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Back at it! Kind of...



So. The off-season is officially over. Which doesn't mean I am training in full force but I am back on a schedule and hoping to lose the 6 pounds I gained since Vegas sometime before March. Preferably before January, but let's be realistic!

It also means:
  • I wear my Garmin and heart rate strap (which I was able to dig up surprisingly quickly).
  • I communicate with Coach M daily (whether she likes it or not).
  • I get 8 hours of sleep (most) every night. 
  • I am back to a (mostly) gluten-free diet (although at times nothing looks more appetizing to me than a pot full of plain pasta). 
  • I get in the water at 6am sharp for Masters. No more babbling through an entire workout. No more distracting the Coach by asking him completely unrelated questions. And, most certainly, no more getting out early and taking a 15 minute shower! 
  • I get to do some structured strength training. As you know, I am a wuss when it comes to lifting any sort of weights. My favorite are the colorful 5-lb dumbbells. Sometimes I even have enough gumption to use the 8-lb ones. But that's about it. Anything heavier than that scares me, so I leave those to everybody else that comes to the gym. Unfortunately, I have to do this one exercise that involves a barbell on the floor. Hardest part of the whole workout is to lift that darn barbell onto the floor and then back to where it belongs. I am not kidding! How come I have no strength? Well, at least I am working on it! 
  • I get to ride the spin bike at the gym when nobody else is in the room while staring at the my watts/heart rate for an extended period of time. Love it! And for some odd reason 60 minutes go by way faster that way than when I am in my very favorite spin class. Except when my i-Pod dies like it did last week. Really? First watts ride of the season and I am stuck without music? Well, I guess it's never too early to let the mental training begin as well! Luckily, a Team USA runner showed up just in time and gave me something to look at through the glass door. Watching any elite runner at the gym is one of my favorite pastimes. 
  • I am very excited for base training. I like speed but I really love going long. I have my fingers crossed that I will be able to sneak away to St. George for a week this spring where I get to do just that: Put in lots and lots of hours of quality base training without worrying about speed (yet).
  • I wonder if I can still summon up enough passion for the sport to make it through another season of training and racing happily and with a smile on my face? I know I still have it in me but I can also see myself taking a break at some point in the future. Triathlon is certainly not the only way of life. (Admittedly, it has taken me a long time to even just figure that much out!) And what if my leg won't come around and decides to spoil the party yet again? The gimpy leg is by far my biggest concern at this point. I know that I can push through another season even if it doesn't get any better, but will I have fun doing so? 
  • Have I mentioned that I am registered for the St. George 70.3 at the beginning of May? I have been ridiculously excited for this event ever since (before) they announced it back in April! It's going to be so much fun to race in one of my favorite places, on familiar roads, with so many of my friends! You should seriously consider joining the party! 

I hope you are enjoying whatever season you are in right now! 


PS: A big shout-out to Coach HT who, while training/tapering for Ironman Arizona, just tore his plantar tendon yesterday! He is now on crutches for at least the next month and we are so sad not to be able to ring our cowbells for him next weekend! Hang in there, Coach!







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