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Tuesday, 30 January 2018 23:10

By Erin Ladendorf (bikesandcatsrightmeow.blogspot.com)

Here we are. Late January. The time of year that every triathlete dreads. (Or maybe its just me. But I have a feeling I am not alone in this thought.)

It's freezing cold out. The days feel like they are 5 hours long. And getting into a pool at 5 am feels like what I would imagine walking the Green Mile to certain death feels like. However instead of lethal injection, it's set of 100s, 200s, and enough kick sets to make your hips pop out of their sockets. Plus running outside is like a really sick game of "don't slip on ice and break your face" every time you step out the door. So that is challenging in it's own right.

However I probably shouldn't complain. After Ironman I took an Epic trip to Costa Rica as a reward for all my hard work. And let me tell you, some days I really think I could have stayed there forever. It also turns out that surfing is great cross training for triathlon! I found that the vacation was a much needed mental break after the intense stress of 2017, and it set me up to tackle 2018 with a clear mind and open heart. Plus, I learned how to open a coconut with a machete, so that's pretty cool too....

As I came back to the frozen tundra, I adjusted back to reality. Where as we near the end of winter, it becomes that weird time in an athlete's season where training is just starting to ramp up, but there is still a small lull before the real work happens. As I am sure my coach can attest, it's also the time of year where I become ultra neurotic and manifest all sorts of annoying quirks I never thought I had before. I think my Training Peak logs for workouts this time of year are the most detailed, and probably the most angry as well. I have all this energy and all this drive, but it's base building time. And I am going bonkers. READ MORE