The Process

S - 21,300 yards
B - 141 miles (2hrs MTB)
R - 54.5 miles

Time - 21.32 hours

The process of getting better can really drag on you. I think that's why I sometimes try so hard to find positives in what is really a pretty mundane and boring existence.  I wake up and go to the pool.  I swim. I eat breakfast.  I go to work.  I workout after work.  I eat dinner. I go to bed. The weekends are not weekends because I just remove the "job" element and spend both days training.  Or driving to training.  Or driving from training. Or eating. Maybe napping.

It's a lot of work to get better.  I've watched people that are really good become incapable of handling the mental strain of the "process."  The knowledge that to really improve takes a LOT of work and takes a LONG time is too much for some people.  They need to get better NOW.  I need to be training for my September Ironman NOW. Or my November half. Or whatever.  Insert random-key-race-a-long-time-from-now.

Mid-ride aerobar semi-selfie

I've written this before, but my training in 2011 is impacting my training now.  My biking in 2012 is helping me bike now.  The amount I swam in 2013 is helping my swim pace now.

There is a big difference between acute training load and chronic training load.  CTL is what really makes the differences year after year.  Day after day, month after month, year after year of consistent training.

So this week was just another step in the process.  I had some great swim workouts, some mediocre run workouts and some good biking.  I broke my first ever chain on Sunday out at the Whitewater Center, which was most unfortunate only because it shortened my ride.  I was shooting for some Strava PR's on my second lap but 'twas not to be.



I actually find Strava quite useful for trail riding.  I do not have a powermeter on my mountain bike (ultimate #firstworldproblems whine right there) so being able to track lap/segment times is actually pretty useful.  For example, on this particular ride I pushed the Lake Loop pretty hard and was rewarded with a good segment time.  I can then compare it to previous times I've had on that particular loop and guess that: "hey, I WAS actually working pretty hard."

On another note, I got some coffee this morning.  I was fresh out of a 5000+ yard workout (fresh being a relative term) and had just popped into the grocery store.  I went to a coffee shop in "Dilworth" that share that namesake.  I am not a fan of coffee shop attitude.  Like your coffee is sooOOOoo much better and your location is SOOOooooOOO much better.  I do enjoy the coffee, but don't act like your beans and brews are God's gift to humans.  I then went home for a bit to do some work and when the appointed time arrived headed in to the store.  I stopped at Dunkin Donuts.

100 times better.

Took some video this weekend.  My fit looks pretty good.  I am pleased with the switch to 165mm crankarms and overall I'd say I look comfortable, fast and powerful.

Jenny's fit also looks good, although she probably needs a bit more reach.