Lets face it, last year was a crappy year for me when it came to training and racing. My foot injury was just icing on a poo cake of poor training, inconsistent racing and insufficient conditioning. Strangely enough I trained more last year than I had ever trained before and yet I was still in lousy shape. How does that work?
Anyway this year I knew it was time for a new approach. I briefly flirted with the idea of self coaching but decided against it. I don't think I would be comfortable coaching myself through an ironman considering I've never done one before. So I was weighing my options and getting nervous because the clock was ticking. And all of a sudden everything just fell into place. A friend recommended someone. We talked for a long time on the phone and then before I knew it I had myself a coach. {God help him...he doesn't know what he is in for }
And the best part...he is awesome. I love his philosophy. I love the way he writes my workouts. I love that he has a family and understands that I do too. That I don't have 40 hours a week available for training ...and that sometimes I have to feed my family. wash laundry and taxi my children everywhere. I love that he pushes me hard but doesn't believe in junk miles. I love that he is a good communicator but doesn't get too caught up in analyzing data. I love that I am training less but feel like I'm doing more.
All I have to do now is make sure my body holds together. My foot injury has been treated with regular soft tissue massages, PT appointments, strength sessions,chiropractor adjustments and foam rolling. It seems it takes a village just to get me to the start line. But so far its enabling me to keep training with no real problems.
Unfortunately, my lifelong battle with asthma has made a reappearance. It seems that racing Boise 70.3 last year in freezing conditions and coming out of it with pneumonia caused permanent lung damage and I am now stuck using asthma medication again for the first time in 20 years. Note to self - next time it is snowing on the course it is probably wiser to pull the plug on the race.
Oh Wesley, you cute little puppy. Lanie and Wesley had a playdate inside FF one day and all I could think of was that we were going to be buying some crazy expensive bikes if they didn't simmer down. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you found a coach that suits you. Last year was no bueno. This year is going to be awesome.
Best of luck to you as you tackle the new year of training! Never fun to deal with all the repair work that injuries cause!
ReplyDeleteWow - best wishes and I know this year will be leaps and bounds above last year for you!
ReplyDeleteJust trying to catch up on your blogs. Sorry that asthma revisited you. I know that can make open water swimming even more challenging. Ironmen are fighters and you will find a way to prevail over your lungs. Glad you found a good match to help you get to the start. I am trying out a new group this year and the "self coaching" method. I will let you know how it goes.
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