Getting Out Of Your Head

I found many pieces of cars on my run this week.

This weekend, I went out for my last long run before the Donna half.  Eleven miles.  Not too terrible, but I wasn’t really looking forward to it either.  I’m a slow runner!  11 miles takes me a long time.

So I decided to go out and run and not worry about pace.  It had been a long weekend and I had been on my feet the night before at the Ulman Cancer Fund event, so who knew what this run would bring.

I queued up a few episodes of Zombies Run and also listened to some of The West Wing Weekly.  (Basically, I let the Zombies Run episode play, and instead of playing music, I play the podcast and when the Zombies Run episode interrupts, I pause the podcast with the control on my headphones.  I don’t like to listen to music when I run.  Podcasts let me still hear the sound around me.)  I have to say, all these years later, I still love Zombies Run.  Definitely a creative story, though I keep the zombie chases turned off because they are creepy.  I may sign up for one of their virtual races to get the added content.

So I basically just ran and paid no attention to pace.  I knew that I was running at a good pace, because I checked my watch every mile so I didn’t miss my turnaround point, but I didn’t focus on the pace itself.

By the time I was done, I was sore.  But pleased to be done.  Still wasn’t paying too much attention to my pace.  When I finally got home and uploaded my data, I realized why I was so sore.  I had run about 30 seconds per mile faster than I had on my previous week’s ten mile run.  I was closer to my anticipated race pace than I was to a training pace.  And yet I didn’t feel like I was pushing all that hard.

Just goes to show what can happen when you get out of your head. Now to see what happens at my race in just under two weeks.  Maybe I’m better trained than I thought.

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Core Booty Workout: Pilates Body- Gabrielle

Postpartum Workout for New Moms #1: BeFiT Trainer Open House- Madeline Mosier

Pho for Better Health: Vietnamese Superfood- Thomas DeLauer

On Current Events

RachelBostwick / Pixabay

I don’t typically talk politics here, and in many ways, I’m going to continue to not talk politics in this post.  Why?  While I certainly have the right – this is my blog and I can talk about whatever I want – I also don’t necessarily want this to be a political space.  Regardless of what I believe, I have friends on both sides of just about every issue (I even have a friend who is a staunch “Flat Earth” proponent), and we all have the right to our beliefs.

But this blog isn’t about politics, and I assume you’re not coming here to find out what I think about a certain political issue.  No, this is a blog mostly about running and triathlon (and sometimes cats and pop culture and other fun things).  However, I think it’s pretty hard to ignore what’s been going on in the US over the past weeks and months.  And regardless of which side you’re on, you likely have strong feelings and have been pulled into pretty emotional arguments.

Arguments solve nothing.

Fighting on Facebook solves nothing.

Don’t get me wrong – there is incredible value in having a debate between reasonable people.  Even if I don’t agree with you following the debate, I will have a better understanding of what you believe and why. But right now, we’ve just been seeing a lot of heated words flung back and forth with none of those words doing any good.  All we are doing is creating a divide.

So what can we do?  You can contact your elected representatives to voice your thoughts and encourage them to vote for or against certain bills.  You can volunteer or donate to causes you can believe in.  You can volunteer with groups that are totally unrelated to the current political climate, because it’s always a positive thing to bring a little good to the world, wherever you can.

You can be a positive force.  You can spread your words and thoughts with confidence and civility, not anger and frustration.  But you should also make a point to hear those thoughts and listen and try to understand.  I’m not saying you should change your mind.  Just try to get a teensy, tiny glimpse into the other side.  People who voted differently than you did (or would have, if you are a non-American) aren’t stupid.  They have their beliefs and reasons.  Listen to those and find out what is important to someone else.

Whatever you do, don’t let yourself get so sucked in to the negativity that you forget about all of the good that is still happening in the world.  And do your best to be part of that good, in whatever way you can.

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Training in the Off-Season

Hans / Pixabay

Depending on where you live (or if you are primarily a runner or a triathlete), the race season tends to fall sometime between spring and fall, leaving winter as the off-season.

