Rest Days

I used to dislike rest days. I felt as if I was wasting my time by not training. My rest days also were not truly rest days because I'd try to fit in all my weekly errands (vacuuming, laundry, grocery shopping, bike cleaning, etc). However, I did enjoy sleeping in before having to go to work.

As I become a more serious and experienced athlete, I've learned to love rest days. They are necessary for training, as they allow both my mind and body to recover from the punishment I put it through daily. I ward off injuries and burn outs and in return, I can continue to train even harder.

It's tough to make myself take a day off because of my type A personality and because of my love for this sport and training and being active, but to have longevity in triathlon, it's a must!

The beach is a good way to spend a rest day

I'm clearly enjoying my day off! :)

Okay. Confession. I woke up earlier to get a long run in before I started my rest day. :( But I did take the rest of the day off! 

Sigh. I'm working on it.

Patience may be a virtue, but it sure sucks

A week from today, I'm supposed to be in Milwaukee gearing up to race the Olympic-distance Age Group National Championships, but instead, it will most likely be fifty-three weeks until I hit the big stage. I finally got my invitation last week while I was away on vacation, but the slots had already filled up and using my VIP sign-up pass would only get me on the waiting list.

I've made the hard decision not to sign up and give Nationals a try this year because:
1) Uncertainty of getting a slot to compete
2) Cancellation of flight tickets and hotels -- lose $$
3) Dislike of last minute plans
4) I'm not where I want to be if I were to compete at this high of a level (qualification came as a surprise)
5) If I go to Nationals, I'm there to own it. I want to give qualifying for World Championships and representing USA a real shot, not just be there for the experience (and spend money/savings).
6) I'm a baby in my age group. To qualify in my first year is a good sign in the direction I'm heading. I still have four more years in the F25-29 to leave my mark. I need to make the top 18 to go to Worlds.

I feel like I'm letting myself down for declining this opportunity, and more importantly my followers and supporters. All of you have continually encouraged and spurred me along on this journey, and whenever I had doubts about my own abilities, you never failed to lift me up and pack my punch with more power. For that, I am immensely grateful. I cannot do this without each and everyone of you. I hope you all have really good patience, because I'm going to have a long journey ahead of me, and I'm going to need you there every step of the way.

I am normally a very patient person unless it comes to myself and my own endeavors. I had originally (foolishly) given myself only a year to achieve an elite/pro status, and if things did not work out, I would abandon this dream and move on. I had completely underestimated how long of a process this transformation takes and how much patience plays a huge (and healthy) part in the creation of an elite endurance athlete.

Garmin Monthly Data

I started the year ambitiously as I revved up the miles in January. I felt great, progress was showing, and I was ready to conquer. Next thing you know, I'm stuck in bed for days, getting sick, and lacking motivation. I had trained myself to exhaustion and could barely get out the door in February. Patience. Slow and steady wins the race. I finally read about how most of my favorite professional triathletes took years and years (8 for Meredith Kessler) to make the jump from an amateur status to a professional one, and that gave me a new look on my plans and dreams.

As my year is almost up (and despite many thoughts to give up on this dream), I am ecstatic to tell you that I am not giving up. I'm ending my timeline ultimatum of one year and extending it to however long it takes or until my passion for the sport dies (long shot!). My goals and dream are still the same, only the list of wanted achievements keep growing. :) I have a race tomorrow and a few more in store later this year. I hope to finish high enough on the charts to get an early qualification to next year's Age Group National Championships and have my own secured spot to compete. The next time I receive this email, you can sure bet that I'm going to RSVP hell yes.

My Surprise Achievement of the Year

Just because I'm not going to Nationals doesn't mean the rest of my season is boring! I'm going to try to use Sunday's race to qualify for next year's Nationals. The 5i50 in September also serves as a qualification for a different National Championship, and my half ironman in October will be an opportunity to qualify for the 70.3 World Championship in 2014. 

I told you I'm a dreamer. :)

Redemption

Ironman 70.3 Austin was my first Ironman affiliated event. It was also my first have-faith-in-yourself, make-the-leap race. I trained for it while still going to school full time and working 25 hours a week. I was forced to learn how to be disciplined and how to find joy in pain.

My training consisted only of high intensity sessions and a lot of strength work (that was all I had time for). My times solely improved due to strength, not because of speed or better endurance. I had a goal time to finish at 6 hours, but what I didn't realize at the time was how much specific training you need to do to hit a goal time. There's long bike rides and bike pacing and endurance runs and tempo runs, etc. Long story short, I finished at 6:40.00 and was so devastated and disappointed in myself. I had given up mentally before the start of the run. That hurts me more than not being physically prepared.

I now have the chance to redeem myself. Three years later, I'm going back to race Ironman 70.3 Austin this October. I have nearly a whole year under my belt on how to train and recover properly, and I understand all the different kinds of training sessions that are needed. I will be entering the race with a lot more confidence and experience. I will also be having another have-faith-in-yourself, make-the-leap race because I am going to give it everything I got, mentally and physically. My ultimate goal of the day will be to qualify for the world championships, and in doing so, I will know how to plan my following year and career in this sport. If not, I will take my foot off the gas pedal and possibly return to school and remain an amateur athlete until I am really ready to make a run for it/am in peak condition.

I have a three tier goal this time around. Just achieving the first level will be enough for me. I will be on cloud nine. The next two goals will just be icing on the cake and will top off what has already been a ridiculously amazing, awesome, and joyful year.

Goals
1. 5:15 or under.
2. Podium in age group.
3. Qualify for 2014 70.3 World Championships.

High goals? Yes. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Spit spot! Time to get to work. Got only 14 weeks to get ready!

Got my game face on :)