An Incredible Machine

After an awesome training day like today I can't help but be amazed by what the human body and spirit are capable of. Just like a well oiled and finely tuned machine I awoke at 6:15 for more morning workout - despite the ThunderSnow of the previous evening here in DC. I got dressed with the faith that I would be able to put my 3 miles in outside instead of the treadmill before peering out the window. Oh, how I love DC! The streets were clear, the sidewalks were mostly clear and the temperature was in the 30's! I set out as a lone ranger in the dark of morning. The city was calm and quiet compared to other weekday mornings at 6:30am thanks to the snow. My run went very well I hit my pace and kept at it, around the white house and up Virgina Ave. to the gym.

The pool was calm with only 1 other swimmer. I was able to jump in and pound away 3x500m repeats. Awesome I PRed on my first one and kept the speed up on my 2nd and 3rd! Unlike other days the locker room was empty and calm. After a quick change I ran home so I could indulge in obnoxious amounts of Special K Red Berries! Offer me anything for breakfast, but if Special K Red Berries is on menu I'll take it! Humans are creatures of habit, maybe I am more so than others but I like what I do and it works for me. My college soccer coach used to include this quote with every summer workout book she gave us - "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."-Aristotle.

As habits and excellence become intertwined and as I push on towards excellence some may begin to call me crazy. At 3:00(an hour early than usual) I laced up my running shoes for workout #2 - Long Run Thursday! Sometimes I dread this day, other times I look forward to it all week long, but no matter what I love it once the long run is over. The afternoon weather was beautiful and my legs carried me 11 great miles - along the water, past the monuments, on a secluded Hains Point with wonderful wildlife and past the museums and White House. The hardest moments for me are when I have to stop due to traffic and my legs just want to keep going and going. Like a machine that has not finished it's job.

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I am used to people calling me "crazy" - classmates, friends, family, strangers, little kids, everyone pretty much! Yes, I train 2x/day most days of the week. Yes I run a total of 14 miles on Thursday and swim 1 mile. I love every second of it and I am amazed every week at how my body becomes more efficient and adapts to the challenges I throw at it. Keeping the machine running well also comes with sacrifices. I have learned through trial and error, if that's what you want to call it, that I can't perform if I stay up late, drink, eat bad food, or don't train at all. Throw all of those into the mix at the same time and it takes a full week for me to rebound back to pre-latenightalcoholjunkfoodlaziness. As I set my sights high focus my desires on the goals I have set for myself I must be willing to make the sacrifices that keep the machine running.

Another part of my training that I am working on has to do with Team FCA-Endurance. I was active with FCA throughout college, as well as other campus ministries. When I got to DC I didn't have that fellowship and I started looking into options. I joined Team FCA-Endurance with hopes to join up with a local huddle, meet new people with similar passions and maybe find a training partner. Well great idea, but DC doesn't have a huddle. So I began setting out quiet time on my own and following Team FCA-E online. Last night I received an Email from a fellow FCA-E member with information about helping to start a huddle in DC. I can't wait to see how the Lord works with Endurance athletes in DC!

To achieve something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done. Tri something new today, who cares if anyone calls you crazy!

I do not boast in my own abilities or believe in my own strength. I rely solely on the power of God. (taken from the Competitor's Creed http://fcaendurance.com/the-competitors-creed)

DESIRE

Back into the swing of things, and it feels great! Morning workouts followed by a huge bowl of Special K Red Berries and off to school! 2.5 weeks of relaxation and restoration at home was amazing and it feels great to come back with energy and enthusiasm to train hard and work hard (school wise too). The toughest thing about taking such amounts of time off (and I did do at least 30 min of aerobic activity 5-6 days of the week) is the overwhelming thought that I am losing all my fitness. In actuality I knew I wasn't going to lose all of it but heading out for a run after 5 straight days on the indoor bike trainer isn't the most uplifting and energizing running experience. After just one week of returning to training hard I feel great, some of my runs have been a little slower but that's expected and I tend to run slower when its only 30 degrees outside. My legs just get too cold.

Next weekend I am heading up to a mountain ski chalet in Davis, WV with a group of friends for a ski weekend. It should be a great weekend and I know my legs will get some good strength workouts with all the snowboarding I'll be doing but I would love to get some running in as well. Of course that also depends on the conditions of the mountain roads in town and the weather to an extent but I hope I can make it happen.

Over the past week I patiently contemplated my one word for this year. This word appeared a few times while reading throughout the week and I think it really sums up a little of everything I want to focus on throughout the year. "For where your treasure lies, there your heart will be also..." - the word I have chosen is DESIRE. Desire to train hard, eat right, live well, be happy, have fun, follow my heart, and achieve my goals. As long as I treasure what is most important my desire can help me achieve that which I set forth to do.

I have also been thinking about and planning my racing calendar for the year. With a few races set - the most important one has yet to be decided upon - a half-ironman! For awhile I was thinking Providence 70.3 but more recently I am leaning more toward the Augusta 70.3 due to the late season date and location. Though this is only 2 weeks after The Nation's Tri I think if I plan it out I can get a good peak for both of them.

I am well into The Triathletes Training Bible and have began playing around with trainingpeaks.com. I have yet to sit and write out an annual training plan but I know basically what it will look like and what things in my workout schema I can change or adapt. I do love the book and all the training/racing tips and advice it has to offer. Do you use any software for creating a training plan or do you do it old school and use a notebook?