Rough with the Smooth

Warning... Whinge alert (only a short one, I promise)

I’ve been struggling a bit recently. I’ve felt fat, the number on the scales has gone up a bit, I’ve struggled to complete training sessions fully and enjoyably for a few weeks, and the weather feels never-endingly cold & wet.  My work portfolio is taking up a lot more brain space than it should, and my hormones seem to be giving me a bit of rollercoaster ride. 

Blimey, that’s a lot of negative thoughts… more than normal, for me. 

So let's get off that particular fast train to nowhere, and sort it out.  

Feeling fat & gaining weight - I've been wearing the ZOE continuous glucose monitor for the last two weeks, and experimenting with a few food combinations to test my blood sugar response.  Perhaps stuff I wouldn't normally eat so often.  So first things first: diet.  I have 13 weeks to go to Celtman Solo Point Five, and it's time to double down on training & nutrition.  Time to eat well, to fuel my training, and not overeat. I'm learning how to flatten my blood sugar curve, and in two weeks when I get my ZOE test results back, I'll be able to do the same for my blood fat response, and my gut microbes.  

Work: well, let's just say that's ongoing.  I have a portfolio to complete in order to qualify as an Ambulance Technician, and I can't change that.  But I have updated my plan- that's one more step in the right direction.  

Hormones... there's a rollercoaster in itself. I'm perimenopausal - and there's no magic bullet for that.  I may make an appointment with the doc to discuss HRT.  

Struggling with training: the weather's been pretty cold up here, I've been at work quite a lot lately (the heavy section of my work roster, plus overtime) and we were away for a few days when it snowed - on the west coast of the Outer Hebrides, unexpected to say the least!  So a combination of factors means I've not really done what I'd planned.  Plus, to be honest, I've kind of lost my way a bit with training.  Being a bit tight on time means I haven't been planning as diligently as I was, and maybe I was beginning to lack motivation to do the Hard Sessions.  

I needed to fix how I felt about all of that. 

First of all, I swam - in cold water with a good friend. That began the process of just feeling better about life, the universe and everything.  For me open water swimming has been a real mental health fix this winter, a mood lifter on a tired or low day, and a recovery tactic too. And swimming with Jill through the winter months, chatting about life and training, laughing at the wind, waves & cold, has been just fantastic for so many reasons. 

Then here's the interesting bit.  With an improved mood and a new focus, I decided to take a leap in order to help me really focus in on training for the next 13 weeks.  I've signed up to the Brownlee Fitness training plan for a half-iron-distance triathlon, which at some point in the next few days will get dropped into my Training Peaks account.  The thought took me by surprise, I've always resisted endurance coaching.  But at the moment, it just seems to make sense.  They do the planning for me, and I get a plan that I can adapt around shift work, weather, how I feel, and all the other stuff that life throws at me.  

For those that don't know, Alistair & Jonny Brownlee are uber-successful triathlete brothers from the UK who in the last couple of years have set up a coaching business with a small group of other coaches alongside their athletic endeavours, and have ventured from Olympic distance triathlon to longer distances. But it's not about their individual prowess, or celebrity status.  Their philosophy is "Helping anyone, of any sporting standard, to achieve more".  I like that. 

So that's the big stuff taken care of with plans put in place.  I needed to fix the psychology of how I felt.  So last night, I did a 'Ramp Test': how am I getting on, on the bike?  The answer?  Pretty good actually.  No better or worse than I should 

And today, a 90 minute run up a hill.  Similar amount of climbing to the Celtman SP5 course hill section, on easier terrain- and it felt good.  I enjoyed it, kept an acceptable pace, and my plantar fasciitis was probably the least painful it's been.  

Tomorrow I'll get on the bike.  The weather's still cold, so I'll do a long ride on Zwift: a progression from my previous long ride, and something not dissimilar to the Solo Point Five bike course.  I have a loose target for time to completion, but I'm still 13 weeks out: no need to stress if I take a bit longer over it. 

So, 13 weeks to go.  Time to double down, do slightly higher intensity training (the Brownlee plan will take care of that), make sure I get the regular gym sessions in, eat well and get plenty of sleep & recovery.  Keep putting one foot, one pedal stroke, or one arm in front of the other, and enjoy the process.  It's starting to feel close...