The off-season is a glorious time where you can sit on your couch and eat whatever you want and not worry about the fact that hey, you have some races coming up, but they’re far away.

Wait, no.

Sorry, friends, that’s not true at all.  Yes, during the off-season, you can relax and step back from the intense training, but that doesn’t mean you can spend all your time on the couch.  After all, you don’t want to lose all the fitness you’ve built up, right?

To keep myself motivated, I like to sign up for races through the winter.  These aren’t goal races.  I’m not pushing to set any PRs.  I just want to run strong and not feel like I’m dying at the end.  For me, these races are half-marathons, but depending on your goals, 5Ks and 10Ks work too.

The important thing is the off-season training plan.  You aren’t training like you do during race season. Maybe you add in an extra rest day.  Maybe, like me, you pick up more strength work in the hopes of keeping at least some of it once race season picks back up.  I still have some hard workouts on my schedule, but in general, the off-season training plan is a bit easier.  My goal this winter was to work on my bike speed, so I have some killer trainer rides on the schedule, but I’ve also dropped down to one swim a week and am not doing any running speedwork.  This is what works for me.  It’s also what I like – I enjoy killer rides on the trainer.

Maybe your off-season training plan means trying something new, like picking up a class at the gym or taking up cross country skiing if you live where there is snow.  Do something fun, something you enjoy.

During the off-season, it’s okay to skip an occasional workout.  Not all the time, of course, but here and there, it’s not a problem.  (Note – it’s always okay to skip a workout if you are sick or injured.)

Whatever you do, try to keep some level of fitness in the large gap between your big races.  Not only is it easier on your body when you get back to your race season training, it’s also a lot easier on your brain.  For me, an evening workout is routine, so making it a harder or longer workout isn’t going to be that big of a change. But going from spending the evening on the couch to a hard workout would definitely be tough.

But make sure to have fun too.  Because why else do we do this?

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Wednesday Workout Recap

This was an interesting week.  Holiday on Monday, in the office on Tuesday, teleworking Wednesday and Thursday due to Inauguration traffic and roadblocks, then off Friday for the Inauguration.  That also made it pretty easy to get my workouts done.

Monday – Rest Day

Tuesday – Team Fight Swim.  This workout didn’t seem hard while we were doing it, but my arms were dead when I tried to boost myself out of the pool.  I also made a point to shower at the pool after, rather than just go home and crawl into bed smelling of chlorine, knowing full well that since I was teleworking the next day, I wouldn’t be showering in the morning.

Wednesday – Trainer ride including yet another FTP test.  The best one I’ve done all month.  These things kick my ass though.

Thursday – 4 mile run.  This was rough, probably because of the FTP test.  Took over three miles before I really felt comfortable.

Friday – Easy 30 minute walk plus strength work.  I was supposed to have a massage, but it got cancelled last minute.

Saturday – Two hour trainer ride based on my FTP tests, plus strength work.  This workout was amazing.  It was hard, but I didn’t feel like I was dying until the very last bit, which seems perfect.

Sunday – Gorgeous 10 mile run.  This felt pretty darn awesome.  And the weather was just about perfect.

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Cardio Kickboxing Strength Workout: Sweat Factor- Sam

Utah Valley Marathon – Discount Code and a Chance to Win!

Looking for a fast early summer race?  Check out the Utah Valley Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10K, held on June 10th in Provo Canyon.  This race has been on my list for a couple of years now, and I’m doing my best to get out there for the 2017 race with some awesome friends.  Why?  Because this race looks amazing!

First off, it’s a downhill course, so it’s super fast.  (It’s also a Boston qualifier course, so you speedy marathoners may want to get on this.)  Second, it’s absolutely gorgeous.  How many races do you know of that run past forests, lakes, and waterfalls.  WATERFALLS, people!  Finally, it’s just a friendly race run by awesome people with awesome volunteers.  And let’s be honest, that’s what really makes a race.  It was even  named a Top 10 race in America by Runner’s World Magazine in 2014.

