112 days gone and just 33 to go. Wow, when I look at it in days rather than weeks the elapsed time since I started really hits home. The time left also hits home, but I am reminded of that every day – there is no escaping the ticking clock.
But I don’t feel my training is a race AGAINST time. I feel fit and healthy. I don’t feel ready...yet. But I don’t feel behind or ahead. Actually I have no clue where I am supposed to be, I leave that to the experts. Trust and do as you are told, give each session an honest effort and come race day you will have the assurance that you have given yourself the best possible chance and shot and not cheated yourself by thinking, if I had done this, or that. And don’t let’s even go down the path of “what if”. That is not in my vocab!
But I don’t feel my training is a race AGAINST time. I feel fit and healthy. I don’t feel ready...yet. But I don’t feel behind or ahead. Actually I have no clue where I am supposed to be, I leave that to the experts. Trust and do as you are told, give each session an honest effort and come race day you will have the assurance that you have given yourself the best possible chance and shot and not cheated yourself by thinking, if I had done this, or that. And don’t let’s even go down the path of “what if”. That is not in my vocab!
Thanks Shazley for this picture. I am smiling once again - LOVE IT!
So to this week, torturous? Not really, it’s very weird. Monday swim was solid, but come the evening I had back-pedalled my way to WK1 on the turbo. My knee was hurting slightly and my legs were saying NO MORE! Tuesday swim was similarly tanker-like and thinking that the week was paved out before me as a long nasty affair I then shocked myself with an awesome treadmill run. I had to change machines halfway through because one got so wet and slippery!
Every morning since WK1 or 2 I am always very apprehensive to move my body when I wake up. Lying very still in bed listening to the alarm I know it is time to get up and get wet. This is what I go through every day when that alarm sounds. It takes less than 30seconds to do this rather unscientific assessment, but like most of training these days, it has become a daily ritual, because EVERY SINGLE DAY, I feel this way:
Every morning since WK1 or 2 I am always very apprehensive to move my body when I wake up. Lying very still in bed listening to the alarm I know it is time to get up and get wet. This is what I go through every day when that alarm sounds. It takes less than 30seconds to do this rather unscientific assessment, but like most of training these days, it has become a daily ritual, because EVERY SINGLE DAY, I feel this way:
First of all I tentatively stretch. This used to be a sublime cat-like stretch but these days it is more reminiscent to that of an old lady. Straighten one leg, then the other and check everything is working and no cramp is coming to visit. Discomfort? Check. Pain present? Double Check. Eyes open? Check. Ready to now move to edge of bed? Check, Check. And Groundhog Day starts all over.
With the midweek madness done and dusted the weekend approached. The long hot hilly Broga Loop ride was LONG, SCORCHING and HILLY, BUT very enjoyable. (It is the group I ride with that makes it enjoyable, not the hills – I am not THAT mad). Ridden at a volume pace (this is all the legs allow these days) it was great fun. The post interval brick in searing heat? Lapped it up. It was a real taste of what we are in for come race day. For someone with a rather odd aversion to any form of cold it is no news that I prefer the heat. I would not dare say that I excel in the heat – I am human and not a camel after all, but I do prefer heat over rain and cooler climes. Having said that I finished my run beetroot red and was nicely hosed down in the car park, I would like to say ala a race horse but there is nothing about my running that could liken me to a thoroughbred! Stubborn ASS (read: Donkey) is much more like it.
The loooong Sunday run is never a fun time. The end of a long hard week, basically I do what the legs will allow. It is uncomfortable, never easy (then again training never should be easy, else you are not training), and never particularly fast or slow. I don’t get hung up on how quick I am going on these runs. I try to leave my EGO in bed, for there are no medals to be won on training days.
When I came home this morning I sat down, feet up and nodded off within minutes. Everything was and still is throbbing. If I get up it is a slow and painful struggle. I am not exaggerating here, and would love to read that you guys are having similar training pains.
With one weeks holiday from work next week (CNY) I am looking forward to completing training and just basically resting. The trouble is while my body is good for nothing other than shuffling, my mind will not rest. I get SO bored doing nothing. I know I need to rest but just sitting still I am going mad and eating probably waaaay too much crap – AGAIN. A good friend said read a book. I do try, but I can’t concentrate for more than a few minutes and then my mind goes AWOL, same with watching the tennis or a movie. How I am going to handle free time next week I do not know.
I am going to try my best to sleep and rest, but me thinks the only thing I can concentrate on for more than a few minutes is writing. So in advance, my apologies, as there could be a few lengthy posts coming next week. If there aren’t, you know I have finally succeeded and the mind has switched off long enough for the body to rest.
As always, waiting in the wings with my taper is Coach Vinnie of Ironguides. I have no clue what it is or when it is coming. I am pretty sure we have two more BIG weekends coming before any changes are indicated. Boy oh BOY; am I looking forward to that DAY!
With the midweek madness done and dusted the weekend approached. The long hot hilly Broga Loop ride was LONG, SCORCHING and HILLY, BUT very enjoyable. (It is the group I ride with that makes it enjoyable, not the hills – I am not THAT mad). Ridden at a volume pace (this is all the legs allow these days) it was great fun. The post interval brick in searing heat? Lapped it up. It was a real taste of what we are in for come race day. For someone with a rather odd aversion to any form of cold it is no news that I prefer the heat. I would not dare say that I excel in the heat – I am human and not a camel after all, but I do prefer heat over rain and cooler climes. Having said that I finished my run beetroot red and was nicely hosed down in the car park, I would like to say ala a race horse but there is nothing about my running that could liken me to a thoroughbred! Stubborn ASS (read: Donkey) is much more like it.
The loooong Sunday run is never a fun time. The end of a long hard week, basically I do what the legs will allow. It is uncomfortable, never easy (then again training never should be easy, else you are not training), and never particularly fast or slow. I don’t get hung up on how quick I am going on these runs. I try to leave my EGO in bed, for there are no medals to be won on training days.
When I came home this morning I sat down, feet up and nodded off within minutes. Everything was and still is throbbing. If I get up it is a slow and painful struggle. I am not exaggerating here, and would love to read that you guys are having similar training pains.
With one weeks holiday from work next week (CNY) I am looking forward to completing training and just basically resting. The trouble is while my body is good for nothing other than shuffling, my mind will not rest. I get SO bored doing nothing. I know I need to rest but just sitting still I am going mad and eating probably waaaay too much crap – AGAIN. A good friend said read a book. I do try, but I can’t concentrate for more than a few minutes and then my mind goes AWOL, same with watching the tennis or a movie. How I am going to handle free time next week I do not know.
I am going to try my best to sleep and rest, but me thinks the only thing I can concentrate on for more than a few minutes is writing. So in advance, my apologies, as there could be a few lengthy posts coming next week. If there aren’t, you know I have finally succeeded and the mind has switched off long enough for the body to rest.
As always, waiting in the wings with my taper is Coach Vinnie of Ironguides. I have no clue what it is or when it is coming. I am pretty sure we have two more BIG weekends coming before any changes are indicated. Boy oh BOY; am I looking forward to that DAY!
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