What is Next?!?

So May madness is over, 3 races in 4 weeks and 3 PB's.  I am really please with my results, I made consistent improvements this spring, even with my injury and all the training paid off.  I really think that swimming paid a huge part in my improvement, I had never done cross training until January when I added swimming and spinning.  I know I need to add weight training to my schedule but I just added yoga and I will have to give up sleep to add anything else.  As it is I gave up my rest day to fit everything in, I need and extra day in my week.  Lucky for me swimming is not too taxing and I treat swimming days as my rest days.  

So what is next?  I started biking this week, for some reason I was afraid to bike after my experience last August with 2 flat tires at my Sprint Tri.  I was uncomfortable riding but I need to ride lots this summer so I needed to get over myself....quickly.   I went out with Neale and it made me feel better, and I remembered how much I love the speed and to cycle, I am looking forward to my first 30K ride next Saturday, postponed today due to weather.  I have 3 triathlons this summer, a Sprint, and Olympic distance and if things go well a Half Ironman.  I am very very nervous about the last race, I can downgrade to the Aqua event (swim and bike only) but I want to try the whole thing, time does not matter, it is just about finishing.  

There is always pressure to increase your mileage, to do bigger and better things to do more races and get more bling.  I have already registered for 2 events in 2014, the Goofy in January and Around the Bay in March. I know I need to do less next year, to consolidate my training and get stronger so I can be ready to do my Ironman in 2015.  I think we need to spend time at each distance, to get stronger and refine our technique before we move up to a new distance or new event.  We need to have enough time to train so that we do not get injured or get burnt out.  I know the Half Ironman is a stretch for me this summer and if I downgrade, I am OK with that, I will listen to my body and see how it responds and make the correct decision for me.  Lets face it, as I have said before, I will not qualify for Boston or Kona anytime soon and I do this for fun and to have fun and that has to be my main focus.  

Having spent a year doing half marathons, I am moving up to the marathon distance this fall.  I registered for the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov 17th.  Neale will run it with me, he always wanted to pace me for my first marathon and I am happy to have him with me.  I started running to run with him and he is so fast, I do not get  the chance, this will probably be the only time I run a marathon with him and I am looking forward to it.  I do not think the marathon is an event I will do on a regular basis, I love the 10K and half marathon distance too much but I look forward to doing at least 3, Philly, the one that is part of the Goofy and the one at the end of my Ironman.    

Whatever you decide to do this summer, I hope you have fun and do something you love.  Do not get pushed into any event or race because all the other cool kids are doing it, stay true to yourself and your dreams.