Off Season and Fall Fun

Lets just start this post saying coming down from your peak... simply sucks. 

Post-race depression is for real. Teresa prescribed a schedule to kick off the 'OFF' season that left me with some major training withdrawals... antsy, annoyed, bored, cranky... IN A MAJOR FUNK.  

It took a lot of trust in her to listen.  I didn't like it one bit (Hello Christie Control Freak) 

but I got through the rest phase that in all reality, my body NEEDED. 

(Do yourself a favor and go read this post over and over for a reminder of the importance of rest) 

and now...we are back to base building for a whole new level of racing in 2014!

In the mean time... some off season Fall fun 



Supporting friends
St George Marathon

Absolutely fantastic day!! The St George Marathon snapped me right out of that funk and rejuvenated my spirit.  Rachelle and I had so much fun pacing people throughout the day.  Watching the leaders pass at mile 23 with such focus was crazy inspiring!  Walter, Janice, and Julia let me share in the last few miles of their races which was incredible. 

I ran (and screamed) the last 3 miles with Walter who finished with a 2:36... NBD, right?!  Janice was flying when I found her and finished so dang strong earning herself a nice PR.  And Julia PR'd and BQ'd. SO PROUD.


Park City 5K Pink Series

Laura was nice enough to let me spend the night with her before the race in Park City.  It is absolutely stunning up there this time of year! Fun race... but a whole lot of ‘girlieness!’  When they say PINK they are not kidding! :)  Got a fun prize for 2nd overall. 
 

2 products I am OBsessing over right now...  both from Zoot 

There are no words to describe how AWESOME these recovery tights are. Seriously. After you eventually get them squeezed on, the lower half of your body is in pure bliss. For a week  post Worlds/Big Cottonwood weekend, I may have only taken them off to shower :) Worth.Every.Cent.

Kiawe's - Mad crushing over these shoes lately.  I love my Brooks Pure Connects for road racing, but after Boise 70.3, I decided to look for an alternative triathlon specific racer because of all the blisters I was getting. Major score. 

 

Race Pacing - Moab Other Half

 
This past weekend I went with the American Flyers Race Pacers to help pace the Moab Other Half.  I had the biggest group I have ever had in a race stick with me.  It feels so great at the end of the race when you are able to help people achieve there goals.  Almost all of them came in under goal time too!

While we were down in Moab, had to take advantage of the beautiful scenery and did a short hike up to Delicate Arch before heading back home...

Post-Marathon Recovery, and Looking Forward

Two weeks have passed since my last 'A' race of 2012. 

Two weeks of recovery = Not many hours scheduled in TP, low mileage, very low intensity, ornery mood… Post-Race Blues are NO Joke.   You come off a 'successful' race with such a high and built up energy in which you immediately want to channel into your next goal.  Suddenly, you have all this time on your hands that was once 100% focused on a goal race, but what your body needs to now focus on is : RECOVERY

 

I read an article that compared healing muscles in recovery to healing an open wound.  We have all experienced an open cut that seems to be healed, but you stretch it to far and it bursts back open.  The article explained the same goes for healing your muscles after a hard race.  Your body tells you, you feel better and are ready for more; but, these thoughts may be artificial.  I have had to keep reminding myself over and over that even though I feel fully healed - I need to give my body the appropriate amount of time to fully recover.

Teresa and I have the remaining 2012 and 2013 base plan set:

 Remainder of the year...

-Swim focus! 

-Build bike strength

-Race 13.1 either November/December

2013 Goals

-Qualify for Worlds 70.3

-'A' Races 

   *St George 70.3

   *Boise 70.3

   *Lake Stevens 70.3

-Qualify for Boston 2014 - I want to not only qualify put PR again at this distance

 

I was reading this blog the other day.... and loved this section:

“I have a strong desire to find what will break me physically, emotionally, and mentally. I want to know that deep, dark place where I really feel like I can’t go on and need to quit…. but then somehow power on… or can’t. I want to take my suffering to another level. I have never stood on the start line of a race or started a run or ride thinking I couldn’t complete the effort or filled with fear...I definitely have had some low spots in races and couldn’t go quite as fast as I wanted, but the thought of pulling the plug or having to quit has never crossed my mind.”

This really resonated with me as to what I want my 2013 to look like. I want to push hard and find my limits. My father and I were talking the other day about what it really means to find those limits. Finding those limits can mean 

blowing-up at a race...

feeling uncomfortable and scared... 

not reaching an extreme goal... 

tip-toeing the injury line...

...

but pushing to this point, pushing to step into this scary territory, is where I want to go!