Road to Ironman with DEREK GARCIA Feb. 22, 2013
In the months leading up to the 11th running of Ironman Coeur d'Alene, Derek Garcia will be writing a monthly column keeping the community updated on his journey as well as what the hundreds of athletes from the Inland Northwest are doing in preparation for the race.
The birds are chirping, the lake is glistening, runners are in shorts and construction workers are taking their shirts off to bask in the sunlight.
No, I am not talking about a nice summer day!
It is late February in the Northwest and for a brief 15 minutes the temp hit a balmy 40 degrees. I get it. I have always felt like without Valentine's Day, February is just January all over again. Regardless, all endurance athletes are feeling the itch to get off the hamster wheel and head outside.
THE LOVE of outdoors is often the major contributing factor to why many of us involved in endurance sports indeed began taking part in them.
What gets lost in the wintertime is what I consider to bring the most peace, which is being out roaming free in the fresh air.
There are many factors involved. Running and cycling on icy roads can be near impossible and dangerous. Swimming in the lake is obviously not an option.
Then there is the ever-growing literature on triathlon specific advice that encourages training indoors to maximize training time, etc. As much as I agree with indoor training and that it is a necessary evil, I think that staying true to what athletes love best makes the most sense.
A GROUP that I know of here locally is snowshoeing once a week. Not quite the price tag of taking up a hobby like skiing or snow boarding and quite the workout.
When the roads do dry up for the afternoon, taking the chance to get outside can soothe the soul.
All this to say when you have the chance to get outside, even if it is walking the dog or taking the kids sledding, it is worth the time.
It may not translate to the perfect cross training, but it goes a long way to ease the burn of those seemingly endless indoor workouts.
These next few weeks can wear on the athletes training for Ironman and anything to help scratch the itch to get the blood pumping outdoors is worth the time.
For those training for the big race there is a light at the end of the tunnel, patience is the key. Before you know it the Ironman crew will be constructing the finish line on Sherman Avenue and we really will have that beautiful Coeur d’Alene sunshine. Easy for me to say as I head to California next week to get ready for my season kickoff at Oceanside 70.3. Happy training!
Derek Garcia is a husband, father of three boys, cancer survivor, professional triathlete and coach. Derek has coached hundreds of triathletes to successful Ironman finishes. This year he will race Coeur d’Alene Ironman as a professional for the first time. Contact Derek at dg@derekgarcia.com