Spring Season

The spring tri season is officially here-- less than a month until Havasu! Now is the time for race-pace workouts and weekend practices that last well into the afternoon. I love it. Last year around this time, I started to realize how in shape I was and how much the year's training had paid off. It was the first time I felt really ready to take on an Olympic race, and I was pushing myself harder than I could've imagined at the beginning of the year. The spring days started to get warmer, and all I wanted to do was ride bikes and run in the beautiful weather. After those exhausting workouts, we would lie around in the grass at the Boulder High track for awhile, wander over to the creek and try to soak our legs in the freezing water for as long as possible, and then go home to eat our body weights in food and take much-needed naps. I bonded with the team more than ever, and the excitement of Regionals and Nationals slowly started to grow. This week, I've started to feel that anticipation again. With weekend track workouts starting next Sunday, I know the most rewarding part of the season is just around the corner.

After our second full time trial last weekend, coach Mike told us training was about to get intense-- and he wasn't lying. On Thursday, he had us run 2x5k at 10k race pace. We were all dreading it. It was definitely tough, but it felt amazing at the same time. On the first one, I ran a personal best 5k time, which only showed how much my run has improved since high school. It was one of those days I felt "good pain." I was giving it all I had, but I was feeling strong instead of like I wanted to die. It was "fun" in the way that only triathletes and other like-minded people can understand.

This weekend's bike ride was definitely more fun in the conventional sense. About ten of us met up an hour before regular practice and did St. Vrain loop at a pretty easy pace. It was a gorgeous morning, and we were all happy to be awake. We rode together, no one getting dropped or feeling like they were being held back. We sang Journey, took pictures, and talked about how excited we are for Havasu. I was reminded once again how worth it it is to wake up early on a weekend and get outside, especially with teammates by your side. :)

The other thing I love about training in the spring is that it keeps me sane. Second semester is always stressful, and this year is no exception. My weekdays tend to be nonstop, morning 'till night. Whether I'm going to class, studying, writing articles, helping at the Family Learning Center, filling out scholarship applications, or going to practice, I never seem to have a spare moment. I know I have the option to miss practice and catch up on homework or sleep, but the truth is, I always feel less stressed after a workout. Even if I have to sprint to the Rec to spin for 45 minutes, shower, and barely make it to my next class, it's better than nothing. If I didn't have tri team in the spring, I would lose my mind.

And so begins the countdown: 28 days until Spring Break and Havasu Regionals. Time to bust my butt at practice, keep my Nats team goals in mind, and enjoy the combo of endorphins and fabulous teammates that I can rely on every day. Love you, CU Tri Team!

Give and take.
Caryn

Time Trial

Today my team did a time trial. A short one, just a 500 yard swim and 2 mile run, but challenging nonetheless. Time trials are one of the most valuable things we do because they are a test of our commitment, improvement, and guts. They're also a great place to see teamwork in action: team members cheering each other on and being competitive in a positive way. To boot, our coach wasn't even there this morning, so the effort was all on us - and I didn't notice a single slacker. ;)

I knew it would be a good morning before I even left the apartment because my roommate Hilary was coming with me to do the TT. It's SO much easier to wake up at 7 am on a Sunday when someone else is groggily getting ready with you. Hilary's had a stress fracture and been unable to run since the summer, so this morning's 2 mile was her first run in months. I was proud of her for getting through it and never complaining, especially on 3 hours of sleep!

My heat jumped into the cold, uninviting Comp Pool at about 8:15. Way too early. The swim is always the most difficult for me, so I definitely wasn't looking forward to it. The 500 yd TT is the shortest one we do, so it's not as intimidating as an 800 or 1600 - but because it's short, it's also fast. Today, I worked hard and finished in 8:01. Not amazing, but satisfying enough. My biggest accomplishment was doing flipturns for the whole distance - lame, I know, but it's the first time flipturns haven't seemed too scary in a time trial, and I'm proud of that. :)

Since my swim is always weak in comparison to the rest of the team, I always feel pressure to make up for lost time during the run. Luckily, I have two teammates who are my perfect pace-setters: Tess and Courtney. We started together this morning, and they pushed me through the whole thing. I led for the first mile, then Courtney pulled ahead. I chased her to the finish, ending just a step or two behind her, and Tess came in a few seconds later. The best thing about "races" like this is that no matter the results, we're never negative - we're just thankful for the healthy competition. Honestly, without people to push me, I would be so much slower than I am now. It's the same for Courtney and Tess in the water - for the past two swim TTs, they have been neck-and-neck for the whole thing and finished in a tie, depending on each other to swim their absolute fastest.

Team breakfast at the Walnut Cafe was the perfect end to a rewarding morning. High on endorphins, we ate at a big outside table in our coats, not caring about the cold. The food was delicious, and Julianna entertained us all by adding massive amounts of caffeine to her already crazy self. Our annual retreat at Winter Park is coming up next weekend, and I can't wait for the dance parties, snowshoe adventures, and crucial team bonding that will ensue. We have another TT a couple weeks later, and then it's the countdown to Havasu. I'm loving it.

I'll end with an email that Tess sent out to everyone after this morning's effort. I think it embodies our team's attitude pretty well:

"I just wanted to say good job to everyone who came out to the time trial. I know it is not always easy to get up early on a Sunday morning to go swim/run as hard as you can, but everyone that came did a great job. It is so inspiring to see everyone out there giving it all they have and so good job today everyone!"
Yayyy team :)
- Tess

Give and take.

Caryn