The End of a Season

The end of a season

The official end to my 3^rd season as a triathlete – milestones like this are bittersweet.  I never enjoy hallmarks of the passage of time – as time and life seem to be flying by at breakneck paces.  It is, however, a great time to sit back, even if just for a minute and reflect on accomplishments.   I’m proud to say that I have worked really hard to make it to where I am in my level of fitness.  I had set several goals at the onset of 2013 that I have been able to check off one by one while staying healthy.

2013 Goals

·         To follow a structured, efficient training program 6 days/week for an average total workout time of 6-7 hours/week.  I have been able to sustain this commitment and it’s one of the main reasons for my successes this year.  I have a great coach who has designed training blocks month after month that have built upon my strengths and addressed some of my weaknesses.  I still have a lot of work to do and a lot to learn, but I feel good about the foundation I have.

·         To become comfortable riding/handling my new tri bike and improve my average sprint tri race pace to at least 20.0 mph.  I have proven both that you can buy speed AND that one’s engine is just as important as one’s equipment.  I became much more competitive on the bike this year and, although it’s still my weakest event, I am now towards the head of the pack instead of the middle during this leg of the race.

·         To participate in the USAT Age Group sprint tri nationals in Milwaukee and qualify for a spot on Team USA for the 2014 ITU World Championships.   Pleased to report that I checked this off the list in August – headed to Edmonton, Canada in 2014!

·         To complete an Olympic distance triathlon.  I did the Rev3 Half Full Olympic triathlon in Columbia, MD just two weeks ago.  It’s a little less than twice the distance of a sprint tri – it was a beautiful course that can be described in two words – very hilly.  The weather was perfect and I really felt like I had a good race and really enjoyed it (as much as you can enjoy swimming 0.9 miles, biking 25 miles, and running 6.2 miles as fast as you can) – I finished in 2:38:21 and came in 1^st in my age group and 5^th overall female.  It was a great way to finish the season and prove to myself that even though I have only been able to train for the shortest triathlon distances, I have the ability to sustain the effort over longer periods of time…..thinking about adding a few of these distances to the schedule for next year now!

I’m looking forward to setting new goals for 2014.  I need to shave at least another 5 minutes off of my sprint tri time to compete with the “big dogs” next year.  There are some really fast 40-something Mommas out there – at Nationals, my age group was one of the most competitive and fastest on the course that day.  It’s exciting and a little intimidating, but, most of all, it’s very motivating to work harder and smarter to step up to the next level.  Wish me luck!