A New Challenge: Special Operations Force Academy
“The only easy day was yesterday.” - Navy SEALs motto Ok, I admit, I should be taking it easy for a few more weeks, but I can’t pass up this opportunity as a writer on assignment for Tri-DC Magazine to participate in the week long Special Operations Force Academy starting April 27 and run by SEAL Training Adventures. Navy SEALs are the “best of the best,” and I want to experience what their training is like. I’ve done 24 Ironman Triathlons – i.e. “It’s just another Ironman…” so I am looking for a challenge that will take me outside of my comfort zone. About the...
Read MoreOvertraining: There Is a Silver Lining in This Cloud After All!
“You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” - Walt Disney After three weeks of feeling sorry for myself and high anxiety, I am now in a different place. I have have transformed my HATE relationship with overtraining into a LOVE / HATE relationship. I still HATE overtraining because of the uncertainty it has created for my future as an athlete. On the other hand I LOVE the fact that I became overtrained, because I now am being forced to rest. The past few weeks have been a challenge for me. Suddenly, I’ve...
Read MoreOvertraining: What I HATE the Most About It
I HATE overtraining. It’s too vague, too subjective, too nebulous. It’s a waiting game with an uncertain amount of waiting time. I should have raced in Ironman Arizona alongside the cacti on Sunday, but instead I’m sitting on the sideline. What I struggle with – and what I imagine many other athletes struggle with as well – is that overtraining is not a tangible, physical body part that is broken, cut or bruised. A broken bone or a wound will heal in a doctor prescribed amount of time, but how do you know when you are “healed” of...
Read MoreTo Race Or Not to Race: When to Pull the Plug? (Part 2 of 2)
I officially “pulled the plug” on Ironman Arizona today. My blood test results came back today. When my doctor called me, I felt like I was receiving my report card in grade school: mostly “Outstanding” grades with two “Needs to Improve” as follows: Outstanding: Low cholesterol, no mono, no lyme disease, no thyroid issues, no liver issues and no anemia. Needs to Improve: Deficient in Vitamin D and elevated CPK levels (muscle enzyme). My takeaways: I’m not super human like I want to believe that I am. Based my conversation with my doctor and...
Read MoreTo Race Or Not to Race: When to Pull the Plug? (Part 1 of 2)
Have you ever asked yourself these questions in the days or weeks leading up to a big race? “Do I pull the plug?” “Am I just having an off day?” “Do I need to some extra rest?” I’m struggling with all of these questions right now. Today is Monday and I’m signed up to race Ironman Arizona this coming Sunday. I want to do this race – I invested hundreds of hours training for it and it’s a stepping stone for me to set another PR at the Quelle Challenge in Roth, Germany this summer. My training had been solid and consistent up until...
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