Balance is becoming harder and recently I've been trying to train smarter and harder with less time. Two weeks of that and I'm getting much better results. More intervals, harder efforts, less time. I've had a decent amount of balance than over the winter.
Priorities being what they are it breaks down (in this order):
- Kids/Family/Relationship Time - Much more important than training or racing. I want to give my two kids the world. If I miss Monday's speed workout to help my daughter with her math homework then so be it. I'll make it up another day. It's harder now that I'm alone with them. So on days they're with dad (if I'm not working) I need to make the most of it.
- Work - Need money to race, it's pretty simple. Lately I'm putting in enough effort to stay employed.
- Training - That is what it is.
- Everything else
It's becoming more and more important that I nail workouts as they happen. I'm waffling back and forth on coaching but I realize I'm kind of a nightmare when it comes to scheduling. I would drive a coach nuts. I drive myself nuts. As I've learned with the Endurance Nation Fast Camp I signed up for... I can't do anything in any kind of order, I try to keep a reasonable schedule. Long runs, interval and long easy bikes, tempo runs, swimming... But I can't commit to a weekly schedule, every day depending on work or kids is per diem for workouts. So I'm still self coaching for a little while to see if I can still do it. I self coached myself through an ironman last year, I think I can do it again this year.
Self coaching can be a great accomplishment and a great excuse I find. If I do well, it's pretty amazing. If I don't meet my goals, "Well, you know... I am self coached."
This year has much more volume than last year. A half ironman at least once every month and a full in September. A half marathon once a month so I can slowly creep my time down. The 70.3 training is more speed focused and the 140.6 training is just trimming the fat off last year's time and going faster while keeping up the endurance.
I think last year with all the long, slower endurance training I realized maybe I wasn't meant for sprint and olympic distance triathlons. I can do them, but I just can't push myself to that pace that's needed to do really well. I can push the pace to squeak out a podium, but not win.
Current training for the Cox Half Marathon is going well. I did a tempo long run (contradictory?) last night and kept pace for just under ten miles, easy effort. I'm really hoping for a ten minute PR on that race at least. Any PR on that race would be good, but I like goals.
Cycling training is definitely picking up as I head outdoors for the spring for longer rides. I'm still looking to do shorter, power focused rides on the trainer. Which is nice because I can do them and not worry about sunlight or the weather or time of day.
Off to enjoy this unusually warm weather in March (80ish in New England in March, what?!) the best way I know how, on my bike!
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