...Good thing I only had to swim today.
Has anyone else noticed how completely bizarre the weather has been this year? These storms just in the last couple of weeks are just like a continuation of the strangeness that began with the week long winter storm in February. North Texas needs to get it together.
I know it's been a while since my last blog. With the Playtri Performance Center opening in less than two months, work has been nuts - and that's not including the Buffalo Springs Camp two weeks ago, or the other weekend "activities" (a.k.a. work) that seem to take up all of my extra time these days. I can't say I mind since the Center is going to be basically a dream come true - there is just a lot of hard reality that is leading up to it!
That being said, I came close to have another dream come true at the Doghouse Sprint in Lubbock post-camp almost two weeks ago. I came second overall out of the women at the race, and actually thought I was first until I saw this amazon come streaking towards me as I started the run. However, even 2nd overall is a first for me, and the race as a whole was strategically and technically one of the best I have ever done. I was able to draft the entire swim, and not only did I manage sub 1:50's (a more-than-decent 500m split for this girl), I didn't even feel like I had done any work by the time I finished. Then, on the bike, I managed by far my fastest Lubbock split today, despite the wind, and legal drafted with one of our athletes from the camp the entire time after she passed me towards the beginning - we managed to pass just about everyone else after us (except for the amazon, of course). The run was not my best, but still solid - 22 and change - and it was almost better that it wasn't a PR, because it let me know that I actually pushed myself on the bike for a change. Ironically, I almost dropped out of the race right before the start due to the unseasonably cold weather (Lubbock has forgotten how to provide good weather for a race day, apparently - I've never had good conditions there). But I sucked it up (always key!!!) and had one of the best races of my life.
Made me feel even better about heading to Beijing.
The travel package has been reserved, and the plane tickets are in the works - and I'm making plans to head down to Houston with my mom in July to get our visas for the trip. It's hard to believe that this is really happening - and to me, an athlete with a little skill and some luck, just a totally normal person. Totally normal aside from the fact that I am going to a world championship race with Team USA... It's mind boggling. Also very exciting, and I am doing everything in my power to make sure I am 100% prepared as possible when I get over there. The extra work has been showing itself, of course, in my race results - with the two year recovery that came along with having mono, I had almost forgotten the amazing things that can result from consistency in training. And proper recovery, of course - no issues with that now that my body refuses to function on less than 8 hours of sleep a day! An unexpected blessing that also came from being sick. I've been noticing a lot of those - makes me think there really is such a thing as fate.
Either way, things are going well. I need to be less lax in my posting - it keeps me honest about where I am and what I need to be doing. Self-reflection and accountability are wonderful things.
Happy training everybody
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Cattleguards and Capsized Kayaks
Oh the life of a full-time triathlon coach. It's never dull, that's for sure.
This morning I was up at 6:30 to drive to Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie for the Playtri open water swim clinic. I had three pre-inflated swim buoys, cinder blocks, and plenty of rope in my trunk (I had loaded the kayak, paddles, and life vest into the red work truck yesterday for Coach David to drive down this morning). I got to Lynn Creek Park on the lake at about 7:30 and with David and Mike's help, got the kayak, buoys, and other open water supplies to the shore while the athletes were arriving. Mike volunteered to be our kayaker for the morning, so we loaded him up with a buoy to go set, and made sure the others were ready on the shore.
I walked over to the athletes and chatted for a minute - then looked back to the water, and saw that Mike was in much the same place in the water as he had been previously. Now, if you're not a north Texan or if you just didn't leave your house this morning, you might not know that it was viciously windy in the AM today, and that breeze was kicking up some pretty decent swells on the lake. So Mike was paddling head on into the waves, and not getting very far. I look away for a moment, then look back, and the kayak is upside down and Mike is standing in the water. It was just as well, though - he re-grouped, re-loaded the buoy, re-loaded himself, and started out again. Next thing I know, he's in the water again. Now Mike is a strong guy, so if he's having trouble, you know that is some rough water. But after a few more dunks, Mike got the buoys set and I went to go over the beginner swim clinic plan with Coach Jeanne. I had submitted the plan a few days before, and I was planning for us to do it together - but Jeanne had other plans, and I ended up leading the clinic myself (with help from her when needed, of course). I was pretty nerve-wracked at first (it was my first time to lead an open water clinic), but it ended up being a great experience.
