Ready for a break...

I'm going to try and do something I haven't been very good at. I'm going to try and shut down from work from tonight until January 6th. I'll probably check emails tomorrow just to be safe to make sure everything is taken care from a Christmas delivery standpoint. Then I'm hoping to shut it down.

This will be an interesting year. For the first time I don't have an Ironman signed up for and it feels pretty liberating. Normally I sign up and feel the pressure to train and it takes my focus. It was a good thing in the past I think. Right now I'm not so sure. After 11 Ironmans I have a different perspective.

People have always told me I have nothing to prove, I never accepted that before. I now do. I don't have anything to prove. This year I did feel pressure because I dropped out of Ironman New Zealand and Ironman Tremblant. It was self induced pressure and banter from my social media buddies. It was  monkey off my back and now I'm thinking differently.

I think it's time for me to try to get more involved in living outside of Ironman. I still want to do them, but I need to put it as a secondary goal. I know from this past experience that I only need about 8 weeks to train of dedicated effort. Actually I've done the full 20 weeks in the past and prior to Ironman Cozumel I did a minimum of 12 weeks. I always found that 8 weeks was when I felt my best. I was strong. Then after that the training would become hum drum and I had to push through it. It wasn't enjoyable. Eight weeks is just perfect I think.

This year my focus is going to be more on how to live life outside of Ironman and yet incorporate my need to train and do Ironman races. There is something about being in an Ironman that is very spiritual and addictive. Yet it is a very selfish sport. I get that.

I think I'm ready to be less selfish.

Academically I've always got that. Now I'm feeling that it's time to make it a priority and a goal. Perhaps a start would be a holiday or even a weekend without training during peak times during the day and train before or after the best part of the day.

Time will tell. Although I do feel differently about it. More so than I ever have. I think my motivations and priorities are changing.

The time feels right.

I'm also looking forward to this week off and not checking emails or phone. If I can do this, it's the equivalent of doing an Ironman, maybe even tougher in my mind.

No Training - Exhausted.