What I learned at Cedar Point

Self-assesment at the end of a period is often a way to magnify your flaws and showcase what you could have done better.  Wasn't it Einstein who said that the "definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" ?  With this post, I hope to just shed some light on my own misgivings in an effort to not repeat history. 

When looking back on the training that I had done prior to Cedar Point, I felt confident in my work and I had some good workout predictors that I would be able to sustain a farily high pace for the duration of the race.  But sometimes life throws a monkey wrench into the equation.  That monkey wrench was obvious to anyone looking in from the outside, but to me who was waist deep in it, I was oblivious. 

After my foot blew up bigger than a Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade float from running on an injury during an iron-distance triathlon, I was asked to look back thu my training and see what pace my recovery runs were.  Thing is - I looked and didn't find a single one.

Not one single recovery run.

From November of 2011 thru the September 2012 Rev3 race.  And I wondered why I was diagnosed with capsulitis of the 3rd metatarsal.  For what it's worth, I did some things in the season really well (like stuck to my HR zones like they were glue during training rides and long runs, and also figured out that recvery rides were crucial to bike fitness) but it wasn't enough to counteract the damage and pressure that I had put on my foot by that point and something had to give. Unfortunately it happened on the last long training run prior to launch in Cedar Point. 

Gotta add some turtle runs into my training for 2013, so I can beat the rabbit folks

So as the 2012 season comes to a close and the 2013 season is peeking around the corner, I will be taking a closer look at workouts, strength training and nutrition (all things that I realize I need to work on) but also taking a renewed focus on one of the simplest things that will likely not stress my body, the recovery run.  If it's anything like the fitness boost you feel after a recovery ride and a good nights sleep, I'm gonna be feeling like a million bucks in 2013. 

Disclaimer: I'm not smart enough to coach myself, nor am I smart enough to be able to see some of my flaws in my own training.  I am however, smart enough to know when someone you should listen to gives you advice and I'm very open about the training that I do each day (seriously, just ask!)  So when I say I learned these things for myself and I am self-coached, I might be full of crap.  But I do listen and will adapt. :o)