Overtraining: 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...
Read MoreCaught a Bug Two Weeks Before a Big race – Now What?
The signs would have been obvious to the objective observer: More tired than usual Feeling “rundown” Congestion Scratchy throat Malaise However, to the subjective triathlete (me), the signs were not so obvious and/or I was in a state of denial: “I’m just having an off day” or “I’m a little tired from a long weekend” but never “I’m sick. I need to take a few days off.” Truthfully, it’s hard to self diagnose, just like it’s hard to self-coach. BTW, I have both a triathlon coach and a life coach now. I realized...
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