The above chocolate bar probably best sums up what my week has consisted of since last Saturday's Vitruvian. If I haven't wanted to train this week I haven't. If I've wanted chocolate I've eaten it. If chips were on offer I've eaten them. If I wanted to fit into my wedding dress this weekend I couldn't possibly (I've eaten it!!!) If my legs didn't want to run fast they haven't. If my brain didn't want to think about exercise it hasn't... I think you're getting the picture.
I'm sure people think I lead a monkish year round existence in which I have the willpower of a buddhist, an obsession with training and only treat my body like a temple. I can assure you that if I'd made a video diary this week that concept would be slayed like St. George's Dragon! I do admit though that this week is an exception to normal weekly living but actually, one I've only half enjoyed.
I'm an all or nothing kind of girl... training, eating, sleeping, happy, sad etc ...rarely do I find the happy medium. I love being disciplined, training hard, eating well and being strict with my diet, going to bed early and getting up at silly o'clock. On the flip side I've enjoyed not having to be so strict about getting to bed a bit later, eating what I like and not having to think while I train just letting my brain wander and my body choose the speed it would like to train at. However, all week I've eaten nothing of nutritional value and exercised in a part time fashion. Don't get me wrong, I certainly realise that there's a huge importance placed on rest and recovery and it's been a long season so it's much needed.
The plan after The Vitruvian was to have this week (gone) as an easy week and then focus on a little more running for The Great North Run in three weeks time, take the rest of October off and start refreshed and raring to go as we plunge ourselves into Winter training. There is of course the small matter of our wedding in December. Followed by the hardest training we've ever done so that Timanfaya and Mirador del Rio (the hilliest sections of the bike course in Lanza) don't bite us in the bum. This plan is perfect except I'm writing this after a last supper of Domino's pizza and a bag of maltesers and I feel thoroughly sick!!! I told you I never was one for moderation.
Thankfully tomorrow dawns a new week and the three week run training block should reign me in as I shun the chocolate and go back to the Helen I much prefer, the one that's in control. Now all I need to do is design a way of not turning into Augustus Gloop in October when we have our rest month... all answers on a postcard please! It's actually a part of my personality that I would like to understand a bit more about. How do I maintain control and find a bit of moderation that will stop me from jumping between one extreme to another???
When I'm not training so hard, when my priorities are different, when my life doesn't only revolve around me and my training and Tom and his training, how do I find the button that has 'moderation' written on it and put it into action? I've never wanted to be 'average' yet isn't 'moderation' another word for average? Maybe that's why I've avoided it? But surely moderation's not so bad in moderation??? How do I tap into my 'moderate' resource, if in fact one exists within me at all. And if it doesn't what do I do about it? Questions, questions but I want a life after training that isn't full of all the things I hate about not training. It seems I have a long way to go before I understand the complexity that is myself. I'm enjoying the newer more positive version of me (which will be tested in the pool tomorrow when I attempt to set some swimming pb's in a couple of short distances.) But my next task is to try and research this distinct lack of, well, moderation.
It is better to rise from life as from a banquet - neither thirsty nor drunken.
Aristotle
H. x
Oh, before I go I must say welcome to the world of triathlon and well done to Debra and Andy Brown who did their first multi-disciplined race in Derby today. It's a slippery slope this whole triathlon malarky but one you'll love being on I'm sure. x
2 comments:
Thankyou for the mention, I oh so enjoyed yesterday's tri and was once again left wondering why it took 12 months of avidly reading your blog to buy a bike and enter a race (apart from the tiny issue of no funds in bank)...just glad that I have another to do in 13 days time before the season finishes, once again thankyou
I think it's very common what you mention - being strict when training and then going totally haywire when not. It's something I suffer from badly and would love to correct. I think it's abit like what u say in a later post about giving busy people something to do it will get done. When u have loads of things under control it's easy to keep just another one. I also think the going haywire big time is like a dry twig - it's inflexible but when it goes it snaps.
Being strict in Kona ! See you here next year !!
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