Volume 7, Training Week 6: Priorities

  “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."

Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

    What are my priorities for my training and in life--in my faith, my family and all the rest?  I've been thinking on that this week during my training and weekly devotional. I'll fill you in after my weekly stats...

IM Florida finish line. My ultimate priority in my training this upcoming year.

Weekly Stats:

• Weight: 179.0 
• - 1.6 lbs from start (adjusted to 180.6 lbs at beginning of November)
• Swimming: (2x)
• 3.49 miles (6,150 yds)
• 2:10:23
• Biking: (3x)
• 37.29 miles
• 2:30:42
• Running: (x2)
• 11.09 miles
• 1:50:03
• Strength: (2x)
• 1:44:31
• Yoga: (x1)
• 39:49
• Totals:
• 10 workout sessions
• 51.87 miles
• 8:55:28

    This week I tried to prioritize my rest and sleep after what I learned last week.  Monday and Thursday I slept in and just did my workouts in the afternoon. That made for a some longer afternoons, but I felt more well-rested for those. Sunday after I did my last blog I came to conclusion that I have a LONG way to go.  There will be many months ahead where I won't have the luxury of an extra hour of sleep.  I have to be OK with my training that I can give myself those times here and there.  And I still got in my needed sessions, and as long as I'm continuing to move forward, I'll be alright.  

    This week I adjusted my weighing-in process.  I started doing my weigh-ins before any workouts of the day.  I realized that I was not accurate due to water loss when I weighed in after a workout (which I've been doing for years). This week I weighed myself each morning right when I got up and drank 16 oz of water.  Then on the days I biked or ran right after that, I weighed myself again and learned I lose about 1.5 lbs during my workout.  I'm not that concerned with my weight, but I would like to get down to around 170, or 165 if everything is perfect.  Less weight=faster, especially on the bike.  A podcast I've been listening to stated this week that Ironman training is not a weight loss plan.  Especially here in the beginning, I'm gaining muscle mass and that negates the fat loss.  But I am seeing a difference in my strength and endurance, as well as in my recovery.  **NOTE: I adjusted my starting weight to 180.6 lbs at the start of November.  So all my calculations from here on out will be from that initial weight.  

    Monday afternoon I swam 4000 yards (2.27 miles).  Now, I didn't swim it all in one shot.  I did several intervals to reach that distance.  But it is the longest I've swam at any one point, and it felt great. It's only 225 yards short of a full Ironman distance. My cheering squad at the Community Center (the old guys that walk around the lazy river) were impressed. I find it funny that I have three guys  (and a couple of the lifeguards now) that ask how many yards I swam, so now I have to stay committed to not let them down! 

    My biking has all been on my smart bike trainer indoors.  I'm working my way across the USA virtually, and am in the western part of PA at the moment and am daily battling pretty good inclines in the hilly areas of that state. (I started on the east end of Long Island, NY and have so far gone 559 miles from the Atlantic Ocean).  Both my runs this week were on the treadmill.  It was cold both mornings I was supposed to run, so since I have the treadmill, I wanted to get on it more and get used to it.  I still like running outdoors more, but Paramount+ for the win to keep me occupied.  I did my regular strength workouts, and found a Yoga for Triathletes on YouTube, "Warrior Addict".  I liked it a lot better than the Yoga video I've been doing...this one had more hip mobility and not as many crazy yogi moves.  But it still challenged me as I am NOT flexible by any stretch.  Pun intended...

Lessons Learned:

    

    What are my priorities in my training?  What are my priorities in life?  In my family? I have been challenged with these questions in my weekly devotions this week.  

    Obviously I have priorities for this next year and my quest for Ironman.  My first priority is to stay healthy and injury-free.  I need to first make it to the start line in Florida.  Then run the race I trained for--if I do the training the right way, I will get to the finish line. Throughout the year, I'll have smaller priorities as I work towards each event.  Maybe a PR here and there, using the events as a warmup and practice for the big event, and even maybe hitting up another Ironman location to volunteer and learn some things in person to successfully run my full Ironman distance. I want to prioritize good nutrition, eating and fueling correctly for this adventure. And I have to be committed to those priorities.  If I don't have priorities, I'll just flounder in my training with no solid idea what I want to do, and I might be able to finish.  Or maybe not.  I'm not willing to take that chance.

    

    The same goes for in life.  My priorities are God, my family, my church and my friends.  Mixed in there are my desires: triathlon, travelling, and everything else I enjoy doing. If I did everything right, those priorities should stay in that order.  But in my real world, they do not. My family can often take a backseat, with me prioritizing my to-do list over sitting on the couch watching a show with Julie. My family is where I feel the most selfish as they are right in front of me, and I can see (or choose to try to ignore) my time spent with them. Of course there are times I need to get things done, and that's just fine.  And of those times that I have "other things to do", most of the things are good--volunteering at church events, church board meetings, time with guys watching Chiefs' football.  But if I'm not intentional with time spent with Julie and the boys, time will just keep clicking by without me realizing it.  

    Often times, God takes a backseat.  My selfish desires take over, and I would rather watch a show, waste time surfing Facebook, or just go to sleep than to read my scripture for the day. One of the questions posed this week in my devotions was "Do you rely more on God than technology?"  As someone who has technology at hand that will tell me my heart rate, speed, pace, swim laps, MPH, calories burned (plus so much more that I don't even understand!), I rely on all this to run the right pace, make sure I hit my goals, and swim the right amount of laps.  But do I do this with God? I will admit, I find myself just going through my week without thinking too much about God's plan for me.  And how if I follow His plan, I will hit the marks of what He wants me to do:  serve Him, love others, and show others through my actions and words the love of Christ.  I'm not always good at that.  Not that I don't do it, but I just let things slide by.  I don't prioritize it, I don't wake up with my solid plan of what I will do that day, and then it's bedtime again.  If I did this same thing in my Ironman training, I wouldn't even make it to the starting line.  I've been pretty consistent this past 6 weeks as I've worked through this devotional.  And I make a priority on Sundays with church and on Thursdays for my men's Bible Study.  But I need to work on my daily plan.  Where is the treasure of my heart?  If it is with the Lord, then there will be the desire of my heart. 

    I believe I can have "desires of my heart" in multiple aspects of my life--personal goals, family, and God--but I have to prioritize my priorities. I definitely don't have it all down. I'm learning as I go.  I'll always be learning and getting better until the time I take my last breath. With my family. With God. And in life.  

Thanks for following along this week!    45 weeks, 5 days, 17 hours and 44 minutes until I toe the starting line on the edge of the water line on the beach (my happy place!)

"Keep fit, stay on The Course, and keep moving forward."