Training Schedule, In Progress

    So I went out and got myself a large wall calender and a day planner to help solidify my training schedule for the next 7 months, the time remaining before my A Race, The Best in The West Half-Ironman. I have found my B and C races, added the Academy and drill nights, highlighted graduation day, and penciled in a few getaway weekends. Then I started counting back from The Race Day to see I have 31 weeks to get myself ready. In ascending order: Race Day, Race Week, Taper Week, Peak Week, 2 weeks of Race Specific Preparation, and two 3 week blocks of General Preparation aka Base Period. I have scheduled in a rest and recovery week every fourth week when my workout load will be greatly reduced. Now as I start getting more specific with my workout schedule I am feeling even more time strapped. There is so much I want/need to do to get myself ready, and yet life dictates that much of my day be spent on other endeavors. I was hoping that writing out a schedule would make me feel less stressed about lack of time, instead it is putting down in black and white just what an adventure this is going to be. I know that nothing truly worth having or doing comes without a price, and I willingly will pay the price in blood, sweat, and tears.
    I am only a few weeks into February with my specific schedule, and even so, I am sure that I will be cramming workouts in whenever the opportunity arises, scheduled or not. It does not help that I want to be incorporating some new, different training ideas into my weekly routine. My Spiderman Wall aka Traverse Wall, for example. And climbing rope. I think that right now, when my life is so busy and hectic, that it is best to keep forging ahead with my current training schedule, as it seems to be working well despite my serious lack of rest. I know I need to increase my running base, that is my number one priority between now and The Race. At the same time, I need to be mindful of my knees, feet, and ankles, and the osteoarthritis that lives there, pestering me, and waiting for an opportunity to launch a full-blown protest. I know I need to continue working on my overall fitness, strength, stamina, speed, and agility, just as I am doing currently. But I also know I will have to start adding more specific work before much longer.
    Why can't this be simpler? Why? Because I am not going to bonk this race. I will not feel like I am going to drown in the swim, burning precious energy. I will not exhaust myself on the bike trying to make up for time lost in the water. I will not have to walk the run because I have depleted my stores of strength and energy. I will Swim like a Selkie, Cycle like an Italian, and I will Run like Pheidippides. That is why this can't be simpler.