Today is my first day of 2015. My canvas is blank. My past experience has been to not start real structured training until January 1st. This will be a first for me - officially starting training in November, but I am excited about the challenge. I feel like the past few years my performances have plateaued a bit, and one of the things Jesse and I had discussed was taking a shorter “off-season”.
I thought I’d give you a glimpse into how my off-season for 2014 went.
Here’s what I’ve been up to:
Week 1: Post-Kona
Exercise: nada
Mentally: I wasn’t ready to do nada, but I was instructed to do so. I was fit as a fiddle over the weekend, disappointed with my Kona outcome, and itching to prove to myself, more than anything, what great form I was in. I keep reminding myself: at least it’s not the Olympics, I don’t have to wait 4-years for another go.
For fun: hung out in Hawaii, came home to Bend, lots of indulging - I earned it!
Week 2: The week I let it go
This week was sweet & salty for me. I was still pretty down in the dumps about Kona, and then I was down in the dumps that I was even down in the dumps. I had so much to be grateful for in 2014, but its so easy to focus on the negatives. My mind played tricks on me all week. I wanted to race again - I knew I shouldn’t/couldn’t/my coach wouldn’t.
Exercise: nada still (I was under strict orders)
Physically: One week off of everything is kind of fun, the second week my whole body started to stiffen up and I wasn’t having much fun with this. I also was getting ants in my pants.
Weigh-In: I was told to put on 8lbs - yikes!
To combat the off-season blues I knew it was time to implement a BUCKET LIST! I decided this year I’d make a list of “treat” items I wanted to accomplish in the next few weeks.
Bucket list item #1: a mini vacation! Chris and I went to the Oregon Coast with Madison to celebrate our anniversary from August. Super fun.
Week 3: Moving slowly
This week was fun. I like this off-season stuff. I slept in, did what I felt like, got to exercise again, we had ridiculous Fall weather.
Exercise: x2 30’ trail runs @ 10’ miles, x2 30’ swims @ sink like a ship pace, x2 MTB rides = RAD!, x1 yoga class
Bucket list: visited my sis & her family in Portland, started guitar class, unpacked from Kona, rode my MTB, drank some Bend microbrews.
Week 4: Still moving slowly
Exercise: x2 MTB rides = weeeee!, x2 30’ swims that felt awful, x4 trail run adventures = yay! x1 yoga, x1 Chris Corbin dirty thirty @ gym = I am so sore!
Weigh in: I am half way to my 8lbs, I need more indulging!
Bucket list: baked cookies, more MTB time, family time, friends from Montana came to visit, late bed times & sleep-ins, live music, fly-fishing, trail adventures with Chris, fun week!
Week 5: Let’s make a plan
The excitement this week was chatting (thoroughly) with my coach, Jesse, and dissecting 2014 - what we liked, what we didn’t like, where we want to go and planning ahead to 2015!
Exercise: By now everything feels awful, but running, so I pretty much ran every day and that was a ton of fun. I never ran fast, but I ran with fun company. I was supposed to swim and ride - but I kind of didn’t. Whoops!
Physically: My body pretty much hates me right now. It feels like a used & abused rental car. Or in the words of my physio, Jay “a piece of shrink wrapped velcro.” I keep reminding myself, this is exactly where you need to be right now.
Weather: Old Man Winter moved in and we got a heap of snow and cold temps! Brrrrrr!
Bucket list: went to the movies, lots of Madison time, I made a pie, I finally finished unpacking from Kona, I finished a book (The Goldfinch)
And this brings me to today. My blank canvas for 2015. I’m excited to paint my own personal picture in 2015 - I don’t know what it will look like, I am sure parts will be pretty and parts will be ugly. But it will be mine and I am ready!
As for today? I feel nervous, excited, scared, out-of-shape and ready to conquer the world all at once! Basically, I feel like an elementary school student prepping for her first day at class. I popped tags on a brand new TYR suit for todays swim & sorted out my CLIF snacks and drinks. I am ready to go!
Catch up soon -
linsey