Two Weeks In...

I am happy to say that since my "Commitment" post I have maintained what I set out to maintain. I have kept the promises I made to myself and to you!

Since hiring my coach, I have realized what I was missing in my training before. In short, this was consistency, focus, and a plan. Now I will admit that of late (before hiring Zane) I would start out each week of training really solid.... and then by Thursday I would be finding excuses. Having a coach to report to (and to give me work which I "have" to do) has put me in a whole different state of mind. It is no longer a viable option to skip a workout. It is now work that gets done, no matter what.

Also, I have a much better focus on each workout. This is entirely because I am no longer flying by the seat of my pants! I get each workout with specific instructions, and I trust that my coach knows what he is doing so all I have to worry about is sinking my teeth into the work at hand... 

...that was a weirdly carnivorous comment for a rabbit... pretend the "work" is romaine lettuce.

A plan. I realized how poorly I was planning my training while filling out paperwork for Zane. He has done an excellent job of breaking it down for me, letting me know what to expect over the next weeks/months/years and really educating me on training phases. I now realize I never really had a solid base outside of swimming. 

Now I didn't get into too much detail here, a) because I didn't want to bore some of you and b) because I didn't want to give away too much to others of you! For those who were wondering, I am doing everything I said at this point to be my best, which is what I have promised and all I can ask of myself.

This was taken at the Dew Tour in Breckenridge this past weekend. Watching these guys (Like Shaun White) throw down in the pipe was a nice change of pace for me, and it gave me a different perspective. I am sure they all started out as recreational snowboarders, and the whole pro thing just happened out of love for the sport, not unlike my background in triathlon.

However, watching Shaun White fling himself 20+ feet out of a halfpipe that is already 24 feet tall was an interesting way of showing me I have a long ways to take my passion. Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

We're on Youtube!

So the Pace Rabbit officially has its own YouTube Channel. That's right folks, we made it to the big screen... or rather, the tiny screen on your internet browser...

Now I say "We" because, if you didn't know, I have probably one of the best marketing crews in the sport of triathlon behind me. Sev is a graphic designer, so is my brother Andrew, and Libbie is a photographer with a background in marketing. In case you were wondering, yes, these people are the ones responsible for this blog, my twitter @pacerabbit, my logo, all the cool photos you've seen (the crappy ones are mine) and the sweet videos you will be seeing soon! Thanks guys!

Any way, the link to my first video is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc5YLjlq2pc&context=C21dceADOEgsToPDskJhj-Hf6IL4DnLDrEvPDGpT

Nothing exciting, just a few clips for my coach to analyze. But, this will make it easier for me to share training videos, or my re-creations of EpicMealTime!

Until next time, Follow the Pace Rabbit!

Commitment

Qualifying for my professional license was a life-changing event for me. I knew that soon, I was going to have to make some choices. I took a good look at my life and determined how much of it I wanted to dedicate to triathlon and making a successful career out of the sport.

I recently found a coach, which is something I have never worked with in triathlon. I have not yet discussed the whole blog thing with him yet, so I will keep his identity private for now. Anyway, part of the reason for me signing a coach was to take my training and racing to the next level. When we first talked, he asked me how I will know if I have been successful in the sport of triathlon. I had never thought of this before. 

What I decided was in however many years it is that I retire, I want to be able to say I did everything I could to be as fast and as competitive as possible. Regardless of how many races I win or how many championships I go to, I want to be able to say I gave it my all, literally.

This means I am going to need to make a few changes.

Diet. I eat pretty well, I feel like, but one of the things I have recently discovered is I am about 5-10 pounds too heavy for a triathlete. Conservatively, for every pound I drop, I will also cut 12 seconds from my 10k time... disgusting, I know.

Dear food,
I will miss you.
Love, Sam.

Girls. Yep, I like them too, but I don't know where they're going to fit in with training 20-30 hours a week, traveling to races, and being constantly tired. Maybe in another life, Sunshine.

Plus, I will have to pretty much give up the college lifestyle I have been living in order to accomplish what I want to accomplish, which will make meeting one pretty difficult. Sure, there's maybe one or two of you, who might be reading this for whom I would make an exception... but I don't think either one of you want anything to do with a triathlete who barely makes minimum wage.

The point isn't giving up girls so much as the lifestyle of a college swimmer. As I write this, I realize that is what I am getting at with this post. I am caught between being a college swimmer and a professional athlete, and I have just decided which one I want to be more. I need to start living the life of a pro triathlete.

Training. More of this... and better organized... and better focused. Dad, I love you, and you got me into this sport pretty much, but you know as well as I do that I need more guidance. Training is what I love to do and what I live for, hiring a coach has just made it so that I won't be flying by the seat of my pants.

I strongly encourage you to comment on this post. I know that a lot of you are my friends and family, and I will need your support and understanding as I make this life change. You all knew me when I was a college swimmer and you still liked me then right? Well then stay with me through this, the only difference is I don't have to pretend to study, and I might even make a little money! 

I need you all now more than I have ever needed ya's, so tell a friend, send me some love, and FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!