2015: A Return to Basics

   The off season is winding down and I'm starting to look further into 2015 with a sense of eagerness. I spent a week in Ohio at the end of December and hit some of the old trails from my younger years. There was enough calm to be able to thoroughly reflect on where 2014 left me.

I can summarize it in one statement: a lack of consistency and direction in 2014.

I'll touch on both elements separately.

CONSISTENCY

    My blog was wrought with injury and illness the past year. I rallied hard following each setback, but the fact I had roughly 4 major setbacks in the year made it especially hard to rally each time thereafter. Some might say "oh you're young, you'll bounce back" and I most certainly will-- yet there remains key physiological adaptations gained from consistent training. In the past 18 months I have noticed my body needing more recovery than before and I can't help but think part of this is due to setbacks creeping up on me.

   Too often I was putting mega base miles down thinking I was lacking, whereas my mediocre high-

end fitness showed its ugly face come race days. While a consistent base is vital, I need more attention to getting the kind of fitness to move out of higher placings back towards my winning ways. A good example is that I was doing repeat miles 4 wks from the Fat Ass consistently in the 5:45-6:00min/mile range and 300m repeats to sharpen the legs 14 days out from racing. My afterburners we're stoked on that day with last mile at 6:10 on soggy Oly trails and out kicking the other guy with ease. Compare to my detonation in the last hour of Maupin and lacking the threshold to hold pace on the climbs. I didn't prepare correctly and scraped a 2nd place with a hint of bitterness at my legs. I was aerobically demolished bc the body didn't know any better.

   Looking back I see the error in my ways and will avoid (crashes be damned) those mishaps with better SELF CARE. I force my body to do things that I am capable of yet should take my overall wellbeing into consideration beforehand. it's not a matter of hitting the numbers and volume, it's how you get there pre- and post- training. 

DIRECTION

   This sorta ties into consistency but I am seriously considering a coach at this point. I have done well managing my training in years past but my work life is making confused conflict in my brain for accountability. Despite the experience and education in exercise science I remain my own worst athlete to train with :)

   I revised my racing schedule no less than 4 times this past year. a coach would have had another voice in these decisions and probably told me to calm the Hell down. With racing in two disciplines (ultra running and sportive/TT endurance) and an increasing work load (I took a promotion recently) another voice of reason wouldn't hurt.

WHERE IS 2015 GOING??

   The resounding theme in my head as I was cruising miles at Malabar over vacation was a return to basics. I had put solid years of miles in my legs prior to 2014. While the Pacific Northwest is more competitive than the Midwest in respect to post-collegiate athletics, a return to uncomplicated training would benefit greatly in rebuilding what I have lost. I likely won't race until Summer and focus on getting my body back to par the first 6 months and enter races fresher with a possible coach in the arsenal. I have started to put my feelers out for an appropriate coach. My numbers--and more importantly my motivation to place high-- depend on it.

Pics from back home in Ohio.

See you out there.

P.