Life gets in the way....

A mix of a heavier than  usual workload and illness, meant that the last two weeks have had vastly reduced training volumes, with really only some running being recorded as decent training.  I find that there is a relationship between my attitude to exercise/general sense of well being, my diet and my fitness.  If one of these slips, the other two quickly follow and I get on a vicious circle of decline.  So, when work gets heavy, I get tired, eat the wrong things and then don't train properly.  Luckily I was able to re-invigorate myself with a trip to the Alps, with some friends from the tri club over the weekend.  Two lovely trail runs in the high mountains, in glorious autumn weather, plus a surprise opportunity to swim in an open water 50M pool.  Now back in the groove and looking forward to a good week of training.  Weight and body fat % continue to drop steadily (I'm averaging about 0.5kg a week, which is in line with expectations, although there is lots blubber to go at!!).  I am enjoying my training at the moment - it's nice not to be too hard on myself and just focus on losing weight and regaining a base level of  endurance, but I do need to balance that with a more structured programme of steady increase in distances.  Hopefully this week should be a good one and will be topped off with a small reward of going mountain biking in Wales, on the Marin Trail - one of my favourites.

A hard week

I'm still staying mainly in Zone 1 to do my training, but tried to increase the volume a bit this week.  My goal was to do four standard distance tris in the gym.  I ended up doing three plus another swim and a long bike (somewhat curtailed by bad weather, tired legs and a puncture!).  I felt quite fatigued by the end of the week, but although I didn't hit my original goal, I'm pleased with what I got done.  (For more on the difference between 'Goals' and 'Standards of Performance' read our blog enthiostraining.blogspot.com and look for a post called 'Putting the M in SMART'.  The main thing I learned this week was where my limits start to lie in Zone 1 training.  Seems after about 4 hours I start to fatigue, at present.  I'm also starting to gauge the balance a bit better between nutrition and effort, although this still needs refinement.   (Not much weight dropped this week, about 0.5Kg, but it continues to fall.  I've not monitored my calorie intake as closely as I should have).

Highlight of the week was a night ride on mountain bikes, with a friend from the tri club, Jo Mc Williams.  She wanted to test her new lights so we had a quick trip up Rivington Pike in the dark on a windy night.  Managed to get the bikes going sideways in the wind at one point.  Overall a good week and some progress made.  The main thing is not to get impatient and to build gradually.

Rules of Engagement

At the start of this crazy adventure I wrote down some guidelines for myself that I thought would maximise my chances of maintaining commitment to this challenge.  Some are based on previous experience (things that have worked for me in the past), others are based on psychological theory while others are more aspirational - things I need to practise as part of my preparation.  They aren't meant to be hard-and-fast rules, more guides to keep me heading in the right direction.  Here they are:

1. Always finish what I start (Learn to endure and persevere).
2. The weather is part of training and never an excuse to do nothing!
3. Consistency is key.
4. Build gradually and build on success.
5. Whatever I may be thinking or feeling, the task remains the same (1 more stroke, pedal turn or step).
6. Keep a sense of adventure.
7. Do my training early in the day.
8. Be realistic in the goals I set along the way.
9. Keep my eyes on the prize, yet focus on the present.
10. Review progress, be objective and specific in the conclusions I draw.
11. Be internally focused - this is my challenge.  (It doesn't matter what other people are doing or saying).
12. This is a whole-life event.
13. Have multiple reasons for doing this.
14. It's in the decisions I make moment to moment in everything I do.

I guess some of these may require further explanation, which I will cover in future blogs.  So far they seem to be working for me, although Number 7 is proving problematical at the moment!

Week 3 - progress

There is a book called 'The Celestine Prophecy' by James Refield, the basic tenet of which is that if you commit to something then lots of little coincidences occur that will help you reach your goal.  You just need to stay attuned to the messages that surround you.  So it was this week, as I managed to pick up a few contacts that might help me organise the Deca.  Can't say too much at the moment, as I haven't approached the people concerned, but here's hoping.  A good training week last week.  I'm still taking it steady but gradually increasing the volume.  Weight continues to fall, but not helped by a weeked binge (big jammy cream scone during a lovely bike ride with friends, then dinner out with more friends in the evening).  Had my first thirst pangs for alcohol too, but managed to resist.  I'm  now looking for a few adventures/races to keep the training interesting between now and Christmas.