My thoughts on my 1st OS
I've been reading avidly everyone's comments and wanted to share my 2 cents. I have been using a PM for about 5 years with varying levels of success and have been involved in triathlons since '97. What i've found thus far with EN is that it has reallly provided me with a great progression for the season. The way the workouts have continued to get more challenging and my body's response has been very heartening. A few things that I've noticed about myself and about the questions that I see posed are (in no particular order):
1. The time of the day that I perform my workouts has a profound effect on my subjective sense of exertion. Though the power and HR remain constant, workouts for me are much more challenging at 5:30 am then at 8:30 pm.
2. My sleep quality/quantity. As a physician that is also board certified in sleep medicine, I am amazed at what a huge difference that sleeping 7.5 to 8 hours compared to 6.5 hours. Once again the objective measures are approximately the same but the subjective abiity to do the work is worlds' apart.
3. Consistency is the key. Paying someone makes me want to get my money's worth.
4. I need to eat more than 3-4 hours before workouts or I get the worse case of heartburn. I think this simply signifies the stress load that I am placing on my body.
4. My Type A personality makes me want to have a great workout every time but this can't always be true. One of the biggest things that I've accomplished is to not focus on the results of each individual workout. I have gone through peaks and valleys in terms of emotional energy. When things are great then I can do no wrong. When I have trouble hitting the proper goals or it is more challenging than I thought it should be, I would get a bit discouraged. Took me a while until I was able to step back and look at my 10 weeks of training to see that my mood/perceived workout effectiveness fluctuated with the above issues.
5. I take rest when my body tells me to. It's okay. . . it's a really long season.
I think that it is natural to doubt what we can accomplish but even after 15 years in this sport, I am continually amazed at what my body has achieved and the heights that it can still reach. Here's to finishing the OS strong.
Comments
Great post - hope this is a banner year for you
Hi Kar-Ming -- great post. As we near the half-way point of the OS, I've been thinking about my journey quite a bit too. Including the pre-season, it's been 10 weeks w/ Team EN for me, and the physical and mental impact so far has been enormously beneficial. I too am learning every day what works best with regards to workout time (definitely AM); nutrition (protein in the evenings gives me more BOOM in the AM); sleep (a lot is good, too much not so much); and actually how to execute the workouts. One more point that is a key factor for me right now is managing my headspace. The learning curve has been incredibly steep, and the first few days, I realized how much I don't know and was trying to catch up - an impossible task! I've now learned to only bite off as much as I can chew, so I'm managing how much new-ness I'm digesting. Sounds a bit corny, but the OS is intense enough already physically and mentally, and just like physical rest is key to getting stronger, I feel that I have to prioritize what/how much I'm asking my brain to process as well. Just joining EN and learning about and accepting the EN training philosophy, going through an OS with its inevitable peaks and valleys, and - for me - learning to train w/ power has been a lot. Add to that the wealth of information shared daily in the forums (I literally learn something new every day!) and what I discover in the wikis, there has been a lot to process these past few weeks. So while my next goal is to get a better handle on nutrition, I'm deferring that until January when I have a bit more headspace to play with.
I couldn't be happier about joining EN. I'm sure the darker moments and setbacks will come, and it'll be interesting to see how I handle those, but so far, it's been great!
Good luck w/ the rest of your OS, and don't forget to BOOM and BOOM tomorrow
Awwww ... thanks BR - I'm just happy to be here ... major AM mojo boost
Kar-Ming,
To me this is a good reminder to pay attention to both the big picture and details. I typically look workout to workout when things are tough in the OS, stepping back and remembering the season's goals are important. There are no prizes for a great OS and then burning out mid way through the season. Well at least none that I want.
To your number 4 ( the second one) it just reminded me of the workout triage in the wiki. Some days you just don't have it and need to adjust the workout and it's okay.
Gordon
Great post!!!!
1. This will be my 3rd OS with EN and have to say I am very happy that it is now 14 weeks vs 20.
2. I like many am very type A and try to demolish every wko and then want more. I have a very hard time knowing where to draw the line in the sand.
3. My goal's this year is:
@CN - thanks to your regular posts, we are all listening to your body
Never would have guessed from your posts that you are a Type-A... suspect you may be the only one here... I was actually wondering if we could work something out where you the workouts for both of us and I could do your rest days - call it, um, specialization... seriously, though, good goals.
Curious as to whether your type-A enthusiasm in the past has served you or led you down the path of injury-induced-inconsistency...?
I wonder if you could elaborate a bit more on the whole sleep thing...obviously we all understand your note, but I wonder if you could give us pointers on sleep - how to get enough, how to know you're getting enough - any special thoughts on getting good quality sleep. I think a lot of us underestimate the power/potency of it. I know I abuse the whole sleep cycle from time to time, and it's probably not a good idea.
Thanks.
Sorry, I have been getting my butt handed to me in the Intensive care unit but will elaborate early next week when I have a little more free time.