Small Steps

Like this quote. My Around the Bay race yielded the result I deserved. I did not put in the work and, as a result, I suffered through the 30K. Mentally I did not want to do this race - I felt it only a few km into the race. I walked, albeit short walks, 9 times during the race. I was spent. I considered bailing at 20K but struggled through it and am glad I did.

I vow to remember "how" the race felt, remember the discomfort, the negative thoughts, how I didn't enjoy it. I will carry this with me because I do not want to go there again. I can't quite put my finger on what went wrong. I had some good runs in January, felt good. February and March, however, were brutal - I just didn't "have it." Was it work demands and travel? Family stress? Weather? I can't specifically recall anything but somewhere along the line I lost motivation and my longer workouts became a struggle.

The week post race has been good but I still feel residual fatigue from last Sunday's race. I had a couple of 5 mile runs at 8 minute pace and back-to-back 42km rides outside. I rode with the Beast on Saturday after a 4 mile run. It was a flat ride and a little windy but I was not comfortable - I was still a little tired from doing a 30K race undertrained. That's okay though. I did another 42km ride yesterday as active recovery. I went SLOW - my average for the ride was 25.5K. I did not care. The goal was to loosen up, flush the legs. It took at least 45 minutes before my body came around - I was not going to stop riding til my body came around.

So from this point on I am commiting to the small steps. Instead of looking at the big picture of 2 Ironmans this season, I'm going to chip away at the mountain and take each day as it comes. The last time I did Lake Placid my training was quite simple. During the week I had Mondays off, Tuesdays to Fridays were designated quality-work days, and weekends reserved for the long stuff. I listened to my body and took extra days of rest when necessary. This brought me success. The consistency was key and I committed to building my strength and endurance. The difference this time around is the lack of foundation due to not preparing properly for the Bay race. Good news is I have time and don't have to cram the training in. IM Lake Placid is also a week later this year which helps.

Another great quote. "Keep moving forward" will be my new mantra. It's not that complicated - no reason to make it so.

Truth!! After yesterday's slow recovery ride I began to feel better. I'm not yet in the mental mindset to "fight" but it's coming. In fighting I mean the ability to dig deep during the hurt, to focus when the race becomes painful. It's ironic that a slow ride might be a tipping point to getting back on track but it provided me with clarity. I'm going to look after the small details, strive for balance and enjoy the process.

It can't all be sunshine n' rainbows! I move forward remembering the hurt of the Bay race but, more importantly, knowing the feeling of satisfaction in getting to the start line with optimal preparation and putting myself in the right position for success. One day at a time....small steps.

Cheers!