New Year Training Motivation and Christmas Training Camp Follow Up

Hey, Happy New Year!   

'Tis the season that a lot of people start putting their New Year's resolutions into effect and it's great, don't get me wrong.   But as a regular gym-goer and swimmer, gyms and pools all seem just a bit busier and it can make it a bit more challenging to get your own workout done the way you want to do it.  As frustrating as the extra traffic can be, I also find it frustrating when participation numbers drop back to 'normal' when a lot of the New Year's resolutions newbies just stop.  Maybe they've found somewhere else to train or their league volleyball or hockey has started back up again.  We can't all live up to the promises we make to ourselves. Life gets in the way.  Sometimes, you just need to step back and recharge.  Sometimes, work takes up too much time.  And sometimes, you end up on a Netflix binge.  How do you keep your promises to yourself or how do you keep going when you miss a goal?

My Christmas Training Camp:   Success or Failure?

So, I didn't make all the workouts. I had committed myself to 6 training sessions in 4 days - 2 swims, 2 bikes & 2 runs.  The bike and run were fine but I never made it to the pool.  I had a great excuse, though so I'm going to call the camp a success overall.  A minor eye infection or irritation cropped up and these things are not to be taken lightly.  But I tried to make up for the missed swim sessions but substituting and upper body weight session and a rowing machine workout. And I was also super, super careful to avoid touching my eye at all while at the gym and I washed my hands before and after every gym session.

(For those of you who have trouble getting to the pool, I'll have some suggested strategies and dry land training in a future post.)

Missed Workouts Aren't The End of the Line, Just Another Bump In the Road

It's just a missed workout and it will happen again. Just forget it and get back on track. For some missed sessions, you can compensate with adjustments to volume and focus in the next sessions but sometimes, you just have to let it go.  I like to think that most triathletes, runners and cyclists are highly motivated and aren't very likely to let a minor setback stop them but just in case you do want an extra push, having a bit of a plan can keep you focused on the long term.  By the standards of just about any other sport, even a sprint distance triathlon is an endurance sport and endurance sports take time to train for.  Then, we go and throw ultra-endurance events like Ironman even a half-ironman in as distance options and now we're talking about events that can take a year or more for you to properly prepare for.  Long term goals are difficult to keep in your line of focus all the time.

Step 1:  Set A Goal and/or Set A Bunch of Goals

Pick a race or a goal.  If it's a race, I know a lot of people sign up for one and that gets them started.  In triathlon, especially for Ironman distance, it's not unheard of to sign up a year in advance.  A year is a long time frame and there can be many small steps between where you are now and that long term goal.  Try to find milestones within a shorter time frame.  And if your goal is a race, set out a bunch of sub-goals that are the stepping stones that take you to the race.

Step 2: Do Something

Sometimes, the hardest thing is to just get started and it's even more challenging if you find yourself training for a triathlon and have no idea how to get started. You can start by going for a run, a bike ride or a swim.  It can be just that simple.  Refinement of your training can follow. If you need some help, there are lots of coaching options so take the time to think about what kind of help will actually help you.

Step 3:  Phone A Friend

There's nothing like a training partner to keep you company and get you out the door sometimes.  Maybe you can challenge each other sometimes for an extra push.  We can all use a few more friends sometimes. This is a time when they might be super happy to help you.  You might just be helping them too.

So Get Started Already

And remember two things:
1.  Triathlon is a lifestyle sport and sometimes just living the lifestyle and keeping fit and active is enough.
2   You are a sample size of one.  What others around you are doing and how they are doing it is their own path.  Sometimes paths cross but feel free to find the path that fits you.