Sunday, June 25, 2017

Back on the Road.......

So this morning I woke up at 4:45am. I was awake so rather than go back to sleep for an hour and 15minutes, I got up. I decided to join the 5am club earlier this year after listening to Robin Sharma tell me of all the benefits. And I have to say I agree. One of the biggest changes has been to my sleep. I can now say...95% of the time I sleep through the night in a solid block. Years, I tell ya, years! since I have slept like this. So 5am it is, or just before. It's such a productive time, I did some study and then Big Gazza got up at 6am and we started our day.

The aim originally was to have the gang ride together. It was such a shame not to have everyone together. Roberto pulled the pin in the morning after a big night on the wine....someone has to intervene here, I think. And MrsS and The Mountain Goat stayed close to home and went out a little later in the day.

So it was just me, Big Gazza, The Onion Man and The Plasma. The boys seemed to be doing it easy, while I huffed and puffed along behind them. I felt like I was riding hard the whole way, not shattered, but working hard. A couple of small hills saw me dropped out the back :( But it was over before too long and we finished with 52kms. Yep, a whole 52kms!

Its interesting to watch the body work sometimes, the body does its thing and yep, it might be groaning and creaking from lack of use, fair enough. But the mind is such a sabotaging bitch sometimes. Wow, such a great positive reinforcement of ones abilities......boo hoo let's stop, this hurts, I don't want to do it anymore, why does it have to be so cold, aren't you to old for this? Shouldn't you be in bed. That kind of sabotage. You would think that at least your own brain would work and be on your side. I mean geez, you need a bestie at times and you can't even rely on yourself!

Having listened to Tony Robbins now I understand that the brain is wired for negativity as a defence system in case there is a lion in the bushes, so be on guard, everything just might eat you. Knowing this now, makes me understand and able to deal with it a bit better. Still doesn't come easy when you are hurting and the boys are pulling away up the hill. But awareness is the beginning of change hey.

So now I have to decide what to do next weekend. Head North with Coach. He wants me to go and I think I should, its just that I am embarrassingly under prepared and its going to hurt. I haven't ridden North for such a long time and yes it will be cold. Geez, there's that Bitch again!!!

I'll keep you posted.  

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Baby Elephant Chunks...........

So the come back has started. A great couple of swims so that this morning I felt pretty comfortable throughout the entire 3km set. I have made a date with The Onion Man now a few times and I have really enjoyed swimming with him. He laps me every 6-8 laps so I try hard to be aware and keep left for him. He is an amazing swimmer. The commitment to meet up with him has seen me getting out of bed with enthusiasm. I'm missing Roberto like mad, but hopefully we will have him back on the road soon. But The Onion Man keeps me honest too. He doesn't stop swimming until I have my set done. So for my 3kms he has easily done 3.5 to 4ks.

I had another fun session with the music on blast with good mate MrsS. She needed a push to get started and admittedly so did I. So when the tunes started pumping through the speakers and the lights of the Rave playing on the TV started flashing, I found the old spark and enthusiasm. We had a good laugh and because its winter I turned the heater on and so before too long we were sweating buckets in the dark and counting down the minutes with each set. Well, 1:15mins later and the buddy had to dash off and I was left feeling relaxed and happy. Happy to be back in the saddle.

The diet has been hit and miss for a while. Mostly 80/20 clean so not too bad, but no weight loss. But I have been reading Tony Robbins' book, Awaken the Giant Within. Tony prompts that while not easy, we simply need to make a decision. What ever it is, just decide. Transfer the decision to discipline and make good practice a habit. I had success with this with the 5am club of which I am now no longer a rookie trial member, but have signed up, subscribed and now a valued member of the 5am club. And, I have successfully rewired my neural pathways so that now, for the first time in so many years, I am sleeping through the night. It stands to reason that I can choose another thing I would like to change about me, make a decision, decide, apply discipline and subscribe until it becomes a habit. While I can't take on the whole list (as Big Gazza says the list is soooo long) I can choose the top couple to focus on. So the 'to do' list is diet and TV. (Next blog stay tuned)

Meanwhile,
Next step.... hmm, the road back to Triathlete has so many options. Let's see. I think importantly, I need to get back out on the road again. Find some hills. But first a cruise around the bock would be good too.

I heard something that stuck with me today from a Blog

The excuses you make are lies; and are apparent to everyone else but you!

Monday, June 12, 2017

Bottom of the Barrell........

Today, I have decided, is the bottom of the barrell. It's by no means the lowest of the low. But, it certainly is scraping knuckles on pavement, life sux kind of bottom of the barrel.

A quick recap. Not much to say other than, no serious training for 6 months now. Its just over 6 months since I tore the meniscus in my left knee. And now I am struggling to be able to fully straighten my knee. I can't lie on my stomach as it hurts my knee and can't stand on one leg or even stand on both for very long. Concerning, even if I wasn't planning on making a triumphant return to Ironman, it's no way to spend my normal life. I have considered taking up darts, but I don't think I'd be even be able to stand at the bar for a beer right now. Time to change it up.

A quick phone call with Coach who suggested I revisit the surgeon and get the knee cleaned up. So a phone call tomorrow to book an appointment is the first job. Nuts! I feel like I don't have a lot of time to spend waiting for things like this to happen. While others might say, you have all the time in the world. I feel like my triathlon career has an end date and I have a real sense of urgency to get back.

Having said that though, I feel I could as easily curl up in a ball and go to sleep. No activity makes me slow down and yes, its winter and I can bleat on for hours about how winter sux and I struggle and my body wants to hibernate. I think I have been writing this blog for some 8 years or so now and you will find a similar post each year somewhere in the archives related to this seasonal adjustment disorder I get. I try to think of the folk living in extreme cold climates and think how lucky I am to have such a mild place to see out my winter, but bah humbug!

Anyway, I have all of the systems, processes, tools, resources and warm clothes at my disposal to get back. But right now I have to be the most unconditioned I have been ever! Even before I took up Triathlon and running. That's why the bottom of the barrel reference. "Then I'm down in the bottom of a pit in the blazing sun." Yes, I know, always so dramatic.

So what ya going to do about it Sammi?

Well, focus on what I can do and can control. Make adjustments as required AND, get ready for the biggest come back of the millennia.....