I've been inspired of late, however, with the tri adventures of 3 friends who perhaps were inspired by my Ironman journey of the past couple of years. So maybe this where they now help me get off my butt and back to the fitness lifestyle that served me well enough to get in a few races over the past couple of years. It was quite exciting to see them each achieve their personal goals and again inspire me as to what I could accomplish if I get back at it. I had talked about this year being a year of smaller events and perhaps even just focusing on running - some 10k efforts, perhaps a half-marathon. But other than a commitment to doing a 100k ride in July (which will now be a painful experience due to lack of training) nothing actually got put into my calendar.
So I'm thinking if I start talking more publicly about my efforts again it might act as some much needed self-imposed peer pressure to get me committed to sustained workout regimen! In this I believe I will have a partner in my wife Heidi - the one who got me into this tri world to begin with. We will have to break our mutually supporting cycle of chips, wine and TV before bedtime and hopefully revert to something more like windtrainer time while watching a past Ironman championship on the big screen!
I hope my recent investment in some new run flats will also get me back on track too. A parting gift from my work colleagues. As one of them said "Just think how fast you'll be able to go now..." For me it was never a problem thinking how fast I could go, it was the problem that my body has not yet been able to achieve the pace my brain fantasizes my body could go....
Hey Greg - great post! I am going to offer you a comment that ultimately was inspired by you in my past. I would propose you need to change your endpoint. How so? Well many would say that last weekend, I achieved a major milestone in completing my first triathlon and first 1/2 Ironman distance. The funny thing is that I had already succeeded far before the event. I have made my endpoint my training. Every time I train, I make it an opportunity to achieve something not yet actualized - it is a "train for life" mentality thus it never ends. On the day of the event, too many things are beyond our control - weather, mechanicals, other people, tacks on bike course etc. By making the event your endpoint you allow yourself an opportunity to start and stop - I would recommend adjust your mental construct. No sooner did I get in the door this weekend and I was already looking for when I get a chance to get back to training....the training for me is the reward. In this I can never be disappointed as every time I train is a better state than I would have been in two years ago (where I too would have joined you on the couch for some of those chips). So I hope this proverbial boot is kicking you where needed...or in the words of my other mentor Lisa Bentley, "Keep on being great and finish with a smile." (This is the point where you grab your calendar and start booking your training sessions - it doesn't even matter what discipline -just do something!!) And love the new shoes!
ReplyDeleteTrevor
Thanks Trevor! Great point. I think my fatal error was not just registering for something soon after the 2nd Ironman. And point taken about not letting the race be the thing. As with you, I felt so much better about myself when I lost my weight and got more in shape and that should have been motivation enough.
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats on carrying through with GWN - I know there was angst leading up to race day but you showed what you could do and now you know what more you are capable of!