'Tis the Season

...Why the Tri season, of course!

OK, I'm just going to reveal it now...I'm a big fan of The Lion King...watched it over the holidays.  That opening scene where the sun breaks over the horizon and they belt out the tune - "Nants ingonyama bagithi baba!" (it's true, those are the actual words spoken, I looked it up.  kinda ruins it in a way because all this time I've enjoyed just throwing out these random sounds and not having a clue what they were.) anyway, that opening scene is awesome.

I say all that as a backdrop to be able to reference one line from the monkey Rafiki as he acknowledges that Simba is about to take charge - "It is time".

It is time to gear up for the 2010 tri season.  It is time to begin to shed that comfortable layer of cushion that accumulated over the holidays.  It is time to get back in the routine of a training schedule.  I'm ready.

I have a specific focus for this year which is to increase my speed in all three disciplines.  I want to become a faster, more efficient swimmer.  I want to get faster on the bike and I want to be able to run a sub-:50 10k during an Olympic distance event.

My ultimate goal for this season is to again qualify for the USAT Age Group Nationals held in Tuscaloosa, Alabama the end of September.  I qualified in 2009 but wasn't able to participate.  That was fine because my 'A' race last year was Ironman Florida and that's where my focus was as well.

I'm not doing an Ironman distance race this year for the sole purpose of focusing on increasing my speed and participating in the Nationals.

To that end my first race of the season is a big one, Memphis in May Oly the 4th Sunday of the month.  It's a special qualifier for the Nationals so I want to do well.  It's not the only opportunity to qualify, but it's the first.

I have a 16-week program I use and week 1 is this week.  I'm excited.....and motivated.