One Year

It's been exactly a year since I quit my job, forgone medical school, and pursued triathlon. It has been a tough year mentally, emotionally, and physically, but every drop of blood, sweat, and tears (lots of them) were totally worth it. I've learned a lot more about myself as a person and as an athlete, and I know what I need to do in this life to succeed, be happy, and inspire others.

Happy ONE year to me! And many more to come :)

The past 365 days by numbers:
6 triathlon races
5 personal records
2 podium finishes
1 DNS (due to food poisoning)
810.93 miles ran
260.84 miles swam
4300.78 miles biked
104.18 miles hiked
253.5 hours spent on the bike
57.4 max mph on the bike (descending a mountain!)
214,438 calories burned (not including swimming)
3 national parks visited
2 state parks visited
7 books read on nutrition/training
1 joyous triathlete + her awesome support group

The last in the list is by far the most important :) Thank you guys for a great year and for many more to come! Lastly, I depart you with some wisdom.

Top 6 things I learned:
 6. Don't let anyone ever tell you you can't. Haters gonna hate. Lovers gonna mate. Hah! But seriously, only you can determine what you can or cannot do. Do not let anyone else dictate that for you. My parents used to tell me all the time as a kid that I was too small, too short, too weak to compete with the rest of them and that I should give up so I won't have to work so hard. I believed them and their words came true. I still struggle with this as an adult, but I have learned to ignore them and other naysayers and instead channel the little engine that could. I think I can, I think I can, I know I can.
5. Never give up. I was ready to give up my entire athletic future once I got shoulder surgery, but all that led to was sadness and loss of motivation. I did not enjoy my own pity party, so I signed up for an Ironman not knowing if or when I'll be able to swim/bike/run again. I never looked back since.
4. You are stronger than you think you are. Many times in a race or during training, I was ready to call it quits. I didn't think I could go on or push any harder. I've always wanted to cut a sprint set short, but I forced myself to finish because I knew I would regret otherwise. I actually finished some of the sets in descending times and did not feel trashed afterwards.
3. Don't stop dreaming. Ever. Dreams fuel you. They make you smile and grit your teeth when things get tough. They pull you through. And when they finally come true, it's a feeling that's unrivaled. You'll feel so amazing that someone could punch you and it wouldn't matter or hurt because your dreams came true!
2. Pursue your passions. I tried to put my sport-based passions on the back burner for school and that only made me burnt out, depressed, and hating life. That is not an enjoyable way to live, trust me. Whether it's kayaking, basketball, football, triathlon, running, reading, hiking, traveling, or eating, include your passions in your life. Life is too short to deprive yourself of them. You are never too busy! Prioritize this!
1. Hit the pause button. Or as Gru likes to say, freeze ray! Life goes by too fast, but what's even worse is that we let it. I forget to enjoy the moment or the blessings in my life because I'm too caught up with daily tasks or planning out my future. It's nice to shut everything out and enjoy the beauty of a sunrise during a run or the smell of chlorine on my skin during the day or instagramming a herd of cows sitting in a bed of wildflowers at the top of a hill I'm bike climbing. Stop what you're doing once in a while and just soak everything in. It'll make you smile the rest of the day, I promise.

WORD! :)

Investments

"Invest in yourself. It will pay you for the rest of your life." -- Malcom Nothing

I used to use this excuse only in the physical, mental, or emotional sense. I am going to go for a run instead of studying because I won't live long if I'm out of shape and die of a heart attack. I'm going to practice filling my head with positive thoughts, so I won't let life put me down. I'm watching this movie and hanging out with friends because I need a good laugh and pick-me-up. If I am consistently getting depressed by life and do nothing about it, then I will not want a life; therefore, I must invest.

But when it comes to financial investments, I've always been a little more stingy. I've worked so and so hours to make this much, is it worth it? Is it worth buying the best shoes out there just to make running easier? Can't I just train harder and save myself $150? Do I really need a new bike seat? The ones I have are uncomfortable, but I'm sure I can tough it out each ride.

Here's where an important rule of cycling comes in -- make sure you have a comfortable seat and a good fit. They really are not kidding about this, especially if you are racking up the miles. Pretty soon, I couldn't even last 5 miles on the bike because my seat was killing me. I didn't want to shell out money for a new seat, but I needed to be able to bike in order to train.

"Invest three percent of your income in yourself in order to guarantee your future." -- Brian Tracy

So, I scheduled a full bike fit for both my tri bike and road bike. I knew going in this was going to cost a lot, but it was an investment. If I am comfortable on my bike and not grimacing because of back pain or seat pain, then I can focus more on training, technique, pushing harder, etc. If I was really serious about becoming an elite athlete, I needed to invest in myself fully in all categories.

The fit went well! I felt like a professional athlete with all the lighting and cameras and fancy technology. The process was almost like going to the eye doctor. Is 1 or 2 better? Uhhh. 3 or 4? Umm, 2? Haha poor fitter, but I was so used to being uncomfortable and tolerating it that I didn't know what felt right. But overall, this was definitely an awesome experience, and I'm hoping to reap the benefits of a perfectly fitted bike.

Look mom, I'm a pro!

There's still some small adjustments to be made, but after a few rides, I can already feel the difference. I have more power in each pedal stroke since I'm engaging my glutes too, and I am definitely more aerodynamic. For my road bike, we changed the handlebars to a smaller size to help with the compression of the ulnar nerve (leads to numb hands) and for a better fit. The new bars were significantly smaller, so at first, it looked really weird (like T-Rex arms). We added red handlebar tape to add some pop!

"T-Rex arms" on the road bike. ROAR, watch out world! 

There's a new dino athlete in town.

New additions:
Triathlon Bike

• Adamo ISM Racing Saddle, white -- Wow. What a difference maker. Definitely loving this seat, especially in the aero position. I have no idea why I did not change seats earlier. Wow. If you ever get a TT or Tri bike, I recommend you to look into ISM seats.
• Zipp stem, black -- I opted for this carbon stem because it was significantly lighter (and more pricey) than the cheapest  / alternative stem they chose for me. I needed a longer stem to accommodate my reach on the aerobars, and preferably one with a higher negative degree since my natural position on the tri bike is more agressive (deeper/lower positioning)
• Specialized Advanced SL Foot Bed -- These were placed inside my tri shoes to provide better arch support.
• Shoe Wedges, yellow -- My knees weren't tracking straight (buckled in a bit), so the wedges are suppose to help fix that

Road Bike

• Specialized Ruby Saddle, black --This seat definitely takes the pressure off the perineal tissues and transfers it to the sit bones, which is what a proper bike seat is suppose to do!
• Bontrager Race VR-S Handlebar -- Loving it so far.  The smaller width and drop are suiting me well.
• Shoe Wedges, purple

Things I learned:
My left leg is slightly longer than my right leg.
I have a long femur, which is apparently really good for running and biking.
I have wide shoulders, which is good for swimming.  (Does that mean I'm made for this sport!!!?)

The bike fit was for sure one of the best investments I made for myself in my athletic career. I won't need Sherlock to deduce how important a properly fitted bike or equipment is to an athlete and her success.

"It's elementary, Dear Watson."

(I was trying on some of my sister's winter clothes)