Im on my easy week before heading out for a 2 weeks training camp held 3km from my place. The 4 weeks will total 104 km of swimming, around 1600km of ridind, 270km of running and around extra 10h of gym etc workouts to a total of around 125h. it looks goodby the numbers :D

Back to the training camp, It will be called training camp but everything will remain around the same, only more work is added and most likely i will have my butt kicked with the fast dudes of the group. One month to my first Half Ironman Distance race here in portugal, in the island of Porto santo, Madeira. That will be my first test of the season and im looking forward to it.

Meanwhile i’m having a hard time with weather, it has been raining all day or almost all day for the past few weeks and the wind is flowing hard too. lots of Yellow Warnings here and there but i have been doing the work as usual, it just makes it a bit harder :P

The good news about training is my new swim PB on the 400m!!! 5:20 in a 3*400 set on wednesday, last time i remember i only was abble to do around 5:30-5:35 so this is nice to see. i only want to carry a good swim speed that i usually get in the winter to the racing season and let the legs do the rest :D

The Off Season defined:

1) time away from triathlon training and racing

2) endulging in adult beverages on a too frequent basis

3) powder face shots

4) discovering a new hobby of rock climbing (think yoga + strength training)

Well, that has been my past several months in a nut shell. This year I am delaying a serious training schedule as my past results have had me peaking about a month too early. The time away has also left me more mentally motivated to return to “the scene”. I do feel that most triathletes have difficulty stepping away from a training schedule in the off-season and this seriously impacts there ability to improve due to both mental and physical burn-out.  Here is looking forward to a successful 2009! (And don’t forget- don’t be a January superstar!- unless your racing in the southern hemisphere)

Over the weekend, I finished my second snowshoe race of the season.  It wasn’t quite as long as my last race, but it sure was a fun time.  I actually raced the Swift Skedaddle last year up here in Silverthorne and won the race so I was pretty excited for the day to come.  The night before we stayed in the ski village in Keystone compliments to a friend of mine who works for the resort (thanks Dave)!  We took the boys tubing at the Nordic Center and they loved it!  The morning of the race I was feeling good as we all warmed up before the start of the 10K course.  This course was very challenging.  It almost seemed like we went up straight uphill for almost ¾ of the race!  I was leading briefly but then was soon passed by another runner.  I kept my 2^nd place position until the last 500m or so when I took a wrong turn on the course letting someone slip past me.  I finished up in 3rd in about an hour flat, and had a great time! 

On a side note, kudos to Powerbar and their latest creation, Gel Blasts.  It’s one of my new favorite energy foods.  They have the perfect amount of caffeine and sugar to get you through long workouts.  I had a few after the race and they hit the spot!  Check them out here: 

http://www.powerbar.com/products/18/POWERBAR®_GEL_BLAST_Cola.aspx

Hope everyone is doing well.

Tim

Or What I Didn’t Do This Christmas Vacation.

For the first time ever, I took two months off. OK, the first time in my 4 years of triathlon and running stuff. Here are the top 10 pros of a taking a true off season:

1. My youngest has stopped accidentally calling me Daddy.
2. I look a little less like Lawrence Taylor due to delt atrophy.
3. My hair is more yellow, less green.
4. I really want to get out and run hard/bike fast.
5. Sleeping in when hung over.
6. Nothing hurts all the time.
7. My bike is new, all over again.
8. Ten toenails.
9. Sunday mornings at the skate park before the big kids get there to laugh at the lame mom.
10. No spandex for eight whole weeks.

And my top ten cons:

1. Sounding like Jack Palance in City Slickers when I run.
2. Falling off my bike sidewards when trying to climb a steep hill. On my street.
3. Everyone at the pool failing to recognize me.
4. Getting dropped and dropped and dropped again.
5. The pain of getting into a too-tight splish.
6. Looking like a sausage in said splish.
7. Having to put my head between my knees at the track.
8. The saddle ache starting 20 minutes into a ride.
9. Re-sensitization of the nose. I can smell my workout clothes again. Sometimes before I even start training.
10. A guy on a mountain bike passed me on a hill. Wearing jeans.