There as been a lot going on in my life lately that while I have been managing fairly well, it still takes a toll. You've got your parenting responsibilities. For those of you who are parents, you know that sometimes raises little people can be down right taxing. This weekend and the last couple of months with my teenagers have been a challenge. And you parents know that when you have created, carried, sweated, bled, kissed and cried over those little people, this stress is a big one. Momma bear stuff.
Then you've got your "put food on the table" stressors. Running your own business and figuring out how to do that well, with more ease and what not isn't any small feat. Being your own boss is awesome and not awesome at the same time. It's real life stuff. Responsibility. Adulting. And the coaching world isn't an easy one. Especially if you try to do your best all the time and try to figure out how to lead your people to doing their best as well. It's real, raw and honest (and tough) at times. Especially considering that we attract people like ourselves. Hahahaha. OMG! ;) just joking. Not joking. Haha. I'm one of my biggest fans yet some days I'm like ... "BK seriously, get your ducks in a row, or at least in the same room."
Then spice all that up with some other personal stuff of my own choosing that I've decided to work on and you've got a big tall order. I've had my share of tough times in life and some things to work on to get to the next best version of myself. We all do. When we start looking at those things straight on, life gets sweeter but sometimes the cleaning up and healing of things is a little challenging at times.
I was listening to podcast today about the 10 pillars of health. This smartie doctor guy was talking about his system that works to address all the "pillars" of health. Very interesting stuff and you know, not really a new idea. The yogi's and eastern medicine have been working on this stuff for a long time. Here in the western world were we have our boot straps and type a/work harder mentality ... the idea that in order to optimize health by working on all aspects of life, well thats not common sense to us.
I learned this lesson pretty well last year training for IMTX after three failed heart surgeries and deciding to have a different go of it. Not using western meds to control A-fib and working on these "pillars". It worked really well and I was super pumped. Then came some personal stuff, again, of my own choosing ... and I got in over my head for a bit. Or maybe not, but more of my energy went into the personal growth pillar for a sec while I tried to really work on some things and heal up some old wounds.
BOOM! And so in the sunshine I'm working with a newer version of myself and have to acknowledge that in my balancing of my life, one of my "pillars" is a little lacking. And that would be the physical one. Where I'm not as fast on the bike or run as what I use to be or what I want.
I mean seriously. Three time ironman finisher. Countless HIMs under my belt and here I am. Fluffy, slow, strong and still very awesome. I would love love love to be 15 pounds lighter. Be stronger. Look outwardly how I feel. But right now, with all that has been going on, I am in a state of physique that, while not optimal, is doing ok.
I had set out to do a 3 hour bike ride. Followed by a bit of running. A little bit of that motivation to do all that volume so far out from my next HIM was driven by weight lose. Maybe to beat the fat down and force it to go away. How many of us think like that? More is better right?
GRACE AND GRIT
Well, I got to thinking. What would be the most lovely thing that you could do for yourself right now. After all, the training plan says an hour bike. So two is more than enough. How about BK ... you slow down and just enjoy the sun and acknowledge that fact that you can be out here. That you GET to do this. That you are healthy enough to even do an hour. Seriously. Love all the fat cells for a second and just LOVE every thing part of you.
GRACE: So I slowed down. Talked to all the cows. Really enjoyed the sunshine and the awesome cross wind that was blowing at a nice 20 mph. I focused on my daily reading of HOPE. And positive action, in the face of everything going on. Yep, I was a full mph slower than last weekends two hour ride which i was crazy happy with. This ride felt equally as good tho.
GRIT: I was kind to myself. I was strong enough today to give myself grace and the grit to KNOW that today the mph pace didn't dictate if the workout was a success. Grit to give other areas equal merit. After all, I was well within the plan. So the box is a definite green. And thats good enough. More than good enough.
It is a win.
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What is a training block?
A training block is a period of focused training that hones in on a specific discipline. During these blocks, you back off on the volume and intensity of the other two disciplines to allow more time and energy to be spent on the third, which in this case is the bike.
What are the benefits completing a training block?
First, we need to talk briefly about the concept of progressive adaptation. In a nutshell, a stressor is applied in the form of a training session. This taxes the body systems which, in turn, respond by coming back a bit stronger than they were before (achieved with proper recovery!) so that they can better handle these stressors the next time around. Rinse and repeat.
The tricky thing in multisport is that these stressors are spread across three sports and must be carefully balanced, and combined with appropriate bouts of rest and recovery, to avoid overtraining and injury. Throw life’s other demands into the mix and you’re left with a finite amount of stress you are able to apply within a given period.
By scaling back the intensity and volume of two disciplines, you are subsequently able to scale up these factors in your third discipline. When executed in a strategic, smart manner, this can yield incredible fitness gains in a much shorter time than one would see utilizing their traditional approach.
But won’t I lose fitness in other areas?!
Nope! Your aerobic fitness will maintain, if not increase, throughout this training block. By strategically interspersing shorter, technique-based sessions of the other two disciplines each week, you will maintain neuromuscular sharpness in these areas without cutting into your primary focus area.
So what now?
As we wrap up race season and roll into the “off season”, this is the prime opportunity begin addressing our limiters in preparation for next year. Training blocks are an epic tool to doing so.
So give it a shot! Switch things up, focus in and get ready to ROCK.
