2021 week 11: race week

Hello IRL racing! I’ve missed you! I’m SO EXCITED that we got the opportunity to meet again! Last week was race week and I got to race IN REAL LIFE! Eeekkk! I LOVE to race, but I felt like a fish out of water going into this race since we have had SO LITTLE in person races in the last year. The nerves were heightened, but it’s ok to be nervous. “Nerves are cousin to excitement, and excitement is cousin to gratitude.” My nerves were a sign that something Very Big was about to go down and I was excited for just how good it might be! Those butterflies are a good thing!

Quote of the week:

“Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all about.”

~Patti Sue Plummer

Swim: 2600 yards

I managed to strain some muscles in my left shoulder on my birthday just over a week ago (apparently the universe wanted to remind me that I’m getting older 🤣), so there wasn’t as much swimming last week as I would have liked. Thankfully my shoulder was feeling nearly 100% by Friday and I was able to get one swim in over the weekend.

Saturday I swam as a form of active prep/recovery for Sunday’s race. The workout was full of pulling to save my legs. I was a bit worried that all of the pulling would negatively impact my shoulder, but thankfully my shoulder held up very well.

• Warm up:
  • 400 swim
• Main Set:
  • 4x(400 pull, 100 FAST)
• Cool Down:
  • 200 any stroke

I’ve been a fish out of water for over a week due to a strained shoulder, but thankfully my shoulder is back to feeling 100% and it felt amazing to be back in my happy place!

Bike: miles

Tuesday I changed up my training plans. I had some extra time to do my longer workout Tuesday instead of doing it on the weekend like originally planned, so I took advantage of the opportunity. This allowed me to recover a bit more later in the week since it was RACE WEEK! 🥳

Be flexible in the process, but committed to your goals. 💙💛

Run: 26.5 miles

Sunday I got to dust off the cobwebs and race IRL! I was SO nervous, excited, grateful, and happy to be racing in person again. There is something special about the feeling that comes with chasing down the people in front of you, pushing your limits with others around, and crossing an actual real finish line!

Pinch me! I got to race IN REAL LIFE Sunday! And cross an actual finish line! 💙💛

Strength Training: 15 minutes of core strength daily
2×30 minute full body workouts
30 minutes of yoga

Weekly Totals: 12 hours & 35 minutes

Attitude of Gratitude:

One year ago today, as the world shut down and uncertainty skyrocketed, our lives became richer. This little lucky charm entered our pack. 🍀 Happy gotcha day, Jersey! We love you SO much baby girl! 💚

It’s been WAY TOO LONG since I’ve last put one of these on for an in person race! Excited to toe the start line Sunday!

So grateful for my friend, neighbor, and Coeur Sports sister, Courtney, for the homemade sourdough bread she made me for my birthday! SO YUMMY!

We take recovery VERY seriously in our household. Two more human sleeps and many 🐶 sleeps to my first race day of 2021! 🥳

Flat Kecia is ready for my first IRL race of 2021! LFG! ⚡️🌟🥳

Nerves were high, but it is a good thing to be nervous! “Nerves are a cousin to excitement and excitement is a cousin to gratitude. If you feel nervous, it’s a sign that a VERY BIG THING is unfolding. Be nervous for how good that thing can be.” I was SO excited and grateful to be racing in person again that I didn’t even care about the ridiculously strong winds! Oh, and that VERY BIG THING that unfolded…it was massive amounts of self discovery because I decided to show the f*%k up and #believe I could push myself farther than I thought possible! 💙💛

What were your highlights from week 11 of 2021?! Are IRL races happening around you?!