40, 39, 38, 37…test of patience

My least favorite part of training…patience.


I want to dive in and start working at my big volume again; my body is feels healthy and strong.  Mentally it is a challenge; I feel like I am loosing my level of fitness and taking steps backwards.  I miss the long rides and runs (not so much the swims though)…I miss my old schedule.  I know that I cannot maintain peak training for 40 weeks straight or I will end up injured or burnt out.   Even though I completely understand the importance of rest and recovery and I honor that, it doesn’t make it any easier mentally.  On the flip side, I really love racing sprints and doing speed work training.


I have squeezed in two races over the past couple weeks with one more  in two weeks.  The Chicago Triathlon I had a successful placing, but a not so thrilling finishing time (embarrassingly enough, my slowest 5k I have ever run).  But I did try a new strategy in the swim which has helped me see what I need to focus on in the prep season with my swimming.  This past weekend I did my second marathon of the year…back in France again, and had a wonderful time.  And not wanting to put an immediate close to the season; I signed up for the Sprint Nationals in Alabama at the end of September.
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As I continue to train through the end of the month; once I hit October I have to take a two weeks of lightheartedness to be a wife and have a little fun with my husband who puts up with my crazy shenanigans.  But until then…let the training continue.