Winter, Injury, and Dealing With a Bit of Fear

"Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears." - Arthur Koestler

Last week I received an email reminding me that Ironman Coure D'Alane was 20 weeks away. For the uninitiated it surely sounds like a long way away. Especially with all the snow and cold we have had here in Eastern PA, June 29 feels like it will never come. What was my reaction? Scared me a bit.

See, this isn't my first rodeo and I know what it takes to show up in shape. There is a lot of work that has to get done. A lot. Here in February it's just some base building to get ready for the real training that has to get done come April and May. Sounds simple enough; it really is. Put in the work day after day, week after week. Simple, but not always easy.

Two things have happened this year that are different for me than previous Ironman training cycles.

First, this winter weather really sucks for training. Granted, we have been spoiled the past few years with mild temperatures and low snow totals. But come on, this is getting ridiculous!!! I have about 3 feet of snow on my front lawn and the streets are half their size. It did finally get above freezing today for the first time in who knows how long. Riding is about impossible these days, running treacherous on a good day. Especially in the pre-dawn hours where there is less traffic, but black ice is hard to see.

The other difference is I have been dealing with injury. After seeking medical advice - something I don't normally do - I found out I have a slight tear in my right meniscus. I do feel quite lucky as I fully expected to have surgery. Having some time away from run training is much, much better than having to go under the knife, then rehab. No time for that with an Ironman 20 weeks away.

Thus far, 2014 hasn't gone close to plan. By now I had expected to have a solid base of run miles in my legs as well as a solid half marathon. Instead, my longest run this year is under 12 miles and I had to bag the Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon  due to a weather related flight cancellation.On the bike the expectation was high intensity training during the week on the trainer complimented by one or two days each weekend outside building some mileage. Reality is more trainer time than anyone should want to put in. At least my swim training is on track.

Which leads me back to that touch of fright I suffered from last week. Training for an Ironman is a process that takes months, not weeks. It is a process I have enjoyed in the past, and plan on enjoying for quite some time into the future. But part of that enjoyment has to do with the people who help you along the way, as well as the things you get to see and experience during training. So far, 2014 has been frustrating. That frustration has led to some fear of the big race.

There are three key differences so far this year:

Not being physically 100% - I don't do well with injuries. Ignoring them, not dealing with them, is more my style. Time heals all wounds, right? Yes ... but sometimes you need to see a doctor and get some help. While hopefully on the mend, some training has been missed, some modified, certainly not as consistent as it should be. It's early

Less times training with friends - At the very least I have been running with at least one friend almost every Saturday for the past 18 years. People have come and gone from our group, but I have been the constant presence, always there if I am in town and not racing. In past winters there may have been one or two weekends that didn't work because of the weather. This year I haven't seen some of the regulars for weeks. Compound this with the Masters swim group I was training with shutting down and it has been a lot of alone time for Jon. Just as important, nobody to push or compare myself with while training.

More time training inside than ever before - I hate the treadmill. I'm not the biggest fan of the trainer. Neither is the ideal setup for me. I prefer to be outside - even on a part-time basis - but my knee and the weather have kept me inside more than ever. In winter's past I have run inside maybe 2 times on average ... ran more than that last week!!! Our basement is a very nice setup, but outside is what keeps the sanity.

In the end, I think the streak of fear is a result of the big change in race prep this time around. Plans have been modified, conditions have changed, and training has been more solitary than I prefer. But, hey, fear (and change) can be a good thing right?

Right.

I'm getting it done, and I sure as hell will be ready (barring catastrophe) come June 29.


Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon