Lindsey Jerdonek

“The Training Diaries” is a monthly series of posts by Lindsey Jerdonek, a DC Tri Club member, and third-year professional triathlete. In January 2012 Lindsey quit her day job and made the move to racing as a full-time pro triathlete.  This is the seventh installment of her epic journey through triathlon awesomeness.

“The Training Diaries” is a monthly series of posts by Lindsey Jerdonek, a DC Tri Club member, and third-year professional triathlete. In January 2012 Lindsey quit her day job and made the move to racing as a full-time pro triathlete. You can follow Lindsey’s Blog where she documents this new endeavor.

One year ago I wrote my first training diaries entry and I peeked back to see what was on my mind then. I seemed naively optimistic, expectant that everything would fall into place and that my performances would improve automatically. I’ve catalogued some of my ass-kickings from the past year in these posts so rather than relive those, I’ll focus on what’s been going on lately.

A major change that took place at the end of my 2012 season was that Margie would no longer be coaching me. Understandably, she wants more time and energy to dedicate to her racing and family. Though it is sad to part ways with “the great one,” the opportunity arose to seek out a coach who offers in-person coaching sessions. I figure that if young children have swim coaches on deck, why shouldn’t I as a professional? Also, since leaving the DC area, I’ve missed being part of a community and having friends nearby. I want to live somewhere that will allow me to build friendships instead of living one month here and two months there.

I found a setup that is a good fit for me in Boulder, CO. In January I visited for a week to get a feel for the place and to meet my new coach, Grant Holicky. I returned to Orlando and spent the remainder of the month soaking up rays and preparing to move there with my boyfriend. Technically, he did the lion’s share of packing since I “fail to comprehend the passage of time.” In any case, we got on the road in a frightfully cramped car and made our way to Boulder. And now, here I am!

I’m looking forward to getting the ball rolling and stacking consistent training on top of consistent training to reclaim my former fitness AND THEN SOME. My first couple weeks of training won’t be too stressful (not much intensity) since I need to acclimatize to Boulder’s altitude. In general, altitude slows down recovery, and if you go too hard too soon, you can put yourself in a hole. My extra time will go toward furnishing our apartment. It’s going to look pretty Spartan for a while.

I’ll keep you posted on what training is like out here and let you know if I come across any mountain lions. My friend, who lives in the densely populated San Francisco bay area, assures me that mountain lions lurk around every corner in the Western US. Let’s hope she’s wrong.