Freedom

I have had some really good workouts this week. Training is definitely building for the important races in the late spring. Yesterday I had a good solid run in the morning with Chad and the dogs. I was to follow this run up with a tempo workout on the trainer.
For some reason, I procrastinated doing my trainer workout for hours! I found everything else to do at home besides my workout. I finally dragged myself on to the trainer and knocked out the workout. It actually went well, and I felt strong. But I still wondered the rest of the day why a part of me wanted to put off the workout.
Well, today I woke up and knew why. I woke up with the beginnings of a sinus infection. So my body had been trying to tell me something yesterday! It is funny: as an athlete I am used to pushing through things, and my first reaction yesterday was to be hard on myself for not being motivated to get on the trainer. Really, I should have listened to the message my body was trying to send me! As an athlete, this can be really hard to do.
I caught it early, and will take a few days easy to make sure I stay healthy and do not dig myself in to a hole. So a few workouts may be pushed back. This means I will probably not do the duathlon I had scheduled next weekend. Part of me is disappointed, as it would be my first true duathlon in the run-bike-run format. But the other part of me is thrilled to have this kind of flexibility and freedom with my racing!
When I was a bike racer, I was at the mercy of the team schedule, and it seemed like every year I ended up overtrained and overraced by late summer. I did not necessarily control what races I did. And I always felt obligated to race for the team, even if I personally could have used some rest.
This year is different! I have my important "A" priority races, and my training focuses solely on these events. If the other less important races need to be changed, it is no problem. I think this ability to control my racing schedule will really help me have a great season the whole way through.
Missing a race this early in the year is fine...I wanted to start my season a bit later anyhow, to avoid the pattern I got in to while cycling. I was purely going to get experience in my new sport. Instead, I will give my body what it needs, and find a race a few weeks later down the road. Here's to racing freedom!