Re-Evaluation

This morning on my run, I really got a chance to think. I’ve been thinking a lot lately, specifically about triathlon, but this morning my head was especially clear during my run and I got a chance to re-evaluate my position in this sport.

Don’t worry, I’m not quitting or leaving for an indefinite period of time, I’ve just simply re-evaluated my medium-long term goals.

Training has not gone well the past few days. I’ve already mentally checked out of the season and am just going through the motions until race day in November. I’m sure a few days out from the race I’ll be excited, but right now, November seems so far away. Since training isn’t fun, I’ve been really thinking about why it hasn’t been fun. I’ve come up with several reasons none of which really matter right now. The bottom line is, Ironman Texas 2012 is out. (Instead, I’ll volunteer at it for the next four years).

Really, this isn’t a big deal. I’m still doing Redman 2011, which is an iron distance race, so I’ll fulfill my goal of an iron race the year I turn 25. But I want to do a non-WTC and a WTC iron race and I was hoping to get them done back to back. But the way training is going during school, that just isn’t going to happen. I just don’t have the time for it. The WTC iron race will have to be postponed until after 2014 when I’m done with school.

I realize 2014 is still a while away, but I’m a planner. I plan short term (like what I’m doing this weekend), I plan medium term (what’s going to happen next year) and I plan long term (what’s in store 3-4 years down the road).

The conclusion reached is a result of two things: time and energy. School is taking up a large portion of both, and triathlon requires a certain degree of both as well. Although I’m not exactly in the right mind set to be making big decisions about triathlon (no, I’m not drunk), I do think it would be a good idea to just stick with Redman and go back to short distance racing while I’m still in school (aka no training blocks longer than 3 hours when I’m trying to write my dissertation).

I’m not done with this sport, at this point, I’m not sure I’ll ever be done with it. When I think about racing I think of how much fun it is, even if training can be a mofo at times. But school is as intense as I had planned it would be, but it leaves me more exhausted than I thought, which creates the issue with training. I’ll be able to train for Redman alright since a bulk of the training will occur during the summer, but training for May race through the school year is out of the question.

Since I don’t want to be a poser, I’ll revamp my blog look when I get a chance, I promise.

So, that is the deal with me. What’s new with you?