KonakonaKONAkonakona

For those of you unawares, tomorrow is one of the biggest days in triathlon.  It is the day the IRONMAN World Championship race takes place in KONA. And one very fine triathlon coach/tri-team boss who I've had the pleasure of working with (sort of! haha) is racing tomorrow.

Moxie Boss--kick some butt out there tomorrow! All us Moxicans (past & present) are cheering you on from the mainland! Can't wait to see my IronTrac app filled with your super-badass (fast) times!

Do work!

off season plan - october

How are we already into the second week of October??

My plan for this month is to swim 5 days a week, focusing on form. I've found a site that posts master's swim workouts every day, so I'll alternate between drills and those workouts. I'll still cycle and run at least 1x week as well.

That is, when I get started.

Technically, I started last week. Swam once, on Tuesday. Then my parents came into town for a day. Then our little fam took the train to NYC. In my mind, I was going to swim at the hotel. Turns out hubby booked us at the Waldorf Astoria. I was so excited about staying in this fancy-ass place I didn't do any research on it other than to ooh and ahh at the pictures online.

babyman eating spinach in his suite:

For all the swank, though, this place DOES NOT HAVE A POOL. And since I am swim-focusing, I didn't bring my running shoes. Thus, my workouts for the four day weekend included walking, pushing a stroller, walking, lifting a stroller down stairs to gain access to a handicap elevator (I kid you not,) and walking some more.

Next time we go on vacation and I have a training schedule (which is always) I'll need to research the hotel a little more. Lesson learned.

Mondays are my day off still, so I'm calling do-overs and will start my four week swim focus now. As in today. Today, the day my kiddo is freaking-out teething. Today, the day I have a babysitter interview at 7PM that I haven't prepared for. Today, the day the gym playroom is booked up.

This is all good practice for the determination I will need to keep up my intense training schedule that starts in February. I can do this. I WILL DO THIS. Starting with a swim today!

Drum roll please...

I finally picked a coach!

After researching coaches for months, contacting more than 20, phone interviewing 7, and following up on references for 5, I have finally decided who will help guide me through the training and completion of my first full Ironman!

It just so happens this person was the first person who responded to my emails, and the first person with whom I had a phone interview. Needless to say, this person totally killed the phone interview--knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and we just 'clicked.' This person was the only coach, in fact, that I felt I had any sort of connection with from the get-go.

There are so many other reasons I went with this person.  Their coaching philosophy is spot on with what I want and need from a coach; they have a scientific, educational approach to coaching (they even send out a review of a scientific article each month that is pertinent to training...um hello nerd porn. This one was hook-line-&-sinker for me.) There are many other reasons which I would be happy to share with you if you are curious! (Just trying to contain myself, folks. I have full-on crazy-eyes right now thinking about this and could drone on and on and on about it. Oh wait...)

So, Jesus, just get to it already. WHO IS 'THIS PERSON' OF WHOM I SPEAK???

None other than Jason Gootman, MS CSCS of Tri-Hard Coaching!

I would say I'm thrilled beyond words--but who am I kidding? I'm never without words. So instead, I am just plain thrilled. Giddy. Nonsensical in my elation (can you tell I just finished Northanger Abbey??)

Don't worry. I'm still TERRIFIED respectful of Ironman training. And at the same time, I can't wait to get started in February. Until then, I'll just be too excited to sleep:

this doesn't have anything to do with triathlon, but

it should make you giggle. if it doesn't, you are dark and twisty on the inside and cannot be helped :)

(i promise we only let him do this on soft surfaces)

IM Louisville training races

Lately I've been trying to hammer out the details of my training calendar for next year. I know that my coach will have something to say about which races I should consider, but I want to know what's out there. So I've been doing tons of intertron research. 

I have a few ideas (pronounced 'eye-dears.' I am from Texas, after all.):

Run races:

B.A.A. 5k (Beantown, mid April)

James Joyce 10k (Dedham, end of April) 

Twin Lights Half Marathon (Gloucester, beginning of May) and/or 

Boston's Run to Remember (end of May) and/or 

???????????

Sprint:

Escape the Cape (first week of June) or

????????????????

Olympic: 

Mill City Olympic (Lowell, first week of July) or

Black Fly (Waterville Valley NH, first week of July) or

??????????????????

HIM:

Musselman 70.3 (Geneva, NY July 14) or

MuscomaMan (Enfield, NH end of July)

?????????????

IM:

Louisville, duh! I just wanted to put it on here again :) (Aug 25th, 2013)

I'm new to these here parts--what races do you recommend?? 

two things

#1): Get your flu shot! Flu season can start as early as October.That's next week, people. Don't know where to go?

Search here: http://flushot.healthmap.org/

#2): I decided on a coach--just need to have a conversation about the moolahs and I'll make the announcement. Yayhooray!

Happy hump day, y'all.

crit

Happened upon an elite women's crit race in DT Beantown on Saturday, and it was BADASSSSS. Got my heart a-pumpin. Those ladies were booking it! Very inspiring. I told myself I looked like them when I was out averaging 17mph in my spin around Concord today... hahahSNORThahah.

hey coach!

had (hopefully) my last coach interview yesterday. just have a few more references to follow up on, and then it's time to make a decision. the process hasn't been as terrible as i thought it would be. only a few awkward silences...

my gut made its decision a long time ago--now my mind needs to finish up the due diligence so we can get this party started!  the deadline i set for myself is October 1st. i know you'll be sitting on pins and needles until then.

focus on this sweet face for another week until i make my announcement.

in other news, i'm trying to think of fun non-triathlon related workouts to do next week. i've taken this past week completely off (other than the longggg walks i take with E and the pooch) and am really really REALLY looking forward to some cardio action. have a hike planned with a fellow tri mommy early next week, and was thinking of trying something new at the gym. ZUMBA, anyone?? i have absolutely no rhythm, and will probably stand in the back and giggle the whole time, but giggling = ab workout, right?