Mid-training reflection

Well, being as we're half done with this IM training cycle, I guess a little reflection is in order. It's easy to get lost in the day-to-day, especially when one training session bleeds into the next, but I think it's good to take stock in where you're at along the way. Too often, I've pushed myself through rough patches only to find out much later that I should have backed off a bit instead. So, anyway, here we go.

Overall, I feel pretty good about where I am, fitness-wise - I've generally followed the training plan and I'm still feeling pretty good both physically and mentally. I am a little disappointed that I've effectively, by eliminating a few workouts during the week, gone from following Fink's so-called "Competative" plan to really doing something closer to the "Intermediate" option. I accomplished this by skipping one run session each week (which was actually intentional, so as to preserve my wonky hamstring) and just flat out failing to pick up the extra swim session (the third of the week) and extra ride-time on Saturday (the Competative plan has you riding for a period before your long run) that was supposed to start about a month ago. Part of me wishes I could have stuck more to the original plan, but, then again, I may have been a lot more burned out/injured/unhappy now if I had done so. C'est la vie.

Even as an "intermediate," I feel like I'm in a better place than I was with no clear plan to follow, so that's an accomplishment. The interval sessions have helped quite a bit, fitness-wise, and haven't beaten me up too badly. I haven't consulted past training diaries, but I think I'm getting in more - and better - workouts now than I did for either of my previous IM training cycles. I'm also eating pretty well (not in quality, but quantity) so my weight is staying in a good place.

So, all-in-all, I think things are going well. We have a great many long rides to go, which is typically where I get all whiny and want to throw in the towel, but I'm actually looking forward to the outdoor time - summer still hasn't come here with any consistentcy, so the thought of spending a few hours out under the sun is really appealing. Let's hope that feeling lasts.