Taking Risks

I'm gearing up for the season mixing what I know works with some experimentation on a few things that I'm hoping works! I'm intrigued about a few things Coach is having me try and banking that they'll further my efforts this season. I'm doing as they say (whoever they are) and taking some calculated risks.

The rains have showered us with their love for the past 10 days or so. I've tried to return that same love but it hasn't been easy. I made it a rest week instead! And now, with a week of rest behind me and sunny skies ahead, sunscreen and fluids will again be vital. Yay! At least for now anyway. I've been testing out The Right Stuff as an electrolyte supplement during my longer efforts and have had great "luck" with it so far (I don't believe much in luck; the stuff works).

One of the things Chuckie had me try was a carbohydrate-restricted diet for these past 3-4 days. I'm on day four and have finally tasted an apple. I love apples and three days without one had me slapping my hands together as if I had autism, anything to keep my mind off of food. According to the scale (which means little really) I lost a couple of pounds but I think that weight was just depleted brain glycogen! Yesterday afternoon at the track I was seeing stars and almost fell over my own two feet. A measly 20-minutes of harder effort had me focusing on the horizon just to stay upright. I was competing again (to stay upright)! Competition is something I haven't done in over a year… and it felt surreal! Chuckie commented, "Now you know what it's like to have to sprint at the end of an Ironman." I love suffering but only through the type of my choosing, which, as Coach says, "isn't really suffering; you can't always pick your battles." This was a whole new kind of battle for me and it sucked!

During my last few hard workouts I made sure to make myself hurt. My game still has to be upped to compete with the likes of Team TBB and I'm elevating myself toward it. It being: hurt hard and hurt often.

But now I'm dead and filling myself back up with the much-needed glycogen I deprived myself of for the last few days.

About the risk-taking…

I take a lot of risks in life (some I'm not too proud of and others that have virtually saved my life), but there is still a big part of me that holds back. Taking risks is just too well, risky! What if (fill in the blank) happens?! What if, what if, what if…

What I've realized this past year while taking part on Team TBB, and being home for a few months, and working a full-time job, and being injured is that I have to take risks (however scary or unknown the outcome may be) in order to attain my goals in the sport and in life. As Brett Sutton always said, "Go home now if you're doing this (sport) for the lifestyle or for image; do it to be your best and to WIN."

Ben Franklin wrote that some people die at 25 and aren't buried until they are 75. I'm still alive and will choose to be until the day I die (most likely by taking the risks I was told I shouldn't have!). So strong as this comes across, it means to hell with it, bust a move! Fear is to be demolished in my repertoire of emotions, along with doubt…fear and doubt are the naysayers in our lives and too many people let them control their lives. It's a battle I struggle through almost daily.

Obviously there are limits to what risks we should take. I wouldn't put myself in harm's way (at least the type of harm I wouldn't get stronger from). Nor would I put others in any harm (unless it means winning a race and their harm came from me beating them in the event!). But here's the irony: the person that doesn't take risks feels the same amount of fear as the person that regularly takes risks…maybe even more so! The non-risk taker feels the same amount of fear over more trivial matters: the weather, a big hill to climb, crosswinds, or being chicked (which, by the way, should be a big fear of yours, guys!) and other what ifs brought on by these and other things.

If I have learned anything in the past 2 years in this sport, it is this: failure is part of the process. BUT (and this is a BIG but!) we don't have to accept it and be defeated by it! Take the risk!

"Look, if you had one shot, one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted…One moment…Would you capture it, or just let it slip?" Eminem

To hell with it! That's my M.O.

Two Tough Days

The last two days were great training days for me.

Yesterday I went on a doozy of a ride. CV and I rode long (because we've heard rain is coming! Yikes!), ending up a few minutes shy of 6-hours. I felt dead from the onset and stayed that way the whole way but struggled on, collecting at least 3-hours at a respectable power output.

By the time the two of us got back into town, we were barely moving and swearing under (and over) our breaths at every bump on the road (and there's no shortage of bumps in Santa Barbara County. Chuckie likes to joke that the roads are one big bump. I actually look forward to the cattle guards since they're smoother! We were tired, hungry, cranky and ready to get off the bikes. After a solid 90-minutes of refueling and a short nap, I headed to the track for a 60-minute jaunt on the legs. It was dark and I was slow as a turtle but collected "time on my feet" nonetheless.

