Soo…. What’s Next?

After a disappointing performance at the Phoenix Marathon, I gave myself two weeks to think about what I want to train for next (and also to eat/drink/do whatever I wanted). I had already had some races on my radar but for the first time in a VERY long time, I was not registered for a single race following Phoenix. I’ve been getting the itch to get back into triathlon, have been curious about the newest Beachbody program, P90X3 but also want to improve my half marathon time. So in usual Nicole fashion, I’ve decided to do all three.

As of now, my Spring race schedule will look something like this:

• April 18- FCA 5k – a low key 5k put on by a friend to raise money for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). It won’t be chip timed of show up on Athlinks but I do plan to run hard!
• June 1- Rock n Roll Half Marathon
• June 29 – San Diego International Triathlon (1,000 meter swim, 30k bike, 10k run – Discount code below!)

I am officially registered only for the SD International Tri as of now. I’m really excited about this race because I’ve actually spectated it three times – twice when Mike raced it and once when our friend Stephen did. Although the race offers a sprint and an near-Olympic distance (I enjoy the shorter swim!), I chose the Olympic distance because I really want to get some solid longer bikes in this Spring. I have a friend who is training for her first Ironman (Arizona) and I want to get out there with her for some of her long rides.

The race begins in the San Diego Harbor for either the 500 meter or 1000 meter swim. The bike is an out and back which turns around in the beautiful Cabrillo National Monument which is on top of a hill overlooking downtown and the harbor. The bike course is pretty hilly but I’ve found that I like some variation in the course to keep it interesting. And even better, the second half of the course is mostly downhill so you get to save your legs a bit going into the run.

The run is a one way route from the transition area on Harbor Island all the way to the beautiful embarcadero park, passing through San Diego’s gorgeous harbor front walkway with the USS Midway, Maritime Museum and Seaport Village. There is a beer garden and band at the finish line and it’s always an absolutely beautiful day. I’m looking forward to finally running and not just watching!

If you want to join me, I have a discount code for $5 off the San Diego International Triathlon:  SDITNIC5

Next BQ Attempt?

I’m sure many are wondering – when will I attempt the BQ again? The answer is – I’m not sure yet. I had originally thought that if it didn’t happen at Phoenix that I’d go for it at the San Diego Rock n Roll but in the days following the race, I questioned my desire to EVER run a marathon again. I even said “If i qualify for Boston, that means I have to RUN Boston.”

As expected, my thoughts on that subject did take a turn for the better and I DO want to try again. As to when, I’m not sure. Rock n Roll seems a little too soon – I’m not sure I’ll be where I need to be in 12 short weeks (with another week left of marathon recovery plus a 3 week taper!). I’m also not sure I want to make an attempt on that course as it has been changed to include a nice long 1.5 mile steep hill (among many other hills) from miles 21-22.5 and can be quite warm on race day. Race reports I’ve read have not touted this as a BQ or PR friendly course and with a short time to train, it might not be the best option. I don’t want to feel rushed going into the next attempt. I want to feel ready.

I’ve scoped out other potential races before the 2015 Boston Marathon cut off period (September) but due to the fact that I have a lot of travel on my schedule for weddings (I’m Maid of Honor in one, bridesmaid in two and we’re attending one more) and my belated 30th birthday bash in Nashville in June, I’m not sure it’ll work out. Every race I think could work ends up having a conflict. So the 2015 Boston Marathon may not be in the cards for me – but I think I’m ok with that. Boston or not Boston, I’ll still be here running and becoming a smarter, stronger athlete.

I won’t be using a coach because for now, I need to find out what works best for me on my own. I definitely think Maria is a GREAT coach and I recommend her 100%, but not only does my budget not allow for year round coaching,  I think mentally I need to do what I think is best leading up to my big race. Whether or not what I think is best IS best, is another question of course – but I need to figure that out myself.  I plan to continue to use heart rate training in my workouts, especially for easy and long runs. I’m not sure I’ll race with heart rate again as I think it provides me with too much data that overwhelms me. I just want to race by feel.

As for P90X3 , I am really excited to add some Tony Horton back in my life but without the time commitment of P90X. I can add these 30 min workouts into my schedule throughout the week  and get stronger without it digging into triathlon and running time. As I did with P90X, I will likely skip the solely cardio focused workout and just do 5 workouts per week. At 30 min a pop, that’s only 2.5 hours of extra training each week with hopefully some good results. With all that’s on my plate, I’ll be skipping Pilates for a while but I definitely plan to return in July! More on P90X3 soon!

I’m really excited about my spring training. My training hasn’t been as intense or focused as it once was  for a long time (pretty much since Ironman CDA in June 2012) and I’m excited to bring it up a notch. Although I DID just finish training for a marathon, I am in no way burnt out mentally from training volume. If anything, the volume/intensity was lighter than I’ve done in the past and with the short training cycle , injury, taper and now marathon recovery, I’m actually quite ready to pick it up a notch. I’m giving myself one more week of marathon recovery (shorter runs, less intensity, etc) and then it’s on!!

What are you most excited about this Spring?