Category Archives: Reflection

May Goal Check-In

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What a whirlwind month! Our first LUNA clinic in the books, a few Pacific Northwest adventures, an uptick in work, some Midwest travel, plus baby and birthday celebrations made for one heck of a busy May.

But as I sat down to reflect on the past 30 days, I realized that this month was less about missing the mark on the original plans I had laid out for the year — and more about how the goals themselves are evolving as the months go by.

Wondering what this is all about? Read more on the five goals toward which I’m working this year.

Here’s the latest on my progress:

1. Seeking Balance

Back in January, my definition of “balance” really meant figuring out how much I could fill my plate without it overflowing. One main component of that was running — training and racing and everything that comes with it.

But as the months unfold, I’ve accepted that there’s going to be a natural ebb and flow in my relationship with running, and I’m enjoying seeking a different kind of balance with a range of activities. Instead of planning my weeks around races and trying to fit everything else in between, I’m fitting runs into my weeks where it makes sense.

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2. Training Smarter

How is it that I can feel awesome on a nine-mile hike up Mt. Hood with 4,000+ feet of elevation change, yet as soon as I head out the door to do a measly three-mile run, my SI joint starts protesting?!

One of my biggest frustrations that I’m working through is not being able to focus on running speed or distance as much as I’d like this year (so far). But rather than continuing to fight it, I’m (finally) learning to give in and fine-tuning my efforts other areas, such as hiking, biking and strength training.

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3. Facing Fears

In other news, I’m back in the pool! Well, I’ve been in a grand total of…twice since my last update…but it’s a start, right?

And as much as I was dreading my first session back, it was just like they say about riding a bike. After a few laps I found my groove, so now the trick is just remembering that feeling and being more consistent about carving out time to get in and practice.

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4. Pushing Myself

I’m also learning that, just as “balance” can have different meanings, so can “pushing yourself.” As in sometimes it’s physical front, sometimes it’s emotional and sometimes it’s mental.

But rarely do (or should!) all three happen at once.

So while racing has had to take a temporary back seat, I’ve been forging ahead in other areas — namely work and some exciting projects coming up. More on that soon! 

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5. Giving Back

This past month was all about getting out and about in the Portland community — a place I’m so proud to be able to call home. We had our first Team LUNA Chix clinic with the ladies from Zest Nutrition (and raised $300 for Breast Cancer Fund), the SweatPink crew hit up NoPo Run Club for their anniversary run, and I’ve continued making my rounds to meet with local studio owners.

We’re getting the wheels in motion for more charity events (spin-a-thon, anyone?) for LUNA, so stay tuned. But in the meantime, we’re calling all local Portland ladies to join us for our free weekly workouts on Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. at the Duniway Park Track in Portland; all levels and abilities are welcome.

Check out our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for more info!

How are your 2015 goals coming along? 

You Know You’re 34 When…

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…you thank the doorman, bartender, grocery checkout clerk, literally anyone — sincerely and profusely — when carded

…it takes twice as much time in the gym to see half the results

…you accept that “training” is less about pushing your luck and more about managing your injuries

…your first two questions about nights out include, “Is there a line?” and “Will there be seating?”

…”hitting the bottle” on a Friday night takes on a whole new meaning when all your friends have kids

…it takes half the amount of drinks to feel twice the effects

…the time needed to recover from said drinks doubles

…those college “glory days” stories lose their luster just a bit when you realize they happened more than a decade ago

…you start mispronouncing names of young starlets and new bands (I may never live down “Skillrex”)

…you look through those “at any age” collages of celebs and start identifying with people at the far end of the spectrum

…three words: mysterious aches & pains

…cramming six people into one hotel room on a road trip is no longer adventurous; it’s annoying

…you have no problem spending more on things like good food, wine, beer, furniture and direct flights

…you begrudgingly accept a dinner reservation that starts after 8 p.m….and then pack your purse with TUMS

…you find it increasing difficult to decipher ‘teen talk. What the hell does “on fleek” mean?!