Today I woke like a slug. My eyes were puffy and had dark bags under them. Speaking of bags, I was ready to bag the day before it even started! But Chuckie reminded me how hard my friends on Team TBB train. That was my coffee. Train harder than them. After long discussions with the team management, I decided it best to branch out on my own this year. I'll be racing independently under Chuckie's guidance and am back with many of the great sponsors I've had since pre-Team TBB.

At 7:45 this morning I met with Heather and Trevor for a 4,500-yard swim workout of their design, with a mix of paces and steady state work. We then suited up for a planned 4-5 hour ride with time "in zone". This is Chuckie's way of saying, "Expect to hurt". He didn’t know how I would feel so we agreed to just "see what the day brings," which meant if I felt tired, I could expect to hurt that much more!

Though I felt great during the swim I was still hesitant about the follow-up ride, especially after a big breakfast, which only made me feel groggy again. As expected, I felt like crap during the warm-up but kept the effort consistent and strong from there forward, with just one stop the whole ride. I think Heather and Trevor are with me on this one but I hate stopping during our harder rides and it's something Chuckie seems to want to do (and does) more than anyone. He stops to smell flowers, to help snakes or tarantulas across the road, to pick up garbage and to take pictures. Oddly enough he never stops when it's time to pee. Weird.

Before long everything starting clicking for me and I got in no less than 3.5-hours at a solid power output. I was gritting my teeth by the end, even though I was still at a very aerobic heart rate (i.e., well below my lactate threshold). I felt like I was hitting bottom but couldn't help myself when I hit the bottom of Mount Figueroa. I was under strict orders NOT to do any climbing so I turned around after sneaking in just 100-yards of it (though climbing 100 yards on the Fig takes about 8-minutes!). Next time, I'll try to squeeze in 200 yards!). After a nice tailwind spin back to the YMCA, I scarfed some more grub and then headed back to the pool for a short flop to end the day. All I can say about that particular swim was that I didn't drown.

I'm ready for tomorrow. The menu: Run, run, and run.

It's time to fight the war...and training started today. Let's hope the rain waits!

Rolf Prima signs multiple top pro triathletes for 2010

Adding to an already strong list of sponsored athletes, Rolf Prima will start the triathlon season with several new additions. Rolf Prima recently signed Jan Rehula (Czech Republic), Justin Daerr (USA), Angela Naeth (Canada), Gina Crawford (New Zealand) and Graham O'Grady (New Zealand).

Their past records are impressive. Whether it's Gina Crawford's recent IronMan Western Australia victory onboard Rolf Prima TdF58 650c's, where she took the first back to back title for IronMan Western Australia or Jan Rehula's impressive win at the inaugural IronMan Malaysia 70.3; look for even more winning results from them on their Rolf Prima wheels in 2010. "What is impressive about these athletes is that they are more than just great athletes, they are great people to" said Rolf Prima owner, Brian Roddy. "We receive numerous sponsorship requests, but we are very selective with who we partner with. We want them to be good spokes-people not only for our products, but for the sport as well. We are really looking forward to working with these athletes for 2010".

For 2010 Rolf Prima has expanded their wheel options for triathletes. The 12 spoke TdF58 is now available in a clincher or tubular and the tubular version is available in a 650c or 700c size. Rolf Prima also added a full Carbon tubular rear Disc which weighs in at 930gms. All of the Rolf Prima triathletes will race on either the Rolf Prima TdF58 or 58TT wheel sets paired with a Rolf Prima Disc.

Stay tuned for some great results from these athletes as the triathlon season gets underway.

5 day late....or 5 days early?

It's already 5 days into the new year. But to me dates are arbitrary. They run the show for getting things done and being in places at certain times, but what does 5 days into 2010 really mean? The year starts when one decides to commit. Chuckie just wrote a great blog about this and you can read it here. I committed--fully committed--myself when I realized I was just kidding myself. And I fully realized this just a short while ago. I think this is an ongoing process for an athlete--commitment and realizing what it takes. Not until one wins or achieves one of his or her goals that they had set out to accomplish, can one fully realize this.

I worked for about 2.5 months as a physiotherapist this past year to help get me out of debt and start the year off on the right track (albeit with a loan). I realized throughout that time frame that I don't want 10 years to pass with me thinking, 'shoulda, woulda, coulda.' I still don't believe I fully grasp this concept though. This is what both Doc and Chuckie V have said in so many words, but I'm trying. I need to be slapped in the face everyday so that this reality of time flowing by hits me at the same instance. Even though dates are meaningless, our life's time clock is not!

