 hours and 10 minutes on my bike with 2 cops that I coach (hopefully them being cops will have its benefits...so when I get in trouble with the law they will have my back! Hehe-only kidding). They said they really wanted to get in a long ride of over 35 miles and get close to 40 miles. They are training for Ironman 70.3 Florida in hopes of a great race! I was only intending on riding with them for an hour, but I said YES to the opportunity to be on my bike with them. Any chance to be on my bike is great! Not sure if it counts, but I am pretty excited that I put in 300 miles in 7 days of riding. Not to shabby for a newbie cyclist (can I still use newbie??) I worked them hard and they didn't even complain.. and at the end of our 39.5 mile ride (isn't that sad when that happens) they apologized for being so slow and for getting in the way of my normal training speed. I appreciated the nice comment of my "normal" speed (whatever that may be) but I enjoyed being with them and didn't even look at my watch to see how long we had been going. It was a chance for me to practice my skills while working aerobically on my bike. I love training with other people and no matter who is pushing who, I always feel like people are helping me with my training.
I want to give a big thanks to all my coaches out there. It is only when I am around others that I feel like I have a lot of people helping me with my Ironman training. Only 7 months until Kona and I feel strong and excited to step up the training! Although there will come a time (in a couple weeks) where I will have to tailor my training to be a bit more intensive (which means I'll be recruiting the fast triathletes in this community to really kick my butt!) I am enjoying all the help from others who consider themselves "newbies". Be strong, stick with your training plan and be sure to thank all your training buddies...for they are your true coaches!
However, I must also say YES that I do have many coaches in the triathlon community. I'm not sure if I should consider these people coaches or rather as training partners? Well, I look at these special people as coaches.
My friend Tony just wrote me an email and told me that he has a treadmill (speed) workout to do of 8 X 400 at 5K pace after our swim in the morning at Palm Harbor YMCA. We have run side-by-side on the treadmills the past 2 tuesdays and we both kinda encourage each other during our interval sets. Well, Tony is looking forward to me running with him tomorrow because he could use the help getting through the set. Well, I am excited to do the workout with him and have HIM push me along. Although we run at different speeds, based on our different HR thresholds, the workout is great and we both keep each other going. Especially when we do this workout after our 5:30am swim.
Another example was this morning when I spent 2 hours and 10 minutes on my bike with 2 cops that I coach (hopefully them being cops will have its benefits...so when I get in trouble with the law they will have my back! Hehe-only kidding). They said they really wanted to get in a long ride of over 35 miles and get close to 40 miles. They are training for Ironman 70.3 Florida in hopes of a great race! I was only intending on riding with them for an hour, but I said YES to the opportunity to be on my bike with them. Any chance to be on my bike is great! Not sure if it counts, but I am pretty excited that I put in 300 miles in 7 days of riding. Not to shabby for a newbie cyclist (can I still use newbie??) I worked them hard and they didn't even complain.. and at the end of our 39.5 mile ride (isn't that sad when that happens) they apologized for being so slow and for getting in the way of my normal training speed. I appreciated the nice comment of my "normal" speed (whatever that may be) but I enjoyed being with them and didn't even look at my watch to see how long we had been going. It was a chance for me to practice my skills while working aerobically on my bike. I love training with other people and no matter who is pushing who, I always feel like people are helping me with my training.
I want to give a big thanks to all my coaches out there. It is only when I am around others that I feel like I have a lot of people helping me with my Ironman training. Only 7 months until Kona and I feel strong and excited to step up the training! Although there will come a time (in a couple weeks) where I will have to tailor my training to be a bit more intensive (which means I'll be recruiting the fast triathletes in this community to really kick my butt!) I am enjoying all the help from others who consider themselves "newbies". Be strong, stick with your training plan and be sure to thank all your training buddies...for they are your true coaches!
3/18/07
Investing in the Moments
As most of you all know....my life is overwhelmed with Tri-related stuff. In addition to swimming, biking and running I coach newbie triathletes, I do nutrition consultations for triathlons and I write triathlon articles. So pretty much, I live, breathe, eat and sleep triathlons.
