The Four F's!

The holiday season is in full swing! That means plenty of good times with family, friends, food and fun! The 4 f's! Lol

I get to enjoy the holidays like everyone else because it's during my off season.   I'm still working out, but my focus has been on lifting weights. I'm  still biking twice  a week on the indoor trainer & swimming once a week though.

I haven't run much since my last race. I've only run maybe 3x since then. I decided to let my knees rest a bit before I resume training by walking instead.  Running is still fun and I miss it, but I know how tough it can be on my legs. There will be plenty time to get my running legs back.  My hope is this layoff helps  and I won't have any knee or feet problems this season!

Until then, my focus is lifting weights! Here's a pic I took at the gym last night. 



Most triathletes don't lift heavy weights as much as I do because that extra muscle means extra weight, and extra weight is not good for triathlon. The lighter you are, the better. 

Personally, I want the best of both worlds. I enjoy lifting the weights, and I enjoy triathlon!  My personal goal is to have a nice combination of strength, muscle mass, and endurance.



This off season has been a challenge because of all the holiday foods everywhere I turn:  Cake for my birthday, pies for thanksgiving and Christmas, donuts at work weekly, etc. etc. etc. I rarely buy junk food. I try to keep it out of the house, cuz if it's in the house I'll eat it! Lol  

Most triathletes refrain from eating junk food, but I still eat it from time to time. Once a month or so I'll treat myself to some fast food like mcdonald's to satisfy my cravings. 

I eat a lot of fruits and veggies everyday, and snack on trail mix to satisfy my sweet tooth. But sometimes you just gotta indulge in that other stuff! Lol For me, moderation is the key, but I have to be careful because the older you are, the harder it is to maintain your weight.

But all in all, this is a time to reflect and to be thankful. I'm happy to still be alive and to even write this blog! I'm also thankful for my family and friends. I'm able to still compete in races and I look forward to another year of challenges, overcoming them, and crossing that finish line!

I'll start training in mid January. I'm going to have my first race of 2011 in April or May. When I make it official I'll really get my focus back. Until then, it's all about enjoying the holidays!

I hope everyone has a safe and blessed holiday season!

Till next time, peace!

End of an Era?

Well, after waiting "patiently" for months I finally got my medal!



I must admit, I did NOT think I'd get it, so this is a pleasant surprise. I now have my Finisher Shirt & Finisher medal to add to my collection:



I'm happy I got them, but they sent a letter along with the medal that got me pretty down:

We currently do not have the Florida Challenge Triathlon on our 2011 fall schedule, but are considering June 12 as an alternative date for the race. Before confirming the early season move we would like to see if there is interest in having a challenging long course race in Clermont in June.

Please take our date poll above and offer feedback if you wish via the Triathletes Village website.

Thanks!

This sucks because I LOVE this race. Yes, I had a better finish at the Ironman Orlando 70.3 race, but this race in Clermont is the hardest race I can do. What makes it tough for me is the hills. It's not easy to lug a 215 pound carcass up rolling hills for 56 miles in 90 degree heat, then immediately run 13.1 right after...

I'm the type who likes a challenge. We all like challenges to an extent: Some look forward to taking tests & doing well in school. Others want to get that big promotion and will work 60 hours a week to get it. I like to suffer all day swimming, biking & running... To each his own!

Ironman Orlando 70.3 is NOT an easy race. Let's not get it twisted. But it's not as hard as The Florida Challenge. Not only that, the Florida Challenge is at the end of the year, and I have all summer to train for it. If they get rid of this race I won't have anything to really train for.

This sucks!

But if it's the end of an era, I can look back on some really good memories. I've done this race 8 times and finished each time. Some races were "easy," and a couple I had to really dig deep to finish. But I wouldn't change any of the experiences because they made me a better person. Yeah, it's crazy to put your body thru that type of event, but life is about pushing the envelope and seeing what you're made of! Besides, who wants to look back and wonder "what if?" Not me...

So, I'm mentally prepared to kiss my fav race goodbye. I'll race Ironman Orlando again and see if I can improve from this year.

But I'll have to find new challenges, and I think I've found them. As I said before, I'm now a personal trainer and I LOVE IT! But I want more. So here's my next challenge:




Yoga! I'm now studying to be a yoga instructor. I think yoga is a GREAT activity and I want to help others discover how great it is, if they're willing to listen that is! lol

I imagine I'd be too busy next year to train for the Florida Challenge, but it's stilll sad to see the race go. I'd at least like the OPTION to do the race again if I chose too...

But it's out of my hands, so I can't stress about something I can't control. Besides, now I have to focus on getting my Warrior Pose up to par! LOL

Time will tell what THEY do, but I know what I'M gonna do! Time to take it up yet another level. Let's see how it goes!

Thanks for reading! Till next time, Peace!

Off Season Activities!

Well, the off season is in full swing and I'm taking full advantage! They say in the off season you should give yourself a physical (and mental) break from training. 

Physically, it's good to cut back because you need to let your body rest and recover. The last thing you want to do is injure yourself by going full bore when you don't have to.

The mental break is just as important to me. I can't speak for others, but the mental aspect of training can be downright brutal if you let it get the best of you.  It can wear you down when you think about the amount of work it takes to get ready for a race.  Then add in the fact that you have to work and balance a social life with family and friends and it can drain you.

But all that is forgotten when you cross the finish line! Lol

I'm still working out though. I did a 42 mile bike ride a couple weeks ago, and I'm still lifting weights and swimming on a regular. Just not at the high intensities. 


Thankfully, my birthday is during the off season, cuz I LOVE my birthday! I enjoy going out to celebrate, and last but not least, I get to eat cake guilt free!  Lol



Every year I MUST have a cake!  It's a tradition! Lol



Thankfully this is on the off season! Lol

In addition to my birthday, a lot has happened since my last race.  I got my Finisher Shirt from my last race, but still no medal.



  I'm TRYING to move on, but they won't leave me alone:

From: events@triflorida.com
To: TRIMASTER1@
Subject: Your Florida Challenge Triathlon Finisher Medal
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:42:13 -0500

Dear JEFFREY,

We apologize for the delay in sending you your well-deserved finisher medal from the Florida Challenge Triathlon. After encountering numerous problems with the manufacturing and shipping of the original medals, we opted to have a new medal made. That medal is currently in production and is scheduled to be delivered to our office on December 3. Depending what time they arrive on the 3rd, we will mail them out either the same day or the following business day.

If you have moved since the race, please make sure you email us your new address.

We realize that for many of you the Florida Challenge Triathlon may not have been the quality of race you have come to expect from Sommer Sports. While some problems were caused by issues outside of our control, others were not. I would like to offer my sincere apology to those of you who were dissapointed. We take these issues seriously and will work even harder in the future to make certain all of our events exceed your expectations. Our 2011 event schedule will be posted on December 1 and we hope you will return to Clermont to race in 2011.

From the entire Sommer Sport's Team, we wish you a great Thanksgiving.

Fred Sommer,
Race Director
Sommer Sports


Like I said before, I'll just wait and see what happens!  

But the most important thing that happened is I got certified as a personal trainer!



I had been thinking about this for years, and finally decided it was time to make a move!  I even have my own website:JW Fitness Solutions    I'm quite excited about this new adventure, and we'll see what happens!

I will keep racing and writing my training blog. This makes next season that much more exciting!

I see big things in 2011!!  But whatever happens, I'll give it 110%!

Thanks for reading! Till next time, peace!