I looked for inspiration online. I looked for it in my magazines - Triathlete, Inside Tri, Runners World, Men's Health, Texas Highways (dude, I'm a Texan and BBQ can be inspirational) - damn, how many subscriptions can one guy have. I feel like I’ve been searching everywhere for motivation/inspiration and have come up empty.
Until I finally decided to look within myself. I had to travel for business Tuesday/Wednesday, which gave me ample time to reflect and take stock of the first three quarters of the year. It has been a great year. From staying healthy during flu season (yes, this is a success) to staying to committed to my training plan (thanks Martha), and from finishing my first Ironman to getting promoted at work, there is no reason I should/can feel bad about where I’m at right now.
This introspection gave me some insight that may help me find my own way through this. It is all about reminding me that it is okay to not be on all the time – that it is okay to have down days, even if they are strung together. What I figured out…and I probably do this every few months…is that I am in a good place – better than almost any other time in my life – and that my bad day (yes, even really bad days) are still probably better than my best good days when I was “having the time of my life.”
So, today at lunch I went to the gym and did a hour – of a bunch of different stuff. I was just trying to keep moving the whole time. I warmed up with a mile on the treadmill and then spent about 10 minutes on the rowing machine. From there, I walked some kettle bells downstairs to the TRX
lab and just beat myself up. Skull crushers, hamstring curls, lunges, squats, I was a sweaty mess and I loved it. I feel like it was just what I needed to get out of this funk.I’ve got a long run scheduled this weekend and I can’t wait. I think it will be good to get out and push myself. I’m also really looking forward to putting together an “outseason” plan. I know, I know…I should just be and do and not follow a plan, but I’m honestly afraid that if I do that, I’ll balloon and let myself go…
Thoughts, comments, motivating sayings…I’m all ears.
I always say the hardest part of any workout are the 3 steps out the door, so way to get it done when you could. And you will this weekend too.
ReplyDeleteIf I don't have some kind of plan and try to do a "loose schedule/non-plan" I will say...oh, I can do that tomorrow...then 15 tomorrows later I gained 5 lbs and feel like a slug....
Welcome back. Definitely nice and necessary to let things go for awhile, but it sounds like you are on the slippery slope now, so it's good you recognize it and are moving forward. You might want to come up with a new challenge, i.e. new type of race (adventure, duathlon, trail race), to get a fresh start.
ReplyDeleteIf I still lived in New England I have a feeling I'd find myself back on the mountains in the winter. Ice climbing is awesome, plenty of places around to get into a class...
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