At 9:00, I had to speed out of there - no rest for the weary tri coach! - and head up to Sherman, TX, about 70 miles away. I had an appointment with a brother and sister who wanted to start doing triathlons. After a good 20 miles of scenic roads and wildflowers (I love driving in the country) I make it to the home of my newest athletes. It is a sprawling (there's no better adjective for it) stucco ranch house complete with tennis court and two pools, and the requisite cattle guards and gravel drives. The land is absolutely beautiful. We head straight back for the pool, and the kids' first lesson in the breast stroke. I like to start younger kids who have no previous knowledge of freestyle swimming with the breast stroke. It builds their muscles and confidence in the water, and makes for an easier transition to freestyle (in my opinion). We broke up swim practice with an underwater headstand contest, cannonball contest, and water slide time (naturally). Have I mentioned that I love my job? And I get paid for this! By the end of our 45 minutes in the pool, both kids pretty much had the knack of the stroke - all they need now is more practice. Then we headed to transition practice. The kids weren't huge fans - they wanted to get to the biking, darn it! - but they were good sports and humored crazy Coach Morgan as she made them put on their biking gear over and over again, until she finally let them bike for real. That's when the younger sister announced that she couldn't ride her bike over the cattleguards. Um... cattleguards? I brought my TT bike, but that suddenly didn't sound like the best idea. Fortunately, spare bikes were not in short supply at this wonderful home, and I was on a GT hybrid bike before you could say "gravel road," and it was a good thing because we hit at least four cattleguards during the ride that followed. The kids did a great job, and they kept it up all the way through our second hour of practice, which included an awesome game of Simon Says. Again - I love my job. As I was heading out, there was a flurry of fort-building happening inside, and I was hoping I would get to come back again.
On the way back to Dallas, I quickly realized that my indiscriminate bathing suit wear during the 2 hour outdoor practice had led to a pretty thorough upper body sunburn. Sigh. But no time to worry about that. I got into town, hit up Target for a new card table, paper, pens, and aloe vera gel, and it was off to the Richardson Bike Mart on Garland (right by my apartment, thank goodness) for the Playtri Festival Kids Race Ready Program introductory meeting. I set up my table and information in a corner in the back so parents could stop by if they still needed to register - it was short and sweet, we only had one new registrant, and the others already paid online, so I was out of there and on my way home by 3:15 (once I figured out how to re-fold my new folding table).
As soon as I got home I passed out on the couch until about 6:30. After a bacon sandwich and some leftover birthday cake. Hey, I'm a tri coach, I'm not perfect - don't judge.
I woke up groggy and not a little disoriented, but I knew I needed to run, so I threw on my Adidas' and a long-sleeved tech shirt (thank you suburn) and hit the trail to the lake. I realized about one minute in, as I was fantasizing about ice cold watermelon, that I was wildy dehydrated. My hour run quickly turned into 30 minutes, and a grueling 30 minutes to boot. Talk about heat acclimation. I got home and immediately took a cold bath accompanied by a glass of iced Gatorade and some cold V8 (lots of salt and carbs, perfect recovery drink). After about 15 minutes in the tub, I started to feel human again. Chuck just looked at me like I was crazy, but then that's just what cats do.
And now, it's time for more aloe vera.
Happy training everybody
This morning I was up at 6:30 to drive to Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie for the Playtri open water swim clinic. I had three pre-inflated swim buoys, cinder blocks, and plenty of rope in my trunk (I had loaded the kayak, paddles, and life vest into the red work truck yesterday for Coach David to drive down this morning). I got to Lynn Creek Park on the lake at about 7:30 and with David and Mike's help, got the kayak, buoys, and other open water supplies to the shore while the athletes were arriving. Mike volunteered to be our kayaker for the morning, so we loaded him up with a buoy to go set, and made sure the others were ready on the shore.
I walked over to the athletes and chatted for a minute - then looked back to the water, and saw that Mike was in much the same place in the water as he had been previously. Now, if you're not a north Texan or if you just didn't leave your house this morning, you might not know that it was viciously windy in the AM today, and that breeze was kicking up some pretty decent swells on the lake. So Mike was paddling head on into the waves, and not getting very far. I look away for a moment, then look back, and the kayak is upside down and Mike is standing in the water. It was just as well, though - he re-grouped, re-loaded the buoy, re-loaded himself, and started out again. Next thing I know, he's in the water again. Now Mike is a strong guy, so if he's having trouble, you know that is some rough water. But after a few more dunks, Mike got the buoys set and I went to go over the beginner swim clinic plan with Coach Jeanne. I had submitted the plan a few days before, and I was planning for us to do it together - but Jeanne had other plans, and I ended up leading the clinic myself (with help from her when needed, of course). I was pretty nerve-wracked at first (it was my first time to lead an open water clinic), but it ended up being a great experience.
At 9:00, I had to speed out of there - no rest for the weary tri coach! - and head up to Sherman, TX, about 70 miles away. I had an appointment with a brother and sister who wanted to start doing triathlons. After a good 20 miles of scenic roads and wildflowers (I love driving in the country) I make it to the home of my newest athletes. It is a sprawling (there's no better adjective for it) stucco ranch house complete with tennis court and two pools, and the requisite cattle guards and gravel drives. The land is absolutely beautiful. We head straight back for the pool, and the kids' first lesson in the breast stroke. I like to start younger kids who have no previous knowledge of freestyle swimming with the breast stroke. It builds their muscles and confidence in the water, and makes for an easier transition to freestyle (in my opinion). We broke up swim practice with an underwater headstand contest, cannonball contest, and water slide time (naturally). Have I mentioned that I love my job? And I get paid for this! By the end of our 45 minutes in the pool, both kids pretty much had the knack of the stroke - all they need now is more practice. Then we headed to transition practice. The kids weren't huge fans - they wanted to get to the biking, darn it! - but they were good sports and humored crazy Coach Morgan as she made them put on their biking gear over and over again, until she finally let them bike for real. That's when the younger sister announced that she couldn't ride her bike over the cattleguards. Um... cattleguards? I brought my TT bike, but that suddenly didn't sound like the best idea. Fortunately, spare bikes were not in short supply at this wonderful home, and I was on a GT hybrid bike before you could say "gravel road," and it was a good thing because we hit at least four cattleguards during the ride that followed. The kids did a great job, and they kept it up all the way through our second hour of practice, which included an awesome game of Simon Says. Again - I love my job. As I was heading out, there was a flurry of fort-building happening inside, and I was hoping I would get to come back again.
