Training Log No. 4

I think the last time I posted a training update was over two weeks ago – between Utah and Sloane’s tonsil surgery (she did great!) it’s been a bit of a mess trying to get back a routine. Picking it back up now definitely feels like an active practice of progress over perfection.

Lately I’ve been noticing this loud tension between craving spontaneity and needing routine. This really isn’t anything new, but because the summer was so busy, there’s been a demonstrable shift and pull towards the latter. Part of me wonders if it’s burnout (probably) because last summer I was so methodical and hypervigilant about mileage and ticking boxes and I’ve abandoned that rhythm almost entirely. The volume has been pretty solid, but that’s about it. The big goal for this upcoming week is to try to get a better balance between the two extremes.

Cirque Series and sidequests in Utah with the crew were such a blast, but I’m actually looking forward to some more structure as Haines City nears closer – we’re officially 14 weeks / 55 days out today!

What went well?

-Had so much fun this week on the bike. Labor Day gifted us an extra ride so we did an impromptu bakery tour, stopping over at The Salty for a cappuccino, and D’Amico & Sons (if you’re local to North Orlando, check it out!!) for a cannoli.

-Speaking of cycling, this is the easiest discipline to find positives in as I’m definitely in an era of newbie gains. Stoked on an overall volume PR for the week, finally reaching triple digits! I think my body was happy to have a bit of a deload as far as the long ride distance though – I think 35 was the highest mileage on a single ride, and lately it’s been in the 40-50 range.

-My run today! I’m definitely in a season of less volume on two feet and after Thursday’s shitshow of a long run, I was feeling particularly disillusioned with the sport. I went out today for 6 with very low expectations on my comfort route with my comfort playlist in the middle of the day. Even though it was close to 90 degrees, it felt AMAZING. I ran the whole way through (it’s been months) and though my legs felt the cycling volume for sure, they felt more strong than anything else and the cardio felt effortless. I’m grateful that I’ve had enough time in this sport to realize that the bad runs don’t last forever and there’s actual magic in the feeling you get when you finish a great one.

-My ever present self-awareness, a gift and a curse, definitely highlighted some issues related to nutrition that I need to really dial in. Making it a priority for this week

-Slept longer + better than I have in months

Was I resentful, fearful, or overly self-critical during training?

-Yes. I had a terrible long run. I think one of the issues is my long run is disproportionate to the overall volume that I’ve been doing. Ideally, it should be 30% of my overall volume which means if I’m doing 10 miles, I should be averaging 30 for the week. Since I haven’t been able to scrape 20 for maybe a month, I’m curious to see if bumping up my midweek miles (and not failing on nutrition) will make the long runs feel a little less sloggy.

-I did a lot of comparison this week, to self + others, all of which was unproductive.

Where did I find joy?

-In today’s redemption run! I haven’t actually ran solo in a while and the comfort of my old hour loop and my 2024 playlist really gave me life today

-The absolutely stunning sunrise at the pool. I had forgotten to charge my watch and was manually counting laps on my notes with a terrible attitude. At some point I looked up and was shook by the most incredible cotton candy skies – I had to snap a picture (it’s in the gallery below!)

-The family of bunnies on Saturday’s banana tree ride

-Mid-ride pastries at D’Amico and being spared (mostly) from the rain