When training gets tough or you are having a bad week, it’s important to remember where you have come from. 

A triathlon journey is a long one and takes many twists and turns.  There will be times when you think you are not making progress, maybe even feel like you are going backwards.  It’s normal and we all go through it.

This week has been quite interesting to me.  I have had some really great workouts and a few where I felt tired.  In fact, my body feels like it does, when I’m in the middle of a big training block at the height of race season.  I can’t say I have ever felt this way before at this time of year.  Am I getting weaker?

It was such a strange feeling, that I decided to go back and look at what I was doing a year ago.  I found my answer.

My coach and I use Training Peaks to schedule my workouts and I’m very good at making notes after each workout.  I have over two years of data recorded, which allowed me to see what I was doing in December 2018. 

It turned out that I was doing a whole lot less a year ago. Just before Thanksgiving last year, I was on a vacation where I did very little, except a few short runs.  Over Thanksgiving, I did do a fair number of workouts, but nothing strenuous. Then the next week, I had chest congestion, which meant another week of fewer workouts.  A little further digging, and I discovered I didn’t start doing the kind of workouts I have done this week, until early in 2019. 

So the answer was, I really haven’t felt this way at this time of year before, because I haven’t actually trained this hard, at this time of year before.

I’m so glad I keep these detailed records as I move forward on my journey.  By looking back a year, I suddenly felt really good about where I am right now.  It’s been a great week of training and not one where I am getting weaker.  I’m actually getting much stronger !