Is this a good thing? Well, it depends how you look at it. Some people enjoy working and enjoy spending hard earned cash on something nice (like a new car or expensive jewelry). Some people enjoy saving money and get excited when something goes on sale. Some people save for months (or years!) to spend money on a well-deserved week-long summer vaca. What do they all have in common? Everyone works hard for the dollar...and eventually, the money (for everyone) gets spent on something. Hopefully that "something" is worthwhile and practical. I enjoy spending money. Who doesn't!?! But in the sport of triathlons, it is very easy to spend money! Carbon-need I say more? But more than spending money, I love training! Now, besides buying the gear to train with (bike, running shoes, goggles, suit, etc.) the training part is free. I spent over 6 hours this weekend (over 110 miles) of cycling and it didn't cost me a penny. Most of all, my investment was in my heart (ok-that sounds silly, I know). Even with the 20 mph NW wind (yes, I check the weather channel before my rides!) on sat, I think I cycled well over 45 miles in headwind and side wind. But, I loved it and so did my heart. As the weather cooled on Saturday night, I did the same thing on Sunday and trained for free. Although the weather was cooler (around 46 degrees when I left!) and I had very numb toes and fingers, I did not mind being out on the Suncoast trail with my friends Christian and Hunter. We had such a great time chatting, not speaking as we paced each other and we really enjoyed being outside. Not one of us complained about the 2 1/2 hr bike ride (aside from me being cold at the beginning and impatient and ready to go right at 7:30am). I didn't even want to look at my HR monitor to see what the time was....I didn't really care. I was investing time in something well worth it and I wasn't even getting paid. Now that is a life. Including myself, I know many people who would complain about working 6 hours on a weekend or 2, 3-hour shifts and not getting paid, but it isn't that bad when you love what you do. Hopefully we can all find things we enjoy in life and make an investment with our time that we will stick with them and not complain or worry about how much money we are making or what else we could be doing instead. Enjoy the moment and live for today!
Is this a good thing? Well, it depends how you look at it. Some people enjoy working and enjoy spending hard earned cash on something nice (like a new car or expensive jewelry). Some people enjoy saving money and get excited when something goes on sale. Some people save for months (or years!) to spend money on a well-deserved week-long summer vaca. What do they all have in common? Everyone works hard for the dollar...and eventually, the money (for everyone) gets spent on something. Hopefully that "something" is worthwhile and practical. I enjoy spending money. Who doesn't!?! But in the sport of triathlons, it is very easy to spend money! Carbon-need I say more? But more than spending money, I love training! Now, besides buying the gear to train with (bike, running shoes, goggles, suit, etc.) the training part is free. I spent over 6 hours this weekend (over 110 miles) of cycling and it didn't cost me a penny. Most of all, my investment was in my heart (ok-that sounds silly, I know). Even with the 20 mph NW wind (yes, I check the weather channel before my rides!) on sat, I think I cycled well over 45 miles in headwind and side wind. But, I loved it and so did my heart. As the weather cooled on Saturday night, I did the same thing on Sunday and trained for free. Although the weather was cooler (around 46 degrees when I left!) and I had very numb toes and fingers, I did not mind being out on the Suncoast trail with my friends Christian and Hunter. We had such a great time chatting, not speaking as we paced each other and we really enjoyed being outside. Not one of us complained about the 2 1/2 hr bike ride (aside from me being cold at the beginning and impatient and ready to go right at 7:30am). I didn't even want to look at my HR monitor to see what the time was....I didn't really care. I was investing time in something well worth it and I wasn't even getting paid. Now that is a life. Including myself, I know many people who would complain about working 6 hours on a weekend or 2, 3-hour shifts and not getting paid, but it isn't that bad when you love what you do. Hopefully we can all find things we enjoy in life and make an investment with our time that we will stick with them and not complain or worry about how much money we are making or what else we could be doing instead. Enjoy the moment and live for today!
3/17/07
Lots of news...
First off..Happy St.Patrick's day to my Irish friends or anyone else celebrating the holiday. Good luck to my brother and the University of Michigan Gymastics team who are at Ohio State today for a meet! GO BLUE Looks like Kentucky survived the first round and they are off to the second round of basketball on sunday....GO WILDCATS! I want to give a BIG congrats to my friend Hunter who competed in his first International Distance triathlon (2nd triathlon) this morning in Ft.Desoto. Not only was it super windy but he had a great race in a stellar time of 2:15!!!! WOW HUnter...looks like we have a superstar in the making. Isn't it great to plan a race and then race your plan! Congrats again..see ya on the trail and in the pool! I decided to pass on the Gearlink ride this morning and keep it entirely solo. No fun getting dropped and although I know I don't "draft" properly and my fitness is not at the level of the guys, I have no trouble pushing myself..especially on a day like today! While my average was 17.5 for 3 hours and 15 minutes (56 miles) I had my moments. Never did I get frustrated, hit a wall or feel fatigued, but it took a lot of strength to not turn around in the solid 20 mph headwind! WOW, was it ever windy. I think I had 45 minutes of tailwind and the rest was head and side wind, causing me to average maybe 15 mph. I kept thinking of Kona and laughing that a 20mph sidewind would be a "light wind" in the big islan, but I am working hard on the bike so I'm prepared for all conditions! Just like my 2 1/2 hour ride in the rain (last hour, solid rain) yesterday, all this cycling is hopefully going to pay off. Someone tell me it will!!!! hehe The weather is cool but I'm sure it will warm up for my first race of the season next weekend! Also, I will be speaking about triathlon nutrition at an all-women clinic at Chainwheel on Drew St. on Tues evening. For more details at http://chainwheeldrive.com/page.cfm?PageID=929 or you can contact me. I will be spending the weekend with a creative bug.... as I'm working on a scrapbook and nutrition related stuff. I like to stay busy...even when I'm not swimming, biking or running :) Have a wonderful weekend!
