Going on's

Not too much going on right now. Yesterday we went out for the open water clinic to Joe Pool and then a 1hr training pace ride on the dam (2 out and backs). I did my 30min run first thing then ate breakfast and headed out. The swim went great. I can definitely feel the difference in my new stroke technique. We did tons of race simulations. I used to feel that wetsuits didn't help me any and instead made me swim "funny". But yesterday after I took off the wetsuit on the 3rd or 4th start...man, it was like sinking in the water and I couldn't pull myself together mentally to swim strong at all haha. A renewed appreciation for wetsuits ;)Today we had run drills and then I had an easy bike and swim after.
I've spent pretty much all weekend outside of training reading A New Earth and watching Oprah's online webcasts with Tolle (previously recorded). The degree to which this book has made me appreciate the present moment and made me aware of surroundings which I would otherwise deem as ordinary, is incredible.
Tomorrow I'll likely go to the bookstore for two more books to take to Mexico as I'll be in the airport quite a while.
I'm excited to catch up with two friends for dinner, on separate occasions, that I haven't seen recently. Then Thursday I'm off to Ixtapa!! Ixtapa holds a very special place in my heart. Every winter from the time I was like 2 until about age 10, we headed there for Christmas and New Years. I'm sure the childhood memories will come flooding back :) as I haven't been back since we sold our condominium. Also, I'll get to see my first-cousin whom I am extremely close to. She'll be paying me a visit at the airport in Mexico City on Sunday where I make my connection back to Dallas.
Alright, time for bed...YAWN.

Quote of the Day

"His need to win drains him of power"- Anonymous Zen Master

A New Earth

by Ekhart Tolle...I should have read this book sooner!! Wow...so glad I finally got it. I urge everyone to buy it. It's extremely awakening and life changing.

Mexico City Tri Federation Bulletin

Posted May 5th (www.atridf.net)
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OLIMPIADA NACIONAL ELITE 2008

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¿Qué pasa con nuestros jóvenes triatletas cuando cumplen 20 años y dejan la categoría junior 16-19? Entre otras cosas, se ganan el derecho a participar en la Olimpiada Nacional Elite que este año se llevará a cabo dentro del Triatlón de Ixtapa. En el caso del D.F. nos representará Tatiana Vértiz, una prometedora joven capitalina que estudia en los Estados Unidos y que con esta competencia comenzará su búsqueda de un boleto olímpico para Londres 2012.

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TRANSLATION: WHAT'S IN FOR THOSE AGING UP AFTER 16-19? AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ELITE OLYMPIC NATIONALS WHICH TAKE PLACE IN IXTAPA THIS YEAR. TATIANA VERTIZ WILL BE REPRESENTING MEXICO CITY, A PROMISING YOUNG GIRL THAT STUDIES IN THE U.S. WITH THIS RACE SHE BEGINS HER SEARCH FOR AN OLYMPIC TICKET TO LONDON 2012.

SOLID

Done- 42 solid hours of training these past 2 wks. Every workout nailed to the "t". I am feeling the wear/tear of it all but I was stoked to finish it off with one of my best swims. I felt awesome the whole workout and today was tough...I thought swimming would be hard to get through, but every fast set of 50s I kept building speed :)
This morning again was the RBM ride, it left at 830, but I got there a little earlier to warm up with a loop of the lake and a set of Loving Hills. So in all, 3hrs worth. The group today was big and the pace much more mellow than yesterday's ride (the super fast guys left at 730 again today), so I was able to stay in the front-middle the whole time, except near the last few climbs where my legs basically let me know they were out of power.
I came home and ate a quick lunch to get my run and swim in with some even time in between each as netiher were supposed to be bricks. Running was awesome too. Well, the first 5-10 minutes I felt drained, though my legs weren't heavy/stiff, but after that everything felt great.
So now the plan is to stay in bed all through tomorrow watching TV/movies. Tomorrow's a much appreciated day off and then the week is lighter- 15hrs, swims mostly drills, except the 2hr open water with Ahmed and crew Saturday, bikes are easy spins, except Thursday group ride, and runs all 30-1hr training pace, and one track on Thrusday.
Congrats to everyone who raced St. Croix today!

Wow..WINDY

Got up pretty early this morning, around 5am, ate some breakfast and headed to a coffee shop down the street that opens early enough even on weekends. I heard the wind howling as I walked to the kitchen and hoped it would fade by 730, when it'd be time to go on the South Ride with the RBM group. Well, no it didn't, actually it got stronger. The whole ride except maybe 5-10mi was headwind. 20-30mph gusts. Nice. On top of that, it was freezing. My toes and hands, even with gloves, were numb. But other than that, it was sunny and the ride went smooth :) haha.
All I could think about was "must get back to my car asap". I got dropped around mile 18 and rode training pace solo the rest of the way home. Got in 45ish miles and by 10:30 was happily warm and chowing down some food.
All that's left for today is a 1hr run...the wind will still be killer but that doesn't really bother me running and it should be low 70s in a little while- I hope.

swimming and tennis...equally a pain in the a** to master

I was thrilled when starting triathlon that none of its sports where intrinsically biomechanical and that all it would take for me to get to the top of the sport would be smart training and my best effort. WRONG! This was true when as coach said "I simply pulled wins out of a hat vs no competition...racing randomly"(with no strategy) and just logging in miles and hours without paying close attention to the minute details of form, technique, and skill that separate an age grouper from a pro.
Now that the focus for me has turned into making a career out of triathlon, and plunging in to the ITU arena, where you better know how to hold your own in the water, I've realized that I have to learn at age 20 details of swimming that, as in tennis, are typically taught at a very young age.
By no means is this a defeat for me, though it is an obstacle, and I love the challenge ahead. Every week I'll be getting in the pool to have Chris beat proper swim form into my head, and teach my body via patience and repetition to embrace the new habits and rid itself of the old.
Suddenly, my back, shoulders, biceps, tricpes, and even hands, are sore from using muscles that I really was never using while "swimming". I was more or less just flaling myself through the water...but now, it's time to propell :)