Change is a good thing?

Obviously I'm in the Chicken in the Chair :)

Just like many of my fellow type A (psychos) athletes, I like routine--a rarely changing schedule that is easy to grab on to when stress begins to pull in all different directions.  The thought of changing anything major is usually greeted with denial, frustration and maybe even anger.  So you can imagine the decision to switch coaches was a pretty big deal and didn't happen magically over night.  After two awesome years working with my previous coach I began to wonder what it would be like to train in a group setting with my coach on location rather than scheduling occasional meet-ups with my coach at a distance.  At first there was denial--"what I'm doing is working just fine, I'm making steady progress".  Then I was frustrated, "who will I even work with if I switch? I'm not moving anywhere".  I never reached the anger point :) but it was not easy to make the final decision to switch.  I realized that if I want to reach my highest goals I needed to start running with women much faster than myself and learn to challenge myself in different ways than I have before. It was settled, I was going to take a "leap of faith" and instead of having a triathlon coach, I would only work with a running coach. I was already

swimming with a masters swimming group (swimming with swimmers), going on local group rides (riding with cyclists), so it seemed natural that in order to make big improvements in running I would need to run with runners.

After the Splash and Dash--thanks Julie for the photo!!

After about a month of training with John Reich and the women of the Sonoran Distance Project I can say I'm very happy with my decision--the training is crazy different, but I'm embracing the change and I can't wait for the rest of the season ahead.  Last weekend I had a chance to check my progress a bit--I did a local Splash and Dash and PR'd in my 5k by about 20sec after a 2000m swim! I can't wait to continue to improve and chase the heels of the talented women I am fortunate enough to run (very far) behind!




Curious what the Sonoran Distance Project is?
Click here to read about my amazing teammates or get a shirt with our cute logo!!

Gator Country Racing

           

Start of Sunday's Mixed Relay (Photo by: Christie Scott)

This past weekend I was lucky enough to travel to beautiful Sarasota, FL to race the PATCO Sprint Championships and the PATCO Mixed Relay Championships.  I had a great time and, as always, learned a lot!

Solid pack by lap 3! (Photo by: C. Scott)

            Saturday started the weekend off with an individual sprint draft-legal race.  My result was not exactly what I had hoped for but solid overall.  Being so early in the season it’s fantastic to do a couple of races, take note of what you need to work on and get back to the grinding stone!

Walking up for the relay in my Vendetta! (Photo by C. Scott)

            Sunday was a fun and fast format of a half-sprint draft-legal relay where two men and two women compete on each team.  This race was so much fun except the fact I really felt I let my team down—I came 1^st out of the water, had a rocky transition and ended up last off the bike course.  I felt pretty bad about the whole thing and confused about what went wrong after having such a strong bike the day before.  It wasn’t until after the race, wheeling my bike out of transition, I noticed there was quite a bit more resistance than normal. I checked to see if my shoes were dragging on the ground, they were fine.  It dawned on me—someone had asked me if my brakes were the problem on the bike and I laughed and thought it was a nice suggestion to assume that the problem wasn’t that I was slow, but sure enough that person was right—the left side of my brake was stuck to my back wheel.  It was relieving and disappointing at the same time, such a silly mistake that cost me a good amount of time—definitely not a mistake I will make again in the future!  Sorry team!

            

     After the race on Sunday it was time for some R&R.  My friend Christie, whose family was so generous to let me stay with them over the weekend, headed down to the beach to relax by the ocean!

Christie and I on the beach! Mimosas included!

       

     Overall it was a great weekend—racing, learning and enjoying the ride. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store!

            

     

Thank you so much to XTERRA wetsuits for making my swim super speedy on Sunday, Rudy Project for keeping my head and eyes “technically cool” (and safe), TRIBE Multisport for stocking me up with my every need from training to racing, and Power Bar for keeping me fueled!  Warmest thanks to the Scott family for hosting me last weekend, your hospitality was amazing!

Until next time!

Photo by C. Scott

First Race of 2014--UCSD's Tritonman!

Off to a solid start in my Vendetta-thanks XTERRA!

The 2014 season has officially begun! Last weekend University of California, San Diego (UCSD) hosted a two-day triathlon event.  The weekend started with a draft legal race on Saturday (that's what I competed in!) and finished up with a non-drafting race on Sunday.  UCSD did a fantastic job (once again) putting on a great race, I highly recommend checking it out next year--thanks again!

