Learning to Master the "Perfect Week"

Being slightly OCD and a bit of a perfectionist (hey, aren't all of us triathletes type A?), my satisfaction and happiness each week often depends on how much I get done on my list. As I've mentioned previously, this happens almost never. Maybe 2x/year. Amazingly, over the last few weeks, it's happened twice. It's given me such energy and drive that I feel like I'm floating.

I'm not sure exactly what's changed. However, I'm a big believer in lists. My weeks go from Monday to Sunday. Every Sunday, I sit down and plan out my week. I fit my training, errands, and work all into one calendar. That way, I can balance workouts, groceries, and lab time in the best way. I've learned to only put things on the list that are a priority. I have a "B" priority list that I keep in my calendar book to keep track of other things that I need to get done, but not immediately. When I have time, I move two or three things at a time off the "B" list to the "A" list. It all eventually gets done.

I've started getting up in the morning to do my first workout. I've started bringing lunch to lab, and planning out healthy snacks throughout the day. I do a second workout immediately after lab, followed by whatever chores I still need to do. The rest of the night, I relax, wind down, and get ready for bed. Then, I go to bed early. It's not perfect but, unbelievably, it's been falling into place. I set two alarms (one's a sound soother, the other a radio so as not to jerk me awake but to rouse me gently), away from the bed. That's key. Once I get out of bed in the morning, my whole day seems to fall into place.

Since I've been doing this, I feel more on top of things. I have more energy, have been taking less naps, and drinking less caffeine. It just has been clicking. I AM LOVING it! I'm trying to get things done as quickly as they arise so as not to get overwhelmed.

I was able to move around my schedule and get in to see the podiatrist this morning (instead of Friday). He x-rayed my foot and prodded it a lot. It's not a stress fracture, thank God. It's been healing so he had a hard time pinpointing exactly what it is but it seems to be some tendonitis of the first metatarsal. Ice and ibuprofen 3x/day for 1-2 weeks. Massage. He also said active recovery would help. He told me to resume my normal training but not to up the mileage for 1 week. If it gets worse, I'll call him. I was so glad I could start running again! It did feel better after I warmed up into the run this weekend. I'm stoked. We'll see what happens. Meanwhile, this morning, before my appointment, I got on the elliptical for 30 minutes, followed by a weights session.

My right knee on the outside has been bugging me when I bike lately. I think it's from a tight IT band and/or narrow cleat position. I called the local tri bike shop and am setting up a custom fitting. The guy is supposed to be a tri expert. I'm very excited. He's going to get me all set up. I think it's a good idea. I had the bike fitted to me when I bought it 2 years ago but I was such a raw beginner then, I hadn't developed my "style" or form. I remember that it was recommended I get a second fitting after I had been biking awhile to make adjustments. That's what I'm going to do. I'm also going to see about aero bars. Afterall, every time I ride Bluebell, it's for tri training. It seems to make sense to see if I can do clip-ons for now and graduate to the next level. Then, I'll be set until I can afford to invest in a specific tri-bike.

Anyway, yesterday I sat down and drew up a very detailed training plan between now and the San Diego International Triathlon on June 25th. The podiatrist said everything was a go, and the bike fitting will also be an immense help. Sounds like I might actually have a shot at doing it! I can't wait. 1K swim in the bay, 23 hilly bike, and 10k flat run. I think I can, I think I can. I'm pretty excited (if you can't tell).