Back in the saddle again.......

7 April 2013- Back in the saddle again……

If you are like me, you have noticed something about life that is very frustrating and just does not seem fair (among many other things): it is very hard to get into a routine of exercise and maintain this but very easy to stop, revert to your old, sluggish self, and vegetate on the couch. Why couldn’t it be the other way around?

Last week was a great case in point. I lost Saturday, March 30, due to out of town travel. Sunday was my rest day and I ALWAYS take my rest day (no makeup days if I miss one). Then came the first week of April, which roared in like a lion, professionally speaking. The volume of work, which thus far this year has been relatively low suddenly took a leap and I found myself staggering under a load of patients and surgery such that, by the time Friday arrived, I realized that I had not done a single workout.

Now, there are reasons and there are excuses and I try not to mix the two up. I had good reasons for not working out: too much work, too little time, too tired, etc. My body, however, doesn’t care. If I don’t work out, however good the reason might be, I take a step back from my forward progress. Refrain from working out for a week or more and fitness is lost. Once you start to get into that mindset that you just don’t have the time and/or energy for this, it is a slippery slope on which you pick up speed until it deposits you back on the couch. It just becomes sooooooo easy to sleep in, rather than get up early to go swim or run; to come home and turn on the TV before, during, and/or after dinner then remain on the couch until bed time rather than do your mobility exercises, ride on the trainer in the evening; or enjoy a leisurely wake up on Saturday, have breakfast, and read the paper rather than get out of the house and take the long bike ride.

The thing about it that makes the above so frustrating is that I know, better than most, how good it feels to have done that workout that was scheduled. There is a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction, and physical well being that accompany a good workout. It just feels good. But, to have that good feeling there has to be some preliminary discomfort and, at times painful, effort. You cannot have one without the other. It is a fact of life that we live in the immediate present and when in the middle of a difficult workout, it is easy to forget that this will end shortly and that you will feel great afterwards.

By the end of the week, I was champing at the bit to get moving again and hopped back on the training train on Friday morning with a nice run. Good to be back in the saddle…….

Florida Ironman Training Log:

Despite the shortened training week, I did reach one new milestone. I averaged 16 mph on a 30 mile solo ride, the fastest I have ever covered this distance outside of with a group. This gives me hope that eventually I will reach the goal of averaging 18 mph for the triathlon. Inflexibility continues to plague me but I think the mobility exercises are slowly having an effect. My new mantra during rides, runs, and swims is “relax”.

Week’s Summary:

Mon. 4/1- None

Tue. 4/2- None                                                (yeah, not a good week’s effort)

Wed. 4/3- None

Thu. 4/4- None

Fri. 4/5- Run, 6.4 mi @ 8:56 min/mi, 90 spm, total time 57:09 min

Sat. 4/6- Bike, 30.13 mi @ 16 mph**, high cadence 90+ rpm, total time 1:53:01 hrs

**new PR