Ch-ch-changes

Typically, change isn't my thing.  I like routine and I like things the way they are.  Change makes my head hurt.

But every once in a while, change is needed and change is good.  And although I fought it for a while, I recently made a change that both broke my heart and, at the same time, invigorated my soul.

I recently changed coaches.

Dirk and I had a great run I truly appreciate all that he has done for me.  He took me from being a 4:50/11 hour type 70.3/IM athlete to being a 4:30/9:55 athlete.  He helped me get to the point where I could think about turning pro and then he successfully guided me through that tough first year of racing professionally.  And he kept me healthy and happy through it all which is truly amazing!  There is no doubt that Dirk knows his stuff and I would highly recommend his training as it obviously works and works well.  But in a joint decision, we came to the conclusion this spring that we would both move on in divergent directions.  It really broke my heart because, well, Dirk is awesome and change is hard.  But change is also good and I tried to keep that in mind.

Looking for a new coach isn't easy.  I spoke with many different people.  And it was definitely a decision I didn't take lightly.  In many ways, my coach really dictates how my life runs day to day!  I wanted someone who knows their stuff and has proven results.  I wanted someone with experience coaching other pros and keeping their athletes healthy.  And most of all, I wanted someone who pays attention to all the details that encompass being a good athlete.  I wanted someone who leaves no stone un-turned - a person that looks at stress as a whole, sleep, nutrition, all the little pieces beyond just swim/bike/run.  And in looking for that "someone" I found QT2 Systems.

So far I'm overwhelmed (in a GOOD way)!  My brain is swimming with all sorts of details and things to think about - new ways of looking at things, new workouts to tackle; new details to take care of that I never even considered before.  I've been doing triathlon for 7 years now so I wouldn't consider myself new to the sport but in the past couple weeks I've learned a ton!  Just today as Tim (my QT2 coach) went over my season plan with me, I had all these "oh, so THAT'S how that works" or "oh, so THAT'S why we do it that way" moments.

So while change is hard, change is also turning out to be exciting and invigorating.  And I think my body will respond nicely to some different physical challenges.  Can't wait to find out!

Next up - ch-ch-changes to my race schedule.  Stay tuned!