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Quality vs Quantity


Post quality training session in StG

I am trying hard to go by the motto:

Quality over Quantity

I usually fail. Because, to be honest, I like quantity. When it comes down to it I like to see 20 hours at the end of the week on my training log. Anything less than 18 makes me nervous.

Coach knows that. She usually gives me one key workout for the day and I manage to squeeze in one or two more. Thursday, for example, was my recovery day and all I needed to do was swim. So I swam. I also went to the gym for an extra hour of fun on the elliptical and some core work. Friday, I the plan called a 10-mile run which I executed nicely in the morning. I knew I should call it a day after that and rest up for Saturday's double brick. I could not do it. It was just so incredibly nice outside (and you can count those days on one hand so far this year) that I opted out of family fun and jumped on my bike. I am not exactly sure why I chose to ride up to the local ski resort. I honestly did not think it would affect me since I was going pretty slow. I have a lot to learn still...

Saturday morning's optional swim did not go so well already. I somehow injured my shoulder and it has been hurting ever since. Great start! Karl decided it was time to get ready for his XTERRA in Moab this weekend. He (tried to) get his mountain bike into decent shape, put on his tri-suit (for the first time in... uhm... maybe 2 years?), went for a mountain bike ride (for the first time this year), and actually ended up doing a double brick (for the first time in... not sure... maybe ever?). He is confident that his swimming skills that have been laying dormant for more than a year will magically come around on race day.* In the meantime, the boys and I biked around town looking for some fun.

When it was my turn to burn some calories, I took forever trying to drag myself out of the house. All I wanted was to lazily sit in front of the computer and track/cheer on my 682 friends doing Ironman St. George. I so just wanted to be there! Well, needless to say that my double brick did not go quite as well as it could have...

So, I am once again determined to make every workout that Coach M gives me count! No more body sculpt class to chat with friends, no more boot camp to try and kick the teacher's butt, no more spin class just for fun, no more pointless runs or rides just because it is nice outside. Sigh. I miss them already!

I feel like there are two sides of me. One wants to train smart and race well. The other one wants to just have fun! Since I have been trying to entertaining both sides for many years now, it is about time to buckle down and just get the job done. That is, after all, why I have been excited to have a coach.

Since my A-race for this year is exactly a month away, here is what I am going to do until Boise 70.3:

## Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night.


Oops. Gotta go to bed. I will finish the list tomorrow. Night!



*For those of you who don't know my husband very well: He is an amazing athlete. He has simply turned back into a runner for a while and is now incredibly busy with grad school. And he is nice enough to give me a lot of time for my training.






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