Out from underneath that darn rock....

OK, OK....I know. I have been a total slacker about keeping up with this, and you've all let me know. It hasn't been an entire year yet, but close.

News:

Work: GOTR is still going strong. Got invited to the White House! I watched my latest group of Taylor-ettes "graduate" from elementary school in June. Moving up and out was Catherine, who I've now been coaching for 6 season/3 years. I am so proud of the young lady she is becomming, and will absolutely miss her and the other rising 6th graders next year when they head to middle school!

Coaching: Slowly expanding my clientelle, but also trying to be picky. Since coaching is not my full-time job, I need to make sure that I match well with my athletes. Received my USA Cycling coaching certification this week, so I know that will help in working with pure cyclists as well as the biking component of triathlon.

Racing: Picked up a new tri bike in the off-season. Love my K-Factor! My first full carbon fiber frame. Working at a bike shop is a bonus...used the money I saved on the bike to hook myself up with some fancy race wheels (Zipp 606). Funny thing is, I'll probably race more on my mountain bike this year than on the tri, but it's a great bike for training on the road.

My big goal this year is to qualify for and compete at XTERRA Nationals at Lake Tahoe in September. It is definitely a two-pronged goal, as qualifying is not as difficult as it is for USAT Nationals. Instead of only taking athletes who place within a certain percentage of their races, it's a points-based system. Top 15 are awarded points at each official XTERRA, and top three races are scored. To qualify for Nationals, ONE of those three has to be in the region where you live. The most points per race is 75 except at the 5 Regional Championships, where the points start at 100. Athletes are ranked based on points and at the end of the season, the top 10 women in my Age Group (25-29) in my region (Mid Atlantic) are invited to XTERRA Nationals. Right now I am ranked 2nd with two races scored. My third race is this weekend up at Rocky Gap State Park. Scoring points here will solidify my slot to Nationals.

The second part of the goal is to compete. As mentioned, chasing points is a game, and those athletes with the most point aren't always the best in class. (I am certainly not the 2nd best XTERRA female, 25-29 in my region.) So while I can get the slot to Nationals, I want to be able to go there and have a good showing. Thus, my training has been kicked up and I'm hoping to really hit it hard for the next two months to get ready.

Life: Just spent a relaxing week in West Virginia. It rained a ton, so didn't get in much training (photo is misleading). It was definitely nice to spend some quality time, recharging the batteries and getting ready to hit the ground running for the rest of the summer.