Having a word with myself......

I highly recommend having a word with yourself now and then, it's a strategy I use when I'm anxious about something, preparing for something new, cross about something or most often when I'm going " on one" I think the youth call it and need to draw a line under something.The ironman training journey is a big project that I figured from time to time requires me to have a big word with myself....in fact, eight weeks into the training I arranged a whole meeting with myself....

8 Week Review Meeting

Present: Me

Minutes: Me

Agenda:

1. Progress report
2. Achievements and successes 
3. Challenges
4. What I've learnt so far 
5. Future Actions
6. Date and Time of next meeting

Progress Report 

If this was a school report it would probably read " Sarah try's hard but lacks natural athletic ability and she should consider taking needlework as an option subject rather than PE!" I have been largely sticking to the plan and have felt appropriate levels of guilt when Ive missed the odd session but I have found coming into the plan following an injury and then having to stick to the low heart rate training zones has resulted in me feeling slow, sluggish and lacking sharpness....however in two weeks time in will be entering the build phase of my training and I'm allowed to add in several one minute burst of fast running and cycling whoop whoop! My legs have been feeling heavy and tired at the start of my runs( usually the runs come after a cycle session) and this results in me worrying that I'm never going to be strong enough the get through the event....and then I remember I've still got 5 months of training to get me ready. 

Achievements and successes 

Running: at Christmas I wasn't running at all really and now this week I've completed my first 30+ week, very slowly. Today I ran to work and recalled when training for my first marathon I felt such a sense of achievement when I ran to Hyde ( only because of how far it was not that I wanted to go to Hyde...there's not much there...) and I also, whilst running into work in Stockport wondered at what point did it become "normal" to be running such distances without even thinking about it.

Cycling:my confidence has improved massively, one week I cycled to Stockport and was a nervous wreck when I got there because of a couple of near misses with motorists, I was very grateful to Paul and Dee ( who do amazing work for Stockport CP society) for the cup of tea and the chat that day.....my heart rate wasn't sticking in the zone then! Now I'm much faster as descending and if a **** of a motorist cuts me up they know about it! I've weirdly enjoyed the turbos in the garage in the dark and the wet, and the chats with the neighbours I have whilst the garage door is open and I'm pedalling away

Swimming: I've swum longer than I've ever swum before just in my routine training sessions....the swim sets in this plan are demons! The swim sets seem to go quicker at glossop tri club than when I'm on my own. 

What I've learnt so far

•  That I need to be organised
• That I need an infinite amount of sports gear or a housekeeper
• Friends and training groups are fundamental to my enjoyment of training 
• I don't like base training and doing no speed work 
• I need to get stronger physically
• That it doesn't help to compare myself to people who are training for different things 
• It doesn't help to compare myself to people that are training for iron distance events.. I'm unique.. 
• I'm very good at putting positive spin on things( see above point)
• If it all goes pear shaped I will be able to have a go at shot put with my emerging cyclist quads 

Future Actions

Ive read Steve Peter's book ( sports psychologist to many of team GB cyclists). It's called The Chimp Paradox and whilst some of it is a bit too  cosmic for me there is some really useful stuff in there about getting goals. He talks about how for every key goal you have to build towards it  with smaller fundamental goals, I visualise these as stones building a wall up to where you'd like to get. In particular  he talks about having only 2/3 areas that you are trying to make breakthroughs or progress in at any one time. The rest of your goals should just to be maintain your current level. 

So..I'm going to start and do some real strength work, this hasn't been formally written on my plan..... So if it's not on the plan I don't  do it. I will probably leave the shot put alone for now and settle for some basic gym work!

My second focus will be nutrition, I am going to stop eating out on all the training I'm doing! It's often called the forth discipline of triathlon. 

My third area where I'm looking for a breakthrough is in my endurance, I will be building the miles in the bike and run......looking forward to the light mornings and evenings to help with this.

Date and time of next meeting:

TBC