Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Post Helvellyn. The way forward. The next year.

That's it for dumb training.

I really managed to smarten-up when I took up road racing on the bike. I suppose it was only one sport to think about but I am still learning with tri.
 
After this weekend I was very ill due to nothing more than sheer exhaustion and bad nutrition. I can only imagine I let my body get so drained on the last 3 miles that all of the toxins in my body took over and I had no energy or gut left to fight them with. Although the yogurt was the only thing that made me throw up yesterday, it also seemed to be the one thing that eventually restored me to normal function.
 
In short I can not let myself get in this mess again.
 
On a mental front I have been working with a counsellor to understand why I clench my jaw. My voyage of discovery about the choices I make has been interesting. I have realised that promising the earth to everyone and not delivering is only going to make me anxious and so I have to set limits and stick to them, or at least choose my own exceptions.

I have come to realise that when I try to do everything and please everyone that it doesn't work. I end up tired and I do things wrong and end up making things worse. I might please someone but it's not always me.

So now I have started doing things for me. I've started doing what's best for me. I've changed work plans to give myself more time and this week when I became ill, I changed the date I will return to France.
 
It's empowering. Sure I feel bad for letting them down when they were expecting me but I know now that when I arrive there rested I can achieve so much more and they won't ground to a halt without me.
 
It's taken me all day today to pack my bike away in a box ready for shipping out to France. It could take me all day tomorrow to put all my laundry away from my holidays and pack for going back to France.

That leaves me one day to work here and well, if I travel Friday, I might as well make it Sunday and have the weekend with TSK. How happy I will then be when I return to France knowing it's only two weeks until we're back together?
 
Now that my brain is restored to normal after Helvellyn (really?) I am taking 3 weeks out to chill before the 3Peaks. I'll do some race specific training if I feel up to it but this year I'm just coming back to take part.
 
This time of year I'm usually excited about it but this year I don't mind. I'm looking forwards to seeing my friends and doing the outdoorsy bit but I'm happy enough just to hang out and actually get back to France in one piece this time.  Perhaps I'll ride with my dad for a bit.


Beyond 3 Peaks (rest)prep I get to embark on the fun task of planning next years season and this year I intend to make a proper job of it, not the half hearted run-swim-bike plan of last year.
 
Sometimes I feel like I'm over doing it with planning in minute detail because plans always get blown out the window with me.  I hope my new disciplined approach to time and effort management will make things work out and help me to stick to the plan for once.  I've been moderately disciplined this year - next year will be better.  Sheffield Tri have given me enough training tools to get through the next 3 months and when I'm back in the fold it will be perfect timing for finishing 2011 and getting started on spring.

Must remember to plan for those all important trips down to London in 2012 to watch the best in the world at work.

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