Fabulous Opportunity PLUS Promo Code for USA Productions events!

This year has already been quite amazing! I am so thrilled about my strides in run racing! I am now finding what I believed unreachable, I am now able to reach... and now, I've created new goals that I actually now believe that I have the ability to achieve!

At Wildflower training camp, I had a few people ask me how I got faster at cycling and running. While consistently training has played an incredibly large role, I believe that it all started when I changed my mindset of my skills. I used to believe that I was a mediocre swimmer, average cyclist and just in it to survive runner. I did triathlons to stay active but I was no competitor. I ran half marathons and marathons but always told everyone I was not a runner. But in 2013, I told myself that I was a strong cyclist.. and once I made that mental switch, my abilities increased (funny how that works!). And within the past year, I have been battling my brain between being a strong runner and lying to myself. Fortunately, the strong runner mentality has taken the front seat and I have been able to crush my previous PRs and truly surprise myself!


This year, I have also been asked to continue to be a member of the PACWEST Race Team! I absolutely love my team and am so grateful for Coach Jay! He was the one that always knew that I had the potential to be much faster that I was letting myself believe (my husband also always believed in me - but he has to do that, he's my husband ;) .

But one NEW opportunity that I am super excited about is the fact that I have been selected to be an Ambassador for USA Productions! I have been competing in their fantastic triathlons and now I get to actually be a part of it! I am already looking forward to the opportunities that I will get from this ambassadorship!

And as an ambassador, I am able to offer YOU (yes, you reading this!!!) a discount that can be applied to any and all of their races!!!

Promo Coupon Code: AnneMarie15

If you use the code, I'll be racing with you! I am currently signed up for Morgan Hill Sprint Triathlon (May 17, 2015), California International Triathlon (June 28, 2015) and Oakland Sprint Triathlon (August 30, 2015). I hope to see you out there!!!

Palm Springs Training Camp 2015

After figuring out my work schedule, I finally got the chance to attend Pacwest Athletics' training camp this year! I was so nervous about the intensity of training for a full 4 days! This was our chance to basically eat, sleep and train all weekend. I was nervous but oh so excited!


Thursday
Long morning swim at the beautiful Palm Desert Aquatic Center.
I had not been swimming much prior to this training camp, so this was a major kick in the butt. It was a good week if I got 1 swim in... but with this camp, there were no excuses! But it also made me realize that swimming with a group is actually really fun! I can't tell you exactly what has been preventing me from going but I am just glad to be back at it!

We even got to get a video analysis of our swim and it has been incredibly helpful! I never had formal instruction on my swim stroke and had absolutely no idea what good form should be. Meeting with Jason Campbell has been so mind opening and extremely helpful as I continue to swim. I am constantly thinking about one major piece of my stroke that I should be improving. Its extremely motivating!

After swim, we went off on our first ride of the weekend. I fun (yet windy). I was pretty excited to be out of the pool and onto my bike as I was finally in my element. As a teacher, its actually pretty funny how I work hard on my strengths and put procrastinate on the areas of my weakness - since I see it in my students all of the time! Now, I completely understand! But it wont be an excuse for them but rather a reasoning for me to get into the pool!

Friday
Friday morning, we got the chance to swim in the 50m pool at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center and it was pretty awesome! I'm terrible at flip turns, so the less flip turns the better! Swimming in a 50 meter pool really makes you focus on endurance and not the reliance of taking a quick break at the ends of the pool (as I like to do!)

After the video analysis and conference, I was able to swim with a better idea of how my swim form technique should be! Sorry dad, guess your swim instruction to me as a kid was wrong :( It's okay, I still love you!

 With my friend, V! We are all smiles! - this was before we realized what was ahead type of course was ahead of us!

The trek up this climb was awesome! I love climbing hills! I was more worried about the downhill after we got to the summit! 

The BEAUTIFUL view that we earned after all of the work! It was such an amazing ride! But this was barely the start of our 60 mile ride!

The Pacwest Crew!

Riding through the sand storm aftermath - Dirt all over the face! I thought I had gotten really dark and realized that, nope, just dirt all over my body! That bath tub  was full of sand after I got done with it!

Saturday

Sunday (Race/ My "D" Race? - Practice Race? hehe)

While the weekend was rough and full of intense training, I absolutely loved it! I trained hard and had fun with friends! I think one of the best parts was the dance parties for 2 that I had with my hotel roommate, V! My training weekend experience would not have been the same without you!

Back at it!

Today, I got out and did a nice long bike ride!

Throughout the entire week, I just haven't been feeling race ready for the Kaiser half marathon that is happening on Sunday. I debated how I should train during the week. Fortunately, I have a wonderful coach who reminded me that this race is for training. Its a race that will prepare me for my A race, the Boston Marathon. So, he suggested I train through this race.

So with the encouragement of my fellow PACWEST triathlon race team, I came out for a fun 3 Bears ride in the East Bay. And let me tell you, today was such a fantastic day! I was reminded how amazingly blessed that I am to be able to train and live in this amazing place! The sites were beautiful The hills were plentiful (and you know how much I love hills!)! And the chance to be around friends was exactly what I needed.

I needed this jolt. I have been so laissez faire with my training lately. I've been in the mode of get this done, get that done, that I totally forgot why I do triathlons. Today, I remembered that I absolutely love riding my bike, being outside and being active with friends! It was such a joy to get out on my bike and just let the everything in.

Thank you Pacwest and Breakaway for such an incredible ride today! I'll see you all at the next long ride next weekend (and many of you way before then!).


As for Kaiser... this ride really pumped me up. I am hopeful that my legs are comfortable tomorrow but either way, I am going to go out and just enjoy it... cause why not? Why would we do these things if we didn't love it?