As with many early season races, you really never know what you're gonna get on race morning.  I can't say I felt terrible on race morning, but I definitely felt rusty and not quite up to a "race ready performance".  I didn't think too much about it though because half of the game is mental, and that is one thing you absolutely have control over! So I attacked the race as if I felt like the queen of triathlon and let the day play out.

After [almost] two laps solo, I got swallowed by pack of 10 for lap 3!

                                                                                    It was an off day, no great excuses like "I'm injured" or "I have bronchitis", just wasn't my best day! I made a few crucial mistakes that led to a less than desirable result, but it was the first race of 2014 and an incredible learning experience to prepare me for the rest of an exciting season, so, to be honest, I'm really happy about it. Congratulations to all the racers who competed, it was a competitive field of women and a fun race!

I'm gearing up for another draft legal sprint

Almost to T2!

in two weeks--PATCO Sprint Championships in Sarasota, FL and I will bring every lesson learned at Tritonman (and all previous races) with me--can't wait to toe the line again and see what I've got!

Until next time :)
@nicoletruxes

Show Yourself Some Love

In honor of Valentine's Day I thought I'd write something having to do with love--no this is not going to be some mushy post about fairy tale romance, it has to do with showing yourself some love!  Many times, as athletes, we beat our bodies to the ground and don't respond when our body is crying for attention--this is where illness and injury are created!  I have written before about being patient when you're injured and doing the right things to come back strong, but I think it's important to acknowledge the signs far before you ever acquire an injury or illness.

Taking the time to do the "little things" right makes all the difference in preventing illness and injury!

Six easy things you can do to Show Yourself Some Love:

-Monitor your resting heart rate when you wake up each morning--if you notice a jump in numbers, take some Vitamin C and maybe skip a workout until it returns to normal (how do I get my resting heart rate?)

-Drink hot, non-caffeinated tea before bed time--take an extra 10 min to relax and soak in all the awesome things you did for yourself and your training that day (my fav. is Celestial Seasonings, Sleepytime tea!)

TP Pain Session--hurts so good

-Wear compression--it may not look very attractive but it does aid in recovery, so throw some socks on when you get out of the shower and you could be saving yourself from future injury--or at least some soreness! (Grab some at TRIBE)

-Roll out! Foam rolling is amazing for not only preventing injury, but helping you recover faster so you can kill your next workout (my fav. roller is Trigger Point Therapy)

Our new pup, Caeli, is the queen of Beauty Sleep!

-Bundle up--when the temps drop make sure to wear enough layers on rides and runs so that your core temp stays nice and high--forcing your body to fight the cold can break down your immune system and make you more prone to illness (Arm Warmers, Vest and Jackets!)

-Get your beauty sleep--when you're catching zzz's, your body is hard at work repairing your muscles, metabolizing your food and fighting infection/inflammation so be sure to allow your body the rest it needs when you're challenging it daily!

None of the things I've mentioned are groundbreaking, but making yourself do these little things right on a regular basis will make a world of difference!

So go, show yourself some love!

Bring it On 2014!!

As I begin to buckle down, plan my race schedule and start to refine my focus for 2014, I'm so lucky to be able to say I have partnered with some amazing sponsors for this season.  I am particularly fortunate because all of the sponsors I am working with this season I know personally in some way; I have either worked with them/for them at events or I attend regular rides with them.  In addition to being familiar with their fantastic products, I can also say that the people behind them are great and a pleasure to work with! 

I will start local--I am lucky enough to call myself a member of "the Tribe".  Tribe Multisport is a shop located right next to Old-town Scottsdale.  In the shop you will find everything you could ever need to swim, bike and run your heart out, not only that, but you will find a friendly and knowledgable staff to help you find the right gear for you (or just chat about endurance sports--they're all about this stuff)! They can make excellent shoe recommendations (which I have personally taken advantage of--they solved a shoe crisis for me just a couple of months back!), and when you bring your bike in with a problem or just need some maintenance they won't make you feel stupid (everybody has met the mechanic that scoffs at you for bringing in a simple fix)--they will do an excellent job taking care of your bike and they'll make you glad you stopped by.  They also offer some awesome group workouts: two group runs and two group rides a week.  I encourage you to check out their shop, come along for a ride and join the Tribe!!  Next time you shop use this code: TRUXES to receive 15% off (and you can buy straight off of their website now, so if you don't feel like driving or live out of state, you can still join the Tribe!!).