…your shoes start getting sectioned off into “walking” and “non-walking” categories

…shoes of the “non-walking” variety are typically worn on nights when you’ve only got to get from the car to the restaurant

…someone younger teaches you about the existence of “new” technology (thanks, Stacey, for the voice text tutorial)

…girls’ night conversations that used to be about dating now revolve around real estate

…you occasionally need to pause and actually do some math when people ask your age

…the songs you rocked out to in high school are now starting to be played on the “classic rock” channel

…you realize you’re actually ok with all of this, and

…you’re excited to officially enter your mid-thirties tomorrow with a strong sense of self and the ability to not take things too seriously 🙂

April Goal Check-In

Source: Fast Company

Source: Fast Company

First things first: Yes, it’s mid-May. And we’re talking about April.

Better late than never!

Plus quite a bit has changed since I last touched base with my goals, so I wanted to be able to address it in this month’s recap.

Wondering what this is all about? Read more on the five goals toward which I’m working this year.

So here’s my update on how things have been going:

1. Seeking Balance

Quality over quantity. Quality over quantity. If I keep repeating that to myself, it will (hopefully) one day become second nature.

Unable to contain my excitement over living in what still feels like a “new” city, I got over-excited and over-committed myself this summer. Whoops.

Between work, travel, training, LUNA coaching, family events and other obligations pretty much every.single.weekend…the pressure’s started to build.

I’ve been feeling it in my gut with each additional ‘yes,’ but only recently did this start to register in my head. So in an attempt to stay true to this goal, I made some hard decisions this past month and had some even harder ‘no’ conversations…both with myself and others.

Like, revealing to Ben that I don’t think I’m up for both the century ride and a 50K within two weeks of each other this month. Or telling my Ragnar Utah team that I won’t be joining them for next month’s event.

And examining my other summer races in the process. Not just the whats, but also the hows and, most importantly, the whys.

I can’t help but feel some sense of failure — like I’m letting others down, as well as myself. But the fact that there’s a small victory to be found in reclaiming ownership of my schedule — and the relief that comes with that — is also not lost on me.

Balance, I’m realizing, requires bigger-picture focus. And as I get clearer on the vision I have for myself — outside of just training and racing — I feel like I’m getting closer to that sweet spot of being able to keep moving forward and challenging myself without throwing the rest of my life out of whack.

2. Training Smarter

Another motivating factor has been my SI joint, which has been extremely vocal as of late about me needing to reassess my activities in the short-term. Although I’m cleared to run, per my doctor, I’m not able to race or do speedwork without pain, so being more deliberate in my approach to workouts and events will no doubt serve me well.

In the meantime, I’ve been religiously going to the chiropractor, getting monthly massages and hitting plenty of yoga classes. And, thanks to ClassPass and this guy, I’m still focused on all that good strength and mobility cross-training to build a strong core and activate those glutes.

3. Facing Fears

Ben and I we so proud when we mustered up the motivation to hit the pool one Saturday for an early morning workout. Everything was awesome — until we got to the gym and realized it wouldn’t open for two more hours.

Needless to say, with everything else that’s been going on, swimming’s been on the back burner. Although I hope that it’ll be different this month; I do think some time following that black line would be a welcome change for both my body and mind.

4. Pushing Myself

The 50K is fast-approaching on May 25, so that’s exciting! I’m half pumped and half nervous to tackle this event with Ben, however, as it’s our first ultra-distance together…and more than double his longest race distance to-date (13.1 miles).

Most of April has been spent pushing myself on the non-physical front, though. Through the HUSH Meditation community, I met a wonderful friend/coach/mentor, and we’ve been helping each other — me, helping support the amazing work she does; her, helping me better define my ‘why,’ as well as my career vision.

I’ve been feeling scattered as of late; don’t get me wrong — there’s no shortage of great stuff going on, but I’m in the process of wrapping my head around how it all ties together. As a result, it’s made for a more contemplative, less hard-charging month, which is pretty much a theme across the board for late April and early May.

