Motivational Monday 12/25

Motivational Monday 12/18

Can't Do It All

Can't Do It All

One of the best investments that someone can make is having a coach. I don't know if I would have made it through my Ironman without my coach. She makes sure that I don't do anything stupid and keeps me in line. While I so much appreciate my coach and her keeping me in line there are some days I wish I could do it all. 

Endurance events are my favorite and I love just being able to get out there and go. But for the upcoming racing session I told my coach that I wanted to work on being faster and try to be competitive. However, I also have a couple marathons that I would like to do in the Spring that comes with the bonus of seeing my family. These marathons though when looking at the whole race schedule conflict with the goal of wanting to go faster in my 70.3 races.

What do you do when everything you want to do conflicts with each other?

For me it came down to priorities. Out of all the goals and races I had to pick what means more to me. My A races are my two 70.3 races because at the end of the day I see myself more as a triathlete and have stronger goals in that area. Plus I am dedicated to supporting the Fetal Health Foundation! I love that piece of why I race - raising funds and awareness for fantastic organizations!

But remember that opening sentence of this blog post - a coach being a good investment. While this continues to be true because while my coach pointed out this original conflict between the marathons and the later triathlons she also helped me work through it and find a middle ground. She was able to work through the racing schedule with me to make sure I work towards my 70.3 goals but am also able to enjoy my early running season and be with my family. Instead of running three marathons, I will be racing one and the others will be half marathons. So while this isn't want I had originally pictured in the end I know that my coach was keeping my best interests in mind. She is keeping me safe!

Maybe a perspective shift is needed on my part. I can have it all it! The pieces just look a little different when put together for the better. I won't be hurting myself before my racing session really takes off and that is a win!

Motivational Monday 12/11

Coal in My Running Shoe

Coal In My Running Shoe

There are so many running related websites out there that is can make you run in circles. Many of them are great resources and have published many great articles, interviews, etc.. In fact I have several book marked and refer to them frequently. One gem of website local to Denver, CO is Running Denver TV.

Offering a one stop shop for finding local races, running locations, results, and local running groups you can find pretty much what you need.

If you aren't local don't let that discourage you from indulging in a well written blog and something pretty unique, running TV. Stories delivered to you in via video!

It is in this blog where I found out that I will be getting coal in my running shoe Christmas morning in the post Santa's Advice: 5 Presents for Runners & 3 Ways To Get Coal In Your Running Shoe Christmas Morning.

A trait, I believe, that many athletes have - knowing the dangers of pushing through possible injury and deciding to push through anyway. I would like to think that our desire to push through comes for a good place. The strength to keep going. The determination to not let pain get in the way. The passion and love of the sport. All great qualities that have helped us all succeed but there is also something to be said for wisdom.

For my past two running workouts I have run with pain in my leg so much so that if you saw me run you could tell because of my gait. It truly looks like I am limping. When I first noticed the pain a few weeks ago, I took 5 days off and felt better and then went back to training for a day or two and back to rest for a few days. So the cycled continued.

At this point I do believe I have crossed that line into needing to figure out what is going on and to not train. If I continue down this path not only do I get coal in my running shoe but a far worse fate may await - the possibility of having no race season at all. Sometimes the stronger act is knowing when to stop, rest, and get help. So maybe with a little Christmas magic and the help of Santa I can maybe change my fate and maybe skip that coal in my running shoe this year. If Scrooge can do it then there is hope for me.

Reflection on Priorities

Reflection on Priorities

The final month of the year is hear and a new year will shortly be upon us. That means my attention will shortly be shifting to thinking more about the beginnings of training for the next race season. In that spirit I was reflecting on my off season training and thinking about my dream upcoming race season. The off season is such an individualized experience and reflects what you hope to accomplish in the next racing season. So this started me thinking about how the off season cannot only reflect what you want for next season but also reflect your priorities as well.

I might be making a generalization when I write that we all sacrifice something during the training and racing season to accomplish our goals. Sometimes what is sacrificed we consciously know, but I would argue that sometimes there are things that are sacrificed unconsciously. So during the off season maybe there is time and space to take both back.

For myself I put my heart and soul into my racing and training. Not only is it my chance to raise funds for organizations that I love, but it also a place for me to find stress relief and to really dig down and find out what I am truly capable of.  It is a conscious choice that I make to make my training and racing a priority. In doing so I knowingly give up time with my family and friends. I miss events because I have a 70 mile ride that I need to knock out. I spend money that could go to things like travel or savings to make sure that I have training supplies for the season. Unconsciously though, I think I sacrifice making other things priorities and sometimes the small details fall through the cracks. Which for me is hard because I pride myself on being detail oriented and being a good friend and family member. So while I consciously know I am missing time with people what I unconsciously give up is the connection and the support that I can provide and that I receive.

I am not saying that making choices and sacrifices is a bad thing. It is how we go about making the choices. Do we go into unknowingly or with eyes wide open?

So during the off season we have choices to make as well. I love the off season because I do feel like I have the space to make choices that align with my priorities - my family and friends. So during the holiday season I am going to indulge in what the holidays have to offer and spend time with family. Don't worry training will be in there as well, but it will fit into my life a little differently.

Bring on the eggnog and cheers to family and friends!

Love Your Training and Racing Gear

Love Your Training and Racing Gear

When I was at my one of races another runner made a comment to me that made me think. Her comment focused on all the gear that goes into training and racing. She thought when she first started running, just like myself, that all you needed was a good pair of running shoes. Yes you do need a good pair of running shoes. It is super important to have that solid pair shoes that are fit properly. This post isn't going to focus on that topic, but I would remiss if I didn't acknowledge and provide a couple of resources.

How to Buy the Right Running Shoes by Runner's World
Running 101: How to Select the Best Pair of Running Shoes by Competitor Running

There are many resources out there about finding good running shoes and the best thing you can do is go to a local running store and have your shoes fit rather then ordering without trying the shoes. I acknowledge I am not expert but this I am 100% confident in saying.

Thank you for the reading the side tangent but now to the point - the other gear that sports our racing and training. To be completely honest I sometimes take all my other gear for granite because I mindlessly grab it when I get ready to head out the door. It is always there and I know that I need it. But that is the point of the gear that it is always there for you making sure that you have what you need to be successful.

Let me use an example of one of my favorite pieces of gear from Orange Mud. In the spirit of being congruent with my past post about being a discerning reader I am disclosing that I have a bias for supporting local companies. With that said the product still has to be a quality product. My favorite way to stay hydrated during my runs is Orange Mud's HydraQuiver Double Barrel Hydration Pack. This hydration pack was my go to while I was training for my Ironman and for the Boston Marathon. For me this pack worked so well because I could have a good amount of water and my Skratch mix versus having to pick one to have in a more traditional hydration system. The added bonus was that I could also have my Huma gels easily accessible on the straps while still having storage for my keys, phone, jacket etc..

After all the miles and time that I spent training my Double Barrel Hydration Pack held up fantastically and it is still going strong. It made it so easy for me to have all my supplies with me without having to worry about refueling as often which meant I had more time to stay focused. As previously mentioned, I took that for granite, but since that comment I don't think I will be taking my hydration for system for granite anymore especially with what I have in store for next season!