Shop Here!

Next we'll fly over to San Diego, where my favorite wetsuit company resides.  XTERRA Wetsuits not only make super buoyant, flexible and fast wetsuits, but they are also really cool people--so cool I wrote an entire post about my experience on set with them last Summer.  I will be racing wetsuit legal races in their "Vendetta" full sleeve suit and non-wetsuit legal races in their "Velocity" speed suit.  Click the link below to do some shopping and use SA-TRUXES for 60% off!!

Shop Here!

Finally we'll end in San Clemente, CA where the corporate headquarters for Rudy Project is located.  Rudy Project makes super comfortable helmets and trendy Italian-made eyewear.  The coolest thing about Rudy are all of the little technical details in their products.  After working at a couple of Ironman Expos and having the honor to work with them at Interbike, I am well versed in the cool technical specs about the Rudy Project gear and am more than happy to help you find a comfy helmet or a rockin' pair of shades--just ask!

Shop Here!

I am so excited and so thankful to have these awesome companies on board for my 2014 season!!

I do have one more exciting partnership to announce in the coming months, so stay tuned!!!

Until next time!

@nicoletruxes

Let's Be Real

Hello again, I am back to blogging from my almost-two-month hiatus.  I have had a great two months "off"-- lots of unstructured training, time with family and friends, and time to plan and get excited for

My boyfriend Lucas and I enjoying Xmas!

2014.

Since this is my first post during my prep for 2014, I thought I would focus on something that affects everyone this time of year: Holiday weight gain and New Year's Resolutions.

There are lots of magazine articles and "conventional wisdom" from your Aunt or Uncle that runs sometimes, "Be careful with those cookies. You know, the average person gains 5-10 lb every holiday season and you're not getting any younger".  However, when you research the facts, you will find it's all in your head.  In one study, 24 out of 34 participants aged 23-61 perceived that they had gained weight from the day before Thanksgiving until about a week after New Year's Day, but in actuality only 4 participants gained more than 2 kg (~4.5 lb).  So while it feels like you're slowly turning into the cookie monster and you've completely jumped off the "health-food-wagon", don't feel

Delicious Holiday Goodies!!

so bad, you probably have gained little or no weight this holiday season.

All of that ^ being said, you can still make your New Year's Resolution to lose weight, but I encourage you to change your mentality a little bit...  Instead of feeling obligated to make this your resolution because you need to shed that extra holiday layer, make it a commitment to changing your lifestyle and becoming a healthier person.  Getting wrapped up in the NYR hype with the many other Americans who have also vowed to wear their "skinny jeans" this year (losing weight is the most popular resolution next to volunteering more and eating better) can make it so that you go hard the first week and crash with your over zealous workout binge.

What do I mean by lifestyle change?

Watching many of my family and friends try to lose weight, or change their health habits year after year has given me lots of insight into the different ways people approach these daunting tasks.  Some people cut themselves off and go "cold turkey" into a new lifestyle.  For some, this is a decision they made and their "iron will" allows them to stick to this promise they made to themselves. For most, this is the worst approach because you end up feeling like you're shorting yourself and cutting yourself off from the life you used to have.   The other thing I have noticed is that people set unrealistic expectations: I want to lose 15 lb in a week, I am never eating sweets again, I'm going to the gym every day from now on, etc.  Make goals that are relatively small changes from your current status quo and increase them often--this is much more realistic.

What I recommend:

-Steadily increase your activity: If you are completely sedentary right now, start by taking a 15-20 minute walk three days a week, then add in a couple of minutes of running the second week.  If you incrementally add running into your walking and slowly increase the time, you'll be running 10 miles before you know it! Slow and steady wins the race.

-Make small, manageable lifestyle changes: If you are currently a smoker, who eats like they're a 15-year old boy (aka whatever they want), and are slightly overweight...do NOT throw out all of your smokes, forbid yourself from going through a drive-thru, and force yourself to spend hours at the gym every day.  This is not realistic.  Make short term goals that you can reach and feel good about: smoke less packs per week (so that it is eventually NONE!), eat one healthy and home-cooked meal per week, go to bed half an hour earlier, etc.  Just as I mentioned above, incrementally changing your lifestyle is the easiest way for your body to adjust to a "new you".  If you are consistent with small changes, it will never seem like you made a huge change so it will be easier to deal with.  Be realistic about the short term goals you set and you will have long term success. Be REAL.

