Groucho Blogger Erika: Switching gears

It may not seem like a lot for some of you seasoned vets, but I have logged 203 bike miles in the last seven days!! 223 if you add in running, and 225 if you count my measly 2 miles in the pool. Nonetheless, I am pleased to report that in comparison to last year, biking feels much easier, less daunting, and even (dare I say it?) fun. Those 203 miles would have been a “big $&#@*!% deal” in the past, and now, it was just a “nice surprise” at the end of my week. I’ll take it!

As a triathlete, there are three sports in which one needs to perform, but generally each individual will have a strength in one of the three components. For me, that has always been running. It makes me sound like a big ol’ meany, but there aren’t many feelings as satisfying as playing a game of road-kill and picking your opponents off one by one. In years past, many of my competitors have struggled with jello-leg syndrome after dismounting their moreexpensivethanmycar bikes, whereas I would come in a few minutes later off the bike course, but speed past them, running like a little red-headed antelope with energy to spare.

This year…? Not so much. A chronic injury that reared it’s ugly head early in the season has left me with less-than-impressive running mileage, and severely self-conscious about my racing run speed. So what’s the slow, injured, red-headed antelope (that would be referring to me…) doing about it?

Changing focus.

Taking a good dose of HTFU.

Switching gears. (Literally.)

My bike speed this year is significantly, noticeably, and measurably faster. The amount of effort put in to sustain such speeds is likewise, significantly, noticeably, and measurably less. What can I attribute that to? Time spent on the bike. Lots of time. Lots of 4am trainer rides. And lots of miles. (And a bruised ischiopubic ramus, but I already covered that.) I knew that my running mileage would have to decrease this racing-year, and rather than pushing through an injury, I took my focus and energy elsewhere. There are tons of fables and proverbs that back up this time tested theory… like my favorite:

When life gives you lemons a shattered tibia, make lemonade ride your bike.

And this brings me back to the issue of goals, which I addressed last week. My running might make me feel like a slow, injured antelope, but I’m not going to worry about it right now, because that’s not my current focus. In this last week I’ve evaluated, and made some commitments: swimming an open water 2-mile race, for starters. I’ll be swimming/biking as part of a tri relay a little later, and *hopefully* by the end of that month I’ll be able to bring it all together and put out a decent showing in a 1/3 Iron. By the end of the racing season, I have a 5 hour tri relay, and I’m pretty determined to be running that one. (If anyone is interested in doing the run portion, let me know! September 10th, 2011.) There are a couple “fun races” thrown in the mix to keep the fast twitch fibers going.

With these commitments and GOALS in mind, I feel excited about moving forward in my training with a fresh direction and focus. I will most certainly be dropping my butt in the pool (/lake) more often, keeping my bike mileage high, and my running mileage with a concentration on “quality over quantity.”

Q: What about you? Have you thought about any goals in the last week? Maybe you were already working hard with a race/goal/objective in mind. What is driving you to stay committed?

Rock (/ride/run/doyothang) on, Grouchos!

-E