Enjoying the Journey - Training for my first Half Ironman Week # 11
I started Monday riding high, full of energy, and felt like a man on a mission. However, as soon as I got to the gym for my first workout, something in me knew that this was not going to be a typical week. The pool was extremely crowded, and I had to wait for forty-five minutes to start my workout. I didn’t let that deterred me, and I waited patiently, kind of. It would have been easier to go home, but I was determined to start the week with the right foot. On Tuesday, after a long day at work, a lot of traffic and a late long run I got extra feisty. A late workout is not necessarily harder, but it means a late dinner, shower, and bedtime. Needless to say that Wednesday didn’t turn out to be any better as the rain keeps pushing me to train indoors. The setbacks kept mounting and by now I was convinced that the world was out to get me. The frustration was creeping up and the fatigue was catching up to me. I like structure in my days and nothing was coming out as planned. However, I'm proud of how I handled all the situations. I dint let my emotions take control of me and was able to keep making progress. Overall, I'm really happy with the effort I put into my training sessions. I'm learning to embrace the hard days and take full advantage of the good ones. Most importantly, I'm starting to feel more confident on my ability to deal with difficult training days. Here are two things I learned from this week.
It is essential to train the mind - several times this week, I felt like the world was out to get me. I was late multiple times due to traffic, I was not able to run or bike outside due to rain, and even had to returned home once because I forgot my gym clothes. In those moments, my mind can be my biggest ally or my worst enemy. There is always an easy way out, but I'm trying hard to stay patient and make the best of the situation. When things don’t go as planned, I really need to be in the right mindset before making any decision. It takes practice but taking a few minutes to calm down and way my options can work wonders. Training my mind to have a positive attitude is resulting in positive outcomes.
Enjoy the journey - Eleven weeks are a long time, but they can fly by really fast. Especially, when training for a half Ironman while working a full-time job. Often, I catch myself drifting too deep into training. I'm so concentrated on swimming, biking, running, stretching, weight training, eating, sleeping and not freaking out that I forget to pause and be thankful. And there is a lot that I'm thankful for; the open road while cycling, the nature around me while trail running, and having fun conversations when training with friends or family. I love that I'm growing as an individual, learning a lot about myself and feeling more confident. It's important for me not to lose touch with my surroundings and appreciate the beauty of this journey every single day.
Daily Break Down:
Monday 2,000 m swim
Tuesday 8 miles run
Wednesday 16 miles indoor bike
Thursday 1,600 m swim; 3 miles run
Friday 46 miles indoor bike ride
Saturday 800 m swim; 30 minutes yoga
Sunday 14.5 miles indoor bike; 1.5 miles treadmill; 55 minutes strength class