For those of you really into the swag, they’ve got big medals planned for this year, but even better, since it’s the 10th anniversary of the race, instead of a race shirt (which we all have a lot of, let’s be honest), they’re giving out a really nice running jacket.  I don’t know about where you live, but here, it’s been cold, and I could definitely use another running jacket (so I can do laundry less).

If you’re interested in signing up, the code eg15 will get you 15% off your entry.  And for the next two weeks, you can enter to win a free entry!

Hope to see you there!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

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Full Body Strength Kettlebell Workout: BeFiT GO- 10 Mins

Estrogen: How to Balance Hormones | Health Hacks- Thomas DeLauer

Friday Faves

It’s kind of a crazy day in the US today.  Today is also my day off, so I’m spending it doing what I do on many of my Fridays off – doing laundry, getting my house in order, and getting a super painful, but super helpful massage.  And in honor of Friday, here are some things that I’ve been loving as of late.

The Royals on E!

A coworker recommended I watch this show, and I started it while on a marathon trainer ride.  I was hooked.  It’s a show about a fictional present-day royal family and they are a MESS.  It’s exactly the sort of drama you’d expect from E! – affairs, scandal, intrigue, drug use, murders, and people coming back from the dead.  And it is a joy to watch.  The first two seasons are available for free on Amazon Prime, and the third can be streamed on E!’s website.  It’s total trash tv, but it’s so addicting.  Not everything you watch has to be deep and meaningful.

Metal Earth 3D Model Kits

I have wanted to make these models for a while, but couldn’t bring myself to buy them (plus if you remember, 2016 was sucked up by 70.3 training).  Santa (who in this instance look strangely like my mom and dad) brought me a tool kit and a couple of Disney models.  I just finished the Haunted Mansion and am probably starting the Wheel of Death… I mean, Mickey’s Fun Wheel this weekend.  They are incredibly tiny, so it helps to have good lighting and good tools (and good eyes or glasses), but it’s nice to just sit and make something.  I’ll probably work on some non-Disney ones at some point, so if anyone has a favorite, please let me know.

The Bright Sessions Podcast

The Bright Sessions describes itself as “an audio drama about therapy for the strange and unusual.”  I don’t remember what led me to this podcast, but I’m certainly glad I found it.  It’s definitely hard to describe.  Each episode (for the most part) is a recorded therapy session with someone who has special abilities.  The cast of characters isn’t too huge, so you really get to know the different patients and their abilities.  Of course, they can’t stay separate forever, and the stories start to work together.  It’s really well done and worth the listen.  Definitely start at the beginning.

My Instant Pot

Santa also brought me an Instant Pot.  For the uninitiated, this is an electric pressure cooker.  I’d been hearing about them and decided that I definitely wanted one.  And I was not wrong.  This thing is amazing.  I haven’t done any major recipes yet, but I have used it to cook:

• sweet potatoes
• hard boiled eggs
• chicken breasts (from frozen!)
• quinoa
• steel cut oats
• spaghetti squash

So really, I’m just getting started.  The big perk to the Instant Pot is that everything cooks so much faster than it would using traditional methods.  Considering I’m always putting together meals in a rush, this is awesome.  Is it something everyone needs?  Certainly not.  Plenty of people have no trouble finding 45 minutes to bake a spaghetti squash.  I am not one of those people.  If I can cook it in under 20, count me in.

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How to Choose a Coach

So you’re ready to take your racing to the next level.  Or maybe you’re just struggling with planning out your training plan.  Either way, you’ve started to think about hiring a coach. But how in the world do you go about doing that?

Finding a coach is more than just saying “Oh hey look, that person is a coach.  I will hire them!”

First you have to figure out what you’re looking for in a coach.  Ask yourself these questions.

Local or no?

