Yoo 329 - A Note From the Training Section

It's been a longish kind of while since I've delved into a really good endorphin-inspired post. Do you miss them?

I didn't think so.

But I went on a run at Government Canyon last night so brace yourself.

First, the glorious:

Second, the not-so-glorious (unpictured). BUGS. There were invisible swarms of those miniscule gnat creatures EVERYWHERE. I definitely choked down more than one [handful]. When I got back they were stuck to my arms and face and neck like some kind of trail glitter. It was in that moment of rugged beauty that I realized there is a certain amount of passion involved...

It was a great run.

And I did some thinking about how different my approach to training is now, compared to last year. Let's compare.

Kyoo training for last year's marathon:
Detailed mileage plan for everyday
Multiple workouts a day
Early morning workouts
Calorie counting
NEVER skipped a run or workout

Kyoo training for this year's Ironman:
No daily training plan
Max one workout session a day
Sleeps in until, well, until she wakes up sans alarm clock
No calorie counting
Skips a workout when needed

I've eased up a bit. Not really in intensity or amount of time spent training, but in how anal I am following a "plan". I don't have a training plan for this Ironman. Running, biking, swimming, and lifting weights are a stress release for me. I want to look forward to doing them (almost) every day. I want them to be sustainable, life-long activities.

I'm an avid planner. It's a strength and a flaw. Sometimes plans kind of suck the fun out of life though, me thinks. And they usually get changed at execution time anyways. When I have a specific workout planned, it becomes yet another thing I have to do, instead of something I want to do.

Now, I have a general idea about what I should be doing each day, and I try not to deviate from that much. But not having specifics really makes each session more spontaneous and enjoyable.

And I usually end up doing more. Because I want to.

Also, did you know that getting enough sleep at night can change your life? Ok, we all know this. I've put a priority on sleeping more and it has made a huge difference. Maybe it's a luxury I have right now, this time for sleep thing, but I'm going to take advantage of it as long as I can.

Have a great day :-)