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Yes, yes, I know, I owe you all an apology for being AWOL the last two weeks. Unlike my last absence, I can't say that I was on any epic adventures. Unless long runs count.
First things first. Let's all take a moment of silence to mourn the lost of my beloved Garmin Forerunner 305. The intermittent issues from a few weeks ago became more frequent, and after rounds of troubleshooting at 6am with Garmin Tech Support (because 6am is the only time I can catch them while they're open), I accepted that I needed to buy a new watch. Fortunately, Garmin has this awesome program where you can send in your old watch for a $99 credit toward a new one. New Garmin at a discounted price? Yes, please! So I ordered the Garmin Forerunner 220. It has yet to arrive, but when it does, I will be writing a review on it. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a photo from their website.
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Speaking of analyzing things, I've been analyzing my performance this training cycle to the point where I'm mentally psyching myself out. It's a problem, people. (The psyching myself out, not the data interpretation.) The last couple weeks, I hadn't felt as springy on some of my workouts. I tried to figure out whether it was due to not sleeping enough, not eating/drinking enough, pushing myself too much on the hard days, or something else. The other day, I had coffee before my run and felt much faster. And then it dawned on me that cutting back on my caffeine could be contributing to this issue.
Yes people, I tried cutting out coffee to help with the iron issue. The first few days involved agonizing headaches and withdrawal.
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Then I did some more research, and found that polyphenol intake shouldn't occur within an hour of consuming an iron-rich meal. I'm taking that to mean that my mid-morning mug of coffee is still within limits, but all the other cups I had been drinking are not.
But back to my analysis issues. We're 25 days out (holy whoa...), and because some of my workouts haven't gone according to plan, I've been doubting wondering if I have a sub-3 hour marathon in me. I know I've put in the miles, but I just haven't felt fresh and my workout times (for recovery and GA runs) seem slower than they were during MCM and Eugene '13 training. I think I just need to "trust the training" and trust the Pfitzinger plan, and also silence the demon between my ears (i.e., my brain). But still, what if? And what if I can't fix my issues in 3.5 weeks?
Alright, I know that this is complete stream-of-consciousness, but that's the story of my life.
How do you silence your demon and stop wondering, "What if?"
.... That was my moment of silence for your garmin :)
ReplyDeleteAnyway. Yea, I get this. Helps to have someone else training with you because we generally have our highs and lows almost simultaneously with each other!
The doubt stuff can be tough for me too. I tell myself that regret sucks worse, more, harder, whatever than wondering what if, so I try to keep my mind open to the experience. A lot can happen between now and race day, and fuck, a lot can happen in each mile of the race! You know that you've put in the work and that your fitness is there. Control that which you can control, ya know? You'll do great. Trust Pfitz. :)
Well-phrased (as always). And you're right -- so much can happen before and during the race! Breathe, stay calm, and we'll do great. :) So glad we're going through this training together (albeit virtually). Have a fun visit with your parents, and see you in a few weeks!
DeleteDitto to what Erin said. Trust your training. Once the taper is over and you're sitting/standing at the start line you will probably know whether you have a shot at it. It's too early right now. Good luck!
DeleteThanks Pete! And my apologies for replying to this nearly two weeks later!
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