How do I know this?  I’m so freaking hungry! I’m thinking about food most of the time; before eating, after eating and many times during a meal.

How else do I know that I’m back in training?
When I get up in the morning I have about 3 hours of darkness before the sun rises.

How else do I know I’m back in training?
When I get to the top of the stairs my legs burn…oh so good.

How else do I know I’m back in training?
Coffee is not just for the a.m. anymore

How else do I know I’m back in training?
I”m checking the SkirtSports.com site everyday to see if any of the 2009 tri gear is out yet.

How else do I know I’m back in training?
Almost every facet of my life adjusts and shifts.

And most of all…..how do I know I’m back in training?
I’M FIRED UP!

Training is going well so far - swam with Coach Howie yesterday.  We did a modified LT test in the pool working with the tempo trainer to find the optimal pace.  Right now we’re working off .94 with a 200 at 3:04 for Z3 training.

The point being to spend some time at this cadence and increase the yardage while maintaining speed.  OK, let’s see if we can do this.  I’m going to work with it this year, I’ve never really worked on my swim.  I just go to the pool, do the workouts, sometimes better than other times and keep pulling down the same times.  Maybe if I work a bit more and set my intention to increase speed I just may do it.  We’ll see, I’m only training 5 days a week so I can have one day for yoga and a little room to breath on days when I’m packed with clients (a workout in and of itself).

So far so good - I’m psyched up for the season and excited to stay local for racing (except for Cape Cod!)…so far I’m registered for the following:

May 3 - Fort Collins Half Marathon
June/July/August - 5430 Sprint, Boulder Peak, Long Course
October - Cape Cod Marathon

Planning to add more to this list but have to switch off with the Beej so he can get registered too.

Here I am at Horseneck Beach in Wesport, MA - saying goodbye for now.

It was a great trip, we love visiting back east but right now our home is in Boulder and it’s always good to be back home.  This weekend ensued in classic Gumkowski fashion.  Rode the trainers Friday night, big pasta meal, bed early.  Saw some clients on Saturday then home for homemade pizza, beer and scrabble.  Today was the topper…

Coffee and leisure in the a.m., then on the bikes for 10:30 - met up with our friend Todd then headed for our first ascent of the year up Old Stage…good ass kicking, pretty much saw a heart rate today that I had no business being in but damn, it felt good.   We basically rode the border of the fire from a few weeks ago.  The fire lines are crazy close to a ton of homes, I can’t believe more homes weren’t lost.   The fire fighters did an incredible job, I couldn’t believe how far it spanned.

Came home from our ride and ran my 2 miles, hit the gym for weights and home for about 45 minutes of stretching.  Felt so good today - I think 4 months of weights has really helped me.   Rest of the day is being spent at home, our favorite place…getting ready for a yummy pasta meal and bed early for we have a big day tomorrow.

BJ’s birthday - 36 years old.  Hitting core power yoga for 6am then swimming, BJ has a run, massage and then a birthday excursion for Mr. G.

Meet Vinnie Louis, cool little man.

Arrived home late last night to the undying love of our furry kids.

Slept like rock stars and started the day with the promise of not getting overwhelmed.  A good promise to make and not break.  Started the day with coffee, a quick check of emails and off to Whole Foods to stock the fridge.  Back home for several hours of work, taking one thing at a time and then off to a delicious and perfectly timed massage.

So as I sit here with pillows for feet and not an ounce of tension in my body I’m reflecting on our trip east.  It was one of the best, tons of family and friend time (couldn’t get to everyone, sorry!) and a little business for BJ.  On Monday I met my cousin Gail - someone I have never known but always wondered about.  Well, after meeting her, it’s like I’ve known her my whole life.  She’s so obviously family and so wonderful that I can’t wait for her to integrate with the rest of the Costello’s.  We’ll have to take it slow as we can be a crazy bunch and certainly don’t want to scare her off too easily.  Hoping to do a race with her this season…I’m just elated about this new friend and family member in my life.  Good stuff!  Life is way too short not to embrace each other or reach out to those whom you may have forgotten over the years.  It’s a wonderful connection and one I hope to make bigger over the rest of my lifetime.

We finished our trip with a walk on the beach.  It was a typical New England day.  Low lying clouds making a sky of grey which only deepened the green of the sea and brightened the sand below.  It was cold and harsh but I breathed it into my lungs and heart.  When I did it felt anything but cold and harsh.  It felt vast and fresh, seasoned and rich.  It was what my body needed; the ocean air, the salt of life that this pisces misses so dearly.

It’s Monday and I’m sitting in a coffee shop in Newport, RI waiting to meet up with my cousin Gail.  A woman I’ve never met and someone whom I’ve thought about my entire life.  Needless to say I’m extremely excited but at the same time very peaceful for this long awaited introduction.  Ok each minute feels like an hour…..I can’t wait!

We landed in Boston on Thursday and headed to Cape Cod for a few days with my family.  Homemade pizza, wine and laughs Thursday night then off to the gym on Friday with the whole family for a good workout.  Friday night, my mom & dad took BJ & I on a double date.  Hit up a restaurant in Sandwich for dinner and drinks at the bar….good stuff, more laughs, more wine.

Saturday was the event for which we traveled east for - Vincent’s baptism.  Adorning a white satin tux and running all about with his newfound legs…he was adorable and loads of fun.   Immediately before the baptism, BJ and I were married by the priest so that we could take on the role of god parents to Vinnie Louis.  It was so fun to marry the man I love for the third time and such a special honor for us to become god parents.  One step closer to the real thing - we’re getting there, slowly ….not surely just slowly.

Saturday night was pah-tay night with our good friends on the south shore of Boston….a reunion of the ole’crew.  Mostly reminiscing of our 20-something party endurance and stamina.  Most everyone has kiddos and they are all gorgeous.  We all have busy lives but these are the type of friends who we can just let our hair down and have a raw, east coast experience with.  Needless to say, we saw 1am, a time we have not seen in years (maybe even a decade).

A little hung on Sunday morning we headed to Westport, MA for Gumkowski family time.  My two brother in-laws and there lovely ladies (Mrs. G3 and Mrs. G4) - we settled in for a day of football and lazying around.

Which brings us to Monday - to now, as I anticipate the arrival of my new friend (I hope)….she should be here any minute.

Every year BJ and I talk about our highlights and lowlights of the year.  Here are mine.

Highlights:

1. 15 min PR at the Boulder Half Marathon
2. Ironman Coeur d’Alene - specifically the swim, the last 16 miles of the run post hurl and Sherman Avenue
3. Meeting Vincent Louis Costello
4. Graduating with honors from the AOS program at BCMT
5. Racing the Barking Dog Du hard then running 23 miles strong the next day
6. Cross country skiing on Christmas Eve with the Beej
7. Skirt Entourage
8. Volunteering at the Cape Cod marathon with my family

Lowlight:

1. The boot

I said to BJ this morning over breakfast, ‘I want to be sitting here in one year saying the exact same things.  I don’t need anything more than what I have and if I had the choice of more money at the sacrifice of something I have now, I would leave things the same way they are today’.   2008 was another wonderful year of life, I’m so grateful for all of it.

PREVIEW OF 2009 HIGHLIGHT LIST:
1) New Year’s day run

Yes, I’m back.  I mean how could I not come back. Here I am after my 10 minute run this morning, it was sheer bliss.