Wow, I have waited way too long to update lately! I have been incredibly busy since coming back from Costa Rica and this week I'll finally have some days to breathe before some huge spring races start taking over my life again :)
I returned from Costa Rica to my new amazing TYR Hurricane wetsuit!! yeee haaa baby! I am so excited to have the BEST wetsuit on the market and can't wait to test it out ASAP :) I have always loved TYR products and have used their goggles, suits, etc. ever since I started swimming, oh gosh 22 years ago!? :) Until now I haven't really needed a wetsuit in most triathlons I have raced, so I look forward to regularly using the best one out there.
I also have a new sponsor that I'm VERY excited about :)...Jack Black..here is their website (also a link on my blog list of sponsors)..YES they are a "men's grooming company", but I have been given some of their stuff to test before, and much of it can be used for women of course. They have certain things they specialize in for men specifically. When they approached me after Costa Rica to be their first woman among all their men, I said of course! ;) I LOVE everything I have tried from their line so I look forward to giving some samples to friends and of course enjoying their amazing lip balms, sunscreen, body wash, recovery balm, etc.
More GU goodies have been unveiled!! They now make BU Brew Electrolyte Tablets! You can just drop one in your bottles and they gradual fizzle to give you some taste but no sugar, just the electrolytes you need :) I am totally bias to the Peach Tea flavor but they also make them in orange and lemon lime. Here is some info on them for you.
I always love going into Triple Sports because Kara and Brian have such a wonderful selection of EVERYTHING! Totally dangerous when a girl is in the mood to shop, lol ;) When I was in the other day I got some adorable stuff by a new running apparel company called Oiselle, made specifically for women. I LOVE the shorts and the shirt! I wore the shirt like 3 days in a row because it's so soft, lol and the shorts are super flattering :) The shirt is called Big Run Tee (in midnight) and their shorts I have are called Distance Short, in pale blue. Check out their adorable stuff here :)
Alright how about a training update? :)-- Things are going very well and I couldn't be happier. I can tell my fitness improves weekly, which feels nice, ha! My run fitness is not where I want it to be right now but A is giving me great workouts that test me and improve my strength. He helped me get a power meter for my bike so now I know what kind of work I'm putting in and it's cool to see the charts and kinda understand pacing myself better, etc. I am sure I'll continue to learn a ton over the next few months, which of course is exciting. He was in town for a few days earlier last week and helped me with my swim form and now I don't swim like a princess trying not to splash the water, LOL. :) He also helped me work on my cadence and a constant work in progress: getting me to not heel strike, especially when I am just running relaxed.
One day we went out for a 3 hour ride workout and I did the same intervals he had to do, but obviously not as ridiculously fast as he rides. However a little bit into our last part of the workout, a one hour steady state, he told me to get in his draft and try to stay there. Oh.My.Gosh. I seriously could do nothing but stare at the white line and hang on for dear life! My legs hurt (among other things) and I just wanted to be off the bike! I wanted to hit him when he kept waving his hand to get back on him, if I drifted back a bit, but I sucked it up and somehow survived, HAHAHA ;) It makes all the difference in the world to have a coach that really inspires me, and isn't just a dictator, lol. It's a lot more fun and motivating knowing he works so much harder than I do!
The next day I had a 3 hour ride on my own, because he left to go home, and I rode pretty damn fast, even when my legs were pretty tired. Made me realize you can never assume how you'll ride based off the first few miles, especially if you get in a good groove and push pretty hard!
My "elite/pro" license for triathlon has been approved and now all I need to do is register in the pro group of athletes so I can race in the World Triathlon Corporation events and I'll be set to go. About a year ago I had a vision and gut feeling that I could run professionally AND do triathlon professionally, successfully. People told me and continue to tell me they don't think it's really possible, but I am determined to make them eat their words. :] With the way A is going to periodize the year a certain way for me, I know it's possible to have a successful chunk of time running while also tri training and doing less serious tris and then have a more serious tri season. I'm incredibly excited for everything and to have a coach who I believe in and trust and who believes in me makes all the difference.
My part time job I had didn't last very long and it's definitely better for me to not be rushing around, cutting stretching time short, being on the go 12+ hours a day, not sleeping as much, etc. just to work a few hours each week. If I want to work I can still do my sub teaching, but for now, training around 20+ hours per week and all the traveling I do keeps me plenty busy! I want to start coaching in some capacity very soon, and I'm working on getting that going, so that will keep me busy and fulfill my passion for helping people set and achieve their goals!
I cannot express how HAPPY I am with where I am in my life right now though, and how grateful I feel for being able to do what I do. I just wouldn't trade it for anything and any time I am feeling not very motivated, I think about how miserable I feel when I am not training or doing something else I don't LOVE. I totally and completely love this life I'm living and the most fabulous thing is that I know it's only going to get 20 times better by the end of the year. Woo hoo baby!
*I'm going to write a few quotes because I love all of these and I haven't posted in a while so here are plenty. lol
Pic: New sponsor!
Quote: "In a race, you represent yourself and all the hard work you and your coach have put in all year. This combination of respect for each other's efforts and determination to be your best makes a true winner"- Mike Keogh
"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born"
"You are the only person on earth who can use your ability"- Zig Ziglar
"When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take the step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for us to stand on or we will be taught to fly"- Frank Outlaw
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