3/16/07
March Madness!
Even though this is one of my favorite months because of college basketball, this month is flying by and is busy as ever! First off, I LOVE college ball! Being from kentucky and bleeding blue until I moved to Florida (well, still a KY basketball fan, but the state of Florida doesn't stop when Tubby is on TV), I am a big fan of march madness. The bracket is filled out and I'm super excited to see how I do. Regarding the Duke game last night, this is going to be a wild tournament!
Training is going great with an occasional ache or two in my foot. As much as I want my foot to be completely healed for my first week next weekend (subaru) I am still confident with my training. I've been swimming super hard and running a bit more (up to 20+ miles a week). So it isn't like the 50+ mile running weeks I put in for Ironman, but I'm ok with that. The cycling is going great and it doesn't matter when I ride, I am always in the headwind! Great Kona training I guess ;) I spend as much time as I can on my bike and even the other day I practiced turns and corners. For me, it's all about my cycling skills to get me more confident on my bike. Riding both the road bike and seduza and I love them both!
Good luck to those racing in ft.desoto this weekend and with Subaru next week...I know the triathlon chica's are getting ready for a great race! Don't forget about Iron Girl the following weekend (april 1st). www.irongirl.com
Sorry bout the lack of posting on my blog. OK-the only people that probably read my blog are my parents and maybe my brother! :)
I've been super busy but loving every moment. Coaching, nutrition consultations, personal training....I love it all!
I am getting really excited for the season to start-for me to race and to see the many people that I am coaching race! I think the whole state of Florida (triathletes) is doing St.anthony's followed by Ironman Florida 70.3 and I can't wait to see so many faces out on the course. Seeing that I will be a bit nervous for St.Anthony's since I am racing Elite for the first time, I'll still have my trademark thumbs-up ready for my friends out there!
This morning was a great 44 mile ride with the last hour in straight headwind and lots of heavy rain. Oh well...if it rains at a race and it's windy, I'll be ready! Plus, I have a clean road bike!
Training is going great with an occasional ache or two in my foot. As much as I want my foot to be completely healed for my first week next weekend (subaru) I am still confident with my training. I've been swimming super hard and running a bit more (up to 20+ miles a week). So it isn't like the 50+ mile running weeks I put in for Ironman, but I'm ok with that. The cycling is going great and it doesn't matter when I ride, I am always in the headwind! Great Kona training I guess ;) I spend as much time as I can on my bike and even the other day I practiced turns and corners. For me, it's all about my cycling skills to get me more confident on my bike. Riding both the road bike and seduza and I love them both!
Good luck to those racing in ft.desoto this weekend and with Subaru next week...I know the triathlon chica's are getting ready for a great race! Don't forget about Iron Girl the following weekend (april 1st). www.irongirl.com
Sorry bout the lack of posting on my blog. OK-the only people that probably read my blog are my parents and maybe my brother! :)
I've been super busy but loving every moment. Coaching, nutrition consultations, personal training....I love it all!
I am getting really excited for the season to start-for me to race and to see the many people that I am coaching race! I think the whole state of Florida (triathletes) is doing St.anthony's followed by Ironman Florida 70.3 and I can't wait to see so many faces out on the course. Seeing that I will be a bit nervous for St.Anthony's since I am racing Elite for the first time, I'll still have my trademark thumbs-up ready for my friends out there!
This morning was a great 44 mile ride with the last hour in straight headwind and lots of heavy rain. Oh well...if it rains at a race and it's windy, I'll be ready! Plus, I have a clean road bike!
3/13/07
Traveling + Time Change
Well, back from Michigan and I had a wonderful time. My brother did great on Rings and High Bar and he is so impressive to watch! MIchigan won the meet vs. Illionois and University of Michigan is still ranked #1 for Big Tens!!! Hopefully they will win NCAA in April and my brother will finish his gymnastics career with a nice ring.
I ran on saturday in the cold and really enjoyed my run through the campus. I bit different dodging students, tour groups and pedestrians, but all in all, it was a fun change of scenery. Glad to be back in warm and sunny Florida! Sunday was a well-deserved day off and due to the time change, I slept in until 8am!!!!! WOW-that is just crazy. I was really happy to spend the weekend with my brother and family and now that I am back to Florida, staying busy doing a bit of everything.