Do you want someone local who can meet you for workouts or do you just need someone who is accessible by phone and email?  There are benefits to both, it just depends on what you prefer.

Personally, I don’t love super structured workout schedules. I like knowing that I have to do this workout on this day, but when I do it is flexible.  It makes things like getting stuck in traffic much less stressful.  So I don’t need a coach who will meet up with me.

Group or Individual?

Some coaches do group coaching, where they will help a group of people get ready for a particular race.  This is a bit less individualized (and also often cheaper), but you get the benefit of the group camaraderie.  You’re going through it together, and that builds a lot of team spirit.

Coach Certifications?

What qualifies your coach to be a coach?  There are various certifications, depending on sport and location.  I’m not going to say that any one is better than another.  Just do a bit of research into who your coach is and what their experience is.

What does the Coach require of you?

Different Coaches have different requirements of what you need to do as an athlete.  Some ask that you race wearing their branded gear.  This can build a great team atmosphere if you use a local coach.  Some require you to show up to a certain number of training sessions.  Others are more hands off and require that you update your training plan with completed workouts or share your Garmin/Strava data with them so they can keep track of your progress.   None of these requirements are bad – it just depends on what you want from your coach.

Cost

Sorry, coaching isn’t free.  And the more specialized attention you want, the more you’re going to pay.  You might find some coaches just starting out who are offering their services at a discount while they work on their coaching skills, and that can be beneficial to both the coach and the athlete who doesn’t have as much to spend.  But in general, the coaching fees are going to vary, so be mindful of your budget as you are researching coaches.

Also, be mindful of what sort of contract the coach requires.  Some require you to sign up through a season, so you’re committing to paying through a certain date.  Many simply require you to pay monthly or on another set schedule, and you can quit at anytime if things just aren’t working out.

Now What?

So you know what you’re looking for.  What are the next steps?  Ask your friends who are in the sport.  Who do they use for coaching?  Who have they heard of?  Who do they recommend (or not recommend) and why?

You can also find listings of coaches through the various certification services.

Before you officially hire your coach, take the time to interview them.  Talk through your goals and ask about their coaching style.  Are they ready to take on an athlete like you, and do you like their methods of coaching?  A lot of coaching is finding someone who you can work well with, and that is very personal.

Now go out, find your coach, and meet your goals!

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Wednesday Workout Recap

This guy has nothing to do with this post. I just liked him. PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay

Birthday week!  So… I didn’t get in all my workouts. But I tried, sorta?

Monday – Rest day.  Choir rehearsals.  It’s sort of a workout.

Tuesday – My birthday!  Also Team Fight swim practice and Lee brought me cupcakes.  Spoiler alert: I ate too many cupcakes.

Wednesday – Felt like I was coming down with a cold, so I opted for early sleep over anything else.  Gotta stay healthy!

Thursday – The sleep seems to have worked.  But tonight, I had dinner with an old friend who was in town rather than workout.  It happens.

Friday – Easy 30 minute spin on my bike.

Saturday – 2 hour bike ride including an FTP test.  My legs no longer work.  But these sorts of rides always feel amazing.

Sunday – 9 mile run.  So much nicer than last week.  So much faster as well.  But I was definitely sore afterwards, more sore than normal.  Probably a combo of the cold temps and the fact that I destroyed my legs the day before.

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Rambling Weekend Update

Someone was displeased about the removal of Christmas. Mostly because he likes to sleep under the tree.

Over the weekend, I successfully de-Christmassed my house.  Yes, I waited until this past weekend to do it.  And yes, I do put my tree up early.  If I’m going to do all that work, I’m going to enjoy it for a good long time.  Plus a long weekend is the perfect time to get it done.  Plenty of time to get everything packed away and get in all my workouts and have time for fun.  Or sitting on the couch.  Or both!