5. Giving Back

Finally, we’re a little more than a month in to Team LUNA Chix Portland Run’s 2015 season, and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this group of women. We’ve been doing weekly workouts, and we also just hosted our first clinic of the season — a yoga and nutrition workshop to raise money for our charity, the Breast Cancer Fund (more on that in an upcoming post).

The team is gelling, we’re working on getting the word out so we can grow in size and make more of an impact, and we’ve been getting a consistent group of ladies each week who rally through a few miles together. See for yourself via our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts — and come join us Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. at the Duniway Park Track in Portland!

How are your 2015 goals coming along? 

Happy Birthday, Mom!

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Sister, nurse, wife, mom, grandma.

Chef, shrink, wound-healer, natural soother, story-teller, housekeeper, personal shopper.

Alternative medicine explorer, Jane Fonda devotee (circa 1980), healthy recipe experimenter.

Adult-onset runner to 2000 Somerset Classic 5k age group 2nd place winner.

Limit pusher, dream chaser, cheerleader, eternal optimist.

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You inspire me more than you know.

You may not always understand all my crazy endeavors — “Running 26.2 miles? Why would you want to do that to yourself?!”

But thanks for being there every step of the way.

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Happy birthday, Mom! I love you!

The Best Laid Plans…

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From the looks of the picture above, you’d probably guess that our very first Team LUNA Chix Portland Run workout was a smashing success and went off without a hitch, right?

Well, you’d be wrong.

In the interest of #keepingitreal, I’ll just say: A picture may be worth a thousand words, but there’s quite often a whole other story behind an image that might surprise you.

Yes, the team was out in full force, and yes, we had a fantastic turnout for our first week (thank you, guys!). But then, comically, pretty much everything that kept me up the night before hoping wouldn’t go wrong…did.

We arrived at the track just as ominous clouds rolled in and the wind began to pick up. By the time we did our paperwork and announcements, we hit the track for our much-needed warm-up because everyone was starting to shiver from the cold.

However, two laps in we politely got asked to leave because, even though there were other members of the public working out, our group was too large with the other events going on (although I’d researched the schedule extensively). Plan B was to break up into small groups by pace and do an out-and-back run, but I quickly realized that wouldn’t be a good idea with all the city traffic.

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So, on the fly, we moved on to Plan C. I scrapped our dynamic stretching segment in favor of a second warm-up, which would get us off the track and over to a more “runnable” area a few blocks away.

There was a hill nearby, so we jogged over and I calculated that we had time for about 20 minutes of “repeats.” This is where the ladies would sprint up, jog or walk down and then repeat until the time was up; not necessarily what I wanted for our first workout of “easing” everyone in, but at that point we had to work with what we had available!

Luckily, these ladies are nothing if not flexible, resilient, and game for anything. They charged up the hill as I ran around snapping pictures, playing music on my iPhone and shouting words of encouragement.

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And then the heavens opened up. And it started pouring.

By this point, all we could do is laugh. Normally, a run in the rain is something most of us will try to avoid, but we were out there — together — making the most of what had become a hilarious situation.

And, suddenly, it hit me — we were right where we needed to be.

I watched as all 14 women powered through the 20 minutes, and we regrouped at the top of the hill…sweaty and rain-soaked, but smiling and joking around. What started off as something precariously close to spinning out of control became a true bonding experience.

We rolled with the punches. We didn’t take ourselves too seriously. We took it all in stride.

We’re already becoming a team.

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Now, I just hope everyone comes back next week!

If you’d like to join us for an upcoming (much more well-organized) workout, check out our Facebook page for details!  

We meet Monday nights are are proud to welcome women of all ages and abilities for workouts in a supportive, non-competitive environment. Come run with us! 

March Goal Check-In

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Time for a reality check: Now that we’ve officially “sprung forward,” we’re one quarter of the way into 2015.

I wrote previously about the five goals toward which I’m working this year, and here’s my update on how things are progressing:

1. Seeking Balance

I’m still slowly building out my race schedule for 2015 with a focus on quality over quantity. Ben and I are currently in the process of building up mileage for the Corvallis Half Marathon mid-month; instead of all-out racing it, though, I’m using it to train into May’s century bike ride (my first 100-miler!) and 50K.

