It’s that time of year again: there’s
a chill in the air, dreams of shiny boxes filled with new multisport gear
excite the imagination, there is special time for friends and family, the table
is spread with delicious meals … and your coach has gifted you with about
twenty hours of training each week. With
due respect to the traditional holidays, my favorite season is upon us: base
training season.
While to many, the countless hours
spent on the road, in the pool, or cross-training may seem like an exhausting
chore or as a means necessary for the desired end, I absolutely adore base
training. It gives me time to think and
to reconnect with myself, with others, with my goals, and with why I started
this sport to begin with. After all, if it’s
not figured out on a three hour ride, it’s not getting figured out.
First off, I feel like long runs and
rides are the ultimate time to sort through problems. Maybe this stems from my running roots. When I was in high school, my dad and I would
run together for about an hour every day of my off season. I was usually silent for the first mile or
two and then it would all come out. I
vented about everything, from school and friends, to the pressures of life and
of the future. Everything always seemed
just a little better by the time we got back to the front door. Even now, I use my long workouts as a time to
reflect and to sort out the issues I’ve been avoiding (for example, last week I
spent almost an entire 90 minute run deciding what to give as gifts for
Christmas). This is also a time to be my
own superhero. I create goals in my mind
and map out how to attain them. When I’m
putting one foot ahead of the other, anything seems possible.
Base period is also a great time to
connect with friends and family. “Say what, how does training four hours a day
help me hang out with my friends?” you ask.
Well, it’s simple, train WITH your friends. I love long runs and rides because they tend
to be at a conversational pace, allowing for some valuable social time. As I said above, I spent a lot of hours
hitting the road with my dad as a teenager.
Now, it is one of my favorite things about family time to go on a run with my dad (even though some recent
injuries means he often has to ride along side me instead of run).
Finally, base phase is a great time
to explore new routes and to adventure a bit.
Longer rides and runs mean you can explore new areas or jump on a local
group ride to discover some new routes.
Without a major focus on speedwork, this is a great time to get in some
trail running and tackle some climbing.
So no, it’s not overly fun to get up
in the dark or to put on 27 layers just to go for a run this time of year; but
base training isn’t all woe and misery.
Hopefully some of these reasons why I love racking up miles will help
make it just a little more tolerable for you.
Happy training!
A few of my teammates on the top of Rist Canyon on a recent training ride
An oldie but a goodie - top of Horsetooth Rock on a training run with my friend Sarah (she was helping me get ready for my first marathon)
No comments:
Post a Comment