Wednesday, January 16, 2013

I lost my mojo...


I know it has been a very long time since my last post ... I have to admit I lost my mojo.  I lost my motivation to train.  I felt like I was going through the motions of my workouts but not giving it everything that I had.  I lost my enthusiasm for my training.  I also started to give up on my nutritional needs and I even had some binge days.  I think I was getting discouraged.  I was training and working on my weight issues but wasn't seeing results so I started to give up.

A binge for me can be a day long event or even just one meal but the results are always the same.  You never feel better than you did when you started eating, in fact you usually feel worse.  And during these periods the gluten that I become for the day or a meal doesn't care that I am trying to lose weight.  And after the binge is over trying to workout was very difficult.  I have no energy or I feel very sick.  It is a ride that goes around in circles and sometimes doesn't stop.  You eat to feel better but you feel worse so you eat some more.  I had to stop this before it got worse!

Instead of throwing in the towel I reached out to my coach and my nutritionist and told them what was happening.  I didn't want to get caught up in the downward spiral and I wanted to stop myself before it got to late.  I know that my coach and my nutritionist can not do the work for me and I am the only one to blame for what was happening but I needed them to tell me all was not lost!  I could do this and I would see results.

On January 6th I ran the Chilly Chili, which is an annual 5K race in the area.  I love this event, even if the course is a bit tough.  Well when I finished I looked at my time and realized I was slower than last year ... in fact 3 minutes slower!  When I talked with my coach I told him about this and he decided I needed to do a Tempo Run.  So the following Saturday my coach and I met at an outdoor track.  I had to do a mile warm-up (just to let you know I never warm-up ... I believe I waste good energy that way) and then I had to run 2 1/2 miles in a certain time.  Every lap I had to stay at 3:08 or below.  Well I did it I stayed at the 3:08 or better for the 2.5 miles.  I thought I was going to die at times but I did it.  When my coach looked at my splits he said to me "Do you know what these times tell me?  They tell me that you dogged the Chilly Chili".  I said to him, "but I wasn't struggling during the race, I felt OK".  He said, "exactly you didn't give it your all".  I think that Saturday I found my Mojo!!

Just going through the motions isn't going to give me the results that I want!!  I want a better time at the 70.3 and I have to work for it!!

I am sure we all have days or weeks like this where we can't get out of our own way but you can't let it get the best of you!  You have to keep fighting.  I will admit during the few days of my binges I fell off the Resolutions Wagon but I am back on it and have not given up!!

By the way I already accomplished one of my resolutions ... I got a new job in 2013!!

Are we there yet?

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

173 more days

Today is January 1, 2013 ... there are 173 more days until the Syracuse 70.3 Half Ironman!  How is everyone doing so far on their New Year's Resolutions?  In the last two days I have skied (and my quads and calves feel it), ran and taken a yoga class, in order to kiss 2012 good bye and ring in the New Year!!  Oh what will 2013 have in store for me?  Well I know for sure the next 173 days will be filled with training, training and more training.  Even though I have already begun my training things are going to get "kicked up a notch", if I could quote Emeril Lagasse.

I had a meeting today with my coach to discuss my training, ask any questions I had and discuss what else we could do.   I had to admit to him that I have not been faithful to one section of my training ... the strength training and core work.  I don't know why I hate it so much ... and I always have disliked it too.  I know how important it is and that it will help me a lot to lose more inches and pounds but when it comes down to doing it ... I would rather walk away from it.  But I had to be honest with him about it because if you can't be honest with your coach why bother having a coach.  I made a promise to him today to get it done and to commit to it!

So if I could add to my resolutions/goals ... I need to add in a commitment to completing my strength training and core workouts!

Here is the updated list...
  1. I would like to have a new job in 2013!
  2. I want a better finish time (I will keep my actual goal to myself) at the Syracuse 70.3 Half Ironman ... and I will work hard to make that happen.
  3. To continue to lose the weight and inches that I started to lose in 2012
  4. This next one will be tough but by making it public I hope it gets easier...To give up those food items that I don't know how to eat just a serving size ...this would include CHIPS, SNACK FOOD ETC.
  5. Be committed to completing my strength training/core workouts

I hope you all had a fabulous New Year and that you have stuck to your resolutions/goals so far!

Tri Mo Tri