It may seem like we’re peaking early in the season, but we’re doing these events more for the experience (and for a good cause, in the case of the ride) than for time.

2. Training Smarter

Thanks to ClassPass, I’ve been doing all kinds of cross training and am starting to see tangible gains. From completing rope climbs to balancing in side crows, I’m stronger all over — although I’m still working toward that elusive unassisted pull-up.

The one missing piece of the puzzle is mobility, however, so I’ve started seeing a chiropractor to help with my range of motion (my mid-back seems to be stuck…the dreaded desk-job computer hunch!) and am also trying to be more disciplined about stretching, foam rolling and yoga to balance out all the strength training.

3. Facing Fears

Zip. Zilch. Nada. Whoops. 

To be honest, I’ve been in a total mental funk when it comes to the pool, so I haven’t been pushing it. But I’m hoping that this will change in April, especially because I could probably use more non-impact activity in my days.

4. Pushing Myself

I’m officially registered for my second 50K, my first century ride and my first duathlon this summer. For some reason, the pursuit of a PR in what I’d call my “usual” running events (half marathon, marathon) isn’t as motivating to me at the moment; what I’m most excited about is trying some new disciplines. Bonus: If it’s a new event, it’s an automatic PR!

I’ve also been making some headway in another direction with meditation classes. After stumbling upon the wonderful HUSH Meditation community, I ended up adding mental fitness to my weekly workout regimen. It’s a simple act — literally, 45 minutes of stillness one evening per week — yet the process has been transformative (more on that soon in another post).

5. Giving Back

And, finally, we’re officially kicking off our 2015 season with the Team LUNA Chix Portland Run team next Monday, April 6, at 6:30 pm at Lincoln High School’s track here in Portland. I’ll be leading a workout, and it’s open to the public, so everyone is welcome!

Come join us; make some new running friends and fuel up after with free LUNA bars; how can you say no to that?!

How are your 2015 goals coming along? 

February Goal Check-In

fitness-goals

Two months down, 10 to go!

I wrote previously about the five goals toward which I’m working this year, and since this is my little corner of accountability on the Internet, here’s my update on how things are progressing:

1. Seeking Balance. I’m actively restraining myself from signing up for #AllTheRaces this year — which is difficult when you’re in a new state! — so you’ll see that my schedule for 2015 is still very much a work in progress. My strategy is to try to target new events, and I’m trying to mix things up rather than build toward a specific A race this season.

2. Training Smarter. Heart rate training went out the window this month in favor of a metric ton of cross-training. I’ve been barre-ing my butt off at PureBarre in an attempt to build more glute and core strength, riding at Revocycle to make sure I’m road-bike ready come spring, and testing out all kinds of other classes via ClassPass (post with details to come). Variety is the spice of life…and fitness, right?!

Ben and I also completed our own version of Whole30 (more like Whole45 since we had two minor cheat weekends with company in town), so nutrition has also been a major focus this month. As much as I used to pride myself on being able to eat whatever I wanted, I’ve got to admit that I feel so much better eating clean, unprocessed food and cutting down on added sugar.

3. Facing Fears. Ok, you got me — there’s not much progress to report on the swimming front. I haven’t been making regular weekly sessions, and although I’ve got a few standing offers for technique guidance, I haven’t had a chance to drag Ben to the pool to take videos of me in action. Hoping to remedy this in March!

4. Pushing Myself. I’m officially registered for my second ultramarathon — a 50K in May. I’m also eyeing a century ride earlier that month, as well as trying to decide between a sprint triathlon or Olympic duathlon in June. Throw in two overnight relays, and it’s looking to be an active summer!

5. Giving Back. We’re still in our pre-season for the Team LUNA Chix Portland Run team, so fundraising hasn’t started quite yet for the Breast Cancer Fund. However, we’ve been so excited to get going that we’ve gotten a jump on things by holding group runs once a month to touch base.