I could look at this in two ways:
1) Negatively
2) Positively

Positive thinking isn't everything when it comes to achieving dreams. It's a myth really. But if you stay positively focused that dream may just become reality. It's the combination of the good and bad of everyday--the pleasure and pain--the positive and negative. Keeping your mind on the goal and moving toward it is the act of being positively focused. Chuckie always reiterates, "It's easy to stay positive when everything is going your way, but this isn't true positivity. It only means something when times get tough."

Of course if you consider fun to be the essential goal there is nothing wrong with that either! For me though, my ultimate success level, whatever that may be, is the most fun I could have! It takes work to have fun.

Last Day of 2009!

Well the best Christmas present ever has now been used. It's the Christmas present to me from me: a ticket SOUTH! I'm now at a great training base and a place I like to call home: Solvang, CA. If I could, I'd live down here permanently. I know of only two ways (that are legit):

1) Marry
2) Find an employer that will sponsor me with a work visa.

For now though, triathlon is my job and marriage is not likely in my near future. One must be engaged with the man she loves!

My flight down had no complications or hassles whatsoever (which is entirely new to me as I always seem to have something go wrong. I even had a great conversation with the customs officer about triathlon. He would like to do one someday but he said he has to start running, biking and swimming first! Yes, that would help make the experience somewhat more enjoyable. I said my bike box had a 'frame' in it, along with some shoes. My cunning ploy worked and I didn't have to pay for the bike! I only had to pay $50 for the two other pieces of luggage I carried, but I'll take it! A penny saved is a penny saved...to be used in this year's racing and travels!

I packed a nice lunch of leftovers and ate the entire flight(s)! I can't help myself when turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and all the fixings, are waiting for me as my mouth waters just thinking about them! :)

Needless to say, eating at home over the last few months has made me realize how much I suck at cooking...and how lazy I am in the kitchen. Thank God for moms! I figured this was my last nice meal for a while and the view from my window seat made it taste that much better. One thing's for sure: I had a great few months at home with my mom's cooking inside me. The scale shows it too.

The new year awaits and I'm very excited to get back into full-mode training! Be sure to keep updated with my training blog. My coaches don't care for me to let every "secret" out of the bag (even though they both claim that "there are no secrets!"). Anyhow I figured it's easier to put it all on one blog rather than add to this one. I'll update my new one regularly in the new year...which in fact begins in t-minus 2.5 hours!

I've have some exciting news that I'll share with you in the next few days. I have been blessed with some great new sponsors and supporters for next year. They each deserve their own introduction and it would imprudent of me to group them all in one fell swoop, but I will throw their names out now because I'm so excited!

SPONSORS:
Rolf Prima Wheels
TYR Wetsuits and Training Gear
AVIA footwear
Standard Process Nutrition Products
Sable Water Optics
Rudy Project Helmets and Sunglasses
Nuu-Muu Dresses

SUPPORTERS:
Terramassage
Cycleops
ISM Saddles
Raw Revolutions
Hammer Gels
Beaker Concept Compression Socks
Larabar
LOLE

I have more exciting news to come but everything isn't set just yet. I'm looking forward to 2010, to show all my supporters and sponsors what I'm capable of! Have a happy New Year everyone!

Looking for help with your training? Triathlete Coach?

Now that I've been coaching a few triathletes over the last year or so, I've realized how important it is to have good communication, a solid (yet flexible) training program, and a coach who works with you personally.

My current coaches, Chuckie V and Brett Sutton, have helped me develop my own coaching style. As an athlete living and breathing the sport, I'm always eager to learn from others and teach those how to reach their own personal fitness goals.

I've learned over the years, you must be able to blend the athlete's lifestyle with the training plan. You can't expect to have a determined age-grouper with a full-time job and kids to train the same as one who works part-time with no children. It's the quality and effort that is put into the training that will be able to produce the results. Mind you, a few "Team TBB secret training methods" doesn't hurt the cause!

With a simple change in one's running program – increasing daily duration and decreasing rest - I've seen great improvements in one of my athlete's PR time for the half-marathon. Including some strength riding and hills, helped improve another athlete's overall bike and run time. It may seem basic but there are proper and improper ways to go about it all. I love helping others achieve the results they were always capable of achieving.

If you're interested in more about how I coach and/or training, feel free to email me anytime: tri3angela (at) yahoo dot com.

Cheers!

Onward and Upward...

