Updates

Wow, hadn't realized how long it had been since I had posted. To be completely honest, I believe that is because there hasn't been a ton to talk about. Christmas was wonderful. Meg and I had a wonderful time celebrating with our two families as well as just by ourselves. I'd been eagerly awaiting Christmas to come as I had the perfect gift for my perfect gal and I absolutely hate keeping secrets! Around Christmas I got sick. I took two days off, got back on the bike and then realized I probably needed more time off. Consulted with coach, and he had me take 3 days off. Today was my first day back exercising and just happens to be our first day of a 3 day mini vacation in Bend, OR. That means XC skiing!

Today's XC ski adventure included an extra 4 miles or so. All in the bride and I ended up pumping out 4 hours of nice aerobic effort on the skis. I absolutely love XC skiing. Great cross training. On the theme of cross training, Muddy has me still hitting the gym and doing some work with bands to help work the outside of my legs. Most of our movement in triathlon is forward and little side to side, yet that doesn't mean you don't work those muscles in preparation. We want to be properly prepared for our heavy periods of training. The last thing we need is the body breaking down as we get into larger/harder training blocks.

That's about it for now. I've seen a lot of resolutions out there for 2011. I don't really have a resolution, but I do have a mission this year...and that's to kick the shit out of IMCDA in June. Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe New Years!! We are off to have some awesome sushi before cracking open some nice Champagne back at the inn as count down to 2011. For what it's worth, we will be counting down to the Eastern midnight as we are old and just xc skied for half the darn day :) Thanks for reading,
-T

Anticipation

Nerves show that you care right? That is what we were told as kids as we hopped up onto start blocks at big swim races. I'm sure most everyone has felt it at some point, before a 5k, a pick up basketball game, etc. I remember when I first started triathlon, I couldn't sleep before a race. Period. Now I take Ambien before races. But, what about before the start of a race? I'm often asked what it feels like right before you start a big race like Ironman.

To be completely honest, the feeling is much different than it was during say my first year of triathlon. Even before races that I had to race sick, such as Boise, I no longer worry about the distances or conditioning, etc. The only real concern that drives some nerves before the start surround the bike. Tires pumped up to proper pressure? Set up in correct gear for leaving transition? I never worry about the swim because I'm a good swimmer. I think the swim is a real concern for most competitors. They just want it over. For me, I just want to get it started! I think that is what I feed off of going into the big races...the excitement of testing yourself against some of the best athletes in the world. I don't worry about anything else because I am there to have fun and I know I have prepared as much as I can for the day. What more can you do?

As Rudy Garcia's mom said though (Rudy is a paraplegic athlete that competed and finished Ironman Arizona last year) "What's bigger than Ironman?" As I was standing there in the water at Ironman Canada this past year, her words rang true. Bagpipes, 2500 competitors, thousands of fans, and a helicopter. This is what it's all about. As I prepare for another season of competition, I'm eagerly awaiting that feeling of anticipation leading into a race. It keeps me hungry and wanting more!

From a training perspective, Muddy is giving me two weeks of reduced volume to refresh and be prepared to start the New Year with a new block. I'm still feeling good and quite fit. Looking forward to spending some time with family and loved ones the next two weeks. Merry Christmas to all!

-T

Favorite time of year

Well, I guess that would actually be summer time, but the Holidays are not far behind on my list. Although winter in Oregon means lots of training indoors for me, it is also a time to surround myself with family and friends. When you are constantly trying to balance everyday life while throwing in Ironman training, this time of year is awesome!! Although volume and intensity is down this time of year with training, I enjoy the fact that I have extra time to spend with my friends and family. I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with some loved ones over the next few weeks!

Not much going in regards to training to report on. Still feeling strong and just waiting for the intensity to turn up! Pretty soon I will be back on consistent two-a-days and long weekends of training, so a little family time sounds pretty darn good right now! I almost have our house figured out for Coeur d'Alene. This is kind of one of the final "big items" to cross of the list early on in the Ironman season. Lodging goes quick, so you need to be on top of it! Plus we will have a fair amount of people coming this year it appears so I'm hunting for a good size home. I guess that's it for now. Thanks for taking the time to read.

-T

One month down

When I was sitting on the beach in Hawaii this past September I made myself a promise: 6 months of complete dedication and commitment to arrive at Coeur d'Alene for my third Ironman race this coming June...in the best shape of my life, with the ultimate goal of going sub 10 hours and make a run at qualifying for the World Championships in Kona. I hired a coach (thanks Erich!!), have a bike fit coming up for some fine tuning, and gained entry into the premier triathlon racing team in the Northwest (they had 9 athletes at Kona this year). Sitting there watching the waves break in front of me, with a beautiful bride on my side, I thought about what it would take to make this happen. All the aforementioned changes/adjustments, are only part of the puzzle. The rest is up to me.

So the other day I finished my first full month with my new coach, and my new mission. Although if you are looking at a calendar, the 6 months don't really start until January. And that's something Muddy and I discussed. That being said, your body needs to be prepared to make it through that 6 months, without distress. This is a tough thing to do. I have a good couple of years already in my body so that's a start, and Muddy has set me up with a plan for the first two months that is pretty easy to follow (and low stress/impact) yet already has me feeling fitter than ever as of Dec 1st. I will flip the calendar into the new year in better swim and run shape than ever at this time of year, and my bike is right there as well. Yet my volume is down, except on the swim.

So here is month one down. I guess now I officially have 6 left...until taper!

-T