In the meantime, our potential century ride has fundraising component for the American Lung Association, so if we decide to bite the bullet on that event, Ben and I will be hitting up our friends and family to donate for another great cause.

Other than that, we’re looking forward to March coming in like a rainy lion and out like a damp lamb here in the Pacific Northwest…how about you?!

How are your 2015 goals coming along? 

January Goal Check-in and Couch-to-5-Miler Running Program

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January’s almost over, folks — how are we doing on all those New Year’s promises?

While I’m not one for resolutions myself, per se, I do have those five goals toward which I’ll be working this year. And I’ll be holding myself accountable via the blog, of course, so here’s a little update one month in:

1. Exercising (some self control):  I’m still managing some residual aches and pains — namely that nagging case of plantar fasciitis, occasional lower back pain and a tendon twinge in my wrist that just popped up — so I’m trying to restrain myself from doing too much too soon and am focusing on lots of cross-training and rehab while slowly ramping up my running, mostly on the trails.

2. Heart rate training: While I don’t monitor this for every workout yet, I have been using my Wahoo Fitness TICKR for spin classes and shorter road runs to ensure I’m staying well within my range. But if I want to see progress, I know I’ll have to start doing this more regularly with every sweat session.

3. Swimming: While I’m working on figuring out next steps, I’ve made it a goal to hit the pool once a week for a workout. So far…well, I’ve got to get after this one!

4. Racing schedule: It’s coming along, as you can see here.

5. Team LUNA Chix Portland Run: We’re official! Check out our website here, and don’t forget to mark your calendar for April 6, which marks our first workout of the season — runners of all ages/levels/abilities are welcome: Join us!

 In the meantime, though, a few of my teammates asked about pre-season prep, which got me thinking…why not create a quick-‘n-dirty Couch-to-5-Miler running program?

Couch to 5 Miler

Disclaimer: I’m not a certified running coach, and you should consult your health care provider before starting any program and adapt it accordingly. I have been running and training myself (for better or for worse!) for a while, though, so if I was starting from scratch after some time off, this is the approach I’d take.

Here are some helpful hints if you’re going to take this program on:

  • Cross training includes any non-running cardio activity, such as elliptical, bike, walking, dance, etc.
  • Strength training is optional, but recommended, and includes things like free weights, a kettlebell class or barre
  • Stretching includes foam rolling, yoga or simply your favorite series of feel-good stretches
  • Run pace should be *comfortable* — that is, don’t worry about pushing it right out of the gate; build a base first
  • Feel free to swap days around depending on your schedule, but try to avoid two consecutive run days

If you give it a shot, I’d love your feedback. Happy running, friends! 

My 5 Goals for 2015

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Aside from freezing my butt off (#packingfail) while running around Michigan over the holidays, I had some time to think about goals for 2015.

2014 was pretty epic. It would be hard to top, and to try would likely be setting myself up for trouble. So, in light of my evaluation of last season and my “train smarter, not harder” mantra for 2015, I’m on a mission to build a solid foundation for a further (50M?), faster (sub-4 marathon?) 2016.

My 2015 goals are as follows:

1. Seek Balance. One of my goals for 2014 was to race roughly once per month, and while I enjoy motivating and challenging myself this way, I want 2015’s racing schedule (still TBD) to be based on quality, not quantity.

2. Train Smarter. I sound like a broken record with this one, but I want to take 2014’s lessons and apply them in 2015 — namely, building an aerobic base using heart rate, continuing strength training and pre-hab to activate glutes, along with regular cross-training for flexibility and functional fitness.

3. Face Fears. 2014 was the year of #bikelove — I went from never having clipped in to competing in an Olympic triathlon to completing a 50-mile solo ride and loving.it. — so I want to make the same strides as far as swimming goes. Gulp.

4. Push Myself. Nothing’s set in stone yet, but I’m tossing around a few ideas for challenges to keep me stoked and give me something for which to strive in the New Year, including a duathlon, another 50K and a century ride.