It's now the new year for me: time to reflect on 2009 and focus on 2010! This year has been one of the best years of my life – in both a negative and positive way. Last year ('08) I had a great season as a first-year pro: 3rd @ Muskoka 70.3, 1st @ Boulder Peak, 7th @ Wildflower, and 8th @ 70.3 Worlds (top Canadian!). I was ready to have a great 2009 season. In February I flew overseas to meet my new coach, Brett Sutton, and my new teammates on TeamTBB. Here I was, 26 at the time, eager to work hard and become a "real" pro. I was on my way to my first adventure of 2009!

Team TBB Camp. I arrived in Manila in pants and a long sleeve shirt. I knew it was going to be hot but not quite this hot! It was a wonderful training climate and the energy of the team took over on the days where you felt you couldn't do anymore. And though I wish I could, I just can't explain the Doc; he's a tough book to read! But he's highly intelligent and Yoda-like. He could read me inside and out with just one glance...naive, boggled in the mind, a scattered mess. I was going to be shown the tough way…


And so I pushed myself to limits I shouldn't have. I wanted to prove myself everyday and I shattered myself in the process. I'd come home after hard training days literally unable to walk. On some days, everyone on the team came home like this! I remember walking home one night from a training run because my quads and calves seized up so much. That single mile took 40 minutes!


The weeks rolled by and by the end of the 5th week I was still moving. I LOVED the team, the training and the focus of everyday. I learned a ton at this camp and got a taste of how hard one must train both in a mental and physical sense. Unfortunately though, I crushed myself.

Chuckie V knew that going with Brett and TeamTBB was the best thing for me at the time. I needed a kick in my own arse. Unfortunately I kicked my own arse a bit too hard and ended up fracturing my leg near the knee. I kept running on it and almost broke the tibia fully. I was literally walking on a fine line.

Back in the US, the doctor wanted to put me in a full leg cast. Instead, I opted for crutches and was diligent on not putting any weight on the leg. I managed OK but it was the hardest 4 months I've ever gone through. In the past I'd broken my hip in a bike crash but at the time I was in school and was too busy to do anything else. With this fracture, I twiddled my thumbs and let my mind get the best of me at times. It was a long 4 months of no riding or running, and swimming very cautiously (even the water flow on my leg for the first 6 weeks caused me stabbing pains if I moved funny).

Wounds heal though, and I was ready to be back in battle (at least train for battle) by early July. I started running again, albeit slowly and putting some easy miles on the bike. I still remember my first ride outside again. I was like the new kid on the block with her first bike! I was smiling from ear to ear.

We thought it best I stay in the US and train, staying close to those I loved. I wasn't ready for the Team TBB Switzerland Camp. Instead, Chuckie and I headed to Park City, UT for a change of pace (mostly because we found super cheap rent!) for the remainder of the summer.


Training was going well. I started pushing the bike and run again. My mind however was running a different show. All I did was worry. I felt like I wasn’t getting in shape fast enough to race and I worried that the Achilles problem that I had at the time (which lasted a few weeks) would be another big injury. And I worried about worrying. It was all $%!t! Worry kills…

Hard work. You would think I would have this down pat. I know hard work, I THRIVE on hard work. But I'm like a horse that needs reigns and guidance. I went too hard, too fast and didn't fully commit to the hard work that is needed with recovery, and most importantly, my mental game. I hadn't competed for ¾ of the year and my mind started worrying more about financial woes and my future in the sport. My savings account from last years' winnings was dwindling to the triple digits – the low ones. I found myself in debt before I knew it and realized I couldn't survive any longer on credit alone.

So, it was at this time, I realized it was best for me to head home to the Great White North. As it was, my US visitor's visa was expiring and I had to deal with some immigration papers. But more importantly, I needed to refocus my unfocused mind. I went home and thanks to some amazing parents, I've been able to live rent free for the past couple months so that I could climb out of debt.

And so here I am…the end of November 2009. I had to tell you all this in order for you to understand what I'm about to write and for you to understand how thankful I am for these experiences in my life. I learned more about myself than I have during any other year. And this is not to say I've learned everything there is to learn…Oh, do I have a lot more to learn! But 2010 is going to help me do that.

Commitment. Hard work (SMART hard work). Diligence. Focus. Be the Warrior. HERE NOW. - All the requirements for the start of the new year for me.

