It's tough to maintain my motivation to train for a race that's still several months away. I had a strong first six weeks of training because I needed to be prepared for the half-marathon and triathlon, but now I keep thinking, "Eh, an extra rest day won't matter since I have so much time to make up for it."
That rationalization only works for so long, and December 4 will be here before I know it. Time to get out of this funk and jump back into training with gusto! But first, let's look back on the last week of racing and resting... and racing again.
WEEK 7
Monday: Labor Day Half-Marathon (13.1-mile run)
I met my goal of a sub-two-hour finish — barely! But the "barely" part doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I set a goal, worked my tail off for six weeks and achieved it. It wasn't that easy, but it was that simple.
Side note: I'm done with half-marathons for a while. I'm really happy with my PR, and it's just a tad too far of a race distance for me to find truly enjoyable. I think my favorite distance is 15K (9.3 miles) — the race I did on my 24th birthday was so much fun.
Tuesday: Rest
I took Tuesday off of work, which was officially The Greatest Idea Ever. I kicked off the day with a serious stack of dark-chocolate-chip pancakes, which are my current addiction. I'm not sure why I ever eat anything else for breakfast. Then I soaked up some sun in the hammock with a copy of The Hunger Games.
After that stressful morning, I unwound with an hour-and-a-half deep-tissue massage. I've had a Massage Envy gift card in my wallet for THREE YEARS and I finally decided to use it (thanks, Mom!). Quick, someone put a personal masseuse on the payroll!
As if that weren't enough, I then headed over to Caleb Wojcik's place, where he and his wife fed me delicious tacos and beer while telling me all about their upcoming road trip across the country. Definitely check out Caleb's story about why he recently quit his job to pursue his passions.
It was a solid rest day. : D
Wednesday: Rest
Let's see, what happened to the 9-mile bike ride and 2-mile run I had planned to prepare for the triathlon distances? Ah, yes! Work was a complete nightmare when I returned from my day off, and I spent the whole day (and early evening) catching up. Throw in a little emotional turmoil and you've got a great recipe for a rest day.
Thursday: Pool swim
I met Vicki at the community pool for one last swim before the tri. She hadn't seen me swim for a few weeks and was really impressed by how much I had improved!
A lifeguard was less than impressed and gave me a few helpful pointers:
- Reeeeeach for the wall so that when I pull back, my stroke pushes as much water as possible (thus propelling me forward).
- Lift my legs higher so that my kick isn't buried completely underwater.
I love me some pointers.
Friday: Rest
On Friday evening, I used Caitlin Boyle's excellent essential sprint triathlon packing list to gather all my gear for the tri. I was nervous to pack all my stuff and head to my mom's house in Woodinville because if I forgot something, it would mean a 30-minute drive back to my place! Thanks to the helpful list, I didn't have have that problem.
I stopped by Cottage Lake to pick up my race packet, get body-marked and collect my swag. Just like the actual triathlon, this process was extremely well-organized. Mary Meyer runs a tight ship! She also puts together excellent swag bags. Some of us race just for the swag, you know.
Saturday: Cottage Lake Super Sprint Triathlon (.25-mile swim, 9-mile bike, 1.6-mile run)
I met all of my goals for my first triathlon and had an absolute blast! I didn't panic or get kicked in the face during the swim, I didn't hurt myself or others on the bike, and I kicked the crap out of the run. As an unexpected bonus, I placed third in my age group! OK, so it was out of four people, but still...
There are many more triathlons in my future.
Sunday: Rest
I cleaned the bathroom, which almost counts as strength training when you consider the amount of grime I scrubbed from the shower floor. I put together my triathlon recap, which required vigorous typing and photo-editing. I went grocery shopping, which included some walking and heavy lifting. I watched The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, which exercised my brain.
I'll call it an active rest day, OK?
WEEK 7 TOTALS
Miles run: 14.7
Miles biked: 9
Swims: 2
Strength-training sessions: 0 (or 1, if you include the shower)
Rest days: 4
Races: 2
Carbs: All of them, ever
MARATHON TRAINING TO DATE
Miles run: 113.2
Miles biked: 67.5
Swims: 7
Strength-training sessions: 10 + 1 shower
Spoiler alert for Week 8:
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