5. Give Back. It’s easy to get lost in your own little training world each season, so in 2015 I’m leading the Team LUNA Chix Portland Run crew in order to help inspire and encourage women to get outside and play, all while raising money and awareness for the Breast Cancer Fund.

Have you set your goals yet for 2015? What are they?

9 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Next Season

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Back in November I got pretty fired up after reading blogger friend and fellow Coeur Sports teammate Kecia’s blog post, which talked about evaluating her 2014 triathlon journey in order to set S.M.A.R.T. goals for 2015. It inspired me so much, in fact, that I thought I’d do the same in anticipation of my own fitness planning for the upcoming year.

Using this article in USA Triathlon as her guide, Kecia addressed nine critical, but often overlooked, steps to effectively evaluating her season. As the author says, “Allowing your success to be determined solely by the finish line clock or your ranking is not fair to all the effort and time you invested. You deserve more credit than that.”

I couldn’t agree more. So as we all prepare to spend the next 360-odd days training for something (or a lot of things), take a stab at the questions below and see how your efforts from last year stack up. Be critical, be honest, but — above all — be open to changing tactics in order to see some strategic gains in 2015.

1. In hindsight, were your season goals clear and attainable?
Did you achieve what you set out to do at the start of the year? Knowing what you know now could you have aimed higher, or were you somewhat unrealistic in your expectations of your time, commitments or the physical skills you needed to develop? Use hindsight as a barometer for thinking ahead to next year and create goals that push you and inspire you to go for it.

My main goal was to PR in the marathon and finish in under four hours, which didn’t happen. My secondary goals were to tackle some new events, such as an Olympic triathlon and an ultramarathon in the process. Check and check. Although I was able to maintain a higher level of fitness throughout the year and dial in my nutrition during training and racing, I failed miserably at being able to do it injury-free.

In hindsight, I was overzealous in taking on a high-volume marathon training program after upping my racing frequency and without a proper pre-hab and rehab regimen in place. As a result, a few underlying issues — namely, plantar fasciitis, stiff ankles and weak glutes — caused me to compensate in other areas, and my training was cut short with a pre-stress fracture in my tibia.

2. What were you most proud of this season?
Was it the improvement you saw in your swim, bike and run splits? Or your dedication and ability to balance your other responsibilities around the sport? How you overcame setbacks and still performed at a high level? Think of the big things and the little moments that you look back on with pride and delight in what you accomplished.

Generally? Pushing my limits and being open to trying new things outside of road running.

Specifically? Well, a few things: First off, 2014 was the year I found #bikelove, having progressed from my first clipped-in ride to an Olympic triathlon to a 50-mile solo ride. Second, this year I got onto the trails, moving from the Bay Area’s ocean-side scenery to Portland’s lush green landscape. Off the roads, I was able to push my body farther than ever before (literally) in my first ultramarathon. And, finally, I’m proud that I took the necessary steps to finally discover what might be hindering me from reaching my running goals.

3. What would you like to duplicate next year?
Perhaps it’s working with the same coach or training plan, continuing to do a variety of races and taking on big challenges that excite you and motivate you to train consistently. Of the things that you really enjoyed, what would you like to be sure you experience again?

That statement above hit the nail on the head: Taking on big challenges that excite me and motivate me to train consistently. I love the thrill of accomplishing something I previously didn’t think was possible, plus learning something new in the process is icing on the cake. And in between, I found my sweet spot with varied and frequent cross training, which not only helps keep me functionally fit, but also prevents me from getting bored.

4. What frustrated or disappointed you the most this season?
Did you struggle to see consistent improvement in your speed? Fail to summon your determination when things got hard? Were you unable to overcome nagging injuries? What concerned you and took some of your energy away from the positive things?

The most frustrating part of my season was having to succumb to overuse injury, step back from my training plan and hold myself back from running all-out in my A-race, the Detroit Marathon. After a successful first half of marathon training (including a new 10k PR), I wasn’t able to see how it would ultimately translate to the marathon distance.

