Tightening the bolts

Dude.....things are really good. These last few weeks things are really starting to approach a nice flow with training. I'm still sorting out my work/life balance (I seem to be a slave to my iPhone...it does EVERYTHING). This year I took on some more athletes, actually a few more than I intended. But they are like kids, and once you have them in your life, you can't imagine not having them. Well, sometimes I dream about not having a few of them. EHEM! Just kidding!!!

It's been fun seeing them meet each other and create a little network of support within themselves, but then again, in this day and age, small electronic networks of support are readily available. It's the person to person connection that we seem to be lacking.

That is one reason I love triathlon. During this off season my schedule has been relaxed enough to meet some new people, make some new friends, and really enjoy the energy I get from long slow runs full of lively conversation with some great men and women. I haven't had so many swims like that, but it's probably just me. The energy I get from connecting with others always puts me in such a great mood. It's been a productive Pre-Season in many ways.

I signed up for another race on a whim. This is starting to get addicting...maybe I should try for that Elite card so I can sign up for things on a whim all the time. No No No, this mama enjoys the sport just like it is. I prefer to cheer for Angela and Beth and Beth and Kim etc etc etc rather than seeing them on the start line and turning the other way and RUNNING!!! Which is probably precisely what I would do. I've been asked why I don't get my elite license...'cause I'm scared to death of those girls. Heck, I was scared of those girls when they were AGers and I had to race them. Hahahahhahah!!!!

Oh sorry, I got off topic, back to whims. Yea, long story short...back and forth with Dirk...and boom, I signed up to race Texas 70.3 in a just a few short weeks. Honestly it's time to get the party started and this little diesel engine is ready for a test run. After a few months with a new plan, it's good to get out there and race. It gives you an idea of what is working and what isn't, and it give your coach some good data to run with. I'm excited about it.

In the past I tend to come out of the "pre-season" a bit slow. It takes awhile to get the engine warmed up. I don't feel as much like that now. I feel like I'm ready and it's as good a time as any to go race.

Michelle isn't doing Texas, but we are going to NOLA to do the 70.3 there on April 22nd. That trip will be a little racing and a lot of Beignets (I will never spell that even close to correctly). I'm kidding, I meant a LOT of racing and a little Beignets (spelled it right that time, but I cheated). My mom may crash the party with us as well which makes for a very nurturing, and sherpa-ing PIC#3.

So, that's really what's new in my world.

Oh, I also wanted to tell you about my morning routine, so you can make fun of me next time you see me. I signed up for RestWise. I remember when Chuckie and Angela were talking about it and it took me MONTHS to find it online. WiseRest, Restful, resting site, log your rest site....yea, I was confused. Finally found it and signed up. I love taking my Pulse Ox in the morning and watching to see what my resting heart rate is.

In addition to that I have been using the ithlete for about a year. It measures your heart rate variability while you take a breathing test that takes about a minute.

Also add into there the fact that my scale wirelessly uploads to Training Peaks. That's not entirely relevant, I just wanted to gloat again.

Oaky, so here's where you get to make fun of me. I wake up and acknowledge that I am awake. I sit up in bed, prop up on a few pillows, and put my heart rate monitor on. I plug in the ithlete thingee and take the 1 minute test. Breathe in, then out, in out, in out... Then I put on the pulse Oximeter and breathe deeply, let it even out and memorize the numbers. Then I open RestWise on my phone and log the pulse ox and heart rate. Then I get up, go pee, while doing that I answer all the RestWise questions. How are you feeling, how did you sleep, are you hungry, are you hurt, do you have a headache, what is your mood (sometimes I have to go back and change that later) ....it's like a therapist! I note the color of my PEE in Restwise, oh yes, it asks, as would any good therapist, and I put my contacts in. Why put my contacts in you ask? AH! I can't see the scale without them! Then I weigh, note that in Restwise and punch the "upload data and give me my results" button. It tells me my Daisy ranking...fresh as a daisy....dead daisy...no, actually it just says 80% or 50% or something like that. I write everything on my handy dandy clipboard that lives in the bathroom...because electronics FAIL ALL THE TIME and I don't want any data loss. Then I crawl back in bed to check my email.

Oh the life of an endurance athlete, you're so jealous, I know it!

 

Sonja Wieck3 Comments