I’ve started and edited and trashed this blog article a few times over the last few weeks, mostly because I thought that I could course-correct.
After about 6 weeks of trying to get my 70.3 training in, it looks as though I will have to forgo the race after all. The training plan is 13 weeks long, and I had hit snags three weeks in. My numbers were all over the place…100% completion, 90%, 20%, 10%, 50%, and I lost count during the last few weeks since I attempted to switch plans to be flexible.
There were a few reasons for this:
- Rearranging my life for my training, rather than having the time for my training. There is indeed a difference.
- Having such limited windows for the in-person preparation. There are technical skills required for triathlon (such as open water swimming, outdoor cycling) that are needed that cannot be picked up with indoor training. I need to be able to allot time for that and the guilt of not doing so was eating me alive.
- There were frequent interruptions to my home life during my long training weekends that required me to be out of the house.
- I traveled for one week away from home, and was unable to put in the training time due to other family commitments.
- My manic-depressive cycles have been making it nearly impossible for me to self-motivate. Unless someone or something depends on me to do a thing, I generally just seem to sit there with an endless list of errands and wishes but no drive to complete them.
- The heat (and combined lack of central AC at home) is very, very oppressive!
I have a lot of running races on my calendar between now and next June (half and full marathons). I have been eyeing a sprint triathlon at the end of summer (Desert’s Edge sprint tri) as a more manageable goal. I’m not sure if I still want to spend the money on another registration or if I should just shrug it off and try again next year. Because of the location, I’ll also need a hotel. Maybe I should flip a coin!
Amara in Training 