Sunday, March 25, 2012

Double Brick Decisions

This weekend I did my first intentional double brick.  It was hard. It hurt.  It was awesome.  The day started with a 20 mile ride at race pace followed by a 5k run at race pace.  I took advantage of some of the awesome coaches that were around and went through some flying mount and dismount practice before head out for brick #2.

Brick #2 started form the Budweiser Plant with a 66 mile bike ride.  The views are gorgeous, the roads are open, and the weather was spectacular.  The only downside is that there are not really any areas to refill a water bottle and it's hard to bring enough liquids on an 80 degree day for 86 miles worth of biking.  Lesson learned I will bring cash/card and stop in one of the small markets and buy a water or 2 so I don't have to conserve water.  I will also stash a bottle in my car to take during run #2.  The last 20 miles or so of the ride I was greated by a nasty head wind.  I thought head winds like that only existed at Hains Point. I pushed through it, I just tell myself it will make me stronger.  Run #2 was a 4.5 mile fairly flat out and back.  I need to develop my nutrition plan and stick to it.  With almost 5 hours on the bike and 1 hour running (not to count the recovery and transition times) I had ample time to think about this big decision.

So what's the big decision to be made? Where to start the next chapter of my life.  Do I move back to DC or do I stay in Georgia?  I'm no closer now to making this decision than I was yesterday at 8am before the double brick began.  I have made a pro's and con's list to each place.  I think about my goals in my career and in triathlon, and once again there are pro's and con's to each place.  Whatever decision I make will be the right one, and I will know in my heart what that decision is when the time is right.  I'm eager to know now, I'm excited to be starting anew.

Any advice to making huge decisions?  Do you follow your gut, do whats logical, or wait it out?
Questions I keep asking myself

  • Where will I become the best triathlete?
  • Where will I become the best PT?
  • Where will I be the happiest?


A look back to last week's 1/2 marathon is not so exciting.  I ran ok, the course seemed just as hilly as it was last year.  This shouldn't be a surprise as it was the same course.  And my 1/2 marathon PR still stands at 1:49:52.  The Publix GA Marathon/Half is a well run event but is losing participants.  It's a tough course and I wouldn't want to run 26.2 on it and I don't really want to run 13.1 on it again.  There are also some other great marathons the same weekend, especially if you want to have a race-cation -- hello LA Marathon.

I should be running the Cherry Blossom 10-miler this weekend in DC.  I love this race last year and ran a great time.  I'm looking to build on this performance and have a great run on Sunday.  I need the confidence in the run.  My cycling is going well, I've broken through with my swimming, I need some break through's with my running, especially before Collegiate National Championships.  The base has been laid down - I am now building in hopes to peak.  Collegiate Nationals will be my 3rd multisport race of the season, but only 1 week into racing season.  So here's to week 2 of The Build - I don't quit when I am tired.  I quit when I am done.

4 comments:

  1. My advice on where to live, from someone who has had to make many life-changing decisions, don't rush it. The answer will become clear in it's own time. Every bad decision I have made has been rushed. Sometimes it's hard to wait for the right answer but wait anyway. And if you make a decision and don't like the way it works out, change it. =)

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  2. Awesome! Thank you for your wisdom!

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  3. I always bring a credit card with me when I bike so I can stop somewhere to buy more water or set up a smaller loop so I can stop back at my car and refill my water bottles there.

    As for the moving thing... it's a really hard decision and I think whatever choice you make it will be the right choice for you. Oh course nothing is set in stone and you can always move again :)

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  4. Interested to hear what you've learned regarding the flying mounts & dismounts. I read a good tip from DC Rainmaker's blog, and that is packing a cooler or other container with ice and putting a few extra water bottles in there to leave in your car or wherever and then you have extra ice cold water!

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