Posted by This wasn’t my best week. I couldn’t get any swims scheduled and there was a whole lot of Zone 1 & 2 effort on the bike and run. My bike numbers were a little down. Still, there was a lot to be proud of.
I dealt with a number of challenges this week. We had a lot of snow in my area in the early part of the week and again today. That kept my son out of school for several days and the extra time needed to take care of him cut into my training. The snow and ice also made conditions tricky. I’ve logged a number of my running miles in cold, slippery, and muddy conditions. I also had to work around not having my car for a few days while it was in for repairs which made it near impossible to get to the pool. To top it off, I had a few bad nights of sleep and struggled a bit with my discipline to get to bed at a reasonable hour.
Despite all that, I still managed my best run week of the year. I ran 37 miles over all seven days. I kept my run streak alive, now at forty days straight. I put in a solid long run today in the rain and snow, running through puddles and muddle and slippery conditions. It was a lot of fun. I’m still psyched to continue my consistent running.
It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers going up and down from day-to-day and week-to-week. One thing those digital platforms like Training Peaks, Garmin, and Strava don’t capture is context. Our lives are full of complexity. Most of us are training in the context of a bunch of non-training stressors, be it work, parenting, family, setbacks, or all of the above. Acknowledging that stress and how it can impact our motivation and performance is super important.
This was a tough week for me. I still did alright. I can live with that.
Out and Back 