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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Motivation and training (9/27/2010)

For a variety of reasons, motivation can be tough to come by some days.  Even the smallest of issues can send your spirit plummeting in a matter of minutes.  Quite simply, you need to dig deep and remember why you are pursuing whatever it is you are pursuing.  For me, it helps to visualize those good feelings and overall sense of accomplishment I feel once I have completed a hard workout.  True character shows and desires are made clear when you are able to overcome these inevitable bumps in the road.  If you really want something, you will follow through – period.  I do my best to live by this standard – Continuously Improve, Never Give Up. 

As I have continue to progress through my training, I have come to realize a few things.  For one, spending hours and hours hammering out the perfect training plan is not time well spent.  In fact, it should not even be called a training plan; rather, it is a guide that keeps you on track – nothing more, nothing less.  I love to challenge myself, so I may run twice in a day if I feel like it.  Heck, I may run three times within 24 hours if I join the wife :)  There is a clear line between overtraining and training by feel – I have learned the latter.  This does not mean I train 7 days a week (I still enjoy my Friday off day) but I do push myself.  A general policy of swim, bike, and run at least 2x each (really no more than 3), with a nice mix of easy, tempo, and long/pace seems good to me.  If I want to throw in an extra easy run or long bike, I do.  That is how I operate.  On the flip side, if I need a mental health day/rest day, I am not afraid to take it.  This training guide-type of approach seems to be the least stressful and most attainable.

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