Jan. 19, 2010

Okay, I am officially the worst person to keep new years resolutions. I told myself that I would write this blog at least 3-4 times a week, if not every day. Obviously, that hasn't happened yet. But, one thing about my resolutions this year-- I decided not to put too much pressure on myself. I wasn't like everyone who said “I'm going to get in shape this year.” I figured that I had already set a resolution in progress when I signed up for TNT. And believe me, if I don't get in shape while training for this Ironman, then it would only be because I don't keep up with the workouts....

Speaking of which....

Yes, I have been slipping a little. I'm terrible. I seriously do the exact thing the coaches say not to do-- I try to overload practices into a few days and then skip entire days elsewhere. Basically, last week, I only rode my trainer one day for an hour and a half. I missed the second hour and a half trainer ride and I missed the 35 miler with the mentor ride. I have no clue when I can make up those practices, and basically I know I won't.

Today, I have on the schedule a swim and a bike. Well, the swim didn't happen. Yes, I will get the bike in hopefully when I get home, but man, seriously it's so hard to keep up between this and starting out a new job of mine. I put so many hours in at work, a couple hours in on the commute and trying to get a couple hours of working out in is also a pain. It's only January and I wonder how I will make it through the next eight months...

I guess I have to keep a positive outlook. Just do a few things at a time and not let it affect me when I skip a practice. I remember about a month ago when there was an 80 minute run on the schedule. Well, I wasn't in any shape to be able to do an 80 minute run and started getting all anxious about it. I was refusing to do it because I didn't believe that I could do it. And with my anxiety and lack of a positive attitude, I probably wouldn't have made it. But then, my mom reminded me that sometimes all you have to do is maintain. If I was at the level to run 30 minutes, then just keep that up. It's better to do the 30 minutes rather than skip the whole practice all together. I need to remind myself of this fact more often. I sometimes think it's an all or nothing game. But, in reality, it's a game of continuously building. You don't start with the capability to do an Ironman, and that's why you join a team. It's about testing your limits and putting in the work, step by step. Even if your steps are slower and not as far one day, you're still taking the steps.

I wish I could keep that in perspective always...