WINTER...

"In the midst of winter, I found there was within me, an invincible summer." -Albert Camus

That "invincible summer" has come in the form of a trainer and a treadmill. Despite FREEZING temps, snow and more snow, the training is coming along fantastically! I've found a "fondness", or rather an "appreciation" for the trainer and I am finding that the workouts are getting better and better. As George pointed out the other day, a trainer workout goes by much faster while watching the Tour de France and that is exactly what I have been doing. Right now I am in the middle of the 2002 Tour. Lance just had a victory at Plateau de Beille, but was not so lucky at Mt. Ventoux. Since I was not an "avid" Tour watcher back then, it is like watching it for the first time! Of course, I know the outcome, but it is exciting anyway...even without one of my favorites, Jan Ullrich competing (alright, I know he has been found guilty of doping, but Im still a "Jan fan"...sorry)!

The running has been coming along great and there is a LOT of it. Today's run #1 started at 15 degree temps...I went to the trail and did a snowy run by Belmont Lake. I find that running in the snow is REALLY fun, but I really suck at it. That's what my Garmin's average pace tells me anyway. No worries...I find that it is an AWESOME workout! Run #2 today will be done on the treadmill, however. This run will be much shorter and easier after a core and strength session at the gym. Treadmill running is nice because I can wear shorts, but I am certainly not the world's best treadmill runner. Give me a flat road and I am Golden...any deviation and I am not so "Gold", but as they say, "that which does not kill you makes you stronger", so bring on the snowy trails and the treadmill workouts! Swimming, of course, is easy during this arctic freeze, so I do this QUITE often! Alternating swimming with Aquafit and swimming solo...both of which I look forward to when the time comes. So, until I reach REAL summer (Arizona, Florida), I am finding that the brutal winter we are having is not bringing me down so much. I may even get out on the road this weekend! A first since Florida! :-)

2009

Happy New Year! I've finally decided on my training and racing plans for 2009! I will be heading to Tucson in February to train with twin superstars Kim Loeffler and Kelly Liljeblad for warm weather training , then returning home for a few weeks before heading to New Orleans to race the new 70.3 race there on April 5th. I am really excited to race New Orleans as it seems like a flat course with warm weather...my favorite conditions! I will be flying back to Tucson after the race to again train with Kelly and Kim as well as with Tara Norton! The four of us should be excellent training partners, all with different strengths! At the end of the Tucson training in April, I will head to St. Croix for another excellent 70.3 (and TOUGH COURSE) with Tara before returning home again for good. At least mostly for good, that is. I may have to travel down to Maryland for one of my favorite races of all time in June...Eagleman! That is not set, however as it is only 3 weeks before my "A race"...Ironman Austria on July 5th! My friend Erin will be traveling with me to Austria to provide race support. It should be a great time! After that, things are up in the air, but so far the schedule is set and I am really looking forward to it!

As I headed out the door to do Part I of my "split long run" yesterday I thought about the warm weather that I had just run in down in Florida and the warmth that awaits me in Arizona. I find that I get less tolerant for the cold the more I travel! All went well though. It didnt seem to be quite as bad as I had anticipated. Now if I can only get to the pool this morning. The roads seem pretty icy out there, so Im hoping the pool is open!

Training Camp

I've been in Florida for the past week and a half doing a training camp with my friends Tara Norton, Lisa and Kayla (both of whom I just met this weekend) and Matt Long. It was a last-minute decision to go down and train and I'm REALLY glad I did! We had 80 degree weather everyday and I put in over 42 hours of training in 8 days. Training with Tara is excellent as she is a PHENOMENAL cyclist! I knew she was great, but training with her this past week really showed me just how great she is. Throughout the week we swam double sessions every morning with the Masters swim team (coached by Marty) at the Hall of Fame Pool (except for Saturday in which we did the 5K "Rough Water Ocean Swim"), put in a LOT of miles on the bike and had some great run sessions as well. All as I watched the weather back home plummet into sub 20 degree temperatures!

Matt Long came here to log big miles on the bike and jump start his training for IM Lake Placid. I think he is going to see a tremendous boost in power and bike fitness after this training block. It was great to be able to do some training with him and I look forward to watching him race Ironman in July. Lisa is an open water swimmer and completed the "Around Manhattan Island" open water swim this past July! That's 28 miles of swimming (no wetsuit) around NYC. Wow...I can't even imagine (especially after my never-ending 5K swim the other day)! She did all of the swim sessions and some of the run sessions as well. Unlike Tara and I, she had time to do some beach time and sight-seeing, which was nice. Kayla came down to get a jump on her training as she is trying to switch from triathlete to cyclist. All three girls are from Canada (Toronto and Montreal) and it's safe to say that we are all dreading the cold weather that we are returning to!
I plan on writing more about some of the training from this past week, but for now I am getting ready to head to the airport. As for me, I plan on doing much of my winter training in Tucson (hopefully with super triathlete and runners Kim Loeffler and her twin sister Kelly Liljeblad) and in between I will brave the cold. Tara is heading to "Epic Camp" at the end of the month and when the time comes I'll post a list with her blog. It's incredible to read what they do at Epic Camp. Tara is one of only a handful of women to even complete it! I look forward to training with her again in Tucson!

Pics: Top Left: Lisa, Marty (swim coach), Tara, myself and Matt Long at the start of the Rough Water Swim. Middle: Hall of Fame Pool, Bottom: Tara and I after a morning swim session.