Lightweight Eats

April in review:
I shared some goals for April earlier, and although I've kept them in mind throughout the month, I haven't followed through as well as I would have liked.


Goal 1. Maintain training weight: I definitely slipped on this one. By the middle of the month, I was sitting around 130 pounds; not out of control, but about two pounds above where I'd like to be. On the other hand, I did make significant progress on developing a healthier attitude towards food—one where I don't constant stress about every calorie I put into my body.
Goal 2. Improve my erg score: I had some success on the erg this month; most notably, I took another lactate test and saw significant improvements. I still need to get better at test pieces on the erg, especially stress management.
Goal 3. Don't lose any training time: This was incredibly successful. I had a hard time transitioning back to Pacific time after travelling, but once I adjusted, I had some great weeks of training. Prioritizing sleep was really important.
Goal 4. Race as much as possible: I did a lot of racing in April. Between race pieces against my teammates in California, against juniors and masters in Connecticut and racing at NSR1, I think I can check this one off my April list.


Although I only really met two of four, having goals helped focus my training. And with that in mind, I would like to set some new goals for May.

1. Reach and maintain training weight
128 pounds is a very do-able training weight. I can maintain that and not weigh myself obsessively or count every calorie. I just need to be honest with myself; if I buy an entire package of Oreos, I will eat an entire package of Oreos and not be at weight.

2. Improve my erg score
Although we may not 2k test on the erg this month, there are some things I can do to make progress. Most notably, completing at least one workout on the erg every week. Ideally, I will start to work on strategizing on the erg rather than simply going full pressure.

3. Fuel properly for workouts
There's nothing worse than running out of steam 5 kilometers from the dock, and having to struggle through wind and chop just to get home. It's exhausting. I can prevent that by bringing food or sports drinks in the boat and hydrating well before, during and after workouts.

4. Spend more time with my teammates
It was a lot of fun hanging out with teammates at GMS and in Australia over the past few months. But between training on a different plan and travelling, I haven't spent nearly enough time with my CRC teammates. Having their support is crucial to successful training at home.