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| Pool tools that I use - Huub Tri transition pack, Pull Buoy Tyr, Water bottle, post swim Team zoot head gear, roka swim goggles. |
Checkin' IN!!!
Thoughts generated from this podcast:
So, today I heard a thought from my preferred triathlon podcast post swim (Crushing Iron - C26) . It dealt with what happens when you have
- achieved your 'why'
- dealt with the demons that got you started
- overcome the things or reasons that drove you to choose endurance oriented sports.
That being said. When I look back at my journey, since circa 2013 and when I wanted to rediscover my fitness and re-awake from being numb to life. I have achieved ALL my previous intentions and then covid hit. What's more, kidlet 3 and 4 have arrived (after 9 years of secondary infertility who would have thought?). Needless to say, I have had great success in my personal 'for me' triathlon related goals. Last year at St George, I started and ran with a friend - Cevan Skinner - and took a 'no expectations' approach for that day. I had a great swim, a pretty solid bike and then I hung on to the run. I was then able to finish with the illustrious Cevan. I even got to reconnect with #teamzooter Jason Horne after the last time I saw him was in 96 in some French town called Tours! Needless to say, some gentle pushing from Cevan and aa reconnection with an old friend, I chose to apply from #TeamZoot and I was selected. Then this year, Liz was also selected to this year's group. How cool is that?
So I have done well in Sprints and Olympics. I have put together great 3 discipline days. But in the 70.3, it's always been 2 of 3 disciplines. I have put together solid swims the last 3 70.3's and it's been either a solid run or bike, but not all of them.
So I think I found my next thing to chase, and I will adapt and iterate it as needed. Of note, I am Self-Coached, with 4 kidlets budgeting a coach just isn't reasonable at this time. So, I have 2 major events this year - 70.3 St George (if it stays open), I can't register until after Jan 1 so my work will reimburse 350 of the sign up, and I have IMCA Oct 24. I'd like to have 2 great overall 3 discipline days, nay 4 (nutrition counts too).
I understand training blocks and training stress (well all stress since the body can't compartmentalize it). What I am struggling with I imagine, is how to properly adjust the overall load, fatigue allowing space for grace (personal grâce meaning family first not training plan). What I think I struggle the most with is just being aware of me. I am though. I have come to learn just to be my own best supporter. You know, I have come quite far. I mean I was on a plane, nearly 250# and hadn't been on a bike for years. When I was ready to do my Gran Fondo and 50 miler, I made a wrong turn and then went for my first century. Well, I won't do that again. I stay within where I know I have trained and that is one of the reasons I don't like signing up so far out from an event. i have taken to I must pay more and wait to assure I am in the correct training space and ready to go. With the recent announcement of the 12 Full ironman events being sold out, well, I won't be able to do that.
So here I am and I choose to lean into 2020 and beyond into 2021. I know how to manage reasonable expectations and limit future resentments. I am grateful to be where I am even though I have gained a 20# plus from 2020 and Covid-19. All things considered, things could be in a much different space. Liz and I have been able to concentrate on what is the most important to us. We have been able to stop. pause. Re-calibrate and reset for us. That in itself if something to be most grateful for, and we are.
My Swims
Lately, swims have been the focus of my current block. I will focus on swimming up until Jan 1, then Its time to identify the plan to be ready for a 70.3 in May and then stretch to October. Most of my swims have been controlled. I went and got a vasectomy on Nov 23, 2020. I waited 10 days before swimming or doing any physical activity beyond picking up my girls and 7 moth old boy. My first swim was at 1000 yards and man, it taxed me. What I didn't realize from the actual procedure, isn't that it was super invasive, rather the stress the body incurs trying to repair itself. There were a few keyboard heroes in different forums I follow that were like, I was out and about in 3 days. Well kudos to you. 10 days post procedure I got a swim in. I have had a few swims since, and today, December 19, I felt good enough to just keep going. I caught my swim feel somewhere around 1200 yds in and I just kept feeling it until about 50 yds left of my session. I was present, I knew that I needed it, I knew that i wouldn't be wrecked, so I just went for it. By the end, my head was empty, and I wasn't solving the world problems. And that my friends is when it hit. The QUAD cramp from the utter depths of HELL! IT made me keel over and the swimmer next to me looked on in concern, didn't ask if I was ok, but I gave him the, well, I'm not dying look and then rolled over and worked that damn thing out. That sucked. I felt very human. I am used to hamstrings, calves, but the QUAD, holy hell, that was not cool, body. Not cool at all!
Liz says it's go time
So what does this mean. Liz looked at me the other day, and in total non C26 fashion, exhorted and chided me to get my tukas moving. It is time. I must get up early and we have to figure out the 7-month old shifts. She also mentioned, that she hasn't said no to a 70.3 in St. George. My dilemma, that's an extra 350 to Ironman, and they just announced the 12 North America Full IM's being sold out. This Covid thing and cancellations will be a good thing for the Ironman braded race engines, if 2021 doesn't see a whole bunch of cancellations, too. My work does something they call "THRIVE FLEX" which is an annual 350 dollar allowance to better yourself in health, or financial well-being. So, I tend to use that to reimburse myself for the race. I don't like to sign up until the end of March. This time period is generally good, because I know that I am heading in the right direction and can manage what type of event I think I can have. In 2019, I cast off all expectations and was just like, this is the 4th time Shane, go enjoy it and love it again. That I was able to do. I remember explaining to Jason, as he passed me going into the swim chutes, why I wasn't advancing, and I was hanging with Cevan. This kept me so non-chalant and low key. I wasn't nervous. I didn't have a care in the world. The energy, nervous, ramping up and all others wasn't an affect to me. So that when I was going on down, and I was 3 seconds behind Cevan, i could say as we crossed the finish together, I still beat you. LOL. Really, I don't care, but....