I just finished an interview with my next Gatorade Athlete of the Month for my column in Triathlete magazine and this guy is amazing. There are so many amazing athletes out there I just don't know how to pick from all the nominations!!!
I also had another article published...check it out - http://chainwheeldrive.com/page.cfm?PageID=932
Looks like the triathlon season is well on its way with Florida Great Escape as a great success. I also had some friends race the Zepherhills Triathlon which went off smoothly. This weekend is ft.desoto for those testing out their skills in an early international distance triathlon.
I want to give a big congrats to those Gearlinkers who raced this past weekend. I heard it was a great race! Also, Karel pulled on two top-ten finishes, with a 10th place finish in the Saturday Crit and 8th place in the road race on sunday morning. He is on the right track for his upcoming race in New Mexico, which will be his first Tour - Tour of the Gila! We are working on his nutrition everyday and he is doing so well by nailing his nutrition routine. And I even let him eat his "real" ice cream every now and then-hehe.
Hope everyone is adapting to the time change. My body seems a bit tired (not sleepy tired, but confused tired). Hopefully I can try to adjust this week and have a solid week of training this weekend.
So..how is your training going?????
I ran on saturday in the cold and really enjoyed my run through the campus. I bit different dodging students, tour groups and pedestrians, but all in all, it was a fun change of scenery. Glad to be back in warm and sunny Florida! Sunday was a well-deserved day off and due to the time change, I slept in until 8am!!!!! WOW-that is just crazy. I was really happy to spend the weekend with my brother and family and now that I am back to Florida, staying busy doing a bit of everything.
I just finished an interview with my next Gatorade Athlete of the Month for my column in Triathlete magazine and this guy is amazing. There are so many amazing athletes out there I just don't know how to pick from all the nominations!!!
I also had another article published...check it out - http://chainwheeldrive.com/page.cfm?PageID=932
Looks like the triathlon season is well on its way with Florida Great Escape as a great success. I also had some friends race the Zepherhills Triathlon which went off smoothly. This weekend is ft.desoto for those testing out their skills in an early international distance triathlon.
I want to give a big congrats to those Gearlinkers who raced this past weekend. I heard it was a great race! Also, Karel pulled on two top-ten finishes, with a 10th place finish in the Saturday Crit and 8th place in the road race on sunday morning. He is on the right track for his upcoming race in New Mexico, which will be his first Tour - Tour of the Gila! We are working on his nutrition everyday and he is doing so well by nailing his nutrition routine. And I even let him eat his "real" ice cream every now and then-hehe.
Hope everyone is adapting to the time change. My body seems a bit tired (not sleepy tired, but confused tired). Hopefully I can try to adjust this week and have a solid week of training this weekend.
So..how is your training going?????
3/9/07
Good Luck!
Good luck to all those competing in the Gearlink Cup in Palm Harbor. If you are looking for a fun saturday, with lots of excitement, check out the Gearlink Cup on Florida Ave near the Palm Harbor YMCA. More details check out http://www.gearlinkcup.com
Burrr....
Isn't my brother amazing!!!
Finally getting warm after my swim this morning. Walked in the snow over to the swim building this morning at 7am and did a super long swim, 4500 yrds. It was great and I didn't want to get out..probably cause I had to walk back to my bro's house. The best part of my swim was watching the synchronized swimmers practicing in the pool as i was swimming. And I thought i was tough swimming for over 90 minutes. These girls were doing some crazy drills, so of course, i tried sculling with my hands and lifting my feet out of the water - nope, didn't work and I'll stick to swimming. hehe
Just chillin' right now as my brother takes a final. Just finished a yummy warm breakfast and about to bundle up and walk around the campus and probably head to Borders (gotta love books!) before i meet my bro for lunch at the Union.
I give credit to a lot of people in the sport of triathlon. Adults, for managing life stressors (work) around training/ parents, for managing kids and a hectic schedule/ the "older" adults (65+ yrs) for defying the odds of pushing the limits/ and now, the northerners.....how do you do it when it is so freakin' cold out!!!!!
3/8/07
Gotta love the mind of a triathlete!
