Why do you train and race? (+ Team Nelson 2015 Race Schedule!)

I love to train and I love to race.  By challenging myself I grow and by moving my body I stay healthy.  My husband and I grow closer through training and learn more about ourselves and each other.  This isn’t some epiphany I’ve had, I’ve known all of this.  This is why I have continued to train and go farther and push harder and strive to get faster and challenge myself in new ways each season. 

The epiphany I have had:  training and racing brings a LOT of BALANCE to my life.Training and racing helps me balance my priorities.  It helps me to eat healthy, but it also helps me to indulge in that big fat juicy burger after an epic workout, a hard training week, or a race...GUILT FREE.  It helps me to appreciate one or two beers after a long week of balancing work, training, and life without feeling the need to continue drinking all night and overdoing it.  I appreciate every little thing just a little bit more when I’m training.  30 minutes of TV at the end of the day is a way to unwind and 90 minutes on a rest day is a special treat, not the norm.  Mentally, I have to stay focused to make it all happen when I’m training and that focus centers me. 

I think that stress can work to your advantage or totally ruin you.  When I am training, I have just the right amount of stress to keep me moving and doing what I love even with a full plate.  This is not the same kind of stress that occurs when you work 70-80 hours a week while parenting and not sleeping enough, not eating a balanced diet, and not moving your body.  I thrive when my life has stress….good stress.  Just enough to keep me going all day in order to work, be a good wife and dog mom, train, and eat well, all while ending each day with a good night of sleep. 

So beyond all of the reasons that seemed so blatantly obvious to me,  the greatest reason that I love to train and race is that it helps keeps BALANCE in my life.  I am a better wife, dog mom, friend, daughter, sister and employee because I train and race.  I am a better me. 

So as we start to celebrate the holidays and say farewell to a bumpy 2014, I am excited to say “hello!” to 2015!  After much thought, many talks, and lots of planning, our 2015 season has fallen into place and we hope that training will continue to help us grow individually and as a couple while keeping life balanced. 

While I really wanted to add a full Iron distance race to my schedule this year, I am definitely happy with the season that we have planned and the approach we decided on for this year.  2015 is going to be a year to focus on speed, power, and injury prevention which we hope to carry over to 140.6 miles in 2016.  So our plan for 2015?

We will kick off our season in Charlottesville again this year where I hope to get sweet redemption at the Monticelloman Olympic Tri on May 3^rd.  This will be our tune up race and our first “B” race of the season. 

Speaking of sweet redemption…Anthony hopes to get some at Raleigh 70.3 on May 31^st for his first “A” race of the season.  Brutus and I are excited to cheer at this awesome venue again.

Then Anthony will get a chance to cheer with Brutus at the Challenge Williamsburg Half Ironman on June 14^th.  This will be my first “A” race of the season.

In July, Anthony and I will both race in our home state of Ohio at the Challenge New Albany Half Ironman on July 26^th.  This will be an A/B race for us.  Since we started racing triathlons, we have never not raced this weekend!

And the grand finale….Our A++ race will be Augusta 70.3 on September 27^th to end our 2015 season. 

I am really looking forward to getting to race 3 times with Anthony, cheer for him once, and have him on the sidelines for my first “A” race of the season!  So, with 2014 coming to a fast close (I know it’s only October, but man does time fly or what?!), I cannot wait to share another amazing year with my hubby.  We’re coming for you 2015…watch out!