The end of 2014 is just a few days away. Looking back, it was a damned good year. I trained hard and diligently, even if I did not quite reach my goal of getting a finishing time in the Epic 250K. I built a solid foundation and reached the start line healthy, well rested, and best of all uninjured. I trained hard without injury from accident or overuse. My cardio was great, my stamina was amazing, my body felt fantastic.
As disappointed as I was to not finish the Bike Leg in time, it taught me some valuable lessons, and reaffirmed my training: Know your race, know the speed you need to maintain and train accordingly (key for 2015 training). Be prepared, take more gear than you think you might need, and discard what you don't (I did this well, I think). I learned that I do have the mental toughness to push through the rough moments, but need to work on speed. Always remind yourself, "I am right where I want to be, right now."
I am coming to the end of my off-season training, letting myself back off from running and cycling, while really working on strength and power. During the last 3 months I have spent a lot of time sweating at the gym, working on strength training and flexibility. I have been managing 3 days a week each for Leg Day, and Upper Body Day. Yes, this is a thing for me. I have always loved weight training, and it seems that even when I am too tired to push the cardio, I always have energy to lift. A goal for 2015 is to continue with solid strength training throughout the season right up to Race Week. Yes, I did strength training last season as well, but this year I am dialing it up a notch. Actually, this year everything gets dialed up a notch.
I know that my training last year got me to the start line in good condition. My endurance was fantastic, but my speed needs work. The next few months I will focus on speed drills in the water, on the bike, and on the run. All three disciplines require just a bit more speed. If I can get out of the water 15 minutes faster, that gives me 15 minutes more to finish the bike. If I can increase my average speed on the bike by a measly 1 mile per hour that will get me to the start of the run in plenty of time. From there on, I have ample time to finish the run, but want to do it in style.
I had my nutrition dialed in to near perfection, during real life, training, and best of all during the race itself. There are a few tweaks I plan for 2015, mostly more plant based protein and edging closer to being vegan. I do rely on eggs as a daily source of protein, and don't want to give up what little bit of cheese I allow myself. I don't know if cutting these out of my diet would make much of a difference. I am hoping to have a better vegetable garden this year, since I will hopefully have more time this spring to get everything ready for a good planting. I want to be able to fill a freezer with fresh produce to make fall and winter eating all that much better. More berries for smoothies is always a good thing. And fresh frozen veggies hold a lot of their nutrition.
One wish is to get new front chainrings for the bike. I want a 56 tooth large ring, and a 32 tooth small ring. This will add just a bit more speed to my lowest and highest gears, and that will give me part of what I will need for a good finish time. The rest is all on me, and my legs and core. They say, "It's not the bike, it's the rider." This rider needs more strength, power, and speed in her legs.
2014 was a great year. 2015 will be even better. It will be a fantastic year.