After a nice easy spin last night (21 miles and a little tan), I found myself in bed around the normal time (9:30 am - yes, I go to be early, right after American Idol) but extremely tired. I know I have been training hard (lots of miles, easy on the intervals) so I am really looking forward to spending some time with my bro and leaving Seduza and Blue at home to rest. I believe in resting the body every couple of weeks and decreasing mileage, getting more sleep and catching up on normal activities (like washing my car!!!) I don't always take a weekly day off, because I am good about active recovery and allowing enough time for growth and repair. However, if my body says rest..I listen to it! Words that I live by..."I don't HAVE to train, I WANT to train" Therefore, if I don't want to do it, I don't! But, I'm very lucky that I pay attention to proper nutrition, getting enough sleep and preventing injuries so that I can enjoy every training session.
this morning was kinda crazy....let me share. I woke up a little earlier than normal to get in the pool a bit early. Woke up at 4:40am, headed to the Palm Harbor y and the gate was locked!!! what a bummer cause I was ready to swim and instead i found myself in a line of cars waiting to get into the y. Sorry suncoast YmcA but no Y is worth waiting. Good thing I had my bike (BLUE) in the car (the only thing that rides in my backseat of my hyundai) so I killed some time by driving over to the North Pinellas Y as the sun slowly started to rise. I called up Karel and told him my plan on riding over to the Pinellas Trail (about 10 miles from where I parked) and we met on the trail and biked together. so I think he was at 50% of his max heart rate (if that) and I was pushing hard. Well, that's why Karel races Pro and I have aerobars on my seduza. hehe. We had fun and it was a beautiful morning. I headed back to the Y 2 hours later and jumped in the pool for a swim. Gabriela came to the Y as well and we continue to work on her stroke for her future triathlon career (I'm working on her!).
I left the Y around 10 and finished my packing, last minute emails and headed to the airport at 1130 for my flight. Now I'm in Michigan with snow on the ground and bundled up in warm clothes. MY brother took me to a fantastic vegetarian restaurant for dinner cause he said he would never go if I wasn't with him. the food was AWESOME! it is always great when I can eat of another person's plate! and I know the place was good cause when it takes me more than 10 minutes to order and I don't have to ask for a plain salad and an extra bread basket on the side....that is my type of restaurant! YUMMMY!
Looking forward to my morning of swimming in the UNiversity of MIchigan Pool and running. I love 'training' in different places.
Oh-it was funny this morning when I was leaving the Y and some of the swim team members were gathering around their cars talking and deciding what to do instead of swimming. As I was heading to another y to bike and swim, I could hear others saying "this is great, now i can do my long bike ride or now I can do my long run" so, instead of complaining that they got up early and wasted time driving, or rather, that they got up and could have stayed in bed, my fellow triathletes had the right mindset! Making the most of all their time :)
this morning was kinda crazy....let me share. I woke up a little earlier than normal to get in the pool a bit early. Woke up at 4:40am, headed to the Palm Harbor y and the gate was locked!!! what a bummer cause I was ready to swim and instead i found myself in a line of cars waiting to get into the y. Sorry suncoast YmcA but no Y is worth waiting. Good thing I had my bike (BLUE) in the car (the only thing that rides in my backseat of my hyundai) so I killed some time by driving over to the North Pinellas Y as the sun slowly started to rise. I called up Karel and told him my plan on riding over to the Pinellas Trail (about 10 miles from where I parked) and we met on the trail and biked together. so I think he was at 50% of his max heart rate (if that) and I was pushing hard. Well, that's why Karel races Pro and I have aerobars on my seduza. hehe. We had fun and it was a beautiful morning. I headed back to the Y 2 hours later and jumped in the pool for a swim. Gabriela came to the Y as well and we continue to work on her stroke for her future triathlon career (I'm working on her!).
I left the Y around 10 and finished my packing, last minute emails and headed to the airport at 1130 for my flight. Now I'm in Michigan with snow on the ground and bundled up in warm clothes. MY brother took me to a fantastic vegetarian restaurant for dinner cause he said he would never go if I wasn't with him. the food was AWESOME! it is always great when I can eat of another person's plate! and I know the place was good cause when it takes me more than 10 minutes to order and I don't have to ask for a plain salad and an extra bread basket on the side....that is my type of restaurant! YUMMMY!
Looking forward to my morning of swimming in the UNiversity of MIchigan Pool and running. I love 'training' in different places.
