It's been awhile since I blogged, so I thought I'd catch up on a few things in public. It's not that life has been boring or uneventful... it's just getting the 'mojo' to actually sit down and write about it. :) Facebook, twitter, youtube, blogging... where does it all stop!!!! ahhhhh!!
Let me start off with talking about sunshine and warm temps. Tucson is such a great place to live, especially when it relates to the weather for those who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle. We've had a streak of 75-80 deg. sunny days when the rest of the country seems to be tolerating snowy and cold conditions. It's easy to get complacent and take for granted how good sunshine and warm temps make one feel... but when I travel somewhere else (like the upper mid-west), I'm quickly reminded of how much I dislike the cold. I hear that having an ultraviolet lamp to sit under is good for avoiding the winter blahs... so if you live in a region of the country where it's cold and dreary, get yourself one, eh?! (put it in your Spinervals cycling room :)
Funny thing happened yesterday... at least it is in retrospect it was funny. I was riding in my neighborhood which sits at the base of the Tortilita Mountains and was winding around a bend when staring right at me in the middle of the road was a large black bull. He must have gotten through a fence where lots of cattle graze in the 'open range'. It was startling to say the least! I literally locked my brakes and went into a controlled skid, turned and hightailed it the opposite way. I'm not sure if he would have charged me...but wasn't about to take any chances.
Training is going well as I get ready for the 2011 season. I'm still undecided on a few of my races, but I do know that Ironman Kona will be my A race in October. I've been dealing with lots of knee issues after IMAZ last November, so training is coming along slower than I'd wanted it to. On the positive side, I've been swimming 3-4 times per week, 1000-1500 yd / workout. Considering that I didn't even get in the water until March of 2010 after a multiyear layoff, I think I'm ahead of the game in the swim leg. I'll likely start getting my feet wet with racing in late March with the Oro Valley 1/2 Marathon (during camp) and then jump in a race in Tempe in April. I usually need 2-3 races to shake the 'race rust' off and get my race legs back underneath me. Oh, I'm also considering the National Duathlon Championship in my home town of Oro Valley in April. I've not done a du since the mid 1990s, but remember how much they hurt. Duathletes are strong and tough athletes!
Our 2011 training camp season is about to kick off with a cycling and tri camp in Tucson in late March. I always look forward to these camps. We do a ton of training for base and it's a great way to meet other multisport athletes from throughout the U.S. and Canada. Our Tri Camp is full, but the cycling camp is still open if you or someone you know would like to attend. We also have space still available for our summer Tri Camps in Lake Placid, Louisville and Madison. Click here to learn more.
That's all for me now. It's a little overcast today, but still around 75 degrees. Time to go out for a 1 hr ride, 30 min run and 15 min swim ;)
Train smart,
Coach Troy
Follow Coach Troy Jacobson's progress as he manages family life and running an endurance sports coaching business while training for multisport racing as a Masters athlete. Learn more at www.coachtroy.com and friend him on facebook!
