“Where vulnerability is shown, strength is born!”– Julianne Hough

Now that the season is over for most of us, it’s time to take a minute and do some reflecting on the 2022 race season. This year may have been an amazing breakout year for you. Either trying to a new distance, setting a new PR, or even staying injury free and nailing your big race goals. This year could have also come with its fair share of challenges maybe a brutal work schedule, trouble getting in workouts,  a lingering injury, or a race day that just didn’t come together. We all go through the ups and downs of training and racing. Going forward into 2023 the goal is to do your best and to right some of the wrongs from 2022.  Hopefully, there is something in here that applies to you!  If so, I hope you can take something on-board for your training and racing.

Your season is truly grounded in your winter training.  All the drama and criticism aside, Lance Armstrong dominated in his sport due to his legendary winter training.  He was willing to do work in December and January which put him in the position to win in July.  For some, this is a serious issue.  You may use the winters to catch up on work to be able to train and race in the summers.  Missing your winter training is analogous to being ready to frame the house and do the finished work from April thru August, yet neglecting to lay down the foundation and plumbing in December through March.  You will only get so far. Goal: Embrace winter training like never before!

Strength, mobility, stretching, and rolling are something most of us struggle with to fit into our schedules and are easy to skip. Take a minute to evaluate your body strength and mobility, do you feel like you have lost any of this through the upper body, lower body, or core? If so, let’s fix it! A decrease in strength and mobility can cause injury and allow the form to fall apart during later stages of exercise. Goal:  Get in the gym during the winter and stay in there throughout the season.  Mobility training should be put right up there and prioritized with the same focus applied to swimming, biking, and running. 

Training first thing in the morning is the surest way to ensure your training happens as it was written in your schedule.  Every hour you delay your training you are allowing life to offer reasons why you might have to compromise that training. Goal:  Get up and get it done – just like it was written.

It is easy to stay motivated through the summer when the weather is nice and warm.  It’s a struggle through the cold and dark months. Goal:  Get that training done no matter what the temperature may be.  Look for opportunities to train in the warm weather with trips and winter training camps to warm climates this winter.

These are just some general fallbacks that most athletes struggle with as we head into the colder months (for those of us in the northern hemisphere), but they are big factors in helping accomplish goals in 2023. What is it for you?  Reflect back, and take a look at your logs.  Where did you fall short?  Was it in your consistency? Diet? Sleep? Work/life balance?  Did you hit at least 80% of your assigned sessions?  No?  Why not?  Please take out a piece of paper and write it all down.  If you don’t take the time to have an honest conversation with yourself, offer an honest self-appraisal, and then plan a road forward, what are the chances you will be able to improve?  Find your weakness and directly address it.  This works in Ironman, this works in life. 

–Coach Carly