Stepping things up...

As of Monday afternoon things have changed a bit. When I got home from my ride I had a voice mail from my coach saying something about the LA Triathlon and my goals for 2007. I called him right back and we started talking about my plans/goals for 2007 and a possible oppurtunity at the LA Triathlon. He talk about the EAC (Elite Amateur Competition). Here's the info from the LA Triathlon page:

"We are please to announce the new Elite Amateur Competition (EAC). The top five overall finishers, both male and female, in the EAC will qualify for the Life Time Fitness Series Championship (LTF) to be held in July of 2007 in Minneapolis. Each qualifier will receive complimentary entry, airfare and lodging at the Life Time Fitness Triathlon. You will compete for the championship against the qualifiers from the 2006 New York, Chicago, and Life Time Fitness Triathlon Qualifiers to determine the top amateurs in the sport of triathlon."

You have to submit a resume to get into the EAC race. So on Monday night I updated my resume and sent it off. I thought it was going to be a longshot. Eventhough I have done really well this year, it is my first season and I have only done one Olympic distance race. On Tuesday afternoon I received an email saying that I had been accepted to race in the Elite race and that they would gladly transfer my entry.

I immediately started to think that I was in over my head. There's going to be some fast guys at this race and I have no idea if I can hang. My goal prior to Monday for the the LA Triathlon was to try and get on the podium in my AG while using it as a B race leading up to Xterra Nationals. Well that's changed. Now I am going to try to scrap my way into 5th place. I know it is a longshot but I I am going to go for it. My coach thinks that if I can somehow get into the top 5 and qualify for the Championship next summer I will be able to compete for the title. He has plans for me to really ramp up my cycling this offseason. My run is there and my swim gets better by the week, so it's going to be all about the bike.

At the very least this will be a good experience for me and will really let me know where I stand with the fast guys. That's not to say I am not nervous about stepping into the ring with these guys.

Ok so training this week:

Monday:
AM: swim - Masters - 4000 yards
Lunch - Weights - lowerbody/core
PM: Bike - 1:53/34miles - easy ride

Tuesday:
AM: swim - Masters - 4100 yards
PM: run - 60 min - intervals(5x3min hard(sub 5k pace)/3 min recovery

Wednesday:
AM: swim - Masters - 4000 yards
Lunch: Weights - upperbody/core
PM: Bike - 2:40/25 mile Mountain bike - 2 x Black Mtn

I have felt good this week but swimming Masters 3 days in a row was tough. By the last set yesterday I was nuked. I could feel myself falling apart on the last 200 but I was leading the lane so I had to try to keep it together. I got through the 200 in 2:48 which isn't the fastest I have swam a 200 but with the way I felt it was fine by me. I did nail my fastest 100 on Monday and it came at the end of a hard workout. A 1:17 for 100 yards. I couldn't believe it when the I touched the wall the coach told me my time. I have been really motivated in the pool and having good coaches has been the difference. They stay on me, push me, call me out for slacking, and have really helped me work on my stroke. They have even offered to help me taper my swim workouts leading up to races. Good people.

Ok that's it for now. I have to get back to my anxiety about the LA tri.