Decisions, Decisions...what to work on next

I know, I know.  I let a week or two slide by without a post.  That must mean it is still off season and recovery from my summer season along with adjusting to going back to work and back to school.  One thing most triathletes love to do is PLAN or hire someone to plan for them.

Most of the planning is done for 2013-2014 as many important activities, commitments, deadlines and events are filling up the calendar, but getting back into a smooth and regular routine can be a challenge or a juggling act.  I was what I like to call, "the spoiled triathlete" during last year as I did not have much to juggle other than training, a few hours of work, and making sure my son got to his activities.  This year, I have taken on a little more work responsibilities and my son started high school, after school activities, and work commitments.  So now, I am more challenged as to when, where, and how to get all my workouts in with the days starting to get shorter. (I did not say cooler, because cooler has not arrived in AZ yet).

That will not stop me from doing what I love to do because I live to TRI, so one way or another, everything will get done.  The past few weeks have been overwhelming and my body is rebelling about getting back to "work" both as a physical therapist and a triathlete.  I am happy to still be in the recovery mode so there is no pressure about having to get in a certain number of miles or intensity.  While I take a deep breathe to pause, there are plenty of off season things to focus on like strength and conditioning, flexibility, technique, and nutrition.

Now of course there will be a few short races on the horizon including a sprint or two.  I also accepted an invitation to run PF Chang's Marathon this year on Team Wylder and will be posting more about this undertaking.  I have not had the desire to "run a marathon" unless it is part of an Ironman.  I could not pass up this invitation to honor a special little boy and help raise awareness and funds for NORD (national organization for rare diseases).  I will share more about this event in a future blog, so stay tuned if you would like to be a part of this day with me.

And the big decision is getting near.  I had decided that the best way to celebrate turning 50 next August was to do another Ironman.  One of my requirements was that it would have pine trees on the course, but after a lot of soul searching and research, it made more sense to go with a course that was more reasonable for my skill level and and a new race popped up on the circuit, IM Chattanooga in Tennessee.  It looks to be beautiful fast course with possible ideal conditions for a race.  It will include a river swim with the current, a rolling bike course through Northern Georgia, and a flat run through Chattanooga with average temps of 55-75, low humidity and little wind.  Who knows, there might even be pine trees.  I am not giving up on my vacation destination races in Tahoe, Whistler, Boulder and Coeur d'Alene, I just want to get leaner, stronger and more prepared for the difficulty of those courses.  So the decision is getting close and sign up for Chattanooga for September 2014 is getting closer.  I also will have to pick a 70.3 race or two along the way...so more decisions coming.

For now, I put those big goals to the side and focus on getting my energy levels back on track, my nutrition under control and build a strong base.  This is the fun stuff where you can take an hour or two out of your day to TRI before the wild ride begins for 2014.