What does next year look like
Right now that is hard to tell. From a triathlon stance, I am being patient, will plan for the 70.3 and the 140.6. If available in July I will do the Logan tri with Liz. I will do the Sprint most likely, and just make sure she does well. I will swim a good swim and then wait for her in transition or on the pool deck. The rest, I think I just put it away and see what happens. I will figure out my training blocks within the first 2-3 weeks of January. I think I had my best build up in 2017, but then because of the winds during the event, I FUMBLED nutrition and then almost walked off course during the run. I feel that was my worst day, but in retrospect also a very brilliant thing occurred. I was spent! My internal motivators were drained and I allowed 2 friends, one an old friend from my single days and a newer one from PTG both motivate me. They reached me at my about to walk off the cliff moments. It wasn't about me in those moments, it became about my wife, my family, all those that openly and secretly follow me and my efforts. In different ways, different friends and acquantainces have relayed simple encouragements and gratitude for being a revernet example. Sure, I did have the beat my chest, and yell from every roof phase of how big of a change I was making. I realized that was not for me. Since then, I have tuned those things out, and I plan to do similar through next year.
As for a family, we surrendered our cars and traded in for a family appropriate Toyota Sienna. So there is that. Also, we are trying to focus on getting Dennis and Juniper and Astrid through the school year. we hope they are positioned to continue to learn and explore and identify what they want to do and become. We hope to see Dennis ready himself and achieve things he can and could achieve. Heck he did the Icebreaker triathlon on a pretty cold day and finished. it wasn't a perfect day for him, but he let me drive him to American Fork where he did it all, and I just observed. Man it was a cold day :)
Self Coached Athlete vs other
This is a tough one. You know, back in 2013 when I told my wife I was going to do the St. George hald Ironman - she laughed. After the year and proving that I would ride nearly 500 miles on my newly acquired bike, she finally said 2015 - ok if you start losing weight. So event day I was 225 #, and then the next 2 events I was sub 195#. I think that first year was the year of STFU, b/c I KNEW NOTHING. It was quite the humbling experience. I remember coming up to the final turn before the round about in St George over time, and Tim Don was out out there cheering us in. He grabbed my hand, swatted my tired glutes, and said come back and make this right. It was a kind sentiment. He said it in a way that burned deep in me. The next year I came back and finished 2 hours and 15 minutes faster. now that being said. Being Self Coached, it is difficult to celebrate the wins and improvements by yourself. To know what should be celebrated vs what should be just seen as growth with a little bit of personal victory. What I love about self-coaching, it is me, and I am not being monitored or criticized by a supposed objective paid opinion. If I were to choose a coach, I know exactly who I'd like it to be, but I just don't know that I can make that work. The philosophy, the care, the mentality of being a limiting governor and a friend first is very welcoming to me. I would love to have the experience of someone calculating when and what and how and I just have to 'do'. But it is what it is for now, and until that changes, being self-coached is how I will continue.
My advice to any who come across this and seek a coach, it's not just about the podiums, rather find the coach that cares about your health, fitness, overall stress management, and because this is long course endurance oriented - find a coach that plays for the long game not just one trying to have a portfolio of podium finishers. The reality is the biggest winners are ourselves. Anything is possible, and for some the accomplishments of a 70.3 or a 140.6 finisher - is absolutely MASSIVE. Think on that for a moment.
My advice to any who come across this and seek a coach, it's not just about the podiums, rather find the coach that cares about your health, fitness, overall stress management, and because this is long course endurance oriented - find a coach that plays for the long game not just one trying to have a portfolio of podium finishers. The reality is the biggest winners are ourselves. Anything is possible, and for some the accomplishments of a 70.3 or a 140.6 finisher - is absolutely MASSIVE. Think on that for a moment.
Challenge Daytona and Ironman thoughts
For the year 2020, the Daytona Challenge hit at the right time. The PTO had the right event at the right time. They did awesome with the cards handed to them. The question will be what do they want their role to be and will they try to compete with the well established IRONMAN brand. I think the pro's like the current VC and the supporting model to help them in their payouts, but time will tell.
I also would like to see how the IRONMAN brand will change after covid. They are an expensive event. Sure, it's the best show and event there is, and the event is super well supported. But it is a skeleton, it is a framework and they rely on volunteers after the massive buy in - monetary and our time to complete what is required to be physically and mentally prepared to participate. My monies are to pay for the pro's and to be frank, the only pro I have engaged with on course or pre-race was Lionel Sanders and the humble pro I rode with on the bus in 2016 I think it was. Other than that, my monies are actually kind of not used. Sure I use on course water, and red bull during the run and an occasional flat coke, but that's what maybe 20 bux worth. So, it will be interesting to see.
My personal thoughts of what and where I am at
Well, I am trying to follow the wisdom of start where I am at. Well, I had a procedure on 11/23/2020. I am in a swim focus and my last week was solid. I finished today with extending my swim, which negated the run or the bike. I am a bit nervous about the bike, so Monday I need a 20 minute bike or run to go with a 1000 yd or 1mile swim. I need to get back to weekly journaling on my blog. If for nothing else, for me to review the week and determine where I am and what I need to adjust to be successful. I feel me and my family are well, and doing good. I hope we continue to get stronger. Overall, I am grateful. I m in love with my wife. I love my kidlets, most days :P -- Work has been a higher level of stress than normal but that is being controlled in different ways. One day at a time. I am letting unneedful things go. I am doing the next right things.
Activity Tracking and Stalking My Workouts -
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