If you're curious about my New Year's Resolution... I am making the promise to myself to Be Real, not necessarily with weight loss or diet, but with life in general.  It is easy to get caught up in expectations that are far from realistic, not only in weight-loss but in training and life commitments in general.  My NYR for 2014 is to take a second to look at myself and make sure what that my expectations, priorities, and goals are realistic and healthy!

I hope you are armed with some realistic goal-setting knowledge so that when you toast at midnight tonight you can feel good about the resolution you made rather than feeling anxious or nervous!

Check back soon (or next year, hehe) for my 2014 race schedule and some exciting news for next season!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

See you in 2014!!!

@nicoletruxes

Faster Than Your Eyes Can Blink

Take a millisecond to blink and...it's over! That is how this season felt.  I started racing in the end of February and finished up my last race about a week and a half ago at the end of October--I never thought 8 months could feel so fast (hopefully it goes that way when I'm pregnant someday?).

I originally gave myself a November 1st deadline for this post...wanting to have the season fresh in my mind and not let too much time pass before I took a second to reflect on the past 8 months...but of course, I procrastinated--mostly because I hate goodbyes and I feel like this is somewhat of a goodbye (or at least I'm hoping).  No, I'm not saying goodbye to triathlon, this sport can't shake me that quickly, I hope to be saying goodbye to the "rookie-ness".  I hope I can take all that I learned from this season and apply it to next year and the year after that...etc.  The reason I write race reports (and encourage others to do so) is not because I feel like a self-important celebrity who has millions of fans and followers, it's because I like to look back on the past and take lessons from it.  Each race has so many lessons and it is so easy to forget all of them.  When I started this blog it was private so NO ONE could read it and I would write how I felt at different races and what I ate beforehand so I could look at it later and see what worked for me.  I have since archived those blog posts somewhere offline so that no one can read how ridiculous my thoughts are before, during and after races. I still look back at those offline posts and even at the posts on here and read valuable nuggets that I wouldn't necessarily remember had I not written them down!

Aside from the performance benefits of documenting your races, it really is fun to look back and reflect on different trips and experiences throughout the triathlon season.  All triathletes, no matter the distance or level of racing, put their heart & souls into their training.  Many people go to bed early, refuse that shot of vodka, and stay in on Friday nights, all for the sake of training.  There are definite costs associated with training and racing--what better way to know the sacrifice will pay off and "keep your head in the game" than to look back at the highlights of your trips to races and your racing experience.  I get super stoked when I look back at posts from good races or even just fun trips that didn't necessarily have my best race attached.  When I am having one of those days where I say to myself, "What am I doing with my life?" I have all of these great accounts to look back on and realize I'm having fun with my life!

So now that you understand the why...here is the what...What happened this season? What lessons did I learn? What do I look forward to next season?

What happened:
I raced my "rookie" season and made lots of "rookie" mistakes, but also had a blast learning and living! (for a more detailed report...there are many blog posts from the season :) )

Lessons I learned:
-It's not as easy as it looks to put together a race where all three sports turn out to be stellar performances
-I'm NOT invincible, care needs to be taken to give my body the recovery it requires to match my level of desire and drive
-Focusing on training and racing does not equal shutting out the rest of your life outside of training and racing

What I look forward to:
-Taking the racing experience I gained this season and applying to all of my races next season--hopefully yielding some new results (and new lessons) !
-Taking a different approach to training: being mindful of the recovery work and workouts, not just the quality sessions; not putting blinders on towards the rest of my life, consider the whole picture
-Something I look forward to always: making new memories, and learning new lessons

So, the moral of the story... stop and smell the roses, create tiny pieces of your experiences that you can look back on and be thankful for!

Photo Highlights!

Thank you so much to my coach, Brian Grasky (graskyendurance.com), for great season with lots of improvement and more to come in the future!!

Thank you to my sponsors, XTERRA wetsuits and Trisports.com...getting me all the right gear to race fast this season!

Thank you to my family who has always supported me in my athletic endeavors.
And, of course, thank you to my wonderful boyfriend and biggest supporter, Lucas <3

Here's to the off-season! (Even if it is only a week or two ;) )


@nicoletruxes