What I Know

These photos don't have much to do with my post today. I just felt like adding them to spruce things up a bit. This is pretty much how I've been spending my winter. On the Mountain, on skis, with my boys.  We cruise up there as early as we can on Saturday morning, get home late after fun with family and friends Saturday night, and then turn around and it again on Sunday. I love it. My boys have become impressive little ski bums (definately taking after their Daddy on this one) and it's awesome family time.  We're out in the fresh air, being active, seeing friends, and well, what more is there to say! We're lucky.
Somehow, I manage to train a few times over the weekend too.

How about Training? The end of February is only days away and the spring races are coming up before we know it season is right around the corner.
How did That happen? Wasn't I just in Hawaii?? Wasn't I just taking a little time off to recover and regroup from my double Ironman year? Yea, time goes fast.

I've learned a lot about myself in the last year of training. For some reason, things have just clicked in terms of understanding myself and my training needs. I am also coming to grips what I need as an athlete.
Here's what I know.

• I am in fact, getting older. I decided to finally admit it. What does that mean?
• I need to stretch, daily.
• I need to go to bed earlier. Or else.
• I am very creaky when I get out of my bed at 4:00 a.m. Joints creak, muscles are tight, and it takes a few minutes before I am walking normally! Sad but true.
• post-workout recovery is Key!
• Pre-workout fueling is also key.
• It is not easy for me to lose weight. 5lbs, 10lbs, or 2 little lbs. I struggle. Every day. Even with hours and hours of hard training all the time.
• I Like to eat well. It makes me feel so much better than even one day of laziness and gluttony with food.
• I will always be able to swim with ease. However, in order to go fast and then maintain that speed, I truly need to swim a lot. And often. Perhaps more than some since I have been swimming for so many years of my life. -this can go into a post of itself so I'll stop here. For now.
• I don't mind the trainer and I am even ok on it for hours at a time. I feel lucky that I can do long / hard workouts on my bike in the winter even though I live in Maine. I am happy to be able to do long hard bike workouts in my home while my kids are home from school.  I like the trainer.
• That said, I am excited to ride outside again and every spring, when I get ready for my 1st outdoor ride after a long time, I wonder if I'll be able to balance. Really?
• I love my long quiet ride to the pool at 4:15 a.m. I prefer talk radio, not music at that hour though.
• I am addicted and dependent on coffee.
• Coffee is the 1st thing I grab when I get out of bed. Every.single.Day. 
• I quit coffee creamer. And I'm very proud of that.
• I respect the importance of consistent quality training. 
• There is nothing more  amazing than a run out the roads where I live. It's quiet, beautiful, and hilly.
• I could run every day and never get sick of it.
• I need to train. I really do need to train.  Just ask my kids.  :) Or, my husband.
• If it is written in Training peaks, I will do it. No matter what. Ok, not if I'm sick. Or if my kids need me. But otherwise I will do it.
• If I can't log my workout in training peaks Immediately after I do each workout, it drives me nuts.
• I plan my  long workouts days ahead of the actual day. I plan the route, the time of day, and make sure I eat properly the day before. 
• I love feedback. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
• I didn't realize how much I needed that feedback, but I really really crave it. 
• I will admit that I am getting older, and yet I do not intent to give in to the fact that I am getting older. Not yet. I still plan to get faster. Come hell or high water.
• I have an insanely wonderful support system. I am very lucky. My husband bends over backwards to help my training schedule work. My kids are totally cool with it all and have fun at my races. They love to tell me which races are their favorites to 'play at' and they wear all my race shirts and hats around after. And how about my parents? After ~34 years competing in things all over the country, they still attend and cheer for me at every race they can get to. Amazing.
• I couldn't do all this without my friends. I love my friends and their support means everything too.
• I know why I do this. I know why it matters. I may never be able to articulate it to others but I've stopped caring. I no longer have the need to justify it. 
• I can and will work very very hard to reach my goals.  If I set my mind on  something, it's pretty hard to convince me not to go for it. 
• I am grateful that I can compete in this sport. A lot of factors go into making all of it work and I feel very lucky that I'm ready to go for 2012.

That's what I know!!!!