It’s also really cool to be on both sides of the fence now (athlete and coach).  At the very least, I finally understand what I have been putting my coach through for the past 4 years!     I also have to say that I am in the best place to continually learn from an elite level coach. That’s a big benefit of working with The Sport Factory. We work together and are continually challenged by and consult with Matt on training issues.  It’s a great set up and I’m really lucky to be where I am.

Me, Ashley, and Matt at the SEE-ME multisport expo

Work is work and I’m lucky to have it, but the “other” job is going really well, too:  training.   I finally convinced Matt to let me race Powerman Alabama this year. I raced it in both 2006 and 2007 as an amateur, and in 2008 as a pro.  All great races for me, but it is probably one of the toughest races ever. I haven’t done a duathlon since 2008 because I was injured training for Worlds that year, BUT I have not forgotten how tough they are. There is a reason why many triathletes don’t want to race duathlons! And to make sure it’s extra fun, Team Magic extended the distances this year to 10K run / 60K bike / 10K run . . . you know, to make sure we all get our money’s worth.  Um, thanks.

So, PMA will be the first race of the year and it’s coming right up.  Matt has been kicking my butt lately and the du bricks are coming back into style.  The pro field is going to be super competitive this year, and Team Magic put together a cool little line-up to get us all fired up.  But since the age group race is the following day, I’m wondering if there will be anyone out there to cheer us on?!  Did you guys notice someone by the name of Joerie Vansteelant on that list?  Pretty cool, huh?!  If the rest of us chumps on the start list don’t get you motivated to come out and cheer us on, certainly Joerie will.

February was a great month, not just because of the showering of chocolates, roses, and birthday gifts (!), but  mainly because of a quick weekend trip with my sisters and mom all together.  I only wish there were more weekends like this.  And of course there’s that cute little doggy of mine. God forbid her feet ever touch the ground. I love these photos, because it’s like a Where’s Waldo game . . . she’s popping her cute little head out of every picture.

Melissa, Waldo (Shaina), Amy, and Lauren

Melissa and Emily trying to feed Shaina carrot cake. Vegetables are good for you, right?

See Waldo?

"tree huggers." Waldo acclimates to both deciduous and coniferous trees.

Patio attire.

And because The ATL was getting dumped on with a winter blizzard at the time, I had a hard time concentrating and focusing on my “ice bath,” but I tried.

Snow Day.

And even though it pissed my mom off a little, of COURSE I had to train.  I know, I know–  scenery sucked, but I was not one to mope and complain.  I had work to do.

2 wheels & a killer view.

Not my best work, but what do you expect w/ one hand on the bars?

Click HERE to see the rest of the article.

I am grateful for their friendship and humor.  Who are these girls? LJ and LH... and they may need to change their blog name now that they’re no longer officially “rookies.”

LJ inspired me last night with a little nugget of thought-provoking motivation.  She said that she’s reading a book about the Tarahumara Indian tribe of the Colca Canyon in Northern Mexico.  I haven’t read the book yet, but I have read articles about this fascinating tribe of endurance athletes that can run for miles and miles, usually barefoot.  It’s on the reading list now, though.  Anyway, LJ was talking about how this tribe does not see running as a chore; it is a joy and they soak up every second of it.  We need to ENJOY these workouts, soak them up and be totally engaged in the process.  Bottom line: CHANGE YOUR ‘TUDE.

19 and Clueless. But smiling!

This got me thinking back to college when I walked onto ASU’s xcountry team. I hadn’t run a 5k before and had been a total rookie to the sport. One of the more seasoned runners on the team, Allison, told me a little tip:  Always smile at the spectators during the race. You’ll find they smile back, and it’ll give you energy. She was so right! I have been scamming that smile for years now on the race course, and after a while, you start to believe that you really are having fun out there!

But training was another story. I am an analytical freak when it comes to my data. I can’t help it; my coach created this monster. I love the numbers and I’m constantly monitoring where I’m at and where I need to be. Of course I still do this on race day, but race day is more of a celebration of all the hard work, with no real surprises since I’ve tried to maintain consistency in training.

