Mic Check
I am now a week out from my first Triathlon of the season - Grand Rapids, MI (Olympic distance) - which puts me 12 weeks out from the Chicago Tri and my attempt at breaking 2:30:00. Since I used a 12-week training program last year, this first tri has always been meant to show me where I'm at with my training. We'll talk about some of the other reasons later, but for now, let's take stock and reflect on the product of the last 12 weeks.
My original plan called for completing the GR Tri this coming weekend in 2:45:00 on the high end, and definitely under 3:00:00 on the low end. The remaining 11 weeks would then be tailored towards speed work and getting my body in shape for Chicago. As it stands, 3hrs is my only goal, and I'll be pushing the pace to reach it.
Whatever swim progress I thought I was making has been squandered by 2 full build weeks out of the water due to overtraining, and imperfect technique that showed up only once I started swimming in open water. My mile-swim time is somehow 3mins slower than it was before Chicago last year, and I have yet to do any long runs even totalling the 10km I'm expected to run at the end of Sunday's triathlon. So yea, I am going into the weekend with less confidence of hitting 3hrs than even Chicago last year.
That being said, I feel...ok. I've raced a tri before, so I have a better idea of what to expect. I'm counting on a better run leg now that I have a nutrition plan that works for me, which means I should start that phase of the run with more energy and fewer/zero cramps. I also have a better sense of when/how hard/how far to push myself in a race. So I actually think I'm better prepared going into this race.
Where does that leave us? Well, I'm proud of the work I've put in towards this race. Along the way, I've learned a lot about myself and my body, it's limitations, and how to train effectively for future races. And I'm keen to see what kind of performance I put out on Sunday! When I've felt like giving up, I've been guided by this quote:
"It's alright to miss your goals. It's not alright to quit beforehand."
I don't like shame; I think it is an enemy of progress. While in life there are of course definite deadlines for certain goals, the way I've applied that quote to myself is to not beat myself up when I feel unprepared to make an attempt; to go in confidently expecting to win, or else to learn what it will take to make it on the next attempt. This way, where possible, I turn every finite game into an infinite one until I win. And for the goals I miss with definite deadlines, that’s okay too, because that’s not what defines me, and I will always be better and FEEL better for making the attempt.
