By 2021 racing, I mean I signed up for one race, a sprint in Chattanooga at the end of June with a pretty fast course, which will probably be pretty slow with the shape I am currently in, but the goal is to have fun with this one race and to see where things go. This was a slightly impulsive decision, but I think it is the right time. Some questions about my decision to race now after so much time off and where I am hoping to go from here are listed below.
Why did I decide to race now? I feel like I am slowly beginning to figure out balancing my life, so I decided having something to train for over two months would be a good motivator. I didn’t want some long far off goal right now, and I got an email about reserving a spot for the race, so I went ahead and did it.
What is training for this race looking like? I am not 100% sure about it, but the basic plan is to run 3-4 times a week, bike 3, and swim 2-3 times, while also beginning to incorporate some strength training workouts as well. Most of my training is staying in zone 2 with my intervals and hard workouts in zone 4 to replicate race pace and to get my body used to it. I did my first tempo run in zone four last week, and then I turned around and did my long run in zone two, and while it definitely becomes frustrating to not go as fast, I am finishing my runs without doubling over to catch my breath, which is where I have been in the past.
Is this the beginning of a bigger training cycle for something else? Hopefully yes. I definitely want to return to both the half and full distances, so I am going to use this to gauge how long it is going to take me to get into shape where I am ready to perform at my best for those distances. I need to get my weight down, which will help with efficiency on the bike and the run, and I need to get back into the gym to make sure I am not going to get injured when I start to increase my training.
Am I following a specific training plan or hiring a coach? Not right now. If I decide to go the route of doing another full, I will hire a coach, and I have a couple that work locally I am interested in working with, but for anything shorter I plan to write my own training. My plan is kind of general, because I am still working to make sure I have a good balance between work, training, and staying healthy.
I am also hoping I’ll start writing more as I begin training more. I just got back from vacation in South Carolina where I trained all days except my travel days, and I am going to put together a post on training while on vacation.