The Blessing of Addiction
When you grow up in an alcoholic home, you have a tendency to crave excitement. So, when I don’t start the day running through fires naked, it’s worthy of note.
A subtle, but valuable indicator is when I’m not actively thinking of coffee. It’s a sub-conscious decision that I like to interpret as a symptom of balance.
I have to be careful though, because in some ways I fear that this newly concocted “10 Days of Rest” is the excitement. Do I really feel more relaxed, or am I just more optimistic because I have a fresh stimulant?
This thought process is a blessing and a curse, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a great base for being a triathlete. You crave new challenges and push your ass to the limits. You believe (or want to prove) you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. But, staying committed is the real battle.
Today’s “Workouts”
On “Day Two,” I eased in without anxiety of a missed or pending workout and I swear the calm was real. I didn’t have my first sip of coffee until I got to work. Often, that is time for cup number two.
The stretching and leg exercises from the day before helped, but I had an underlying feeling meditation was having just as much or more impact on my serenity. I’ve also been reading a book called “Flow” which is a pretty intense dive into consciousness and how your state of mind can be controlled and not left to chance. (More on that when I figure out what the hell he’s talking about).
Over lunch, I repeated the pelvis and hip flexor stretches from the day before. After work, things got a little more physical.
I added push ups, pull ups, some dumb bell work, then swim catch and pull simulations with cords. None of it was overly intense. Simply a wake up call to unused muscles. As the 10 Days build, so will the weight and reps. I also did Beso ball step-ups and can feel it a little in my calves.
Race Schedule Options
After walking the dog, I pulled my new USA Triathlon card out of the mail and found some intriguing race teases in the package. Louisville is my ultimate goal, but if I get done with these 10 Days and decide I’m gonna race short courses I have an alternative plan . . . that coincidentally could all take place in Wisconsin.
June 22 – Rev3 Wisconsin Dells (Olympic)
July 20 – IM 70.3 Racine (Half – most doubtful)
August 10 – USAT Olympic Nationals Milwaukee (Olympic)
September 13 – TriRock Series – Lake Geneva (Olympic)
In reality I will probably only do 3 of the 4, but it feels like a good plan considering I would have convenient lodging for most of it and I love being home in the summer.
If, I decide Louisville is my destiny, the schedule will probably look like more this:
August 24 – Ironman Louisville
Either way is a win and I’m just gonna let it play out naturally. Of course, the third option could be spending a summer in meditative recovery, but that might make a blog about triathlon kinda boring.
