Training for Iron distance triathlons takes A LOT of time. It takes me 30 weeks to build up the speed and endurance needed to compete in an Iron. The training averages about 12 hours per week. It starts low, 6 hours in week one and peaks in week 27 with 20 hours. On Friday of the 27th week I'd do a 6 hour bike ride followed with a 1 hour run with no rest in between, then a 1 hour 30 minute bike followed by a 3 hour run on Saturday.
Because of all the hours I'm working at night and then watching my babies while my wife is at college in the day I've been struggling to fit in the training. I'm only 7 weeks into the Iron training plan and I'm already having to cut rides and runs short consistently. I realized today I've bit off more than I can chew. Trying to train for the Redman while my wife is in school and I'm working 80+ hours a week at the prison is more than I can handle. Starting next week I'll be going back to sprint distance triathlon training.
Even with my busy schedule I should be able to fit in all the training for a sprint triathlon. The training for sprint distance triathlons is much more intense. It has a lot of lactate threshold training, intervals, and hills, but the longest workout I'll have to do during the entire 16 week program is 2 hours, verses a 7.5 hour workout training for an Iron.
Training less will allow me more than the four and a half hours of sleep I've been getting. I think getting more sleep will help me with my eating. I've fallen off the wagon again. I know I could be abstinent from binge eating if I turned it over to God. I'm currently fighting my own self will. I'm hating myself for not being able to stop and not wanting to stop because of the feeling of comfort and soothing I feel when I binge eat. On that note, I've found a possible OA sponsor. If he is able to maintain his abstinence another week and a half he'll start helping me work the 12 steps. I'm excited. He's a believer in Jesus. Tonight he told me something that made me feel much better about my current situation. He said, "Jesus died on the cross so that you don't have to eat yourself to death." Thank God for my salvation and the comfort and solace I can find in Jesus.
2 comments:
I think switching to the shorter distances for right now is an extremely good idea. I find in my own life that massive hours of endurance training have the same potential to be addictive and throw me off balance as various other kinds of temptation - you definitely need to prioritize sleep, and I think the short high-intensity workouts give a much better hit as far as fitness goes, without making us quite so tempted to overeat!
Cody,
You are an animal. I don't know how you balance everything.
I wanted to let you know that I'm living in OKC right now. In fact, our house is a short ride to the start of Redman. I'm planning on volunteering again this year. Drop me a line when you're here.
Kyle
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