Training and the Family Reunion

I went to the first family renunion on my dad's side this past weekend. It took place in Edwardsville, IL, about 30 miles across the state border from St. Louis, MO. I planned to fit some training runs into the weekend between the festivities, yet it became more rewarding to spend time with the people. Many of the relatives I either hadn't seen in years or had never known before this weekend. My Aunt Sheri coordinated a really fun weekend. We had a blast eating amazing bbq, dancing to the 60's and 70's, singing karaoke, playing Spades (thanks for the card lesson co-champ Wayne!), goofy raffles and relays (Cousin Vi style), and just connecting and musing about memories and pictures. It was really special to meet my cousins Keira, Jess, Kaenen and Tre for the first time. Grandma outlasted all of us during the fun. Can't quite explain how full my heart is right now.

Well, I haven't done so well with posting to my training blog these past few weeks...the update is that all is going well. I'm back with the Master Swim Program at the JCC. I'm currently going to swim workouts at lunch time on Tuesdays and Fridays, yet I don't really like the way the coaches conduct these workouts...they sort of just give you the workout and monitor your progress without offering any valuable insight on how to improve the efficiency or speed of your swim. I want to go back to the sessions coached by Ali. I'm also working out with the TNT half-team, and I'm now back in the base building phase of my run and bike training. On Saturday 4/21/07, we did Honey Springs route, a 55-mile bike ride from Chula Vista to Japitul Valley. Really gorgeous scenery out there this time of the year, yet a way tough hilly ride, including a 7-mile incline followed by many more hills. I pushed hard on the entire ride and just couldn't rally myself to do a transition run after completing that bike route. My rationalization was a commitment to do the Iron Mtn brick workout with some of my Lavaman teammates the next morning. Definitely my toughest workout weekend.

I've noticed that I've reached a new level of hunger as I finish workouts...I'm dubbing this new level of hunger "mega-hungry", and I think it might be dangerous to stand between me and food during this phase of my training. I'm trying to figure out whether there's a need to adjust my protein before or during workouts. Muscles stay kind of tight all the time, yet they release with consistent stretching. I'm feeling energetic again.

Still trying to set a regular training schedule, so I'm operating my workouts on "catch as catch can"...there's several things happening in my personal life these next couple months...scheduled to be out of town for 3 of the next 4 weekends...started some home remodelling last week...Wildflower is this upcoming weekend...I'm not truly race ready, yet I'm excited about going back to this event and spending the weekend with friends and the tri community near Paso Robles.

Post-Lavaman/New Goals

Its been exactly one week since I participated in the Lavaman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. I'm not feeling the post-race blues or withdrawls...just reflective...thinking a lot about the training season...new and old friendships...the travel adventures...the race. It was a wonderful trip, yet not exactly the race experience for which I hoped. During the weeks leading up to the Lavaman event, I battled general fatigue and achiness which I attribute to overtraining and a lack of adequate sleep. My run speed decreased during the season. I worked out a lot this past season...coached practices, base building, master swim, weight training, pilates, yoga, and soccer. It was too much. Even after tapering for two weeks, the muscle soreness returned upon any hard exertion. The aches were located in the quads, glutes, low back and shoulders. I could feel my problem muscles tightening during the bike portion of the Lavaman race, and that tightness evolved to low level pain as I started the run. However, seeing my teammates and appreciating the coastal scenery increased my enthusiasm and joy so that the the pain no longer mattered. Even with a hurting body, my time improved by a few minutes over the prior olympic distance event.

I've now taken a full week off from all training, and my body is still pretty tight through the hips and low back. This upcoming week I plan to join Team in Training's half-team to start preparing for Vineman, my first half-ironman race, which takes place July 22nd. I'm also registered for the Wildflower Olympic the first weekend in May. It was my first triathlon event last year and will be a good benchmark for where I am today. I'm a little hesitant about jumping back into a regular training schedule...my body feels a bit battered...not feeling the eagerness to train for a longer distance race tonight. I'm thinking that this season I'll focus only on going the distance and not get caught up in strength or speed training.

Here's to hoping it all will work out!

Ginger