Laziness

The "off" season. It is a time of year that is hard for me to come to terms with. Chuckie continues to lecture me on making sure I don't fret over training and to make the most of lazing around and doing nothing. He doesn't encourage me to eat bonbons and watch TV all day, but if that is what I want to do, he doesn't discourage it either (well, except for the junk-food).

So what have I been doing the last 16 days? Nilch. Nada. Nothing. I was a bit stressed prior to leaving to Worlds because I had to get a lot of things done that were sitting around on my 'to-do' list. These included finding a place to live in California, insurance, renewing my passport (which was returned to me twice now because of bad pictures!) and buying a plane ticket home for the holidays. But now that these are all organized and done, I'm restless.

And I feel like I'm getting lazier by the minute.

I do have to say, though, that not having to ride the bike most days is enjoyable. In the last two weeks I've ridden a grand total of three (3!) times, for about an hour during each outing. I've swum a handful of days and I've ran on fewer occasions yet. I actually told Chuckie the other day that "my training starts Monday!" (yesterday) whether he likes it or not, because I couldn't take the lack of structure and my own indecisiveness about what I should be or could be doing! I'm not very good at turning my brain or body off. He looked at me and said, "OK, but come March, when you WILL be training big, and with some very fast people, and if I hear you even mention that you're burnt out, I'm gonna disregard it."

Basically it comes down to the fact that I'm already excited to start the new year and I don't want to get out of shape and 'fat'. When you're not training regularly the body feels sluggish and you notice a bit more lofty 'meat' on your bones. Laziness takes a stronghold of your daily activity. I'm sure if I got on my bike right now, I'd feel it for days! The truth is, I know what I have to be doing, sort of! I should be re-energizing, enjoying my downtime and doing other activities. But I have this negative talk in the back of my mind telling me that I'll be (or I am) out of shape...that I'm lazy and could be/should be doing otherwise.

Hmm, I think I need to fix this. Chuckie always asks, "Is relaxing supposed to come with guilt?" and he'd know best!

Thankfully, he does have some goals for me come December, including swimming 50k (!) during a couple of the weeks and slowly reintroducing consistency back into my running. Yes, I realize December is just one week away but in the meantime he wants me to choose if I want to do a workout or not. If I don't feel like it, OK, don't do it.

Choose?

I find this the hardest thing to do because I'm of the mindset that "more is better" and if I choose not to workout, I feel lazy and become less motivated to do anything all day.

"That's the whole point," he says.

This brings me to the fact of being lazy is easy. One day off turns to two, two days turns to three. It's easy to fall into a downward spiral in both negativity and lack of activity. Now don't get me wrong: I thoroughly enjoy reading, watching TV and surfing the Internet. I just get scared about how hard it is going to be for me to turn the switch into training 4+ hours again each day, let alone being consistent. I'm scared of this lack of structure because it's hard to fight off the laziness factor once it takes over my life!

Basically it comes down to a few main points:

1. The 'off-season' is where you should try to rejuvenate your motivation and love for the sport. I was a bit burnt-out after Worlds but now that my life is getting organized I'm more motivated than ever to start training hard. Does this mean "off season" is over?

2. If you train too hard and too focused in the "off-season" perhaps it might be easier to burn-out mid-season. Peter Reid once told me that 8 weeks is about all the focus an athlete can truly maintain.

3. I have to learn to listen to my mind more than my body right now. I have some issues I need to deal with including: letting structure go, allowing myself to just do nothing sometimes, and ignoring the should/shouldn'ts and their associated guilt. I need to tell myself that the single most important thing I can do right now is trust myself and allow the daily training, or lack thereof, to be a no-stress situation.

4. I'm indecisive and am making the "off-season" far more stressful than "in-season!" I think I need to give Chuckie a break with my relentless what-ifs? and questions about what I should/shouldn't be doing and just CHILL!

But first, I go train!

World's 70.3 Race Report

This past weekend was an amazing experience! I had a solid race with perfect weather, great company, in a well-organized event! The Worlds 70.3 event was exciting to be a part of and I learned a lot! My great sponsor, Ernie Wyder, was by my side the whole time - helping me with everything. Thanks Ernie! The only thing missing was having my coach there, but I know he was there watching very early in the morning in California.

My goal going into this race was to gain experience. In the back of my mind, though, I was hoping for a top-10 performance. But with the deepest pro women’s field I’ve seen, well…

We couldn't have asked for better weather: calm and warm, literally the perfect conditions for a triathlon. I arrived at the race site with a belly full of coffee and bars. I felt great - a bit nervous, but mostly just eager to get warmed up and prepared for the swim. The sun was just starting to rear its head as the pro males went off. We ladies started two minutes later.

I wore my new Blue Seventy wetsuit and loved it! It literally feels like you're lying atop a paddleboard, that's how much it makes you float! But there was no advantage since almost all the pros had the same wetsuit…oh well. Still, I felt like a fish and swam one of my fastest times of the year. With my Sable goggles and the suit, I sort of expected to be faster than ever.

