Week 7: Letting Go

I found out this week that I don't have a stress fracture and can begin running and cycling again.  I plan on letting go of everything I knew to be true about running from last year and start from scratch.

Letting go.  It's an interesting concept.  I don't know about you but I seem to hold onto things when I shouldn't.  Sometimes I hold onto things that aren't even in my possession.  Maybe sometimes it's good to just let go and start over.  The new year always seems a great time to do this.  Wipe the slate clean.  Start fresh. (Yeah, you can read between the lines and realize I'm not just talking about running.  Be my guest.)

My plans?  To do the airsquats I should have been doing.  Use the blue band Dr Sadri gave me.  Do all of the hip, glute, and quad exercises I need to be doing.  And slowly start running again.  Take care of my body this time instead of beating it into the ground.  Stretch.  Ice. Massage.

I'm also going to spend the next 12 days off from work cleaning out my basement and house and getting it ready for the 2011 Tri Season.  I'm excited.  I'm giddy.  I'm happy once again.

There are a lot of ups and downs training for triathlons.  I'm letting go of the downs and invite you to do the same.  Let's get out there and get ready for 2011.  I get the chills just thinking about how completely remarkable and fantastic it is going to be.

Week 6: Patience

I'll be the first to admit that patience has never been a strength for me.  I want what I want and I want it now.  So perhaps it's a good thing that Triathlon came into my life.  To force me to slow down.

Wait, you are thinking, that doesn't make any sense.  Aren't tris all about being fast?  Well yes and no.  And after spending the past 6 months or so pushing as hard as I could and training like crazy, it's very hard for me to accept the off-season.  Forced on me because your body needs rest after training so much but also because of injuries.

I never dreamed that the hardest part of the triathlon game was going to be mental for me.  Never thought of that at all when I got into this sport.  The worst part lately has been me questioning whether or not my body will ever heal.  What if I'm told to never run again?  What if I don't build the legs necessary to be able to fly on the bike?  Quite simply: what if I don't reach the goals I have set for myself?

So my solution to that shows up in two places.  One being the experience of my fellow athletes who give me advice and comfort.  The ones who have suffered stress fractures, broken collar bones, and hamstring tears who say "yes, you will recover and you will come back stronger than ever and you will succeed".  I don't know if they have any idea how helpful their words are...the impact is incredible and powerful and fills me with hope.

The other being finding ways to fill the time.  Swimming, lifting weights, and finishing all those projects around the house.  And realizing that 2011 may be the year where I won't be fast.  I won't podium.  I won't break any records.  But I'll become strong.  And more importantly, maybe it's the year that I finally learn to to be patient.

Week 5: The Diet Begins

Diet.  Ugh.  Yes, I said it.  I’m 5 weeks into my Ironman Training and it’s the off season and my injuries prevent me from doing anything other than swimming with a pool buoy and upper body weight training.

I admit I have been using food a little bit, comfort food, to ease the pain.  But after seeing 135.2 on the scale for the past few days, I had to face the fact that dieting needed to commence.

So here we go again.  If you ever dieted, and I imagine most of you have.  Because endurance athletes know that body weight is a huge factor in running and cycling fast.  I could cite many examples but I think Lance Armstrong is the one I always think of.  When he dropped the weight after getting cancer, he then went on to win all those Tours.  There are many who say he would never have gone on to victory at his pre-cancer weight.

There is this theory out there that one should gain a few pounds during the off season so that you have it to lose when you start up hard training again.  I don’t believe in this.  And I have read so many articles to the contrary.  I believe that it’s important to maintain your ideal weight.  And when you start burning more calories, then add more calories to your diet to fuel your training.

My goal?  128 pounds.  This puts me at 10% bodyfat.  That’s about the lowest I can safely achieve without health issues.  I think the first 5 pounds will come off pretty quickly because I have bounced around between 130 and 135 for the past month.

It’s breaking the 130 mark that has proven so difficult for me.  And without running or cycling to aid me, it’s going to be all food.  I’m ready.  I know what it feels like for my stomach to be screaming at me to eat while my brain is saying “no way, I have a goal here, and you Ms. Tummy, with all your incessant screaming, are NOT going to ruin that for me.”

Wish me luck.  Say a prayer.  But please don’t tempt me with anything yummy.  For I surely will cave.