Essentially, this would require both sides of my brain (creative and analytical).  So this morning I tried really hard to follow LJ’s advice and try to “run like the Tarahumara”– fully engaged, totally enjoying it, and feeling blessed to be there.

Attitude really IS everything.  Blah blah blah — We all know this, but how often do we really apply these principles to our workouts everyday? Workouts, that I will add, we CHOOSE to do. This is not torture; we are 100% willing participants and have chosen this hobby as an outlet for our competitive drive, talent, and interests.  Sure it’s fun to complain about how much we are getting slammed by our coaches and how sore and tired we are and how hard it is to fit it all in some days . . . but come on– we CHOOSE to do this because it’s fun and it is fulfilling for many different reasons.  Let’s get back to that.  Keep the analytical side firing, but engage your creative side and don’t forget how blessed we are to be doing this.

Thank you, Lindsey, for the “kick in the ass” and getting me back on track!    Not surprisingly, it was the best run so far this year.

And as for my smiling college friend . . .  it looks like she’s teaching her son the same lesson at a very early age.  This was from his first 5k race.  He’s already workin’ the crowd –  I love it!

Welcome Kelly Kennedy Diodati, the new Sport Factory Team Massage Therapist.   I met with Kelly this week for a session and I was very impressed with her attention to detail and her relentless attack of the problem areas.  Doesn’t sound like a cruise ship massage, I know, but that’s not what we need as athletes.

She is VERY good, and her prices are reasonable.  This sport is not cheap and there is no shortage of things to spend your money on.  Getting a good massage regularly is without a doubt an essential part of my recovery plan, however, and finding someone who is very skilled with athletes’ specific needs is not an easy task.  Kelly is that person, and she makes it accessible with her fair pricing.  She works almost exclusively with athletes, including several pro cyclists.  She’s good– very good.

All Sport Factory athletes have special pricing with Kelly. Contact her directly at 770-714-6019.

Thanks Kelly, and welcome aboard!

As triathletes, however, the show must go on. Delta may cancel their flights, but we don’t cancel our training. Our base training lays the foundation for the rest of our season, so the phrase “Suck it up, Buttercup” is heard quite often around here these days.

Those of you in far worse climates are getting plenty of quality time on your trainers over the next few months. (I’m even lucky to coach one particular Minnesotan. This special snow bunny revels in his winter wonderland, and provides me with daily weather updates just to keep me grateful.)

We are doing it up in style in Atlanta, with several options for indoor training every week if you don’t want to brave the elements.  Last Sunday at The Grind, we had an incredible 31 people packed in wall-to-wall, grinding it out for two hours. We’re now adding a 2nd class, so you can come at 9am or 11:30am every Sunday. The calendar is on the Team Page if you’re ever in doubt (bottom right side).

Training is going really well and I’m really getting fired up for 2010.  While we’re freezing our asses off, it’s fun to daydream about the exciting plans that lie ahead.  I try to squeeze one (or 2) big international trips (disguised as races) into my life every year, and this year it will be Brazil.   I cannot tell you how excited I am to go back.  Last time I was there was in 2005 with my Boy BFF, Mikey G, when we lost our Ironman Virginity that fateful day in Florianopolis, Brazil.   I’m focusing all on 70.3 distance this year, however.  No chance of me ever heading back to the land of Ironman anytime soon.  It’s hard enough to manage this distance while working full time, but no complaints because I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Choosing Brazil 70.3 was a no brainer: South America is very special to me, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Brazil.  So I’ve got about 9 months to brush up on my Portuguese.  Watch out, Paulo and Rui.  Acho que voces vai cansar de mi!  (I am sure you’re going to get sick of me! — or something along those lines. My idea of Portuguese is basically speaking Spanish with a twist!)

