Catholicism (...not really!)

Bless me, tri gods, for I have sinned. It's been 2 weeks since my last blog!

It seems all I do these days is think about triathlons. When I'm not actually training, I'm thinking about my training ... worrying about whether I'm working out enough, or working out too hard, or doing something that will cause an injury, or planning my next week's training, or signing up for my races, or wondering what my goals will be next year. It's never ending.

The latest thing I'm thinking about is hiring a personal coach. But before I get there, let me tell you about my journey with See Jane Tri. It's all interlinked.

I'm pretty sure I've gone beyond what See Jane Tri is about. The concept of SJT is a great thing - an all female, supportive training group that helps women complete their first triathlon. There have been hundreds of women who have completed a tri because of the program, and that in and of itself is an amazing thing! I'm very proud to be a part of a group like that.

That was the original mission of SJT, and although they've gone a bit beyond that today (they now have Olympic tri training, HIM training, and marathon training), it really still is all about that, particularly at the Sprint training level. This is my 3rd season with SJT, and I've had definite ups and downs with them. The first season was above average for me - probably because it was new and I did the training with 2 of my closest friends (my very special tri team)! Even then there were problems a-brewing - coaches quit in the middle of the training season (and no explanation given to the team), workouts weren't very organized, safety wasn't a primary concern, etc. But I had a great time, I completed my first triathlon with them, and went on to become a repeat triathlete.

I decided to up my training and did the Olympic training last year. SJT was a complete fuck up, I must say. The focus was on the sprint training exclusively, and the olympic group was really an after thought. Again, coaches quit mid-season, and the workouts weren't very organized. (Safety was becoming much more of a focus, though.) I really could go on and on ad nauseum about the screw ups with SJT last year, but I will save it. (However ... Lori Shannon - if you're reading this, I would really like to talk about this & other things with you over coffee sometime.) I swore at the end of that season that I would NEVER, EVER be a part of SJT again. I was so angry and frustrated with the whole program, and the management of SJT didn't even seem to care.

Then we come to 2006. See Jane Run (which is the sort of "parent" organization of SJT) decided to do other training, and I decided to partake in what they call Boot Camp. 4 weeks long, 3 days a week, 6 - 7 am, all core training work. I decide it sounds like something I need, particularly to jump start my tri training. It was freakin' wonderful! The coach was awesome (Rebecca, you're amazing!), the workouts were just as they had said they would be, nobody in charge quit partway through, and the workouts started and ended on time. BIG BONUS for See Jane Run and their training programs. In one of the workouts, I unloaded on Rebecca about my experience the prior year with SJT (she was also a part of the training program), and she told me that Lori & the mgmt team was highly aware that there were problems, and that they were trying to fix it this year. They hired another SJT Manager (a man this time, which at first just didn't make sense to me, but I really like Krag - he's done a great job), and hired plenty more coaches who know what they're doing. After the very good Boot Camp experience I had, and with the talk I had with Rebecca, I was convinced to give SJT one more shot.

So here I am in my 3rd season with SJT. Going back to my original thought, I do think I've outgrown what SJT is about. For me, it's not about just completing a triathlon anymore. It's about doing well and advancing in my level & skills. And I think the way I'm going to be more effective at that is to hire a personal coach. The workouts at SJT are designed for mass instruction/completion. I need something more personal and appropriate for my schedule. Who knows - I may be back at SJT some day, but for this season, I think this is it for me.

So my mission this week is to find a pool of people who could be my potential coach. I'm going to talk to Rebecca (my awesome SJT coach) about who she uses (although she's a super triathlete - finished 3rd in her age group & 8th overall female at the Alcatraz Triathlon last year), and talk to other folks who are using or have used trainers they like. We'll see what I come up with. ;)