I’m not sure my brain is ready to be back in full training mode.  This weekend involved two hours on the trainer, a 9 mile run, and some strength work.  Since it gets dark so early, it always feels like the day gets away from me.  Not that I’m working out in the evening on the weekends, but the days do feel so much shorter with less daylight.  I’m sure it will become the norm soon enough.  Plus it will be nice when I can get started on my long runs earlier.  This weekend, I waited until it had warmed up a bit.  Way better than last weekend, but still kind of chilly.

This week is going to be interesting.  Holiday yesterday.  In the office today for some meetings.  And then Wednesday and Thursday, we’re on telework because my office is inside of the security perimeter for the Inauguration and they’re like “Yeah, you can do your job at home.  Don’t come in.”  And then Friday, we’re off for the Inauguration (because the government wants to limit the people coming into the city – this is how Inauguration works every 4 years, not just for this particular event).

Not that I would be anywhere near Inauguration anyway.  This isn’t a political statement.  I didn’t go to either of Obama’s Inaugurations either.  I don’t like massive crowds, and have you experienced DC weather in January?  I would much prefer to be… well, just about anywhere else.  So during Inauguration, I will be getting a deep tissue massage.  Hurts so good.

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Whole Body Burn Workout: Post Natal- CARiFiT

Cardio Rebounding Workout: BeFiT Trainer Open House- Fayth Caruso

5 Simple Sugar Alternatives: Health Hacks- Thomas DeLauer

Friday Link Love

Happy Friday the 13th!  I started my day with a black cat staring me in the face.  I consider that good luck though.  He’s a sweetheart.

As I read through blog posts in Feedly, I bookmark links that I want to share.  I realize it’s been quite some time since I’ve done that, so here’s a partial backlog of some interesting reads.

How to Pack for Winter in a Carry On – I am the world’s worst packer.  I need to re-read this over and over again.

When Mama Gets a Man Cold – There is a crazy cold going around right now and this post made me laugh and laugh.  Colds are real, people!

Another good laugh is My Continuing Quest for the Sub-2 Half Marathon

Harry Potter Christmas Recap – If you don’t read EPBOT, you should.  The creativity that these two bring to just about everything they do is phenomenal.

I saved two posts from Swim Bike Mom – A Homework Assignment for the Last Few Days of 2016 (so what if it’s late, it’s still a good read) and How to Get Back on the Wagon

Two posts related to body image from two great ladies – Cyber Bullying and Body Shaming and What is an XL

Two great posts about Carrie Fisher and what she meant to people dealing with mental health issues – Stay afraid.  But do it anyway. and Carrie Fisher Helped Me Understand My Mental Illness and Addiction

And finally, the recipe roundup, which is mostly just “Things I want to eat.”

• Spiced Pumpkin Seed Brittle Ice Cream
• Healthy Pumpkin Pie “Ice Cream”
• Spiced Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

 

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A slightly delayed Wednesday Workout Recap

OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay

For whatever reason, this didn’t auto-post yesterday.  (And by whatever reason, I mean that I forgot to schedule it to post after I wrote it.)

After a busy December, January is about getting back to business.

Monday – Rest Day… this business thing is easy!

Tuesday – Team Fight Swim.  So many kick drills I thought my legs would fall off.

Wednesday – FTP test.  Remember when I thought my legs would fall off yesterday?  Now they really don’t work.

Thursday – I confused my Thursday and Friday workouts and opted to skip today because I was absolutely exhausted and thought my legs needed a day to recover.

Friday – 4 mile treadmill run.  This was rough, since my legs were still so tired.  I probably should have done more of a shakeout workout Thursday to help with recovery.

Saturday – 2 hour trainer ride.  I surprisingly don’t mind these.

Sunday – 8 mile run outside in the super cold weather.  It was incredibly slow because of the snow and ice, but it was nice to be outside in the clear, crisp weather.  A treadmill run would have been much more of a mental challenge.  Besides, once I’ve run 4 miles, I’m 4 miles from home, so I can’t quit very easily.

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Happy Birthday to Me!

Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay

Today is my birthday.  Happy birthday to me!  I’m a whopping 36 years old, which seems kind of old and also kind of super young.  After all, my cousin shared a quote from my grandma this weekend.  “I’m 92.  That’s pretty damn old.”  So 36 is super young.

Also, as I like to tell my friends with kids, good job to my parents for keeping me alive for 36 years.  Though I suppose at some point, that became my responsibility.  This adulting thing is really no fun.

This is the first year in many that I’m not at Walt Disney World for marathon weekend for my birthday.  That said, given the weather, maybe I made the right choice by skipping.  I was sad to miss all the fun though, and am halfheartedly considering going next year just to cheer for friends.  I just wish race weekend weren’t so close to New Year’s.  That makes it so much harder to take time off.  Plus crowds.

On their birthdays, a lot of bloggers like to post lists of things they’ve accomplished in the past year of their lives.  I sort of already did that with my 2016 recap.  One of the joys of being born on the tenth day of the year.  (Another advantage – my triathlon race age is always my actual age – until I find a tri on Jan 1-9.)

Others like to post about things they want to do before their next banner birthday.  I guess that next one is 40, which I choose to not think about.  If I pretend it doesn’t exist, it won’t happen, right?  But mostly, when I’ve created those lists, I’ve found that as time goes on, the things that I thought were important goals in my life became totally different goals.  At 30, I had no idea that I would end up racing a 70.3, and that was a huge goal for me last year.  So I have no clue what the next years will bring, what my interests will be, and what I will hold as important.  Maybe I’ll take up cliff diving or something (likely not).

As to great plans for my birthday, well, note the earlier mentioned adulting.  I’m going to work and then going to swim practice in the evening.  Big fun, I tell you.  But I’m sure there will be cake at some point.  All birthdays need cake.

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Lean Abs Workout: Pilates Body- Gabrielle

Anatomy of a Cold Run

When I set out on my 8 mile run yesterday morning, it was 17 degrees out.  I didn’t even look at the windchill.  I didn’t want to know.  It was beautiful out, but so, so cold.  So I wore layers.  Coach says I have to run outside on the weekend unless it’s armageddon.  I’m not sure what armageddon is, exactly, but this clearly wasn’t it.

Layer 1: Sports bra, knee-high compression socks

Layer 2: Running tights, short sleeved running top, shoes

Layer 3: Sparkle Skirt (to add a layer over my butt), fleece-lined long sleeved shirt

Layer 4: Gloves, neck warmer thing, knit cap

Layer 5: Thicker running jacket, sunglasses

Seems like a lot, but I definitely didn’t overheat at any point on my run.  In fact, I could feel which parts of my body were the least covered (most notably the space between my skirt shorts and the tops of my socks.  My poor knees.

It was certainly not a fast run.  Probably the slowest run in a long time, not because I was running like a kid stuffed in a snowsuit, but because the trail was just snow covered enough that I had to be careful with my steps.  Still, it was nice to be out there in the sun and fresh air.  And I certainly wasn’t the only crazy person out there.

Then I got home, showered, ate, struggled to get warm, and didn’t warm up til I got in the car to head to the grocery store and turned the seat warmer up to high.  Lesson learned – after a cold run, get in the car and drive somewhere to help defrost my butt.

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Tight Booty & Toned Thighs Workout: BeFiT GO- 10 Mins

Preserve Brain Health with Mushrooms: Health Hacks- Thomas DeLauer

2017 Race Plans

Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t make “keeping up with my blog” one of my goals, because I would have already failed.  This week has been surprisingly busy.  Of course, a big part of it is that I’m just not back into a realistic routine yet.  No more leisurely holiday time – it’s back to full work weeks, long workouts, and trying to squeeze in time for friends.

