I've Been Contemplating...

So it's been awhile since I posted and there is no other reason than the fact that I have been contemplating. Thoughtfully, with continued attention about me. About my sore knees and my gut. I have been looking at it with continued attention about how I am not happy with where I am, but yet I am also looking at how I have not tried to change anything.

Sometimes, I am a lot of talk, and I stand on past accomplishments.

The main question I get weekly is what race am I training for now? And lately, my answer has been, I'm not. The "want to" is there, but the body is having a tough time getting going. It may be the extra 20lbs I have gained that is causing the knees to hurt and crack when I get up, but it's not fun.

So I am not making out a 2017 race schedule except for one race. A sprint triathlon in May. If I will get in shape for that and if I feel right, then I still have the "want to" to go long one more time and maybe I can find a late season race, but it will depend on the May race. I have come to realize that the older I get, the faster I used to be.

 

So I have 7 months to train for a sprint triathlon! I want to look good as a 45 year old male, so I will be doing a picture of me now and then another one in May, and I promise I will post!

 

P.S. Check me out on Snapchat: ironman1553

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??

Motivation vs Want To???

My motivation seems to be playing a weird little joke on me these days. I say this, because even as I am writing this, I am ready to get out and go running. This is the problem.

Let me explain it this way. I have the motivation to get up and go at the times when it would not be possible for me to get up and go. It is when I have the time to get up and go that I am lacking this motivation, and I do not understand it.

I have planned on getting up and going running twice this week alone, only to stay in bed and catch a few more zzz’s. It irritates me later on during the day that I did not get up, yet I seem stuck when I actually have the opportunity. I can honestly say that I am looking forward to the race season. I was actually happy with my performance on the 3K Trail race last week, so I am not as far back as I thought I would be, which I thought would be a huge encouragement right?

I need to find that place…that spot in me that gets me up and running. I want to have a good year and I know I have it in me, but it is just procrastination that is keeping me down! I guess I would call it procrastination..maybe not…I don’t know.