For those that follow my blog, it's been awhile since my last post! After IMAZ I took some time to heal the wound of a DNF, unwind from a long season, and enjoy the holidays with my family. I also got some annual health check-ups that I normally do not have time for in season. My bloodwork showed that I had some deficiencies in the essential minerals department, possibly explaining my lack of enthusiasm for workouts, feeling of absolute oxygen depletion from a slight incline, general tiredness despite rest, and sleep issues. I am paying extra attention to my nutrition now, supplementing where I have to ( I am not a big red meat eater) and am already feeling much better and more like my old self. Low iron levels at altitude is pretty much like exercising with a bag over your head. Not fun!
At the same time I also had some tests done to make sure my most important muscle, the heart, was functioning optimally. As athletes, especially triathletes, we always run a slight risk for developing something that might not be so good for our long term health, especially when it comes to our heart. Turns out, I just have an Athlete's heart that likes to beat so slow sometimes that it throws in an extra beat, magnified by enlarged chambers seen in endurance athletes. The palpitations I felt are harmless, but it was smart to get things checked out. After all the recent talk about heart health, I didn't want to take any chances and luckily my cardiologist has given me the green light to go ahead and dive back into training and racing. If anyone reading this has had some "odd beats", go see your doc. Always better to be safe than sorry!
Speaking of racing, I have picked out my first race of the year, and it will take place in Vegas at the end of March. It's a unique distance, consisting of a 2.5k swim, 69mi bike and just about 8 mi run. The race is put on by LifeTime Fitness and is called the Leadman 125. I think it will be a perfect distance, especially with a shorter run, allowing me to recover faster and prepare for Ironman St. George in May.
Training has picked up again and I am proud to say that I have switched to morning swims, which at first, were a little rough (7 a.m. 4 days a week) but so worth it after you finish and still have the entire day ahead of you. I have added a good amount of mileage to my weekly pool totals; we'll see where that takes me this season. My running is coming along, I have been sticking to a daily core program to strengthen my weak spots, and I am noticing more and more how important a good core is! My knee woes are most likely a result of weaker muscle groups that folded under the constant stress of training and racing lots last year. I learned my lesson, and while the knee is still a work in progress, ( I have a diagnosis: google Runner's knee) it has steadily improved and I am keeping a positive attitude about it.
I am finalizing my sponsors for the year and am excited to represent them at the races this season. More on that soon. Here's to a successful and healthy 2012!
