Two Months Out - Time to Dig Deep!
Two months out, holy crap time flies! So many thoughts about this race: Am I ready? Have I been training properly? Have I been eating properly? Have I been foam rolling enough? This kind of mental chatter can be overwhelming and often negative. Anyone who knows me well knows I don’t need critics because my own expectations are high enough.
As with many goal-driven individuals, the sense of urgency with upcoming benchmarks or deadlines adds an important constraint. I am focused, determined and proud of my progress up to this point. There are many things I would do differently next time, but hindsight is just that, hindsight. The retrospective on this training will certainly be critical for my next race. But with the hurdles in my life in the last six months (Loss of grandparents, business restructuring, failing relationships), I have been doing my best. I am using what I’ve learned in the last couple months to remove some obstacles that were holding me back, and I can feel the difference.
Some might say that spreading myself too thin is a recurring theme in my life. I want to take on the world, and in the process can end up disappointing myself when I am unable to accomplish all that I set out to do. Setting a rigorous schedule doesn’t allow me (or my assistant and team) the freedom to add anything to my calendar that doesn’t serve current goals and ambitions… I also find that I use the wiggle room in my schedule for the things and people I am most passionate about. Micro-managing my schedule has netted big gains for both my training and state of mind.
So how am I managing the stability of a rigorous calendar with the agility of working in startup land?
Everything has a time and place — from working and taking meetings all the way down to when I’m going to stretch. Having my tasks charted out allows me to focus on what really needs my attention. Also, the likelihood of completing activities that I tend to decide I don’t have time for (self care, I’m looking at you!) increases when they are already on the agenda. Also, going against what I have on my calendar would require a big opportunity or raging fire. Knowing this and wanting to avoid falling short keeps me accountable. Of course, adjustments are a necessary evil, but I find it much easier to properly invest my time across my primary accountabilities if I have plan laid out in front of me even if those time blocks need to be juggled on the fly.
Time is the most precious resource and there never seems to be enough of it. My resistance to making sacrifices in order to train consistently is another roadblock that I’ve had to remove. On top of my normal consulting practice and training workload, I’m preparing to launch a new international venture this summer. Also, I’ve only been home two weekends in the last three months. Even with the best intentions, long training days tend to get cut short when you’re living on the go. I’ve made a commitment to cut back on weekend travel as well as late night networking events or parties unless it’s with my besties so I can get the proper sleep and time utilization I need in this final stretch of training.
Constant recalibration is so important and so difficult! Doing my best is one thing, doing what is best is another. Identifying what is working for me, what is not working for me, and what may work better for me is crucial to optimizing performance. I’m going to focus on three major components of my training to identify where to stay the course and where to pivot and try something different.
Training
Strengths?
I have been putting in the miles on the bike and running . The weather is finally allowing consistent outdoor riding and I am excited to be back in the saddle. I’ve been training sans gym until recently. I made the decision to return to Equinox and this was a win. It’s allowing some flexibility in my workout schedule, workout diversification and getting me back in the pool… and schedule accountability!
Weaknesses?
Running is still a struggle for me. I’m getting in the workouts but my pace is not what I feel it should be. I need to adjust my training plan and incorporate more tempo work on the treadmill and some speed drills on the track. Also, I have not been doing brick workouts.
What’s the plan for recalibration?
My calendar is now my religion! I have removed the hurdles, now it’s time to follow through. I’ve let work as well as some drama in my personal life dictate my schedule. I took staying agile and rolling with the punches too far and ended up missing some key building workouts. Weekly pre-mapping of my calendar and priorities in Training Peaks and importing that to my Google calendar is going to ensure integration.
Nutrition
Strengths?
I think it fair to list my willingness to pivot over and over again as a strength. Thanks to some insight from Q1’s blood work and the recommendation of some badass pros, my fueling plan is getting yet another overhaul! I’ve recently been phasing into an autoimmune protocol, which is making meal meetings and conferences a challenge but hoping it’ll pay off. And while it can be frustrating to keep changing things up, and having to restock my kitchen and remove foods I love, I am sticking it out!
Weaknesses?
Transitioning to ultra strict nutrition and fueling is a big challenge when traveling. Even if I’m only running around the city to meetings, It’s difficult to stay on track when I’m not in a controlled environment. Also, giving up cheese!! It hasn’t caused any flare ups in past elimination protocols and since I know this, it’s now a hard thing to give up. I crave cheese more than wine when eating out, although they are even better together.
What’s the plan for recalibration?
I am not giving up when it comes to keeping up with my diet. Continuing to troubleshoot with my Parsley Health nutrition coach is the plan. I’ll continue tweaking this until I find a plan that works for me for the long run.
Mindset
Strengths?
SOC (Stream of Consciousness) journaling, I have been getting the junk out and working with a stress management coach. Decluttering is the key to optimal clarity. When I can focus on the present more often and stop feeding the monkey-mind that keeps chattering away, I’m more confident in the decisions that I make and find that I have more energy.
Weaknesses?
Sticking to a routine is always the hardest part. It’s easy to stay focused when something is new and exciting. Once a fitness hack loses the initial “wow” factor, or if it’s not producing immediate results, I find myself dropping the habit and picking up a new one. This habit was mostly conditioned by my agile approach to business. However, there are times when this approach that serves my profession doesn’t always serve my personal performance. I’ve noticed this parallel in my meditation practice (losing patience when I don’t get results).
What’s the plan for recalibration?
Keep doing what works, like SOC journaling. And what I know has worked in the past when I invest in it consistently, like meditation. Which as you might have guessed is getting added to the super rigid calendar and make myself sit still twice a day, whether I like it or not.
Reflecting on the main takeaways from identifying my strengths and weaknesses, I’ve determined the need for rigid consistency in: consistent calendar management, prioritizing training over socializing, honing in on nutrition, and continuing mental management practices such as mediation. Having these needs identified provides a feeling of optimism for the home stretch of training over the next two months. It’s time to get cranking and enjoy the process!