I found these old pics from Ironman Brazil 2005.  They crack me up!!  How cool are my American flag running shorts? (Yes, I stopped in T2 for a costume change.)  I had NO CLUE what I was doing, no coach, and no real plan.  I guess ignorance was bliss, because I had a blast with it.

Nice bike fit!

Somebody forgot to rub in the sunscreen.

Finish Line 2005

The year after Brazil, I met Matt and started a real training program.  I look back (fear not, this ain’t no “year in review!”), and realize how incredibly lucky I am to be starting my fifth season with the same coach.  Not many athletes can say that, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together . . . and damn lucky to have both an expert level triathlon and expert level cycling coach as the brains behind this operation.  I have learned a tremendous amount from him, and plan to continue to suck the life out of the poor guy for as long as he’ll tolerate me.  

Hope your season is getting off to a good start.  If you’re in the ATL area and would like to join us at any of our indoor training sessions, we’d love to have you. And if you’re going to also race Brazil 70.3, gimme a shout!

I just love having my mom here more. 

My sister Melissa lives out there now, and my sister Lauren is in LA, so it looks like I’ll be heading West from now on to see the fam.  My mom is bummed to leave me, but I think she’s more bummed about leaving her granddoggy, Shaina.  She’s trying to convince me to allow Shaina to “spend her winters in the desert.”  Sounds pretty glam for a 5lb nugget, huh?  Given that my mom is such an excellent caretaker for the little peanut (as evidenced by the photo below), she makes a strong argument.

But I could never give up my little nugget.  Sorry, Mom.

Moving day is January 1st.  *Sighhh*

During my college years and my 20s, I was never less than 2000 miles away from home, either in Arizona, South America, or traveling around the world on one of my adventures.  As I get older, though, having my mom closeby is just wonderful, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.  Anyone who knows her knows she is a hoot and makes everything more fun.  We’re going to miss you, Mom and Alex . . . but something tells me that you’ll have a visitor before the dust even settles!  (And don’t roll your eyes when I bring my bike along!)

Thanks to all of you guys playing Athletic Shoe Santa, there are close to 200 teens from the Gwinnett Boys & Girls Club who will have some gently used (new-to-them) kicks this year.

And thank you to The Sport Factory, PT Solutions, Westminster Masters Swimming, all3sports, and Stone Family Chiropractic for serving as drop-off locations.

Thank you for your generosity!

Now  . . . go for a run and start wearing out your shoes for next year’s drive!! 

Click HERE for the dirty details . . .

Life has been busy, but very good.  Work is going really well, and I even get to travel to glamorous destinations like Dothan, Alabama and other small towns in South Georgia.     I love what I do and find that the small town charm of the South makes up for the time behind the wheel.

Training-wise, I’m back in action after a short hiatus, and feeling great.  I am no longer chlorine-free, as the dizziness from the crash is almost all gone– hallelujah.  I love this time of year— putting in the base miles and planning the season.  While it’s mild enough in Atlanta to train outdoors year-round (if bundled up), we do a lot of training together indoors at The Sport Factory.  Matt recently moved the facility to a new location, and we we are awaiting the official confirmation/paperwork . . . but the USAT group that came for a site visit gave the nod that The Sport Factory will be one of only four USAT Performance Centers in the country.  It’s pretty awesome to be a part such a great organization, and I am proud to represent this team.

I absolutely love when we’re jammin’ on the bikes several times a week during our stationary classes (THE GRIND!). The time goes by faster, the watts are higher, and the music is louder.  I rarely ride with more than 1 or 2 other people on the roads, but love doing the group thing indoors.

In fact, we’re going to be hosting a special “Grinch Grind” on Christmas Eve (afternoon) for 2hrs. You’ll be home in time to leave the cookies out for Santa, so email me if you’re in the ATL area and interested in joining us.  You don’t have to be a Sport Factory athlete or team member to join in the sweaty mess, so no excuses.  We’d love to have you!

Please read on to inspire feelings of inadequacy.  Click here: THE GOLDEN YEARS