Triathlon Training Tuesday: Digging Myself Out of a Training Slump

As I mentioned in this post, I spent last week digging myself into a pretty deep training rut and developing a pretty negative attitudeabout working out to keep me company down there!   By the end of last week, after several days in a row of really sucky workouts, I was starting to just not feel like MYSELF.  Does anyone else get that way when you get out of a regular fitness routine?  Tired, crabby...just blech.  I knew I had to make a serious commitment to not only getting back on track with training, but getting my myself mentally back on track!  Friday morning I dragged myself out of bed early, hopped on my bike, and headed to the gym for a swim workout.  I'm a breast stroke girl normally, but I've been forcing myself to work on my freestyle lately in hopes that I can swim freestyle for at least part of the Danskin tri.  I had a pretty good swim workout, a nice bike ride home, and a positive attitude about the whole thing.  I have to tell you, it made my whole day that much better!

Dripping wet post-swim!

Saturday morning I was determined to get two great training days in a row.  Even though the Danskin sprint tri is my immediate training goal, I am trying to slowly build up a running mileage base again.  My plan is to slowly build up mileage this summer and fall, add in some speed work in the next couple of weeks, and be ready to pound out a couple of speedy 5Ks this fall before I start seriously upping mileage for my November half marathon.  Anyways, running has SOOOO not been my friend lately!  Between the heat, my inability to get an early start these days, and my cranky pants attitude, I've been pretty much hating my life every time I lace up my Brooks!  Yuck.  Where did that girl go who is so in love with running she cries when she gets injured and can't run??  Friday night I did my best to get my brain back on track--I went through the motions of my night time routine as though I were preparing for a Saturday morning long run, even though I had only 4 miles on the schedule (which for me, right now, is a long run!).  Since I love long runs during half marathon training, I figured that if I treated my planned run like that it would help get my head in the game!  I laid out my socks, hat, and gu, filled up a water bottle, and planned to drive to the forest preserve to run instead of running around my neighborhood.  Before heading out the door, I decided I needed a mantra sharpied on my arm.

Fearless: What else??

 I am so happy to say that the run was a success.  Minus my IT band straps sliding down my sweaty legs, I actually felt HAPPY to be out there for the first time since my tri.  Man, that is a feeling I'd been missing!!!  The difference between this run and my previous few was crazy, and I'm positive it was all due to that mental shift.  I told myself I was going to love running that morning and lo and behold, I did.  It's a beautiful thing.

Needless to say, after FINALLY having a good run, I had a much better attitude about the short run on my schedule for this morning.  Also, I had a special running buddy join me--my sister in law!  My wonderful older brother and sister in law are visiting this week from Florida with their beautiful baby (my goddaughter!), and like I mentioned in this post, Sister in Law has decided to start running!  She has her eye on a few 5Ks for fall and the Disney Princess Half for February!  We stopped at the running store yesterday to get her some new shoes.  Beautiful Niece loved the running store!  I'm positive she's going to be a little runner. ;)

I'm hoping this means I'm back in the training game.  I guess there will always be days--or weeks!--like this, but the important thing is to remember that these things pass, to dust yourself off, and to keep moving forward.  Looking forward to a full week of triathlon training--and spending time with this kiddo...