Roller Coaster Ride

Hello again!

Personally, I am more motivated to write about my successes and happy times. When my roller coaster of a life dips from a peak high steeply down to a low I am less inclined to share. I know a lot of  people would agree and can relate.

This past winter has been the wackiest of coaster rides in my life. It helped me find myself as a person and  put everything into perspective. After having a bit of a disappointing result at the U23 World Championships in Auckland, I was fueled with fire and motivated to crush a winter of training. I decided to join the Guelph Gryphons varsity indoor track team to help make a jump in my running. I was running my biggest millage weeks and having a blast at workouts with the team. Unfortunately my body was not yet able to handle such a full load and as a consequence my iron and energy levels hit at an all time low. I was constantly in "hibernation mode" and I would take crazy 4 hour naps in the day to recover between workouts. Eventually I realized it wasn't a fun feeling and I didn't want to continue like that. Once I got my blood results back to confirm my health status, I took some time off to recharge the batteries.

After a little break and building back the load, I was fortunate to head down south to Clermont Florida for a training camp with Kyla Rollinson's group from Montreal. A month in the Florida sunshine was exactly what I  needed. I met a wonderful group of athletes that I bonded with in great training sessions! I was starting to get sparks of my old chippery "Domi" self back. I decided that I would try racing the double ITU races in Florida after a couple of productive weeks at training camp. It was probably too soon to jump back into racing and my body wasn't ready yet to rock and roll. Both races were sub par and left me questioning my ability as a triathlete.

I came back from Florida flustered but settled back in Guelph and focused on my exams and consistent training. I ran a 5k road to test the waters and see where my fitness was at. I was pleasantly surprised and all those miles I put in earlier in the year were starting to shine through. After a  great 5k and solid block of training, Craig and I decided to do a last minute entry in the Bridgetown ITU Sprint Pan Am Cup.

I had a much better performance in Barbados and had my "Domi" racing qualities back. I felt relaxed and happy to race again. The cherry on top was a second place finish, my first ITU podium finish.

Here is a video of the race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTg4GZXQjXw&feature=youtu.be

Next up is my season World Cup debut in Huatulco, Mexico. It's a tough course for a tough girl and I am ready to tackle it!

Dominika