New year’s resolution fail… I have not kept up with the blog. Puppy-motherhood, which began shortly after my last blog entry, has taken up much more time than I anticipated, and thusly I have not blogged on here because I have not worked out much if at all.
Last weekend I was forced to start up again and I had my first outdoor bike ride since last fall and first run and swim since January.. It was all due to attending my first tri-camp, the Mid Atlantic Multisport Tri Book Camp in Philadelphia. I didn’t exactly know what to expect from it and I was a bit intimidated since I am out of shape, but I was very happy that I went. There were classroom based sessions on various topics (how to make a training plan, transitions, swim technique, sports psychology), practice sessions (such as bike handling, swim video analysis, open water swim techniques, dynamic running workouts, and strength and stretching), and group workouts for biking and running. It felt great to be back out and has definitely helped motivate me to start training again. Unfortunately it didn’t come soon enough to give me time to train properly for the Columbia Tri, which is now just under 7 weeks away, but I will chose a new goal race for the summer and implement many of the things learned at the camp.
The highlights of the tri camp were definitely the swim analysis and technique discussions, the sessions with the sports psychologists, and the training plan session. For the swim analysis they had an endless pool set up with multiple cameras videotaping your stroke from many angles. Even though I consider myself a pretty good swimmer, there were still things I was doing wrong and need to improve, especially my catch in the water and my arm positioning in the water. I was also surprised by the 
sports psychology session because I assumed it would just be touchy-feely B.S. to motivate us. Instead it was one of my favorite sessions with practical information that applies not just about triathlon but life too. It gave me a lot to think about and in terms of what my priorities in life are, how I handle negative thoughts, and how to accept things in life. It is definitely something I think DCTri Club should look into offering as a clinic to their members.
Upon my return this week I did do a bit of strength training at home and went for a short run. I also ordered a bike trailer to attach to a bike to take Ninja out on longer trips. Today I tested it out with Kevin (he put it on his bike since he is a faster biker than me, so it would handicap him a bit) and it worked out so well! We took the Mt. Vernon trail to Four Mile Drive Trail to the Shirlington Dog Park, and then locked up the bikes and let Ninja play for a while, and then biked back. Kevin said it handled pretty well. We took it pretty slow, and although I know I can’t do all of my workouts with Ninja in the trailer, I think it does work for some slow, steady base training in lower HR Zones and for general getting around in a fun and fashionable way with her. I envision trips to Hains Point with her in tow.
On a side note, the Shirlington Dog Park is awesome! Unlike the Clarendon one that is a dirt square, this one is more long and narrow with a long path winding through it, and it has an enclosed section for small dogs. Although Ninja is a svelte 8.6 lbs right now, she played in both the small dog and regular area. The coolest thing though is that the park butts up against a creek, so dogs and can go and play in the water too. The dogs that were out in the water were very active larger dogs, like labs and boxers, but Ninja was not one to be left out and ventured into the very cold water herself, twice! She didn’t really have the athleticism or height to be able to romp around and chase balls or sticks through the water, but she got in and stood in the water and walked around a bit. It was ridiculously cute!