Oh-it was funny this morning when I was leaving the Y and some of the swim team members were gathering around their cars talking and deciding what to do instead of swimming. As I was heading to another y to bike and swim, I could hear others saying "this is great, now i can do my long bike ride or now I can do my long run" so, instead of complaining that they got up early and wasted time driving, or rather, that they got up and could have stayed in bed, my fellow triathletes had the right mindset! Making the most of all their time :)
3/7/07
Goals and staying motivated
Busy busy...What's new! I LOVE my wednesdays, or at least the start of the day. I teach a wonderful group of people on wednesday morning, from the gym enthusiast to the active cyclist. We had an awesome spin class and although it is 5:45am when we start, everyone works hard and we have a lot of fun. I can't believe they put up with my cheering for 45 minutes. I work them hard, that's for sure! If you are ever near the North Pinellas YMCA, call ahead and reserve a bike for my kick-butt spin class! Next I was off to the treadmill for a45 minute run. WOW- 6+ miles again and feeling great! More intervals and I really worked hard today. Still working on the endurance, but I feel good that my speed is somewhat back. I rather be running aerobically for hours, but the intervals keep me entertained. I really enjoy running on the treadmill (if you haven't noticed) but there's nothing like a nice long run on an early summer day. The rest of the day was filled with one session of Personal Training and scheduling nutrition consultations, writing workouts, doing some outreach and answering emails. I'm really enjoying getting a taste of triathlon season, through my writing and helping others. I've also been super busy running all around town doing outreach for Iron Girl! I absolutely LOVE doing outreach and telling people about upcoming races and events. Anything to meet and greet a potential newbie triathlete! I have a lot of people ask me how I fit everything in and still keep a positive attitude??.....Well, I keep my goals in mind and it really helps to keep me motivated. Plus, it takes a lot more energy to complain and re-think a situation, rather than getting the task done when it is assigned. After swim practice and a bike ride with Karel in the morning, I'm off to Michigan tomorrow mid-morning to visit my brother...I'm sure the posts will continue as I am FREEZING my little bum off in Ann Arbor!
Don't forget to check out the Gearlink Cup race this saturday in palm harbor!
3/6/07
Feeling Gooooooood
Wow! I couldn't feel better about my training. Foot is healed and I'm off the meds. Monday was a long ride of 65 miles on Seduza. It felt great to be out on my bike for over 3 hours. I've been putting in 250+ mile weeks for the past couple of weeks, but none of those bike rides have been over 3 hours. Just lots and lots and lots of time on my bike. It is so important to build the base, especially since I LOVE interval training and pushing hard. I don't really find the long miles boring (especially since I'll be spending the WHOLE summer getting ready for Kona) but I love the feeling of a hard interval workout (running/cycling) and feeling dead tired at the end and just loving it. I hope it isn't just me, but as long as I am injury free...I crave the endorphins!
This morning was swim practice-just me and the guys. There was 5 of us in the pool as the temperature stayed at 40 degrees while we were swimming. At least the cold weather keeps you IN the pool...not wanting to get out! The main set was 8 x 125 on 1:50 for me and I found myself pushing hard but getting over 10 seconds rest. That'll do for now and I am really amazed with how far my swimming has come. Matt Hess has done a great job pushing me and keeping me motivated to push hard in the water. I know I can't win the Ironman in the swim (ok-I know I can't win the Ironman all together!) but at least I can now see myself breaking 1-hour in the 2.4 mile swim at Kona. Let's hope for the best..I've still got plenty of months to go! Quickly ran to the locker room (in the cold, that run to the locker room can seem like a marathon!) and got myself ready for my run. Ran 6.5 miles with plenty of intervals and even found myself running 9 mph at a HR that wasn't too high. Looks like things are coming together...YAY!
Started to coach a lot more and just loving it! I LOVE helping people and especially with triathlons and sports nutrition!
It's a shame I won't be here this weekend, but I hope everyone has fun either racing in Clermont for the Florida Great Escape or watching/racing in the Gearlink Cup. Whatever you are doing....Good luck and Have fun! And don't forget to feel good while you are doing it!
This morning was swim practice-just me and the guys. There was 5 of us in the pool as the temperature stayed at 40 degrees while we were swimming. At least the cold weather keeps you IN the pool...not wanting to get out! The main set was 8 x 125 on 1:50 for me and I found myself pushing hard but getting over 10 seconds rest. That'll do for now and I am really amazed with how far my swimming has come. Matt Hess has done a great job pushing me and keeping me motivated to push hard in the water. I know I can't win the Ironman in the swim (ok-I know I can't win the Ironman all together!) but at least I can now see myself breaking 1-hour in the 2.4 mile swim at Kona. Let's hope for the best..I've still got plenty of months to go! Quickly ran to the locker room (in the cold, that run to the locker room can seem like a marathon!) and got myself ready for my run. Ran 6.5 miles with plenty of intervals and even found myself running 9 mph at a HR that wasn't too high. Looks like things are coming together...YAY!
Started to coach a lot more and just loving it! I LOVE helping people and especially with triathlons and sports nutrition!
It's a shame I won't be here this weekend, but I hope everyone has fun either racing in Clermont for the Florida Great Escape or watching/racing in the Gearlink Cup. Whatever you are doing....Good luck and Have fun! And don't forget to feel good while you are doing it!
Lost Post...
What a bummer! I wrote a LOnG Post on Mon (nothing abnormal about me writing lots) and it was never published. So, to sums things up......
