Love the Hurt: Respect the Process

So my short little 2 week "off" period is over and I'm back to structured training. I'm slowly working my way back into it and I must admit I'm really enjoying it. Especially swimming and running. For months leading up to SOMA I had a lot of 200+ mile weeks on the bike. That meant A LOT of time in the saddle. There's no doubt that it made me monster on the bike (although SOMA doesn't reflect that at all..) but it's been nice to get OUT of the saddle for awhile and just do some chill rides that are only 1:30-2:30 hours long instead of those 3-4 hour rides. It won't be long until I get back to those longer rides but in the meantime I'm enjoying the sloooow build up. Right now it's all about aerobic base training. Building the engine before I fire it up.

I have some big plans for 2013. This will be my 3rd triathlon season and I really feel like this is the first time going into a season where I feel smart, experienced and confident. Here's been my experience thus far:

1st year = Mental overload, crazy swim starts, thinking that I train a lot, still wanted to train like a runner and excited about the sport.

2nd year = Impatient, knowing I train a lot, nutrition conscience, coached, sponsors, Wattie Ink, getting smarter, podiums, frustration, cramps, pretty much a roller coaster year and the biggest thing is... I learned soooo much! I became a student of the sport.

3rd year = TBD. Lots of breakthrough years happen in the 3rd season. I've seen it with a lot of triathletes and I even experienced it myself in high school AND college track. It's my junior year and I'm going into it a lot better athlete and not to mention I got rid of that horrendous 3-4 hour/day commute that no doubt had an effect on my energy levels.

Scarlett & I getting the Barbies
to plank just like we do in Yoga

Last week I mentioned of some of the changes I had planned. Well, they are already in the works. I've been doing functional strength training, yoga, changed up my nutrition game, bike fit is scheduled next week and coaching myself has been great. I feel like I listen to my body more coaching myself. I've already found ways to re-arrange workouts better in my schedule and take it more as a day-by-day model instead of planned, in-grained training weeks. This has helped with recovery, adapting to change and maximizing the time that I have available to train. What model am I using to coach myself? Well it's a combination of several influences:

1. Joe Friel
2. Dave Wilson
3. Irv Ray
4. Steve Scott
5. Bob Schul
6. Jeff Galloway
7. James Walsh

Those are basically the seven coaches I've had and/or studied. I have documented workouts, training logs, books - you name it. Not to mention years of knowing what works for me. The 20 years I've been running give me a ton of ammunition for planning out periodization which include key workouts in base, build, taper/peak phases. Running and biking are a lot alike in that regard. Swimming..Well I'm just glad I get to go to masters 3-4 times a week and let Coach Carol handle that!

College Track days, Pre style

One of the biggest things I've learned this year was how un-important numbers are in training. Walsh and I were talking about it in a run last week. Sure, they are great for training in the right zones and being smart but when it comes to nailing this or that workout and basing it off of the times you threw down don't mean a damn thing. In track the numbers mean a lot because there are waay less variables. You do key track workouts, there may or may not be some wind, then you race on the same track for 4 minutes. In triathlon, there are sooo many variables so you really can't gauge the times you throw down in training to what you should be capable of in a race. Conditions, mechanicals, nutrition, and the fact that you are out there for 4+ hours is a game changer. So this year I promise I will not get caught up in the numbers, post workouts, predict how fast I'll go...etc etc. I was soo convinced that I was a "sub 4:30" guy but the reality of it is, I had three shots last year and I ended up as a 4:47 guy. I hate the saying, but "it is what it is." Cramps, mechanicals, peeing, heat...whatever - the guys that go sub 4:30 go through the same learning process that I went through. So as Reilly Smith mentioned in a tweet to me "Respect the Process."

So f*ckng true.