My second big goal race of the year is over. It’s been a week. When training gets hectic and all you want is a break, you picture the finish line and keep working hard, knowing there is a break coming.
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| Muncie 70.3. 2013 Goal # 2. Mission Accomplished. |
When you are racing, in that moment and it hurts, you think about all the work you put in and think about the break you get once you cross the finish line. And you push. You pushed to get yourself there, you had better push on the days it means the most.Â
Then the break comes. What do you do. First thought is, sloth around of course. Eat a ton (not that you weren’t already eating a ton while in beast mode training) and have your fair share of celebratory drinks.Â
While I’m really good at the eating and drinking part, I’m not good at slothing around. It depresses me. I don’t know how to relax for more than a day; usually I struggle doing it for just one day. It’s a weakness. Glenn gets annoyed with me, because I get annoyed with him if he wants to just be lazy. What do you mean you want to take a nap on a Saturday? Lay around while Marshall naps??? There is too much to do… you can’t possibly use nap time for a nap yourself? Â How can you live like that you lazy lazy man? This hour of time you have is very valuable and you CHOOSE to relax? How dare you. I’ve got lists. And lot’s of them.
But back to the break. What I know is important about the break… is recovery. I took two full rest days after Ironman Muncie 70.3. I’ve done a little bit of easy running and hopped in the pool twice. Normally I would do a longish run on Saturday, but I swam instead this morning. There is no way around my legs being tired and even running 8 miles would only delay the getting untired process.
I see how incredibly easy it is to go back to old ways;Â when I don’t have a training schedule, I just run. It’s easy, it takes no prep and I can do it pushing a stroller. I don’t have to get wet and it’s just simple. That’s why running sticks. BUT, I don’t want to fall back into that. Although it will always be my first priority, I’ve really enjoyed the “rest” from it while still getting great benefits and the same drug like endorphins when I’m on the bike and swimming. Not to mention, I feel stronger.Â
So what now. I can’t possibly not train for something. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but I think I’m going to race the Chicago half on September 8th. Glenn’s already planning on doing it during his training for the Chicago Marathon, so I’ll be up there anyway.Â
I still haven’t given myself the proper chance to really race a half. (since 2008… really!) Â Although I did PR at Carmel this year, Â it wasn’t my full potential. I was still recovering from Shamrock, well I didn’t really let myself recover.. (dumb). I was also coming off a couple of weeks of tough workouts, including a 2 person marathon relay the week before, which killed my legs.Â
Carmel was supposed to be more of a workout than a race for me. I got to the start line though and decided to act like it was a race. It’s just 13 miles right? On unprepared legs, I ran the first half way too fast, thinking maybe I was just good enough to pull a sub 1:30 off. News flash to me, I’m not that fast. It was lazy and impatient of me, but I really wanted to get rid of a 5 year old PR that I’d run long training runs faster than. It’s time to do it the right way now. If I could do it all over again- I would have found a half to race when I was in the peak of my Shamrock training. My confidence was high, my endurance was high and my speed work was on point. I didn’t do that though- so HEY Lindsey.. get over it! Move along.Â
I’ve sketched out my plan for the half. Not sure I really want to work that hard already, but I know I’ll be happy if I do. What I need to do though is take one more week really easy, if I don’t I won’t recover from Muncie. I’ll be back in the same boat I was at Carmel… racing for a smaller PR on tired legs, when there’s a bigger one in me. Patience is so important people.Â
I’m a big fan of putting goals out there, so if I’m gonna tell you I’m racing a half, I better throw out some goals. I’m not scared to vocalize where I’d like to see myself. I’m realistic, but am willing to push hard enough that realistic scares me.Â
I don’t believe missing a goal time is failure. Not being willing to put the work in to get to that goal is failure.Â
Work Works. How hard are you willing to work is the question. You are capable of so much more than you might have once thought. I know I am.
Here it is:Â
Main Goal: Break 1:30
Dream Big Goal: 1:27
And after this race- we’ll can reevaluate those goals.
Are you racing a half this fall?Â
Have you ever let a race PR become 5 YEARS old?Â
Do your goals scare you? Maybe they should?