For my Cyclists - Rode Sat 48 miles, got dropped on my road bike but had a good time. Rode Sun 44 miles and went to Orlando to watch the Buttar.com race. Karel placed 8th in Pro 1, 2 and even came back with a nice purse prize check! Celebratory dinner at the Cheesecake Factory-YUM! Don't miss out on the Gearlink Cup race in Palm Harbor this weekend!
For my triathletes - The Season is approaching! Florida Great Escape is this weekend, followed by Ft.Desoto international distance.
I know it's short but it'll do! Happy training...I am so freakin' excited for the season to start! Subaru Women's Classic will be my first race and feeling ready to rock n' roll!
For the Animal Lovers - I saw a cow, snake, 2 deer and lots of suicidal squirrels this weekend as I was cycling.
For my Cyclists - Rode Sat 48 miles, got dropped on my road bike but had a good time. Rode Sun 44 miles and went to Orlando to watch the Buttar.com race. Karel placed 8th in Pro 1, 2 and even came back with a nice purse prize check! Celebratory dinner at the Cheesecake Factory-YUM! Don't miss out on the Gearlink Cup race in Palm Harbor this weekend!
For my triathletes - The Season is approaching! Florida Great Escape is this weekend, followed by Ft.Desoto international distance.
I know it's short but it'll do! Happy training...I am so freakin' excited for the season to start! Subaru Women's Classic will be my first race and feeling ready to rock n' roll!
For the Animal Lovers - I saw a cow, snake, 2 deer and lots of suicidal squirrels this weekend as I was cycling.
3/2/07
What improvements
Yesterday was a great day. I started off the morning with a 5:30am swim practice. Great workout, but of course Matt kindly let me swim the whole practice without fins while the last set (3 x (5 x 50)) were with fins for everyone else. Thanks Matt! Needless to say....I was pushed. We also did a test set to see how many laps we could do in 10min. I was very proud with my 1:20 average pace. Seeing that last summer I was looking to hold 1:30 for all my sets, I can only hope that I can hold a 1:15-1:20 pace in Kona...we will see!
Foot is feeling super and went for another 4 mile run on the treadmill. Hopefully I can step up the mileage gradually and run more next week. I headed over to the North Pinellas Y after my workout, chatted with some of my friends who work there and then helped Gabriella with her Swimming. What improvements..I just love it! Sometimes we (as competitive athletes) take for granted the little things and we always focus on getting faster by pushing harder and testing our limits. Well, Gabriella wants to do her first triathlon this summer. She has one son (8 yrs) and she works full-time and travel a couple times per year for her job. However, she really wants to improve her swimming. Not only are her skills improving, but she did bilateral breathing for the first time!!! Now it is natural for her. As a former competitive swimmer, I wouldn't think twice about bilateral breathing, but for Gabriella, she is one step closer to signing up for her first triathlon. Good for her. Oh, as I was leaving, my friend Meg said she is looking to do a duathlon/triathlon in a couple months and asked me for advice. WOW! How exciting...newbie triathletes everywhere!!!!
I worked on some articles during the afternoon and drove to the suncoast trail for some riding. It was super windy and the old marni (6 months ago) would have said "There is no way I'm riding in the wind!!!" haha-how funny since I rode 30+ miles in straight 20-30 mph headwind during IMFL!!!! Now, as I'm training for Kona in Oct, I have a new appreciation for "wind" Although you can't beat the wind, I'm not scared of it either.
I biked for about an hour before meeting Sarah for an hour-My scared cyclist. Don't worry sarah..I was the SAME WAY!!! Our goals for the hour were to ride in the aerobars and ride out of the saddle. Yeah for Sarah who did both and looked so comfortable doing it! I'm so proud of her improvements!!!! Now it is easy for her to ride on the bike-she doesn't look as scared. And when you are comfortable on the bike you are sure to ride better!!! keep practicing those skills everyone! Oh-and if you have a cute outfit and your bike matches, you know you will ride fast! Or, at least that is my theory. Seduza LOVES her red and black look! But, eventually I'll have to retire the pink helmet and pink sunglasses to match the color of the tri-bike.
Last night I treated myself to some Baskin Robbins ice cream. oK-something I rarely do...REAL ice cream (no low sugar/soft serve)! I could actually taste each sugar particle in my mouth and I could hear my blood sugar scream at me "What are you doing MARNI!!!" haha-ok, even as a sports nutritionist, I do consider myself normal!!! YUMMY ice cream!! Hey-with all the improvements going on (with myself and others), I had to enjoy my ice cream with no remorse!