The swim began with a running start and the water depth was low. I ran into the water with the ladies when the gun went off but didn't start swimming until I had my own breathing room. I'm not sure if this helped. I lost a lot of the fast swimmers right away, but managed to get in with a pack of girls, following the bubbles. I felt like I was in great position. I felt I could go faster when the turnaround neared so I decided to lead the five or so girls I was with back to land. In retrospect, I should have gone harder earlier. I always think this and know it’s my downfall. This is a must-learn and must-do for next year!

I felt like a speed demon when I reached the transition area. The race had transition bags set up for each competitor (much like an Ironman race). This was my first race with this type of design. I was nervous about how it would all work, but in the end it was awesome! I ran into transition after getting help from a wetsuit stripper. With wetsuit in hand, I grabbed my bag from the rack and darted toward the change tent. I stuffed the suit in the bag and threw it on the floor in the room. I didn't have to think about anything but getting my helmet on as fast as I could and getting out on the bike. I was ready to chase down every girl out there! Looking at the number of bikes left on the rack, my heart skipped a beat. There were only a handful of pro bikes left. I knew I had a lot of work to do!

On the bike I felt awesome. I was amazed at how good I felt and was passing girls left and right. At mile 35, I found myself behind a virtual peloton of girls with Mirinda Carfrae, the reigning World Champ, leading the way. I sat behind them (at a legal distance!) before going around, after my heart rate dropped 15 beats. I knew I had to go and go hard. I left them and shot ahead. After that pack, I was able to catch a few more girls that were riding by themselves.

The bike course was fast but I was mystified by how much everyone was drafting. There were enormous packs of age-groupers heading into T2 while I started my run. The top 4 ladies were all solid swimmers and literally seconds behind one another in T2, after 56 miles of riding! I wasn't there to see it, but I’m certain that drafting played a large part in how close their times were to one another. Sad. I wanted to make sure no one was able to follow me when I passed them and so dropped it down a gear each time I passed my competitors. No one was going to get on my wheel for a free ride! By T2 I was in 5th place, between packs.

At the start of the run it was hard to get into gear, both mentally and physically. It took a solid 5 miles to get my legs underneath me. They were heavy, and negativity began to grab hold. I knew I had a long 13.1 miles ahead of me. Leanda Cave was the first to pass. She was quickly followed by Nina Kraft and Catriona Morrison. Yikes! I was not doing well. I kept telling myself just keep the legs ticking over and to try to keep Cave in sight.

Once she passed, we literally ran stride for stride. The only problem was that I was about 20 meters back. By the second lap, I felt stronger and stronger and continued to keep her on my radar. The announcer yelled out that I rounded out the top-ten at the turn-around and this lifted my spirits somewhat. I knew I was not going to let anyone else pass me.

At mile 7, I found a second gear and soon passed Leanda. My goal was to not let anyone else catch. At mile 12, I started giving it my all. I wanted to catch Morrison but didn't have any oomph left in the tank. My legs were done and I was running on fumes. It quite didn't hurt as much as Muskoka did, but it wasn't exactly painless. Running on pavement is usually tough for me, but my feet felt great the whole time. It was just my heavy legs that held me back.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with my race. 8th place as a rookie in my first Worlds is a great year-end accomplishment. But now that I've seen the results, I keep thinking how I could make up another 30 seconds. That would have given me another two placings. No socks, faster transitions, pushing the bike harder are just a few ways to have improved. I guess we can all say things like this after a race.

I was stoked I'd earn some prize money either way, but at the banquet I found out that the purse only went to the top 5. I'm not sure why, as almost every other race I've competed this year had money dispersed throughout the top 10. Worlds? Hmmm. Oh well. I was hoping for some return on my investment! Still, I did end up gaining some valuable experience and know that next year, I will be in the top-5. Hopefully by then the prize purse won't dip to only the top 3!

The best part of the trip was how much drooling took place when I rolled in with my customized AVIA bike. The guys were all over it! It was like bringing a puppy to the park! I'm not joking when I say at least 8 out of 10 guys would stop and say something. It was hilarious, really. Thank you AVIA!

Thanks to ALL my sponsors, including: Standard Process for the whole food vitamins and minerals…I haven't been sick once this year! Thanks also to Francine's Finest for the great food. Thanks again to AVIA for the bike, in addition to my race kit and the most comfortable shoes I've ever competed in Avi-Lites! I also want to thank Sable Water Optics for yet another great race with no issues from goggles fogging, what used to be standard affair before switching to their goggles. Without Blue Seventy's help, I'm sure I'd have had a bigger gap to overcome after the swim…thanks for the fastest wetsuit out there (this is obvious, judging by the number of pros wearing them!).

Thanks also to Excel Sports Boulder for their continued support and mechanical expertise. The same gratitude goes to Skins for the compression clothing; and of course, to Ernie Wyder for his great company. Ernie, you made my trip one of the best experiences I have ever had! I hope to have your support as we continue to build momentum.

Last but not least, I want to thank my coach, Chuckie V. None of this year would have been possible if it weren't for you. Thanks! I'm afraid if I write too much about how great a coach he is other pros might want to hire him, so I'll end now!

Thanks again for everyone's support this year! It has been an amazing rookie year and I’m more eager than ever for ‘09!

Cheers! Angela

Worlds 70.3 was a great experience! Here are some pics that Ernie Wyder took of the race!

Ernie Wyder and Me the day before the race! Good times!