Did you miss me?! I apologize for disappearing last week – I have been quite the busy gal these past few weeks! I had 2 travel weekends in a row – the first was to be the support crew for the fiance at his first road race of the season: Tour of New Braunfels. Then last weekend, I was in Little Rock for a USAT Level 1 Coaching Certification Clinic. Whew! I feel like I’m finally catching up on everything and able to take a moment to just breathe and reflect.

Clint is currently racing as a Cat 3 and did the crit on Saturday which was at Canyon Lake and then the road race in San Marcos on Sunday. My mom (and the dogs of course…she doesn’t leave home without them if she has a choice) came along too and we had such a fun time! With 2 bikes, 2 dogs, and 3 adults (not to mention all of the stuff that comes along when 1 person is racing and the other is training) crammed into my mom’s mid-size SUV, we made our way up to Seguin, TX where my grandparents have a cabin. That car was so stuffed that my poor golden still has bike grease stuck on her fur! It’s actually quite funny to see…she’s a true cycling dog now.

After just a few weeks of structured base training (coached by yours truly), I was so proud of how well Clint did. He came out on top with a 5th place victory at the crit and then 16th (out of a field of over 90 racers) at Sunday’s 60 miler. Beyond his awesome racing, we just had a darn good time! We grubbed on Mexican food, went to mass at a small town church (always an interesting experience), and of course stopped in Gruene for dinner and vino! My mom and I also did some outlet shopping in between Clint’s loops which is always fun. We actually barely made it for the finish…but shhhh, don’t tell! Here are some fun photos from the weekend:

Saturday's Crit - Go Clint go!

Mom and I at one of my family's favorite spots in Gruene, TX (a wine bar of course)

The boys pre-race; ready to attack those hills!

Post-race...I think he needs some grub!

With all this racing going on, I was already feeling a little antsy for tri season to start. This last weekend just topped it off and increased that feeling two-fold! With a group of 40 or so other multisport coaches or soon-to-be coaches, I was submerged in all things triathlon for 2 full days. It was an awesome experience; a lot of it I had heard already but there were quite a few details that I hadn’t been exposed to. As both an athlete and a coach, it was a wonderful learning opportunity and I can’t wait to be able to claim the technical “USAT Level 1″ title! Now that the clinic is behind me though, I’m definitely beginning to feel the racing bug even more.

I still have a ways to go before my first race of the season and I know the training time will only benefit me but my goodness, sometimes during base training you begin to forget what exactly it is you’re training for. Well folks, here’s my reminder of what I’m working for; my 2012 schedule (subject to change of course but this is the plan at least):

1. March 17th – Rev3 Costa Rica Oly
2. April 1st – Race to the Toyota Cup Nautica South Beach Oly
3. April 29th – TX3 Kemah Oly
4. May 5th – CB&I Sprint
5. May 20th – 5150 Memphis in May
6. May 28th – Race to the Toyota Cup CapTex Oly
7. July 8th – 5150 NYC Oly
8. August 5th – TX3 Bridgeland Sprint
9. August 26th – Rev3 Maine Oly
10. September 3rd – The Austin Triathlon Oly
11. September 30th – TX3 Houston Oly

That’s quite the schedule, huh? I’m guessing I will be so thankful for all this base training that we’ve been doing since mid-November. I think the increase in races is going to be one of the biggest growth points for me as an athlete. The travel (especially flying with a bike!) will also be challenging but I’m looking forward to it.

Who else is ready to race?! It will be here before you know it so get out there and enjoy some solid base training. The sooner you get to it now, the better equipped you’ll be to have a successful and fun racing season!