I've written a lot about the fears and worries that hold me back. I'm now ready to face them like a true warrior and take the steps to do so. My three biggest fears:

1. Injuries. This past year has provided me the knowledge of how to train properly. Because of my propensity for stress fractures I have no choice but to make some changes. I have low bone density and so I'll be doing a higher percentage of my running uphill (one of Chuckie's "tricks"). I'll also run every other day (one of Doc's "tricks"); treadmill running; soft-surface running; and, of course, focusing on proper recovery, so the impact-related stress doesn't keep piling up.

HOWEVER, running isn't really what hinders me. It's my mind. Worry and stress have just as much (if not more) injury potential than 'dumb' training. I don't need to prove myself everyday. Warriors don't do that, or they'd be dead in their next battle. Recover, train, recover, train, recover, Fight!

2. Debt and Financial worries. I'm now out of debt (but without much savings). And I've realized that being in debt was just an excuse. Yes it's a worry, but it shouldn't hold me back. The bulk of the western world lives in debt. And so I've decided to take out a loan and get rid of any financial worries I may have in the next year. With this loan, I will be able to focus on the task at hand and not worry about what I'm going to do to survive 2010. Hopefully with a solid 2010 season, and help from future supporters, I'll be able to travel, train, and race with a focused mind.

3. My Future. I'm sure everyone worries about their future and I need to remember this. One should look ahead but only as much as to not hinder today! HERE NOW. This is my new motto, provided to me through some long talks with people that believe in me (including myself)! The future doesn't exist. Only HERE NOW does.

Of course, this is not going to make each day a piece of cake. As I said, I have lots to learn. But now, I'm excited for the learning experiences! And those above fears, will continue needing a lot of work. Words are just that, words. I need to put them into action.

And last but not least, I have to say how fortunate I am to have the support network around me. Thanks to my sponsors that have continued to back me: Rudy Project, Standard Process, Avia, Sable Water Optics, and Team TBB. I'm sincerely grateful for all their support. And to a number of great donations provided throughout the year: Raw Revolution, Larabar, Beaker Concepts, Vega, TerraMassage, Omega Nutrition, BodyBio, Hammer Bars & Gels, Kim & Don Naeth, Robin Wenbourne, Graydon Security, and Judy and Dean Mason. THANK-YOU. I'm grateful to have a family of supporters backing me in my efforts.

And for 2010, I'm VERY excited to say I'll be training and racing on the fastest wheels around: Rolf Prima! Other great things are happening and will be announced soon!

... All I'd dream of is my own Air miles or travel points! ….

Regardless, I'm ready. 2010, here I come!

Sent to me on Facebook... I wish I had this much rhythm!

Winter is here!

Well Prince George is a winter town, that's for sure. We just received a huge dump of snow from mother nature (about a foot and a half). I could hardly make it up the small hill on my road and thanks to my neighbors pushing my car from behind, I made it!

I have to say, it's hard living in such a climate. The early days make you want to snuggle up into your PJ's at 5pm!

I'm working up a storm to save up as much as I can for next season. My motivation is the fact that I know I'll be in sunny weather soon! In fact, I was able to find a super cheap ticket to head south for 8 days mid-December. This will be a nice break for me and a chance to get outside on the bike!

Happy training! By the end of the week I hope to try some snow-shoeing!

Borealis Massage!

This past week I went to a great masseuse, Roger Sandahl here in Prince George. Good hands are hard to find but I think I found a pair to keep!

I'd recommend him for any sport enthusiast, or anyone who wants a solid massage in the Great North. Although he did make fun of my hairy legs... hard to keep them shaven daily when I'm busy, and to tell you truth, it keeps me warm up here! No worries though, I don't plan to have hair on my legs come race season, or by the end of this week (unless it snows)!

Thanks Roger for a great massage and I'm looking forward to the next!

How I'm feeling today...

1 month up North

Wow, time sure flies by. I'm not sure if it's because I'm so busy or because the days are so short. Most likely both. And now with this time change, it will be dark by 4pm! Before I know it, I'll be back where the sun is!

I think I'm affected by lack of sunlight. I need ALL the lights on in the house to feel alive. When I'm riding indoors I hate when my surroundings are dark. A big screen to watch movies at my family's house helps!

Speaking of family, my mom and dad have allowed me to live with them for these next few months. This helps in the saving money department - much needed for traveling and competing next year.

Training is going well. Indoor riding is the S....H....#....T....! I only ride a few times a week which keeps me fresh and able to go hard when needed. I'm already seeing the gains.

I'm also meeting a number of great local athletes. A few I'll be coaching in the weeks to come to help them with their 2010 season!