Progress Report from the House of Turtle/Things a Turtle can do when she TRIs!

After 2 months of training with racelab, progress is beginning to show.  The cold is gone and spring allergies have arrived, so outdoor workouts are full of sniffles, but that has not slowed this turtle down.  The training is starting to depart from the discomfort zone into the fun zone as my body seems to be adapting to the workouts and schedule.  The extra rest day last week also helped, so never say no when your coach offers you time off!

Here are some of the good things a turtle can do when it TRIs:
1.  RIDE A BIKE:  If your bike fitter puts shorter cranks on your bike, you can complete a full circle and maintain a more consistent cadence.  My bike rides this week were much more enjoyable as I adapt to my new position on my bike.  This is part of our experiment to see if you position the turtle properly, she can recruit the proper muscles for more efficient pedal stroke with those short stocky legs.  The wider handlebars also force the turtle into better alignment in the cockpit (that is what my fitter calls it).  And I can't say enough about pedals that are easy to get in and out of.
2.  RUN IN CIRCLES:  The Track Workout:  Something happened this week on the track as the turtle was able to do her intervals closer to the 2 minute mark and sometimes even below.  At the end of the workout, the turtle ran a 1:45 interval during a relay race (we won't mention the cookies she almost lost).  One of her team-mates yelled out...."who let the turtle out".  Oh for those of you that are fast, this is big progress for a turtle who has not done much running over the past 10 years.
3.  LAY BRICKS:  So happy to have my first brick workout.  I guess I just like construction as I feel better on my run after a bike ride with less stiffness.  My brick was a 75 minute bike followed by a 2 mile run.  I hope the bricks stack up after a 112 mile ride.  Build slowly and make sure the foundation is strong.
4.  TREAD WATER:  Preparation for the OWS:  Swim practice was fun rehearsing open water swim techniques in the pool in preparation for our first scheduled lake swim on Sunday pending on weather.  It was quite a mob scene practicing a mass swim start, sighting, drafting, and basic survival.  I am excited to put my wetsuit on.  I am really loving swimming more and more.

This weekend is a slooooow weekend which is something the turtle is very proficient in.  I will be doing a 2 hour bike ride and working on my pedaling technique, a 6 mile run, and an open water swim.  LIFE IS GOOD!  I enjoy the easy weekends even more and I am appreciating rest more and can see how rest, hydration and nutrition impact the overall picture.  The next few weeks will be building again  for our upcoming Olympic Triathlons in Tempe Town Lake on April 15 and May 5.  This year they will have different meaning as I will be visualizing what it will be like repeating the loops come November and crossing the finish line and hearing those 6 little words "Beth Kozura, You are an Ironman".