Staying Within The Plan

Life and work has gotten in the way of my triathlon journey but I'm hanging in.  I completed a sprint tri (COMBAT) on Saturday, May 28 under strict instructions from my coach to keep my pace well below threshold.  He wanted me fresh for the Olympic race in Austin (CAPTEX) on Monday, May 30.  His plan was flawless and I was ready for Austin, or so I thought. I never could find my form during the swim and by the time I exited the water, my heart-rate was way too high. The hills and wind were horrible on the bike. I kept repeating to myself that it was the same for everybody but I didn't listen to instinct nor my coach. I pushed higher than he wanted me to and by the time I got to the run, I was spent. I re-focused by using my time to encourage others and lift them up; it always helps prevent self-pity.

I am grateful that I crossed the finish line, even if it was 15 minutes slower than my expected time.  As my coach keeps telling me, "It's not about the T-shirt, it's about the transformation."  I also remembered my own words back in January (TRUST post) about sticking to the plan.  The Apostle Paul wrote these words in 1 Corinthians 4:6, “Do not go beyond what is written;” a warning not to exalt man’s plan above God’s. Spiritually speaking, God has prescribed the exact training regimen and race instructions in His word. When our ego gets the better of us and we think we know better than Him, we are going to pay a price.

With God, as with triathlon training, we are always given a second chance.  I will recover and refocus in preparation for the Redman HIM (half ironman) in September.  My coach gave me an off week before that plan starts.  I'm going to use this week to recover and refocus on keeping my walk with the Lord within His bounds.

New Level Of Pain

Today hurt!  The training plan called for something I've never done on the bike.  My coach wanted me to keep my heart rate at close to red-line for 5 minutes, followed by another 5 minutes at about 10-15 beats slower.  Then he graciously gave me 2 minutes of recovery before I had to do it again and then a third time.  I'm afraid to even ask what's in store for future workouts.  Up to now I just thought some of the workouts were hard.  Now I understand why clients sometimes yell at their coaches!

There was a lot of self-doubt during this workout, especially watching how slowly seconds actually tick away.  I did notice that the 5 minute follow-up was easier.  During earlier workouts, I had thought that heart rate was really difficult to maintain.  Now, and after almost passing out, I realize that once you push to a new level, the old levels are manageable.  I am hoping that was my coach's intent, instead of him getting some sort of sick pleasure at my suffering.

I feel good today.  Accomplished.  But I'm not ready to say "Thank you" to my coach just yet.