Upping The Ante

    With my first Tri under my belt I know where to focus my energies. I took most of last week off. Sort of. I did swim Tuesday and Thursday, but slowly, focusing on technique and breathing. Even at this, Coach reprimanded me for not taking the week off to recover. I do not do down time. It does not work so well for me. Sunday I ran a very hilly 5K, with far less strain than past runs. Followed by some easy swimming, and Yoga in the shade. It was a very relaxing day. I experienced very little soreness from my 5K, more in my quads from the hill climbs, than in my calves or glutes. I think I am getting stronger.
    All that being said, in typical meandering fashion, I am now looking down the road at my next few events. In two weeks I am running a 10K, the longest distance I am likely to face in a Tri until I am ready for my first Half-Ironman. Two weeks after that is my second Triathlon, another Sprint. Then at the end of September I will compete in the Portland Triathlon, and am seriously debating doing an Olympic distance. But that makes me hesitate just a bit. I know in my heart that I can do it, but my mind balks. It is a fearful endeavor, double the distance of a Sprint: 1 mile Swim, 25 mile Bike, 10K Run. But I want to do it. I want one Olympic on the books before the short season is over.
    Coach told me that everyone has one of two reactions to competing in their first race: "I sucked, I need to train harder" or "I did great, I need to train harder." He cautioned me about over training, and I am trying very hard to heed his advice. But it is a monumental struggle for me. I WANT to train harder, to be more effective in my next event, to be a little faster, and a lot stronger. I feel like now, seriously, this shit is getting real. I want to explore just how much my body can achieve, how far, how fast, how strong. I want to know. need to know. I want to push myself, because no one else will. I want to challenge myself. I need to Challenge myself at every opportunity. Life is too short to dawdle, to waste time.
    So, though I won't be adding much in the way of hours spent training, I am upping the ante. I am looking towards more specific training goals to strengthen my weaknesses, to increase my stamina, to improve my overall readiness for whatever life throws at me.