As my Twitter profile suggests, I am, indeed, back to training. Today I biked almost 60km with my training buddies, who I haven’t seen much of lately considering my lack of training. We got to catch up with each other and they waited for me after the uphills. I have not terrible cardio right now, but absolutely NO power going up the hills or against a headwind. On the flat and with a tail wind I’m not too bad. I guess this is all connected to my fast-twitch muscles and my power being compromised by my slack-assed training the past year or so.
I have to admit that today I pretended that I was riding in the south of France in the Tour de France (TdF), especially when I was in a slip stream. Riding my bike during the Tour is so awesome. The way those guys ride inspires me to be a better bike rider. However, I always think about the doping issue in the Tour and it really does upset me a little bit to think that these guys are all on something. That being said, I think the playing field is probably even just because everyone does it. So, really, what’s the point in taking something?! It still comes down to athletic ability, who trained properly, and general fitness levels. I don’t know, it’s just one of those things that I think about sometimes.
Back to my own training….
Today is Day 3 IN A ROW of training! Tomorrow will be Day 4. It seems the the middle of the week is when my body naturally wants to take a break and I let it. Although, taking a break for me looks like a few days off. I’m trying not to let that happen. I’ve been doing lots of running in the past few weeks/2 months. I’m definitely getting faster and even more importantly, I’m feeling motivated to get faster! My motivation to do anything has been so down the past while that it is nice to feel that motivation again.
A lot of my motivation issues have to do with my mental health issues. I feel like I’m kind of “outing” myself by saying that. However, my mental health and physical health are so connected that I can feel physically what I feel mentally. When I think about my stomach problems last summer I’m sure that it has to do with my state of emotions. Thankfully, I’m feeling better mentally AND physically. I’m working with my doctors to ensure that I get better and I’m also making some dietary changes.
Since this is a blog dedicated to being a vegan triathlete, obviously my diet is a huge part of my life. The past year I really haven’t eaten very healthy (it’s all connected to my general being unhealthy). It’s interesting how when I feel like crap, I eat like crap. Lately I have been eating more fresh fruits and veggies, less bread, and more nuts and seeds. Also, I’m going to search my small city to see if I can find this vegan omega-3 substitute. Lately, I’m really into eating salads with fresh lettuce from my garden. Actually, I’ve been spending lots of time on my garden. I had to dig up the grass, haul in dirt, create the beds, and plant everything. It’s been extremely enjoyable and I feel like I’m hitting my stride with everything in life right now. To end this post, here is a picture of my awesome lettuce:
