I fell off the training wagon for a few days. It's a tough time of year for training, what with all the other commitments that come with the holidays this time of year. Family gatherings and Christmas shopping, then working overtime to pay for the gifts. And for me, baking holiday treats virtually every day of December. Then sometimes eating those treats, not in addition to but instead of actual food, which certainly leaves me lacking the stamina and mental stability to go out and train properly!
But the worst part is, none of these are the reasons I didn't train for 4 whole days. I actually had plenty of rime for training on 3 of those 4 days, but after a disastrous 9 mile run on Tuesday, I just didn't feel like it. True, this is exactly the attitude that does not make an Ironman, and I snapped out of it with a brisk 5k race on the 5th day where I placed 9th in my age group (of 444, in case you were thinking there were only 9 in my age group). Yesterday I rode the 10 miles home from work. Again, not what I would consider a full day of training, but getting my groove back. Today I planned a long ride. I had plenty of time to ride several hours before I had to catch a flight to Seattle in the afternoon. At least, I would have had plenty of time if I had dragged my Ironman ass away from my coffee and laptop a little sooner. As it was, I ran out of time, and with the previous week of lackluster training haunting me, I felt my confidence melting away.
The fact is, I was procrastinating because...drum roll please...I hate biking. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but it is my least favorite of the 3, and therefore the hardest for me to just go do. It's not the actual physical act or sensation of cycling itself that I don't like. Riding is so much more gear intensive than running or swimming. It takes a lot more work to get out the door and on the road. Thus it loses the simplicity that appeals to me in swimming and running. Ditto for the conditions in which I must do it; namely, on roads surrounded by unaware drivers. I don't trust people in cars; not when I am in a car, and certainly not when I am on a bike. Even nice sections of roads or paths that allow for very enjoyable cycling require biking through a lot of crap to get to. As a result, I am on edge for most of my ride, unlike swimming or running, which can be almost meditative. Unfortunately, my least favorite discipline is also what I will spend the most time in the Ironman actually doing, so it deserves a fair amount of my attention. And this knowledge is what makes me beat myself up when I don't get out the door enough to get in the time in the saddle I desperately need.
So today I procrastinated as usual. And then I was out of time for my long overdue long ride. And my confidence was melting. And I tend to be an all-or-nothing person (I know, so unusual for an aspiring Ironman), so if I can't get in a monster workout I feel like anything less isn't even worth my time. So I was right on the edge of just saying screw it, pouring another cup of coffee, and settling back into my online shopping...
But if there is anything a person who payed $700 to enter an Ironman a year in advance knows it is this: Fear is a huge motivator. And I was afraid that if I blew off too many workouts 11 months out, I would be blowing off workouts 3 months out. I had to get back in the game.
Hence the Baby Brick. The ride was only 8 miles. The run was only 2. But the effect, both mentally and physically, was just the kick in the pants I needed to get back on track.
But the worst part is, none of these are the reasons I didn't train for 4 whole days. I actually had plenty of rime for training on 3 of those 4 days, but after a disastrous 9 mile run on Tuesday, I just didn't feel like it. True, this is exactly the attitude that does not make an Ironman, and I snapped out of it with a brisk 5k race on the 5th day where I placed 9th in my age group (of 444, in case you were thinking there were only 9 in my age group). Yesterday I rode the 10 miles home from work. Again, not what I would consider a full day of training, but getting my groove back. Today I planned a long ride. I had plenty of time to ride several hours before I had to catch a flight to Seattle in the afternoon. At least, I would have had plenty of time if I had dragged my Ironman ass away from my coffee and laptop a little sooner. As it was, I ran out of time, and with the previous week of lackluster training haunting me, I felt my confidence melting away.
The fact is, I was procrastinating because...drum roll please...I hate biking. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but it is my least favorite of the 3, and therefore the hardest for me to just go do. It's not the actual physical act or sensation of cycling itself that I don't like. Riding is so much more gear intensive than running or swimming. It takes a lot more work to get out the door and on the road. Thus it loses the simplicity that appeals to me in swimming and running. Ditto for the conditions in which I must do it; namely, on roads surrounded by unaware drivers. I don't trust people in cars; not when I am in a car, and certainly not when I am on a bike. Even nice sections of roads or paths that allow for very enjoyable cycling require biking through a lot of crap to get to. As a result, I am on edge for most of my ride, unlike swimming or running, which can be almost meditative. Unfortunately, my least favorite discipline is also what I will spend the most time in the Ironman actually doing, so it deserves a fair amount of my attention. And this knowledge is what makes me beat myself up when I don't get out the door enough to get in the time in the saddle I desperately need.
So today I procrastinated as usual. And then I was out of time for my long overdue long ride. And my confidence was melting. And I tend to be an all-or-nothing person (I know, so unusual for an aspiring Ironman), so if I can't get in a monster workout I feel like anything less isn't even worth my time. So I was right on the edge of just saying screw it, pouring another cup of coffee, and settling back into my online shopping...
But if there is anything a person who payed $700 to enter an Ironman a year in advance knows it is this: Fear is a huge motivator. And I was afraid that if I blew off too many workouts 11 months out, I would be blowing off workouts 3 months out. I had to get back in the game.
Hence the Baby Brick. The ride was only 8 miles. The run was only 2. But the effect, both mentally and physically, was just the kick in the pants I needed to get back on track.
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