I’m just getting back into the swing of things after my trip (which I still need to write about!). As much as I love adventuring, I really thrive in routine and consistency and that’s been lacking lately. It feels like I barely unpacked before packing again (and I’ll be doing it again soon). Juggling all of the different disciplines with roaring jet lag has definitely a challenge this week, but I still managed to get 9ish hours of training in.
What went well?
-Had some really great stats on my long ride – we rode a bit over 50 miles via Sugarloaf on Saturday (the most prominent point in Florida, at 312 feet above sea level)
Though I was beyond miserable for the last half hour, I had some really great output. My sugarloaf segment was almost twice as fast as my first one! If you’re in Florida and need some vert, Sugarloaf is a great place to train. The area around Minneola is so pretty and if you squint, you almost feel like you’re not in Florida for a few miles. We’re actually going to be out here doing repeats again (running this time) on Sunday to prep for Alta.
-I swam!! I have been ignoring swimming for the last few weeks but finally made my way back into the pool on Sunday. I don’t know what my problem is in the pool, but it’s so difficult for me to stay calm. When Brittney and I did some open water swimming at Lucky’s Lake over the “winter,” I was able to finally calm down and focus on my form and breathing on the way back – so apparently it takes me half a mile of swimming to warm up and I need that window to be reduced significantly by December.
-I gave myself grace this week. My running volume didn’t hit 20 miles for the second week in a row, and if that happened last year I probably would’ve had a panic attack. I was jet lagged and crazy busy at work to try to catch up but still managed to hop back in the best I could. My 2024 strava graph rigidity was the absolute worst, and I’m glad I’m (mostly) free from that self-imposed judgement.
Was I resentful, fearful, or overly self-critical during training?
-So initially I answered this as a ‘no’, but then I remembered how much pressure I put on myself to get back into it even when I was barely sleeping. I joked with Brittney that I made it to the 5:00 a.m ride, but still hadn’t taken my luggage out of the car so I think there’s an element of fear of losing what I’ve built behind that action. Which is silly because I know from experience that is not true. My HRV and body battery tanked so bad at the end of the week, I definitely pushed too hard coming back from a different time zone.
Where did I find joy?
-My last run in Krakow, taking time to weave through my favorite sections and greet the empty city before everyone was up for the day.
-In a Diet Dr. Pepper with crushed ice somewhere around mile 38 of our ride on Saturday. WHAT A TREAT.
-I miscalculated the ride duration and had to mad dash straight to the splash pad to meet Jake for a Sloane handoff. I rolled in still in my bib (like a FKW) but jumped right into the splash pad with the kids and it was glorious. Summer training is a slog so I will take every opportunity I can to get some joy out of it.
-Catching up with Mavi after a long hiatus and getting our San Sebastian girl gang together again
-A Girl Friday (on Thursday) reunion with it’s signature Baldwin sunrise and La Croix sponsored post run rot
Happy training!! Wishing you lots of joy in these summer slog sessions
Subscribe below to get notified of new posts!
MonicaSteps 
Leave a comment