The last 5 weeks since my IM race have been pretty uneventful as far as training goes. I guess that's the way I should have handled recovery anyway, but damn it sure is boring. With nothing on the calendar at all the remainder of the year, it's been difficult to make myself get out and get some work in. The "want to" has been there, but unless there's a "have to" certain responsibilities get in the way. I'm learning more and more that I need a goal. I need a carrot. There needs to be a reason for all of the training for me to really get after it. Trying to maintain a certain level of fitness just doesn't cut it.
I've been spending a bit more time in the gym these days. Getting back to basics and trying to add some muscle to my frame has been a fun process. After not having lifted much at all this year, every workout leaves me sore and feeling like a big ole sissy. As I'm bench pressing my 25 pound weights as many times as I can in one set, I look over to see the guy I used to be throwing down 3-4 reps with as big as a weight that he can find. These guys' routine of chest and triceps on Monday or back and biceps on Tuesday enable them to rest one muscle group while working on the other. This is no different than our approach to training. I see these guys with the huge biceps and well defined backs, but I have to ask, "What are you going to do with that"?
Then, as I rerack my weights after doing deadlifts, I look at myself and ask, "Ok, now what are you going to do with this." Right now, I don't have an answer. Right now the calendar is open and it's killing me!
So where do I go from here? I'm too broke from buying baby accessories to shell out $30 for a 5K or a late season duathlon. And there's really no way to tell whether or not I'll have time to fully train for an end of the year Marathon. What I can do is set small/short term goals that can be reasonably attained. A nice list of things to check off. So where to start? Well, I am embarrased to say, but tonight I will put my tri bike back together since I've yet to reassemble it since the flight home from Plymouth. I will hook it up to my trainer and tomorrow morning I have a goal of finishing disk 2 of the first season of 30 Rock. Now there's a goal I think I can live with. After that, who knows. I'll work that out over disc 3.
I like the idea of picking up some small goals for end of the year. I find that a 10K is awesome for a mid-winter (Dec-Feb) goal. Takes minimal training to 'run', but you can really devote a lot of time to try and 'race' it.
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