I have been away from the blogging world for a couple of years now. I guess it was a combination of life, time, and injuries that distracted me from keeping this blog up to date! Excuses! Excuses! I am planning on making a full return to this blog and post about my triathlon and training adventures once again! Hey, I have some things on the go and a new outlook on training and racing. I've got a new coach, am hoping to make a full recovery from past injuries, and although not 100% confirmed yet, I plan on going to the grand race of all Ironmans through the legacy program - Kona!
So where have I been the last few years??? Here is a brief recap:
After my hamstring tear late 2012 and PRP treatments in 2013, I thought I would bounce right back in 2014. I participated in the Women's only EPIC camp in Lanzarote which my last post was about. I went on to race at Eagleman 70.3, Ironman Canada in Whistler, Niagara Falls Barrelman, and Ironman Arizona!!! Yep, a double Ironman year. I also raced at a couple of open water swims: FINA World Masters Championships 3K swim in Montreal and Toronto Island Open Water 4K swim. I wasn't fully prepared in June for an Ironman and that showed in my performance in Whistler. I was trying to get my running back to where I left off pre-injury but I just did not have the time! I had a good performance at Barrelman and was happy with how things were progressing. Later that year I spent a couple of weeks in Arizona training for my second Ironman. My cycling had really improved but I was still struggling with the running. I ended up posting my fastest ever Ironman bike split in Tempe but my run suffered. I was happy with the overall results though as it was my third fastest time. At this point I felt like I needed a break from Ironman but what kept me going was how close I was to qualifying for Kona through the legacy program. I did not want to regret not going for it in the future so I continued on. 2015 had me doing two triathlons: Muskoka 70.3 and Ironman Muskoka and the NYC marathon. The 70.3 did not go well at all, however, I was ecstatic with my performance at the Ironman. But injury plagued me again with needing to get a cortisone shot in my foot just days before the IM for a nerve injury. Then disaster hit on the injury front at the NYC marathon. I tore my tensor fascia latae right off my pelvis just 4km into the marathon. I managed to finish it through some unknown will power but at a very disappointing pace! My IM marathon was faster than my self standing marathon that year! So I was back to no running and had to lay off the training. Again, I wanted a break from IM but Kona was calling me so I committed to another IM for 2016. I was hoping I would get my ticket to Kona for 2016 but that was not in the cards, and looking back, probably for the best. This past year I only raced in a local Olympic distance triathlon and the full IM in Mont-Tremblant. My goal was to solely cross that finish line in MT to maintain my Kona eligibility and that I did. Life got the best of me this past year - it was a tough one! And trying to get my hip healed enough for me to get through an IM was a challenge. I went into MT very unprepared but I felt like I ended up racing a smart race to come out of it uninjured and in one piece. It was my slowest IM ever but I just had to finish!
Now heading into the last month of 2016 I am very much looking forward to 2017! A fresh new start! I am laying low until January when I will start to ramp up my training. I got a new coach and I am super excited to work with him. I was coachless the last couple of years mainly due to injury and being coachless does not work well for me. I need accountability! I am almost healed - I ended up badly spraining my ankle in September on a hike where the doc thinks I actually had an avulsion fracture. But either way the treatment is the same so I am trying to get it strengthened so it will be good and strong by January. My hip is almost fully healed and my hamstring just niggles every now and then. Right now I am just doing stuff for fun and to keep me in some form of shape! Lol! I am doing isometric strength training, swimming, and cycling. I am now also teaching spin classes at a local gym - Striation 6 and I am having a blast with that!
So that is my quick summary of the last couple of years in a nutshell! I plan on being more active on this blog and hopefully some of you will join me along on this ride! 2017 will be my swan song to Ironman if Kona is in the cards! And I am pretty excited about that!
