I suck at keeping this blog updated lately. So much has happened, especially for it being an "off season". I have pretty much done next to nothing other than occasional runs and weight training here and there. Until this week, I hadn't been on my bike or in a pool since my last race! That's one sign you know you are a swim coach...when you are at the pool every day and haven't swam on your own in months!
Coaching is going well. I love my kids. I love coaching, almost all of it anyway. The management part of it can suck and be overwhelming, but I am getting the hang of it. I seriously work with the most talented, amazing kids on the planet in a sport I love, so how could I not love it! They challenge and inspire me. I couldn't be happier with the coaching aspect of my job! I have learned a lot more about the sport as well in this process, which only makes me a better swimmer, I hope!
I applied for a coaching scholarship about a month ago with Ben Cagle, who is with Beyond Endurance Coaching. Every year he picks one athlete to give a coaching scholarship to (one year free coaching). I applied last year and didn't get it. I got the email saying he was taking entries for this year as well and figured it couldn't hurt to apply again. Well, what do you know, I actually got it! I couldn't be more excited about this! We have had several email exchanges, as well as a FaceTime call, and I think we are on the same page. I like his approach to training, and I think I am going to learn a lot from him.
The training plan started this week, and it feels so good to be back on a routine! I forgot how much I love training, and it really helps me to be a nicer person :) I just lack the motivation to stick with it on my own, and I also spend so much time analyzing, planning, and second guessing my training, that sometimes I just give up and don't train like I should. I have found that this week it is so nice to just open Training Peaks and do what Ben has in there for me. I am so excited to just do the execution part of the training!
Getting back on my bike last night was good. Though with my extended break from biking I have to build up my butt acclimation to the saddle. Even being on the trainer wasn't bad! I was also happy to spend an hour on the bike and have ZERO shoulder issues. Hopefully this continues because my shoulder/neck has been a major pain this fall.
I also got back in the pool this morning. It felt good. The set looked hard initially given the lack of swimming I have done lately, but it wasn't that bad. Challenging...yes. Impossible...nope. I really enjoyed it!
It is fun to be excited again after an extended break. I think that following IMTX, though I was on a high from completing such a huge thing, I was also burned out. I was stupid to plan as many races as I did following IMTX. Training became something I had to do, not something I wanted to do. Then coaching started up this fall, and it slipped to the side like many things do. It's just glad to be back. I've got a lot of work to do to get where I want to be, but I am excited to be back on board.
In the meantime, happy training and racing all!
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