Hey… I’m here! Happy Holidays! So, how is the off season going for you? I’m ‘tapering’ for the holidays. The training is dialed in, the gifts are purchased and the nutrition plan is all laid out, transition and special needs bags are all packed. I’ve been mentally prepping for Christmas morning. While resting up in holiday ‘taper week’, I am sitting here thinking of all of the great people I met in 2007 through camps, training, clinics and racing. I’m also thinking about what’s in store for 2008. I have myself geared up to take training hard-core-serious on January 1st. I read Gina Kehr’s blog ‘Time to take the bike out of the bike box’ and it made me laugh. I got home from Kona on October 17th and my bike (in the bike box) is sitting in my dining room right now. Yep, in the dining room. I purposefully put it there so it would annoy me and I’d remove it at least before Thanksgiving. I didn’t think I’d entertain Thanksgiving dinner while looking at the big black box with all of the crazy stickers all over it. Well, it makes a great buffet table. Just kidding. How about moving it before Christmas? Nope. I’m in Tucson, AZ prepping for Coach Troy's Tucson Training Camps in March and heading into 
specific training for IMAZ… Check in with me in January to keep me honest on that bike…Please.
As I sit here thinking about the race schedule for 2008, it makes me think of the New Year and that fact that the racing ‘slate’ is ‘wiped clean’ for most age-group athletes. We head into the New Year with great motivation and pumped full of energy and ambition to make this our best race year ever. Me too. Let’s do it! If you’re racing any Ironman and most of the 70.3 races in 2008, you have them scheduled. If you’re still planning the race calendar, the selections are incredible. For me and my race strategy, it’s the Ironman distance race…that’s my gig. I’m a ‘Queen of Konsistency’ -- that’s my motto this year to get me back on the Queen K.
As a tri coach, I always speak with athletes about their preferred distance and it is interesting to hear the reasons why athletes like a certain distance. A common, but not the most popular, theme for choosing a specific distance is “Because I’m good at it.” Good reason. As you choose your 2008 races, here are some questions for you. How is your sprinting? How do you perform at endurance speed like a half-IM? Are you a better long distance athlete? Choosing a race distance that’s ‘right for you’ and can avoid discouragement and frustration.
Multisport training and racing are great because after trying out tris of all lengths, you can determine your ideal racing distance. Some athletes kick butt at sprint tris and outrival their competition again and again while other athletes do not have the VO2 Max genetics to withstand sprints and their results reek big time… But get them in a 70.3 or IM and their times are on fire. Know what I mean?
Now, this isn't to say that you can't become really proficient at a certain distance of racing...it simply means that it may be necessary to work harder than others to achieve similar results. It also means that you might be better off ‘cutting to the chase’ and training and racing with your strengths. It saves lots of energy and frustration being the athlete that you are meant to be.
So, are you kick-a$$ at sprints or are you designed for performances that last 8 to 17 hours or more? What’s your best distance? Short, middle or long? Be true to yourself and your athletic gifts and you’ll ROCK in 2008. So for me, here… It’s the Ironman. Being the ‘Q of K’, I will get that bike out of the bike box and built after I get back from Tucson to begin the ramp up for IMAZ. For now, this week, it will be climbing Mt. Lemmon in Tucson for Christmas. Check in with me at cherri@peaktrainingsystems.com and on www.coachtroy.com. See you out there in 2008.
