How Hard Can It Be? 5.0

[Veronica]

Thom asked me on Sunday why I hadn't signed up yet for any of my early season races. I had two reasons. 1) Angels Camp was COLD last year. The swim was freezing and I did warm up on the bike and the run, but after the race I couldn't stop shivering. I think that's why one of my Christmas presents was a heated car blanket. 2) Racing stresses me out. I was a mass of jitters pre-race last year. I think I had set my expectations so high, that it really got to my head. The jitters would go away a hundred yards into the swim, but still it wasn't fun. And as I get older, I have to wait longer to start. It occurred to me that what I really like about triathlon is the training and I need to just have fun when I race. So that's become my goal for this year - to have fun at all my races.

Change of topic...

Somewhere along the way, I've developed some serious abs! So, I'm one of those weird people who just keeps track of numbers. My jump rope record is 323 jumps in a minute sort of thing. Yes, you can count that fast in your head! I have always hated ab work that involved lifting my legs. My legs are large, heavy, immovable objects, especially when I have to work against gravity. We use to do a lot of decline leg lifts - sets of 15. I would do 7, then 5, then 3. I was very excited when I could do 12 straight, but I never got to 15. We haven't done them in a few months. Today, Shawna says do 20. O.... kay.... to my surprise, I did 20! And I did 20 on round 2 as well. Then we moved to bicep/tricep work.

Yep, I definitely like my training and triathlon just gives it a focus. I think it makes me a more well rounded athlete.

Veronica