We have developed a series of training blocks with various foci for the 2017-2018 off-season that are fully customizable to meet your training goals. The 
The water was really ROUGH. 2 to 3 foot swells. IT WAS AWESOME. I started out, didn't panic, worked to keep calm, felt fine, just couldn't quite get the the rhythm of the freestyle. Without drinking a ton of water. I got pretty good at getting a nose full of water and snorting it out. So I did a lot of breast stroke. Found a rhythm. Found a way to ride the waves a bit. Stopped drinking so much water. In the back of my mind I was aware that I needed to get around the buoys faster. So I'd go back to the freestyle, where I managed to find this feeling of moving through the water better. Then I'd drink some more water. And move back to breast stroke. I was getting there, slowly. The chic I was keeping up with was pulling away. I was getting a little nervous. Then the guy in the kayak told me I had 12 minutes to get in. I had three more buoys left. I said "F$CK", measured the distance, concluded that I wouldn't make it. And said "F$CK" again. I start to sob a bit. WHAT??? CRYING IN THE LAKE???
It's hard to cry, breathe, swim, sight for the finish and not get drowned by the waves.
At the point, I had resigned to not getting in on time. And I wanted to finish this $250 dollar swim strong. If this was the last of my race, i wanted to do it well. So I pressed on. Hard.
The guy in the kayak said "You got to do your very best." So I start swimming harder. More than what I thought I had. On my weak side. Faster. Breathing becomes more forced and here it comes, the wheezing. The asthma. I had this fleeting thought that one wrong wave and this sharp edge I was forcing myself on could really suck. But the kayak guy was right there with me. Shouting me on. Then I hear the announcer of the race yelling my name. And everyone else. That was pretty cool.
I ran out of steam. Asthma attack. I had nothing left. I'm looking at the last 50 yards thinking "I JUST CAN'T DO IT". I can hardly get to the boat ramp, knowing my time is (has) running out and I just have NOTHING left. I'm pretty sure I didn't make it. Then I hear the announcer say I'm the last swimmer. My first thought "SWEET!!! That swim didn't cost me $250 just 5 bucks". Second thought, you got to breathe. I hardly see anyone, until I see Anna. A friendly face asking me if I'm alright. I say "I don't know". And just keep walking to my bike.
Time in the water: 1:11.
Side note: Chomps before the swim do me good.
Getting on the bike was easy. Getting going was easy. I had my feet under me. I was thrilled. As I crossed the dam I left the swim behind me and started looking up for the next person to pass. It was DIFFICULT to see bikers coming in, but heck...
I kept telling myself, "You're the cut off swimmer. You MADE it." At first I passed a few people. It wasn't as triumphant to pass the ones on the side of the rode with flats and what not. But I took what I could get.
Side note: I can't pee in my wetsuit for some reason. So... after passing a legitimate racer (someone still moving forward), I stopped and did a QUICK pit stop. I did spy for bad plants. Didn't need that kind of drama. QUICK QUICK, I'd be @#)$( if that guy passed me back.
Didn't find the bike ride THAT bad. Not after that brutal Atlanta 70 mile training ride. The tea pot song wasn't helping much. So I changed it..."just keep pedaling, whens this gonna stop, heck if I know..." I'd look up, damn hill wasn't done yet..."apparently not yet, just keep pedaling, whens this gonna stop, heck if I know..." Hahaha.
I got to mile 25 with just 7 F-bombs. I was pretty proud. I was trying to keep it under 10. Though I counted the ones in my head, not just out loud. Maybe that was being to hard on myself.
Every person I passed was AWESOME. I knew that at about mile 36 things were gonna get easier. And the killer wind was gonna be my ally. So when we turned, I hit it hard. AWESOME. I actually enjoyed the bike ride.
Besides the left butt bone. And the wasp.
So flying down a BIG hill, 40 miles an hour (not letting up) something flies into my shirt and I get a sharp sting. The F-bombs just started flying. I look at my hands, at my speedometer, at my boobs and decide to just ride it out. I totally forgot that they can only sting you once. That would have helped. So I'm sort of freaking out that I have a bug in my bra that's gonna keep stinging me. I get my arse but the next hill. Come to this awesome streaking halt and flash the sheriff sitting there directing traffic to release my wasp. DUDE.
That was the only time someone passed me. For about 30 seconds.
Finishing that ride was AWESOME. I felt great. Perpetuum. That nasty drink at the aides stations sucked. I ate 2 salt capsules every hour. A lot of chomps with caffeine and the orange yummy beans.
I almost took a dive into the "BIKE IN" blow up thing. hahaha. Didn't quite get both feet unclipped. Managed to save it and get on with the day.
Bike Time: 4:01
Starting the 13 miles was hard. My legs felt ok. It was just plain HOT. And the run was so incredibly boring. The highlights of the run: Running with Glen for a bit. Seeing Dan a bunch. Seeing Ashlea's rockstar @ss. Kelli on her last bit, getting myself an "another lap to go kiss". The honey badger sign at the aide station. She recited the video to me, so that was cool. "He's so NASTY...He doesn't give a SHIT. He just takes what he wants!" The water hoses. And the seasoned triathlete that said this was a really hard race.
I walked at each station. One cup of water over the head, one down the back. The cup of ice down the cleavage. (Thinking back...I wonder if this helped the wasp bite not get angry.) Two cups of water into the stomach, refill my little hand water thingy and off I went. I only ate two Gu's, which surprised me. The one that I kept in my pants tore me up!!!! I kept up eating the salt capsules. I felt pretty good until I got to the pit of hot hell, down by T1 and the porta potties. NASTY. The water hoses had such a big impact. I would get TOTALLY drench and feel SUPER FABULOUS until dry.
I passed a lot of runners. I tried not to walk. I walked more on loop one. Average pace was 12:20. Loop two got better. ALMOST DONE. Pace quickened to 11:00. Still feeling pretty good.
Knees started hurting the last 1/2 mile. So I slowed down. That last bit SUCKED. I had it in the bag and my legs were saying "hey, missy, we are REALLY tired".
Rounding that corner though, into the shoot was awesome. I saw someone walking and thought to myself "WHAT!!!! This is where YOU DO NOT WALK!" 