I think I’ve figured out my race schedule for the year.  It looks like I’ll be racing about once a month, which seems just about perfect.

skeeze / Pixabay

2/12 – Donna Half Marathon

3/5 – Little Rock Half Marathon

4/2 – Cherry Blossom Ten Miler

5/13 – Kinetic International

5/27 – Fort Ritchie Swimfest (all 3 “races” – 750, 1500, 2250)

6/4 – Escape the Cape Olympic (JUMPING OFF A FERRY BOAT OMG)

7/9 – Rev 3 Williamsburg Olympic

8/6 – Culpepper International

9/9 – Patriots International

10/8 – Army Ten Miler

11/26 – Space Coast Half Marathon

This schedule, of course, assumes that I get into the Army Ten Miler (I should, since I get early registration, having raced more than 7 times) and Space Coast (having been part of the last 4 years, again, I get early registration).  And I still have to sign up for some of the triathlons, but my credit card just isn’t ready for that just yet.

As you can see, this year, I’m focusing on the olympic/international distance triathlon.  I’m looking forward to really working on pushing myself through these distances.  Last year was really about building up to the bike distance and learning to pace myself.  Suddenly, a 25 mile ride doesn’t seem like much at all, so I can really work to increase my speed there.

Notably absent from this schedule is the Farm to Fork Fondo, which I adored last year, but after discussing with my coach, it’s clearly not the right thing to do this year, since I’m focusing shorter distance.  I will miss it, but that will make my return that much more glorious.

It feels pretty darn good to finally have this all figured out.  Now to get myself trained up for it all.

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2017 Goals

Pearls Before Swine

So it’s that time of year where everyone is setting their New Year’s Resolutions.  I prefer to look at goals for the year.  Not just little things like “get healthy” or “be nicer to people” but taking a serious look at the year and figuring out what I would like to accomplish in that year.

Continue with Swim Bike Fuel Nutrition Plan

When I’m paying attention to what I’m eating and trying to follow the precepts of the SBF nutrition plan, I feel much better, my workouts are better, my skin looks better, and I slowly lose weight.  I need to continue to stick with the plan.  That doesn’t mean that my eating will be “perfect,” or that there won’t be highs and lows with my weight, but I’m going to try to continue to treat food as fuel and fuel my body with good foods.  Yes, I would like to lose some more weight, and that will come with proper nutrition.  I have found that if I focus specifically on the weight, it’s too easy to get frustrated and give up.  If I instead focus on eating good food with treats included, I do so much better.  Plus I eat much tastier treats.

Increase My FTP

This one is my coach’s idea.  (And no, I don’t mean File Transfer Protocol.) In cycling, FTP is Functional Threshold Power. There are a lot of technical definitions of what this means, but essentially, it’s the maximum power a cyclist can sustain for an hour.

Testing FTP is a good way to show if I’m improving, plus it’s a good way to set my training zones and keep me from pushing too hard, but ensuring I’m not going too easy on myself.

I like the idea of having something concrete that I can work on.

Volunteer More

Last year, I was really focused on training for my 70.3.  While I don’t regret anything, I did miss out on being at some of my favorite races.  This year, I want to be sure to organize my schedule so that I can race and also give back at other races.

I also want to put together a mini bike repair clinic for newbies.  So many people don’t know how to take care for their bikes.  I want to teach things like fixing a flat tire, a dropped chain, and general bike maintenance.  I was always so nervous that I would get a flat tire during a race and I wouldn’t know what to do.  For a lot of newbies, they just say “Well, if I get a flat, that’s the end of my race.”  But it doesn’t have to be!  I taught myself how to fix a flat by just repeating the process over and over while sitting in front of the tv one evening.  And then I did get a flat during a race.  I certainly wasn’t the fastest at it, but I knew what to do and I got it done and finished the race.

Spend At Least One Hour a Week Crafting

I have so many cool craft supplies in my house.  I never seem to make time for them.  So in 2017, I want to make a point to spend at least an hour a week working on some sort of craft project.  Doesn’t matter what it is.  And I hope to actually find more than an hour a week, but this will get me to do something creative.

Keep My House Clean

You know what? Maybe I’m reaching too far with these goals.  Better cut it off at four and not push it.

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