austin training camp
Tongue-in-cheek as we’ve been settling into an Austin retreat / training camp routine :)
The combination of not having a friend group here & no pressure to build one means zero social obligations. So while 2020 was seemingly isolating, this Austin summer is actually more so - and more peaceful.
I’ve tried to use this time to focus on myself, chase personal goals and rest. Coupled with race training, I feel more in tune with my mental and physical needs than ever before. About a month out from Alcatraz and my training experience here has been vastly different from training in SF:
sleep!
The biggest factor and even without social commitments takes a lot of discipline. Decided it’s now or never - let’s see how I feel if I finally allow my body to sleep. This month the goal is to be in bed by 9:30pm to do some reading / meditation and fall asleep around 10pm. You’d think I’d be supremely rested after even 1 week, but not so much given the recovery needed for training load / early mornings. Also I’m just someone who needs a lot of sleep.
heat (and rain)
Surprise - Texas summers are hot. And it rains randomly. So planning takes obsessive weather app checking and typically early mornings. As my runs pick up, I’m ideally out the door by 7am on weekdays in order to get back, showered and fueled up for the work day.
nutrition
Super conscious of nutrition this time: no fasted workouts, ensure to take in adequate calories before and after and tons of protein (did you know you’re supposed to take in ~0.8g protein per pound of body weight?? neither did I before.) This means more food prep time and earlier starts. If I want to start running at 7am I better finish eating by 6:45am which means I’m up by 6:30am latest.
Have also shifted my body image mentality to hopefully a more sustainable one. Training for a triathlon means burning through a shit ton of calories so in order to build endurance and muscle I gotta eat like crazy. It’s been hard at times because my stomach surprisingly can’t take in a ton after workouts but have been adjusting to load up on high protein / calorie foods to re-fuel (yay butter)
It’s such a mindset shift (especially for women) because you assume endurance training will make you “look good” - whatever that means these days - lean, visible abs etc. But optimizing for “looks” is not the same as optimizing for performance.
strength / stretch
So far Theragun has been a life-saver. TBD on how run performance turns out, but it’s like getting a targeted sports massage. Seeing gradual improvement in shin splints, though also managing through form, controlled speed / distance so we’re going all in.
Still not doing enough strength ugh lol baby steps. I try to do 1 core or strength session per week but it’s pretty sparse. When this race is over definitely want to learn more and build up core and hip strength / stability. Realizing how important it is for endurance.
Sidebar: I’m obsessed with Lucy Charles Barclay. She’s such an inspiration / becoming a “triathlon influencer” (as a legitimately serious athlete) for women how cool is that?? This video is awesome as she emphasize strength and stretch sessions in a longer training block.
personal motivation
The mental side is challenging alone! Hoping this stretch pays off because it’s felt harder. Motivation isn’t just getting up when the alarm goes off; it’s cheering yourself on during climbs because there’s no one else around and having the courage to explore new routes without a group. I’m proud of the mental strength it’s required so far and expecting an extra boost from racing with competitors / spectators. There’s also something really pure about doing things for yourself :)
listening to my body
Not training with a club or buddies means I’m super in tune with what my body. Not someone else’s because you promised you’d meet up for that ride or because it says so on Training Peaks. There’s more flexibility to adjust workouts which is turning out to be super important.
It’s obviously also easier to cop out, but feeling OK so far (minus copping out on some longer bike rides heh)
being in a new city
Even though it’s been half a year, we’re still finding our way around. So tradeoffs in taking the time to explore new routes & getting lost vs. going with what we know and doing laps
new job
Nothing to do with Austin but starting a new job does add mental fatigue that I can feel builds as the week goes on. It’s difficult to prolong weekday workouts because of the work day. So all the more reason to experiment with efficiency over longer, social workouts
All I can say is - it’s a unique time so trying to make the most of it. This lifestyle wouldn’t be sustainable for me socially over time but it’s been amazing in the short term. Fingers crossed it pays off.