Rollercoaster...Up Down Up Down

So January is over, for all intensive purposes (my wife loves when I say that) and I am still plugging along with my workouts like a elephant going through a mudhole. I am not sure what my deal is but I can't seem to stay motivated. I have the "want to" in my mind, but physically I am sucking.

I want to know this answer...

As I wrote earlier, me and my bride are both signed up for  the Memphis Runner's Track Club Winter Cross Country Series. So far we have completed the 3K and the 5k trail runs. The 3K was a very cold day and was fun. It really felt good to get outside and run instead of being on the dreadmill. It was also the first time my wife had done a trail run, so that was cool. Two weeks after the 3K, we did the 5K. It was the muddiest, sloppiest run I have done in awhile. It was also the slowest 5K EVA! but we had fun.

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The next days though, no running, no biking, no swimming, just eat, eat and eat!

I swear I am the heaviest I have been in years and I do not like it, but I am not doing much about it except writing it on my blog (much to often too) I do not know why I can't get focused. I know my running sucks cause my knees hurt when I run (because I am heavier than I have ever been). I know I should stop drinking Dr. Peppers (like the one I am drinking now), I know I need to get a plan and stick to it instead of changing it every time it gets tough. I do what I don't want to do (Biblical reference, know it?), and that is why I am frustrated.

I do not feel like myself.

I know what to do and what not to do, but I can't seem to get a grasp on either one. I feel like I am on a rollercoaster and this is new for me, and I don't like it.

One reason I started this blog was to keep me motivated and accountable. Sometimes it is just a place to vent and sometimes it is a place to call myself out. A lot of times when I am writing a post, it gets me fired up (you'd think I would write more huh?), so my posts will be all over the map, so for the one or two of you reading, thanks, I appreciate it. I know I will someday get out of my pity party, but for now, you get what I am thinking about!

Thanks, Happy January!

P.S. By my nest post, I hope to have enough runs in to do a review on my Hokas, or that's my goal!

I Asked Myself 3 Questions...

Last year at this time, I was only thinking about heading to Ironman. Everything revolved around Ironman. Right now though, I am having a hard time focusing on a sprint triathlon, and this has me confused.

Maybe it is normal to go through an "Ironman funk". Maybe I am a one timer, I am not sure. All I know is that even though I want to S/B/R, I am having a hard time training, or more like a hard time getting excited about training. I really thought that last weekend would jump start me!

The Memphis in May triathlon was last weekend. Normally I do the Olympic race, I have for 4 of the last 5 years. It is a great race and normally it is the one race to do around Memphis. Everyone is there, and it is a good measure of where you stand in the tri community here in Memphis IMO. I choose not to race, partly because my wife was doing her first sprint race and I wanted to be there to support her and make it here weekend since she has been to many of my races waiting at the finish line! And the other part was that I just could not get excited about training.

Is it normal after a 140.6 to have the mindset of not be able to get excited about a 3.1 mile run?

I really expected me to get back into "it" after MIM and being around the atmosphere and seeing my bride do so well in her first race but I am still fizzling. So I had to ask myself some questions to find out what's up!

Question 1: Do I still want to race?Answer: Yeah I do. I like racing, I love racing. I still have visions of me crossing the finish line, and I still want to get my second 140.6 under my belt!

Question 2: Is it a weight issue?Answer: I know I have put on weight, but it is muscle. I have been working with a trainer for the last 14 weeks. I know I gained 3 pounds of lean muscle and my bidt fat is at 14%. My core is stronger than ever, so it is not a question of being in shape.

Question 3: Why don't you sign up for a race? That is motivation right?
Answer: Yeah, I'm right. That is what I always tell people also. Sign up for a race, pay the money and then you will do it! So I am committing to doing the Mighty Mite Sprint Triathlon in July.

Maybe this is just a down year for me, a year for me to just be, and then to come back strong in 2015! I don't know. I know Goosepond HIM is definitely not a definite race anymore. More to come on this I am sure, but right now I need to get registered for Mighty Mite and go back and see what my old times are and see if I can beat that. I have no doubt in my mind that I can cover the distances now, because I have been training, but man, is it tough to get out there.

So tell me all you Ironman finishers, did you have a "funk" afterwards? And if so, how do you shake it??

More Frequent, More focused...

Redman, minus the M Dot

I usually try to wait and post when I think I have something to say, maybe something worth reading on here, and I know I do not always succeed. This blog was originally designed to hold myself accountable for workouts and document my journey to becoming an Ironman. Well, that is really going to happen this summer. So after Memphis in May Tri, I am going to most likely start posting more about my daily workouts, and trying to gain some insight on those workouts, so I should be posting more frequently. They might not be as thought out as some of the other posts I have done, but I think it will be more beneficial for me to be able to review training as I go. I want to really chronicle this journey as it is a big step for me and will require a ton of effort. It is a journey that I can't wait to take on. It all begins May 28th.

So get ready for shorter posts, more focused on my training, the likes and dislikes and other crap!