It's that time of year. Off season.  Dreaded by most, enjoyed by some.  Let's face it.  We wouldn't spend the majority of our year swimming biking and running if we didn't love it.  So when the race season ends and it's time to shuts things down for a while it's a big change.  Most of us do it only because we know we need to in order to make performance gains next year, stay injury free and prevent mental burn-out.  But I admit it.  I love my offseason.  And I take FULL advantage of the extra time and freedom that comes with it.  Do I miss training? Of course!  By the end of the break (this year it was 4 full weeks) I am more than ready to get back to it.  I just don't feel like myself when I'm not training.  And then comes the part I actually hate.  Getting back in shape.  It sucks!  Short easy workouts that I once considered recovery are all of a sudden a very taxing effort.  I feel fat (#TriathleteFat as one of my athletes likes to call it) and slow.  I feel even more like a fish out of water than I normally do.  On a side note, the highlight of my week this week was someone asking me if I was a swimmer.  HA!  Fortunately after many years of training and off seasons, I know what to expect, am prepared to feel yucky for a couple weeks and after the re-initiation period, the fitness comes back pretty quickly.  So what did I do this year in my offseason?  Slept in.  There's nothing better than being able to leisurely get up, relax with some coffee and plan your day.  Caught up with friends and stayed out late - yeah for fun Heather!  Did lots of cooking with my husband.  We made lots of our favorite style (italian) of food- risottos, pastas, wood-fired pizzas, complemented with lots of wine!  I re-did my bathroom. Not one of my more enjoyable offseason activities but it was necessary. Hiked.  Rode my mountain bike a little.  Spent lots of time on the couch cuddling with my kitty. 

Brunch at one of my fav restaurants in Philly	My kitty
Hiking	Pasta Night at the Leiggi's
Mountain Biking	My kitty again (just cuz she's cute)

I was so busy having fun I didn't even get jealous watching my friends killing it at their last few races of the season….Just kidding!  I totally got jealous!  Watching IMAZ this past weekend got me so fire up for next year.  The good news is I am back to training now.  Nothing too serious as the start of my race season is still a little bit away but enough to start building back some fitness and strength.  The offseason is also my time to reflect on my past year of racing.  I always feel I can gain a better perspective when I'm not gearing up for another race and when I can look at the season as a whole.  Changing my focus slightly this year from 70.3 to ironman was a bit of an adjustment. Learning how to pace myself appropriately, learning what I need from a fueling and hydration standpoint, and getting my body used to the higher mileage was challenging and I'll admit to making a lot of mistakes.  But I had a lot of fun too and learned a lot.  I had some of the best training of my life which shows me the potential is there, but unfortunately I wasn't able to translate this into the results I was expecting.  So, now it's time to work toward some positive changes and start planning 2015.  Thanks to everyone for following and supporting me.  And a big thank you to all my sponsors.  I wouldn't be able to do what I do without you!

Zoot Sports keeping me stylish while I work my butt off!	Rudy Project protecting my noggin' and keeping me aero
Blue Bicycles Putting me on the sweetest ride in town.   This bike is the lightest bike around!	Amrita keeping me fueled-full of superfoods with amazing taste!
GU Sports keeping me hydrated and fueled	Mitch Greene perfecting my mental game
High Road Cycles best service around!	Until next year….