No word in English – 9/2/16

D2T High Res

On a daily basis, we use all types of language. Whether it’s in our native tongue or a foreign language, there are always words that we’re searching for. But there’s no word in English for ‘season break’; although I’ve heard the Eskimos have a lot of words for ice.

Yes, the Triathlon season is over for me. But that doesn’t mean I can or will just sit around until next spring when the season resumes. That would be a bad idea for far too many reasons to mention (including coaches yelling at me… 😉 :P). So in addition to several training opportunities between then and now, I’ve got a 50 mile bike ride and a Half Marathon scheduled before year’s end.

While it would be nice to take a chunk of time off, I know that doing so will derail my progress. I have several goals set for 2017, and the only way to reach them is to keep pushing forward. I realize it won’t always be perfect, but I will keep pushing forward. Nothing good ever comes easy.

And while I’m looking forward, I still wanted to reflect back on the season. During 2016, I did a total of 12 triathlons (6 indoor and 6 outdoor). I was able to cut significant time off of my swim and improve on the bike/run. I had to push through some obstacles, including 3 flats during 2 races, and work through some of the mental pieces (see 8/26 blog). All in all, I consider it a successful 1st full season, and a starting point to improve from for 2017.

Even though it was a success, I wouldn’t have made it this far without support from my coaches and Dare2Tri. The amount of support on so many different levels has helped to push me, to motivate me and to help make races possible. As well, because of their support, I will soon have a tandem to use. That will make a HUGE difference as we practice for / during the 2017 season. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that I am extremely grateful to both my coaches and Dare2Tri. If you would like to help support Dare2Tri, please click here It will take you to my fundraising page.

Dare2Tri Development Team – 1.4.16

JDD2T

In November, I was presented with the opportunity to apply for the Dare2Tri Development and Elite teams. Being on one of these teams gives you additional support and opportunities to push towards your PT goals.

On January 4th, it was made official that I will be part of the 2016 Development Team! I am extremely grateful for this opportunity, and am looking forward to an AMAZING 2016 season!

While this is an opportunity for me, I realize that I would not have gotten it (or the opportunity to apply for it) without the help and support of everyone to this point. A HUGE thank you to Terri Hayes (owner of Artistic Creations Salon) and the Dare2Tri family for everything in 2015 that helped me to get to this point.

This is the next step forward towards many short, medium and long term goals. I will share more about all of that when it’s appropriate!

Final Outdoor Swim Weekend – 9.5 – 9.7

fow

With Centennial Beach closing after Labor Day, we made the most of the final weekend. During it, we swam at least 1.5 miles total, along with a 4 mile run/walk.

While the outdoor pools are closed for the season, we will find an indoor pool to use for continued practice. And while the outdoor season is over, it was an INCREDIBLY productive one. I can’t thank Terri enough for all of her help and coaching.

At the beginning of the season, I I had a hard time doing the basic freestyle stroke. But by the end, I not only had it down but we were doing 100m+ sessions. Along with doing 2 (soon to be 3) Triathlons.