running goals

Well hello, June!  I love a good fresh start.  Who doesn’t?  I’m using the new month as an opportunity to refocus my training.  Admittedly, I’ve been in a bit of a training rut since Eugene.  I’ve heard of the post-Ironman blues and luckily didn’t experience them, but I had never heard of the “post-BQ blues”.  I think they’re one and the same.  You reach that amazing A-goal you’ve trained your face off for and reach this incredible highhhhh…and then wonder, what’s next?  I’m a very goal-oriented person and have been training for a new milestone for 3 straight years, so I’m not surprised I feel this way.  I just didn’t realize it would affect me so much.  Those years looked a little something like this:

2010:  P90X and Half Marathon

2011: 1st marathon, 1st triathlon, P90x again, Insanity, 2 Half Marathon PRs

2012: 2nd marathon (PR), 1st Half Ironman, 1st Ironman

2013: 3rd marathon (PR) / 1st BQ, ???

2014: 4th marathon (hopefully Boston!)

I don’t have any huge audacious goals pinned down yet, except to run Boston next year if I can get in!  I’ll be running a full marathon again either way.  I need to keep my fitness levels up in the meantime.  I know I want to keep running because I love it and it makes me happy.  I signed up for America’s Finest City Half Marathon (Aug) for a Team WODS reunion, and will probably throw another half in there, but that’s it so far.  Is that enough?  I have an interest in trail running.  I’m curious about ultra-running (anything further than 26.2 miles).  I don’t want to lose my speed and wouldn’t mind getting faster.  I also want to cross train more often and work on my overall strength.  This includes trying out new classes that I never had time for before.  (Why not? See above training milestones 😉 )

My head has been spinning with all these ideas and it has resulted in paralysis.  Even though I’m not technically getting coached by Trevor at the moment, I still call him my coach.  So, I sent Coach Trevor a text yesterday telling him how I missed our workouts and was in a training rut, needing a new goal.  He just replied with one word. CONSISTENCY.  I hate it when he’s right.

I need to get consistent with my workouts again!  I’m going to lay out some guidelines for June to help get me down this path of consistency because for me, it’s easier said than done.  I spent the last month sleeping in, running 3-5 miles leisurely, and sleeping some more.  (Hey that’s what marathon recovery is all about, right?!  Then why do I feel so guilty for doing it?)  I also was recovering from some minor injuries I gave myself ramping up my speed so quickly, but I think my new Super Feet inserts are doing their job now.

After all that, here are my goals for June in order to TRAIN WITH CONSISTENCY:

1) Run 3-4 days/week, including 1 long run

2) Cross train at least 2 days/week (swim, bike, new group workouts)

3) Try at least 2 new group workouts

I already took my first new group class today at Studio Barre in Carlsbad.  They reached out to me on Twitter and are giving me some free classes, but more on that later!  Let’s just say my legs were shaking uncontrollably in those demi-plies.

What do you do to avoid a training rut when you don’t have an upcoming A-race?