Off season fun

After taking my mind off of triathlon for 1 day...I wanted to get back at it. Luckily for me I had many opportunities over the last few weeks to be an "I am training/racing...but I am really not" athlete.

Example number one: The Durapulse IMAZ clinic

Since JR and many of my Durapulse teammates are training for IMAZ, Durapulse offers clinics that include a long OW swim, a long bike and a transition run (and then some BBQ and laughs). I was so happy to be "helping out" at the clinic. It was great to see the pain of training for an IM (and secretly it made me want to do one :-)...

I skipped the 6 am OW swim at Roosevelt Lake (because I really do not enjoy swimming there...there are some very scary looking trees underneath the water) and watched our gear instead :-)





After their swim I jumped on my bike and rode with my teammates. It was a lot of fun to help them get through the 120 mile ride in 100 degree weather. I truely enjoyed helping them, no matter if it was getting ice for them at gas stations, riding with them to keep them entertained, teaching how to change a flat fast, ...it was a lot of fun.



At the end of the day I tried to help 2 of my teammates to get through their run...and since I only rode 70 miles I was a lot more cheerful than them.

All of them did very well, they are ready for IMAZ!!!

Next adventure: Run for Maggie's place

The day after the clinic JR and I decided to race the Run for Maggie's place. It was a no brainer: a race in town, only 10k, the entry money goes to a good cause and we get to see our friends.


Let me tell you: it is harder then I thought to try to run fast after taking some time off. Luckily I found a good rythm and finished in first place. JR won the men's race (after an epic day of training the day before)...very impressive!!! He is ready for anything from 70.3 to IM, from 5 k to 26 mile races :-)

Aaaaand onto the SOMA triathlon:

Well how can I not do this one.

Check out the sweet Lazer Helmets :-)

I entered SOMA with 2 of my Durapulse Teammates as a relay. Since I was the runner I got to cheer for 3+ hrs before I actually had to go run. It was a blast. The SOMA course is very spectator friendly and we watched and cheered the entire morning (we were really loud cheer-ers).

JR came off the bike only 15 SECONDS behind the male PRO leader!!! WOW. He had an amazing swim and bike (even though he has only been in the water...5 times this YEAR!!!) I wish I could do that. The run got hot. It was 104 out there. I started running and decided I would just cheer and not look at my watch. I felt great!!! And fast!!! At mile 6 I couldn't resist and looked at my watch, that was when I realized I was on pace for a sub 1:20 Half...and then my brain started telling me to take it easy...Maybe sometimes it is better not to know how fast you are running. The second lap I cheered even more, because a lot of people were walking. I tried to motivate everyone to at least shuffle or slow jog...I think it worked in most cases!!! I ended up running a 1:25 which made me very happy because I had not ran over an hour in 5 weeks.

It was the end of the season for my frineds Pam and Shannon (who both finished VER well at SOMA) and JR and I joined them for a great dinner.

I felt a little guilty, because all I had done all day was the 13 mile run. They were out there for 4+ hrs...

I am excited for the next few months. I will be entering bike races and running events in the Phoenix area. Phoenix in the winter is great. Perfect weather, lots of races = Happy Angi.

My work here is done...

my 2011 Triathlon season is officially over. Done with racing, done with traveling, and you know what? It feels good, but it also feels strange. On my flight home I was already thinking about what I could do next, but once I got back to Phoenix reality caught up with me: my body needed a break :-) I was tired and exhausted, but I wouldn't change a thing about my 2011 season. I accomplished all my goals and I had some good PR's.

A few weeks have passed and I did what I wanted :-) When I felt like riding I rode, whenever I felt like running I ran (no watch, no HR, nothing)...the swimming, yeah...I didn't really feel like that at all :-) Until today!!!

Phoenix is finally cooling down and we can actually be outside (almost) all day (we have a few more 100 degree days left). The nights are very nice, in the 60's. Perfect for sleeping with the window open. Now can it please be like this all year?

I am competing, aehhh, I wanted to say participating in a Halfironman relay in 2 weeks. I am the runner :-) I am really excited, no pressure, just fun. Then I have a few Halfmarathons planned for the winter and a trip to Germany for Christmas.

You might think now that I am in my off season I have tons of time for everything...WRONG. It seems like my days are filled with work, work, spoiling JR (he is getting ready for IMAZ) and ...SEARCHING for my dog Jack:

Jack with his shoe collection.

On Tuesday, Jack disappeared. We searched for him for 7 hrs!!! We expanded our radius constantly, searched in the neighborhood, alleys, EVERYWHERE. We had the enitre neighborhood looking for a lost Springer Spaniel. JR and I made flyers and they were posted on every corner. We live close to a mountain preserve and we all know that a lost little puppy's chances of surviving a night in the desert are pretty slim (coyotes are always hungry). It got dark and I was still cruising around on the scooter, yelling into the preserve when I got a call from JR. Jack was returned!!!

It turns out that our neighbor had Jack. The entire 7 hrs!!! While we were searching everywhere, throwing our socks and his toys in the street so he could sniff his way home. She said she wasn't sure if it was our dog...and she didn't know that we were searching for him (hmmm...let me think, my dog is nowhere to find for 7 hrs...should I search and be worried???) We have no idea what they were thinking. Jack most likely never even left OUR yard!!! It was a crazy and strange story, but we are just really thankful to have him back.

I didn't do it :-)

It has been an eventful two weeks since I came back from Spain.

I am very thankful for what and where I got to race this season. It was epic to be everywhere (it seemed like) and being able to have a home, a family and working (and I do not mean training by that...Work work :-)

I am already looking forward to 2012 - it will be a great season.