On the way back to Dallas, I quickly realized that my indiscriminate bathing suit wear during the 2 hour outdoor practice had led to a pretty thorough upper body sunburn. Sigh. But no time to worry about that. I got into town, hit up Target for a new card table, paper, pens, and aloe vera gel, and it was off to the Richardson Bike Mart on Garland (right by my apartment, thank goodness) for the Playtri Festival Kids Race Ready Program introductory meeting. I set up my table and information in a corner in the back so parents could stop by if they still needed to register - it was short and sweet, we only had one new registrant, and the others already paid online, so I was out of there and on my way home by 3:15 (once I figured out how to re-fold my new folding table).
As soon as I got home I passed out on the couch until about 6:30. After a bacon sandwich and some leftover birthday cake. Hey, I'm a tri coach, I'm not perfect - don't judge.
I woke up groggy and not a little disoriented, but I knew I needed to run, so I threw on my Adidas' and a long-sleeved tech shirt (thank you suburn) and hit the trail to the lake. I realized about one minute in, as I was fantasizing about ice cold watermelon, that I was wildy dehydrated. My hour run quickly turned into 30 minutes, and a grueling 30 minutes to boot. Talk about heat acclimation. I got home and immediately took a cold bath accompanied by a glass of iced Gatorade and some cold V8 (lots of salt and carbs, perfect recovery drink). After about 15 minutes in the tub, I started to feel human again. Chuck just looked at me like I was crazy, but then that's just what cats do.
And now, it's time for more aloe vera.
Happy training everybody
Monday, May 2, 2011
26 For 26
In honor of my 26th birthday (which has been awesome, thank you so much to all of my friends and family for making it special), I have 26 goals for the coming year:
1. Go to a world championship. Ok, this kind of feels like cheating, but it is on the list!
2. Go camping (in my brand new birthday tent).
3. Run my mom's 4th half marathon with her.
4. Break 20:00 for my 5K.
5. Swim 100m in 1:20.
6. Unpack all of the leftover boxes from the move to my Dallas apartment.
7. Visit the Dallas Arboretum.
8. Improve my credit score!
9. Write another article on youth triathlon coaching and/or training.
10. Place in the top three overall at a multisport event.
11. See a play.
12. Go to a concert.
13. Ride my bike to work (did you know that Ride Your Bike to Work Week is coming up?).
14. Grow a tomato (if they would just turn red...).
15. Go to a wine tasting.
16. Treat my mom to something really nice.
17. Go on a bike ride with my dad.
18. NEVER PLAY SCRABBLE AGAIN.
19. Beat Ken at solitaire (or any other game) EVERY DAY.
20. Tour the Texas Hill Country on bike.
21. Lay on a beach for a whole day.
22. Be able to do a shoulder stand again.
23. Get my hair cut and donate what they take off to Locks of Love.
24. Put money INTO my savings account.
25. Visit Enchanted Rock.
26. Be happy with my life and in my life.
1. Go to a world championship. Ok, this kind of feels like cheating, but it is on the list!
2. Go camping (in my brand new birthday tent).
3. Run my mom's 4th half marathon with her.
4. Break 20:00 for my 5K.
5. Swim 100m in 1:20.
6. Unpack all of the leftover boxes from the move to my Dallas apartment.
7. Visit the Dallas Arboretum.
8. Improve my credit score!
9. Write another article on youth triathlon coaching and/or training.
10. Place in the top three overall at a multisport event.
11. See a play.
12. Go to a concert.
13. Ride my bike to work (did you know that Ride Your Bike to Work Week is coming up?).
14. Grow a tomato (if they would just turn red...).
15. Go to a wine tasting.
16. Treat my mom to something really nice.
17. Go on a bike ride with my dad.
18. NEVER PLAY SCRABBLE AGAIN.
19. Beat Ken at solitaire (or any other game) EVERY DAY.
20. Tour the Texas Hill Country on bike.
21. Lay on a beach for a whole day.
22. Be able to do a shoulder stand again.
23. Get my hair cut and donate what they take off to Locks of Love.
24. Put money INTO my savings account.
25. Visit Enchanted Rock.
26. Be happy with my life and in my life.
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