The weather is looking a little yucky today and as I sit watching the clouds build up I am regretting passing on the moring ride. I was worried it would storm as i was riding but now as hours have passed by with no rain..what a bummer! Well, that's florida weather! I am about to personal train my good friend pat and I'm wondering if I should chance a ride to her house or just drive. I think I will play it safe and wait until the afternoon to go for a nice spin on the road bike. This weekend will be lots of riding!!! You may think that I am obsessed with training but it isn't something "I have to do" but rather I really love to train. As you know, I hate to be injured (even a blister gets me sad-yeah, I should get over being such a wuss) and aside from my recent foot injury, I have never been injured. Therefore, I can wake up every morning excited to train and work hard. Also-I always have LOTS of energy...lots and lots and not sure where it comes from.
No overtraining due to proper nutrition and enough sleep. Triathlons are just one part of my life, but it is a big part. I don't think I would be who I am without the sport!
Take care everyone and don't forget to make note of all your improvements. It doesn't have to be a PR to see an improvement. Look at the little things for positive reinforcement. Even if it's setting a weekly goal of x-swim practices, adding extra miles riding or running or signing up for a bigger distance race, hold yourself accountable and you'll be sure to see your improvements!
Foot is feeling super and went for another 4 mile run on the treadmill. Hopefully I can step up the mileage gradually and run more next week. I headed over to the North Pinellas Y after my workout, chatted with some of my friends who work there and then helped Gabriella with her Swimming. What improvements..I just love it! Sometimes we (as competitive athletes) take for granted the little things and we always focus on getting faster by pushing harder and testing our limits. Well, Gabriella wants to do her first triathlon this summer. She has one son (8 yrs) and she works full-time and travel a couple times per year for her job. However, she really wants to improve her swimming. Not only are her skills improving, but she did bilateral breathing for the first time!!! Now it is natural for her. As a former competitive swimmer, I wouldn't think twice about bilateral breathing, but for Gabriella, she is one step closer to signing up for her first triathlon. Good for her. Oh, as I was leaving, my friend Meg said she is looking to do a duathlon/triathlon in a couple months and asked me for advice. WOW! How exciting...newbie triathletes everywhere!!!!
I worked on some articles during the afternoon and drove to the suncoast trail for some riding. It was super windy and the old marni (6 months ago) would have said "There is no way I'm riding in the wind!!!" haha-how funny since I rode 30+ miles in straight 20-30 mph headwind during IMFL!!!! Now, as I'm training for Kona in Oct, I have a new appreciation for "wind" Although you can't beat the wind, I'm not scared of it either.
I biked for about an hour before meeting Sarah for an hour-My scared cyclist. Don't worry sarah..I was the SAME WAY!!! Our goals for the hour were to ride in the aerobars and ride out of the saddle. Yeah for Sarah who did both and looked so comfortable doing it! I'm so proud of her improvements!!!! Now it is easy for her to ride on the bike-she doesn't look as scared. And when you are comfortable on the bike you are sure to ride better!!! keep practicing those skills everyone! Oh-and if you have a cute outfit and your bike matches, you know you will ride fast! Or, at least that is my theory. Seduza LOVES her red and black look! But, eventually I'll have to retire the pink helmet and pink sunglasses to match the color of the tri-bike.
Last night I treated myself to some Baskin Robbins ice cream. oK-something I rarely do...REAL ice cream (no low sugar/soft serve)! I could actually taste each sugar particle in my mouth and I could hear my blood sugar scream at me "What are you doing MARNI!!!" haha-ok, even as a sports nutritionist, I do consider myself normal!!! YUMMY ice cream!! Hey-with all the improvements going on (with myself and others), I had to enjoy my ice cream with no remorse!
The weather is looking a little yucky today and as I sit watching the clouds build up I am regretting passing on the moring ride. I was worried it would storm as i was riding but now as hours have passed by with no rain..what a bummer! Well, that's florida weather! I am about to personal train my good friend pat and I'm wondering if I should chance a ride to her house or just drive. I think I will play it safe and wait until the afternoon to go for a nice spin on the road bike. This weekend will be lots of riding!!! You may think that I am obsessed with training but it isn't something "I have to do" but rather I really love to train. As you know, I hate to be injured (even a blister gets me sad-yeah, I should get over being such a wuss) and aside from my recent foot injury, I have never been injured. Therefore, I can wake up every morning excited to train and work hard. Also-I always have LOTS of energy...lots and lots and not sure where it comes from.
No overtraining due to proper nutrition and enough sleep. Triathlons are just one part of my life, but it is a big part. I don't think I would be who I am without the sport!
Take care everyone and don't forget to make note of all your improvements. It doesn't have to be a PR to see an improvement. Look at the little things for positive reinforcement. Even if it's setting a weekly goal of x-swim practices, adding extra miles riding or running or signing up for a bigger distance race, hold yourself accountable and you'll be sure to see your improvements!
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