At the root of all of this are those underlying weaknesses, which were the most disappointing part. The truth was a hard pill to swallow: As much as I’d been training and (I thought) strengthening my body, I was going about it the hard way — not the smart way.

5. What do you not want to happen again next year?
Were you unprepared for some races and found you performed better in training than in racing? Did you take yourself and the sport too seriously, forgetting to have fun along the way? Look for insights from question four — things that you need to avoid in order to be at your best. Put emphasis and focus on things that you can control or influence.

Physically, I don’t want to ignore my blind spots. Now I know exactly where I need to focus; sure, a 20-mile training run or a mile done at a certain pace help, but I need to seek out the small wins — like ankle flexibility and glute activation — in order to build a strong foundation for success.

Mentally, I don’t ever want to “wing it” in a race. I should have known that I was avoiding open water during training for a reason, and next time I won’t wait for race-day to confirm why.

6. What did you learn by going through these experiences?
We all have good and bad days (and races and seasons) but what you take away from them can make all the difference the next time around. Despite the challenges or painful times, what valuable lessons did you learn? What meaningful lessons can you take forward as you build on your experience as an athlete? How can you catch yourself from slipping backward the next time you hit a rough patch?

I learned three valuable lessons this year: 1) More is not always more; sometimes it’s less about intensity and more about approach. 2) I’ve got a lot of grit from which I can draw, and that stubborn streak can sometimes work in my favor. 3) There’s nothing quite as enjoying or empowering as trying new things and expanding your skill set.

7. What decisions did you make that were empowering for you?
Think about the conscious decisions you made about what you committed to or improved: your nutrition, getting support from a coach or community, your approach to training and recovery, how you managed your life around your workouts, the number or frequency of races, etc. What were some of the most important decisions of the year for you, both related to triathlon and other parts of your life where relevant? And therefore, what decisions must you make for next season to experience even more success?

Pre-injury, the frequency of races allowed me to use some as training runs, which was an ideal means of tracking progress and made the mileage more fun. Post-injury, seeking outside help was a real turning point for my running.

Working with a PT allowed me to rehab correctly, troubleshoot issues and get to the start line of the Detroit Marathon. And although I haven’t had training guidance since high school, working with a run coach and having some frank discussions about goals, possibilities and reality was what got me across the finish line.

8. What habits seemed to hold you back from achieving your potential?
We all have them. Recurring ways of behaving and thinking which sometimes we realize — even when we know it’s not in our best interest — and sometimes we don’t. What causes you to skip training sessions? What do you tend to say to yourself during a race or training session, or when the alarm goes off before sunrise? In which ways has your diet been limiting your body’s potential? Where have you procrastinated or not been as disciplined as you’d like to be? Be really honest and list the items that you must change in order to achieve your goals.

Three habits I’d like to work on in 2015: 1) Not every workout needs to be all-out; don’t let my excitement to try something new or laser focus on a singular goal prevent me from taking time to let my body catch up to my training. 2) Don’t neglect pre-hab and rehab; ’nuff said. 3) Quit taking nutrition for granted; I’ve made progress with better consistency here in 2014, but can delve deeper into how what I eat affects my performance and my health.

9. What decisions should you make in order to have your best year ahead?
Building off your insights from all the previous questions, what will you continue to do, where do you need to get extra help, what will you stop doing? This is a critical step, take your time and identify the key decisions you need to make.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, 2015 needs to be about working smarter…not harder!

I need to work on my running form and strengthen my weak spots, particularly those stiff ankles and sleepy glutes. Before I get injured again. I need to keep challenging myself with Big Hairy Audacious Goals and keep things interesting by experimenting with new pursuits. But not get too overzealous in the process. I need to get my running under control, build on last year’s #bikelove, and tackle that open-water fear once and for all. Then sign up for another triathlon. I need to remain open to tools and/or outside help, which will allow me to train smarter, not harder, this year. And then kick butt. 

Stay tuned for my 2015 goals…

What were your biggest lessons learned from 2014?