El Tour de Tucson 2011

Pushing yourself... makes you a better person, right? 

Yes.  I believe that. 

It's quite the challenge, though, when you set a goal that you don't make... for whatever reason. 

About a year and a half ago, I set a goal to complete El Tour de Tucson, a 109-mile (which turned into a 111-mile) bike race around the perimeter of Tucson AZ. Long story short... the day came and went... and I completed a whopping 75 miles.  HOWEVER... Here's the thing...

I LEARNED A LOT!

1.  You really DO have to plan out your training...and do most of what you plan... life gets in the way a lot, and when it does...  you really DO have to think about how that should change the way you should think about your upcoming events...

2.  You really DO have to pick your key events... carefully!

3.  You really DO have to work hard at keeping yourself motivated... not just when you're building fitness... but when you're trying to maintain it... Like weight loss, maintenance is sometimes harder than the process of "getting there"

4.  You really DO have to talk nicely to yourself during any event...

5.  You really DO have to stay within yourself... don't go out too hard on long rides... you may pay the piper later...

6.  You really DO have to be honest with yourself... look at your training records leading to your event... can you really complete it?  Seriously... you're not magically going to be "that much faster" because it's race day...

7.  You really DO have to accept that sometimes the smart move is to change your plan based on what's happening on race day

8.  You really DO have to be thankful for the opportunity to be a part of ANY event, regardless of the outcome... there are so many people who can't participate because of illness or life situations...

9.  You really DO have the right to be PROUD of any accomplishment, even if it's less than you thought you could do... or if it's less than you know you "could have done" had things been different leading to, or on, the day of the event

10.  You really DO need to thank those who support you along the way... it's harder on them than you can sometimes imagine.

So, yes... I did 100 miles over the course of the Tucson trip (including my 25 mile warm up ride)... and over 111 km :)  And I raised a lot of money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society...

So YES... I had an AWESOME SEASON!

2 sprint triathlons

MS 150 (160 total miles) City to Shore

Sea Gull Century (102 miles)

Some other metric centuries...

Lots of great training...

Over 20 pounds lost this year...

I read a ton of books... got a great swim coach... and I have more knowledge now and I know I can build a great 2012 season...

So YES!

Here's to my official RECOVERY PERIOD... I've been yearning for you for a long time! (Maybe too long, hahaha!)

Happy Holidays!