Yikes! It’s been about 10 months since my last entry. In fairness to myself, I’ve been working like crazy finishing a more important writing project - my dissertation! Since my last entry, I successfully completed my 150 page, 40,000 word dissertation and graduated with my Ph.D in Exercise Physiology. So yes, I’m a doctor…but not the kind who helps people haha.
But enough about that boring stuff! I know you’re here for the triathlon/cinnamon roll stuff 😅
A couple of weeks ago, I got the opportunity to take a trip to Australia for the ITU Triathlon Age Group World Championships. The trip was a bit of a last minute decision for me…I didn’t even have a flight or hotel booked until about one week before I left! Thankfully, USA Triathlon was able to get me registered at the eleventh hour.
Hi! Remember me? It's been a while since I've posted anything. Sorry if you were waiting on the edge of your seat for another post, but I've been BUSY! Since I last saw you after the USAT National Championship, I raced another SEVEN times! Read on to find out how they all went!
For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to do a half-ironman (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run) just one week after the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship. I didn't realize just how little long course training I had done until I looked after the race. The last time I ran 13 miles was back in May and I've only ever ridden 56+ miles 6 times in my life! I mean, sure, I was in decent shape to get me through the 70.3 miles (or 71.8 with a long bike course and a mishap on the run...but you'll have to keep reading to hear about that 🙃), but had no idea how I would fare against the rest of the competition.
Back in Omaha for the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships. This triathlon season has been anything but smooth. If you missed what’s happened so far, take a look back at my GR Triathlon and Tri del Sol races. Then, take a look at my post on being consistent. If you want the shortened version, I was 5 and 7 minutes slower than I was last year at those races. Part of the reason I think I've been slower is that I’ve been traveling a lot working with a sports nutrition company and been unable to get any solid training or resting in. The other part? Keep reading and you’ll find out 😉
Well, three triathlons down, one 5th place and two 2nd place overall finishes. Not really what I had in mind for the beginning of my triathlon season. Some people might see this as pretty good, but I went slower this year in both the 2nd place races than I did last year (5 and 8 minutes, respectively).
I don't even want to recap this...I was just slow. I'm going to keep this one short and sweet and follow up with a longer post musing on some reasons why I have been so much slower at my races this year. You can read that here!
In between adventures with my dad and friends was the real reason I made the trip to Colorado in the first place: the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting. While the meetings and presentations are exciting for me, they don't make great reading material for you! :P So I'll get to the really important stuff...cinnamon rolls and running!