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 Summer is here! I recently just made my first home purchase in Boulder, CO. Without a doubt, it has been a great "coming of age" experience. It is an awesome feeling to have my own place but there are many responsibilities that go along with it. Some examples include: HOA fees, mortgage payment, paying taxes, insurance, utilities, and being a handyman when something breaks (no landlord anymore). When I moved to Boulder I only came with one carload of stuff. Therefore, I moved into an empty house. It is a bit overwhelming when you realize exactly how much stuff you really need. I mean, salt and pepper shakers are a necessity, right? It reminds me a bit of training, my everyday job. You learn bits and pieces and master certain skills over time. These tools ultimately build up and one day I hope to have mastered most skills and have the complete toolbox for triathlon. It is the same with the house. I will keep getting things one item at a time and eventually I will have a furnished home with everything I need. Patience is something required for every aspect of life and work. I have been in my place one month now...I guess it is time to get a couch :/ 
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2014 Race Schedule & Results
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| 1st | March 30
| 5150 New Orleans
| | 3rd | April 13
| Ironman 70.3 Florida
| | 5th | May 18
| Rev3 Knoxvile
| | | June 8
| 5150 Mont Tremblant
| | | June 22
| Ironman 70.3 Syracuse
| | | July 13
| 5150 Boulder Peak
| | | July 20
| 5150 Kansas City
| | | August 10
| Ironman 70.3 Steelhead
| | | August 31
| 5150 HyVee
| | | September 7
| Ironman 70.3 Muskoka
| | | September 21
| 5150 Galveston
| | | October 5
| Ironman 70.3 Silverman
| | | October 26
| Ironman 70.3 Miami
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Standings
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Rev3 - 2nd place (final)
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The season started off great with a win in the New Orleans 5150. Everything seems easy and positive when you are winning or achieving high results. After New Orleans I was faced with a few obstacles that I would have rather not had thrown in the mix. Leading into New Orleans I had a foot issue that I overlooked and it progressively got worse over time.
Leading into my second race of the season, Florida 70.3, I was just hoping to make it through the run and then sort my foot out. The race played out as I expected: solid swim/bike and a slow moving run. My foot actually wasn't the issue though; I become very disoriented and dizzy about three miles into the run. After the race I figured the dizziness was due to heat and not enough calories. When I was back to Boulder I had a few dizzy episodes in longer/harder training sessions. Looking back, I should have realized these were the same symptoms I had in Florida.
My third race of the season in Knoxville wasn't much better. Once again I had a solid swim/bike but the same disorientation on the run and this time worse. It was not hot in Knoxville and I made sure to take in enough calories. I am still trying to sort out what the problem is. Thankfully, I have a supportive team around me to help. I have been fortunate enough to not have anything like this happen to me nor have I ever been injured. The trials and tribulations of the year have tested me mentally. If you look at any great athlete they have all been through hard times. In life we all go through very difficult times and the way we handle them makes us who we are. I am optimistic and am viewing this as a puzzle that I have to piece together one step at a time. In the end, it will all work out. It always does.
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What to do the day before a race
I usually like to take the day off 2 days out from the race. So if I am racing on a Sunday then I usually take Friday completely off and I try to get in a bit of all three sports on Saturday, the day prior to the race. It is important not to go too hard on the short efforts leading into the race so that the body does not create any lactic acid that would ultimately still be there come race morning.
Here is my typical routine the day before a race:
Wake up naturally (with no alarm) and get in a 20-minute run before breakfast. During this run I do 10 minutes of jogging and then 4x2min +20seconds of my goal race pace. So if I want to run 5:45miles in the race I will run about 6:05s the day before for the short intervals.
Breakfast - of normal things I eat everyday- oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, coffee
Ride 1 hour and include a few 3-4minute efforts a little slower than goal race pace/watts. I usually do about 5 of these. I have found that I feel better on race day if I get a decent ride in the day before.
Swim just a little bit to get loose. I like to usually swim on the course so I can pick out sighting structures (such as a tree or a building) so that the buoys are easier to spot.
Modify this to establish your own pre-race workout routine. This will allow you to focus better on the race, rather than scrambling to figure out what to do in the days leading up to it.
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Beet Hummus
 Ingredients:
- 3 medium sized beets
- 1 can of garbanzo beans drained
- 1/4 cup of tahini
- 1 garlic clove
- The juice from 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- pinch of black pepper
Halve the beets then quarter cut them. Roast in the oven (no oil necessary) at 400F for about 45 minutes or until tender. Refrigerate overnight.
Combine the rest of the ingredients into a food processor or Vitamix. Slowly process for 2-3 minutes until you reach the desired texture.
Refrigerate. ENJOY!
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5150 New Orleans
At the 110% Play Harder booth
With Julie Dibens, Greg Bennett, Laura Bennett, Matt Lieto, me, Rebekah Keat, and Tom Kattus
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Recent Blog Posts from laurengoss.com
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 Blood - May 1, 2014
As athletes, it is important that we keep our bodies in the best condition possible. During high training blocks it is normal to feel a bit fatigued. In order to make sure the body is recovering properly and you are training and racing with the healthiest engine possible it is crucial that you monitor your [...]
70.3 Florida-Ouch! - April 15, 2014
I went into this race probably a bit too confident and underestimating the effect of the heat and the 70.3 distance. Since signing on with Dave Scott in December, I have done so much volume in training. I really thought the 70.3 distance would be a breeze considering the hours I have logged during the [...]
Big Easy 5150 - March 31, 2014
Well, the season is officially underway! I had a few unknowns going into the race last weekend. This was my first race on the Trek Speed Concept 9.9, my first race racing under Dave Scott, and my first race coming down from altitude. The weather in Boulder has been pretty terrible this winter, therefore, I [...]
Pump the Brakes - March 11, 2014
A good training partner and friend of mine, Joanna Zeiger, said to me on our long run last weekend " The difference between a world champion and a wanna-be is not training harder but training smarter". It is no surprise that most of us- triathletes- have uber Type A personalities. Everyday is a competition; whether [...]
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Biotta Savings Codes. Just Beet It!
Use my discount code and save on a variety of juices from biottajuices.elsstore.com.
Code drinkbeets614 for a TOTAL of 25% off in June!
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