Training?

Training? What's that? Not something I've been doing lately. I've gotten out the door a few times, but not enough to call it training. Just not feeling the desire to get out the door and put in the miles.

I think I've had more beers than miles lately, but I'm enjoying focusing on coaching and other opportunities. What is in store for me? Not sure yet. I could see me doing a number of different things, from a few races, many races, not racing, training and not training in 2009.

Why? I think the main reason is that I looked at the past year, and put so much effort into training and racing, and I really don't have much to show for it. I also looked at the results of Arizona, and figured if I had been healthy enough to race at my fitness, I think I would have been about 7th, give or take a few places. Probably just as easily could have been 20th though.

I am well aware many people would die for the opportunity to be anywhere near the top 10 in a pro field, especially one the caliber of this past Ironman Arizona. But I've reached a point where I feel I'm plateauing. I've been 7th-8th in a few Ironmans, and I just feel like I've "been there, done that." At this point, continuing to put forth the same effort and commitment for the same result does not sound appealing. It especially does not sound appealing if I can put my energy toward other things which are much more profitable for my family, such as my coaching and writting endeavors.

So I am at a point where it is time to step up, or step back. What will I decide? I don't have an answer for that yet, but it's clear I need to do something different, which is a definitive step in one of those directions.

In the meantime, I'll just enjoy the downtime and see how I feel about things, what opportunities present themselves, and what I decide.

Thanks for checking in...

Vance