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the mental game

How much of your race would you say is mental?
How much time to you spend training?
How much time do you spend training your mind?
Mic drop.

So about three weeks ago I started the intentional work of mental training. When the sports psychologist asked the first two questions I had answers...and then I had nothing...I could try to quantify how much time I spent mentally beating myself up...but in terms of working on the mental part of the sport...I got nothing. And by working on the mental part of the sport I don't mean meme turds (read The Brave Athlete: Calm the Fuck Down)...

So I am doing that - and continuing the physical training.

First week post race is recovery. I tried harder to be better at recovery this time. Then came the switch to marathon training.  Running on Monday and having a second quality run on Thursday were sure signs that tri season is over and it's time to get serious about Chicago.

Monday I ran before work...I won't call it "early" because I respect the people who actually wake up before the sun to go workout. But it was before I went in to work and before the solar eclipse shenanigans began.


Tuesday was a return to speedwork. Three mile steady state with surges. I didn't obsess the splits while I was running, I just ran...but man it felt like it should have been faster. But I got to go out with TEAM SHORTS after the run!!! Squee!!!


Wednesday I swam...I can't say much about this in a public forum just yet but there was some sweet irony to the swim. I also rode in the evening with Endurance House and had a good ride.



Thursday evening I ran solo on the Monon and did fast intervals...and hit paces that I can be proud of. That was fun.


Friday I swam again.  Not perfect, but good enough. I also went to the open house for the new St. Vincent Sport Performance center downtown...amazing facility. By the time I had a late lunch and had walked nearly 10,000 steps on a swim day I figured I should probably start focusing on the fact that I had a 16-20 mile run in the morning.

I am not sure how most people spend their weekends, but this is pretty much how mine rolled this weekend:

Saturday 
6:30 AM - I should get out of bed...I need to be at the park in an hour...and have eaten and pooped. Check blood sugar...ok.  Eat granola with almond milk, Greek yogurt, some blueberry "pie", and coffee.  Get dressed and pull out Clif Bloks, salt sticks, and a Honey Singer waffle. Poop. Drive to Eagle Creek.

7:30 AM - start run. Decided to go outside the park, and know that it means no water for several miles, but do it anyway (thankfully the temp was in the 50s). Lots of cars, two cement mixers, two goats, a few bikes, a bike paceline, and cheering on the triathletes in the bike segment later I am back in the park. Stop for the porta potty and water...around mile 8. Run so that I'll catch triathletes on the run course, run with some of them...run into some of the people I have been training with and give them sweaty hugs...and keep going....stopping for water...and more hugs...get back to the playground around mile 15 and then decide to do an out-and-back with a water stop in the middle (ok, two of them nearish the middle) and call 18 good for the day. Later I found out I earned THREE toe blishers on this run.  It wasn't even raining...THREE TOE BLISTERS?!?!?!? I had time to get coffee, drive home, shower, and get dressed before heading to David's company picnic.


1:00 PM - David's company picnic...I'm trying not to talk about the fact that I just ran 18 miles of hills but I am wearing compression socks with shorts...and not moving super well. People think I'm injured...eventually I just give up and let them know I ran 18. It was like 2 PM before we started eating...so hungry...

4:00 PM - come home and review my fresh training plan for the next three weeks and email ME. Write in my journal.

6:00 PM - decide to have some eggs...and blueberry crisp...shut up...

8:00 PM - got ready for bed and read The Brave Athlete for a bit, did the guided relaxation I am doing every night, listened to Aaron Copeland...and went to sleep around 9:30.

Sunday
6:30 AM - I'm up...but not getting out of bed...nope...

7:00 AM - test blood sugar...yeah, whatever...get on the scale...I hate the scale...make coffee. David makes turkey bacon and eggs. I eat them and some blueberry crisp...and make more coffee. I send some messages and plan some things for the day.

9:00 AM - I should think about taking my meds and getting dressed...and heading to church.

9:30 AM - leave for church. Get there and almost everyone scheduled didn't show up...so scrambling to make sure we have everything covered. We make it happen. Realize we're going to run out of consecrated hosts during communion...go find more and have a priest consecrate barely enough more.  Whew, we made it. Wished John well as he heads on sabbatical.

11:45 AM - home, eat breakfast for lunch..shut up...get dressed to go to the gym and ride.  Load the bike on the car.

12:30 PM - meet Shannon at Fitness Garage to lift.  Do three rounds of sled push, farmers walk, incline bench, curl presses, and shrugs.

1:25 PM - arrive at a park in Noblesville to ride with a group I have ridden with before.  Don't see any cyclists.  Eventually figure out park is big and they were in another area...but I missed them.  Head out for a solo ride, but it's where I ride a lot. Nice ride.  Wind out of the east.


2:45 PM - go to Starbucks...crazy busy...takes forever.  Head home.

3:15 PM - get home. Unload bike, change, take out trash and recycling. Turn on TV and open laptop. 

Coming soon...

At 6:15 PM I'll go to a yin yoga class. At 7:45 PM I'll eat dinner.  Around 9:30 I'll go to bed...and then it will be Monday.

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