Now you're running ...

I just fought through my first crossroad of this off season. Fear had completely taken over me. Lately, I’ve been trying to work as hard, if not harder, than I worked during the Triathlon season, until my awakening Monday night. At first I didn’t see pushing myself as a problem, but Monday after swimming by myself, the entire time thinking “what the hell am I doing”, I just about swore off everything healthy and went to Wal-mart bought me some Little Debbie’s snack cakes and was about ready to be a bum. Three Little Debbie’s Swiss Roll packs later, I realized I’m trying to do too much. So, I am forcing myself to focus on quality as of now and not quantity of workouts. The Idea that I may not finish and look back and think “did you do all you could do”, works against this, but smart training is better than overtraining, right?

I’ve been researching workouts for swimmers online and most suggest total body workouts on days you go to the gym. With the stuff I’ve found, I put together a new workout routine for myself with me only lifting two days a week right now. Also, I’m going to make myself take some time off and hangout with friends I’ve neglected to hang out with (If you are reading this invite me to things again). Taking this time off now will probably help come March when everything is planned around workouts and finishing Ironman Wisconsin without having to walk a complete marathon – assuming walking will be an option.

(Sorta like a second entry, I have to write in drafts)

What a difference a week makes. Tuesday Sept 29th I nearly had a breakdown at mile 6 of a 7 mile run. When you’re running with people (and struggling) and they bring up a marathon a mile before you’re to finish a 7 mile run, it makes you think “how in the hell am I going to do 26.2 miles”, after biking 112 and swimming 2.4. After a profanity laced rant of my own I had to pick up the pace and finish (thank you girls for the encouraging comments) - I think I was going crazy and to stop running was the only thing that was going to help me. After the run, it turned out to be my fastest 7 miles up until that point, so there was a small silver lining. Fast forward a week later to October 6th and I entered TNR (Tuesday Night Run) with a goal to better my previous run, without wanting to kill myself for signing up for an Ironman during the run (working on the mental toughness). The last few weeks I’ve been running on a treadmill on Thursday nights to increase my speed with out having to focus on it so much mentally, you set the speed and you move your legs – a lot easier than doing it mentally for me at this point. Well low and behold I think it is working. It’s so nice to see it pay off so quickly after only 3 weeks. I had my fastest TNR yet, I averaged under a 9 minute mile on a course that I originally averaged over 12 (it's hilly and i'm slow). Huge Victory for myself, huge.

During the last week I also made my first trip to the Doctor for a “not usual pain”. Turns out I have an inflamed sesamoid bone in my foot, big Toe to be exact (a bone I didn’t even know exist). Doc says I should try Orthotics and to Ice and all that good stuff. Knowing he’s not going to have to take my big toe, I think everything is going to be alright with this one, I do plan on icing more. One more thing for someone to ask me about when they walk past my cubicle at work.

48 more weeks to go!