I haven't been posting much this summer. I've been lacking a main focal point for my training that has had me slowly losing my training mojo. I did have the great 4000M swim at the beginning of summer, and the 5K run for the 4th of July. But that has been it as far as events go. One problem has been that I work on saturdays, so that removes a lot of potential events from my agenda. Then there is the cost of racing. Triathlons aren't cheap (and most are on saturday, anyway). I wanted to do the Best in the West half-Iron this year, but couldn't justify the $250 entry fee in my current state of living the life of the Starving Artist. All this has conspired to drain me of training mojo this last month or so.
I was getting back into running. Finally feeling like my knee and hip were able to let me feel the trail under my feet. I made regular trips down to Molalla River State Park and ran the trail that follows the river. It is the best place in my little world to run. I love it there. The air feels hyper-charged with oxygen, and the river keeps the shady trail even cooler in the heat of summer. Then we had a heat wave, and I let myself falter. Now, with Autumn and the coming rains breathing down my neck I am in the Oh-my-god-I've-got-so-much-to-do-before-the-rain panic mode trying to finish all the outdoor home improvement tasks that require warm, dry weather. I have stayed diligent with my physical therapy to maintain hip and knee strength though.
The long and short of it though is that I have become discouraged with my training this last month or so. Without an A Race to look forward to it is hard to keep motivation high. Right now I should be just finishing my Peak Training, with my Taper to start next week. If I was doing an Iron or Half-Iron like I have a few years past. Last year I was forced to take it off because of injury. This year I had a slow start since I wasn't quite back to even 80% with the healing and rehab at the beginning of the season.
Where does that leave me now? Let me tell you. A few days ago I was feeling gloomy and bitter, sad that there was no Epic Adventure at the end of my summer. That kind of thinking doesn't get you anywhere but gloomier, and slower, and weaker. I've decided that I will take a step back. No, not like you are thinking. I am going to act as though I finished my A Race, had the appropriate Rest and Recovery time, and am now getting back to Base Training. Base Training is just what it sounds like. It is building the platform of strength and endurance that you need to have in order to keep piling on the miles, whether those miles are in the water, on the bike, or running a trail. It is about getting the body ready for the intensity of harder training that is in store for any endurance athlete. Most bodies are not able to maintain day after day of swim, bike, or run at the distances that I am wanting to do. My knees and hips can't handle the long, joint pounding runs I wish they could. So I have to compensate with strength training, explosive plyometrics, and more time on the bike doing high intensity training. I need to lay the groundwork, before I can pound the ground.
Next year I turn 55. That seems like a good year to try a few new things. One event I have vowed to do is the Willamette Bridge Swim. Yeah, 11 miles in the Willamette kind of scares the holy shit out of me. But isn't that the point? Isn't doing things that scare you one of the highlights of life? I still want and need to do an Iron distance event and get an official time. I would love to do another Leadman, since the distances are better suited to my particular skill set: longer swim and bike, shorter run. I want to find a few other things that will challenge me to push outside of my comfort zone. I will do the 4000M swim again, because it was fun and just enough of a challenge that I still smile when I remember it.
Back to Base: More strength training. More High Intensity Interval Training. More Plyometrics. More Yoga and Tai Chi for flexibility. Always Swim, Bike, Run. Better nutrition, always room for improvement in the area of Rocket Fuel. Making a plan, and sticking to it. Making A Plan, a Good Plan, I am getting my Training Mojo back.
