stick a fork in me, I'm done.

I have been adding to the BT training plan with extra riding and running 6 days a week while the last 2 weeks I've been tired, I've always recovered and thought I had better efforts ontop of hard efforts.  But every day lately, I've felt more and more tired and not looking forward to the training.  I've read enough blogs to know that it is common to be wiped by the training and it seems that folks just soldier on and put in the time dictated by "The Plan".  Today I just couldn't do it.  Didn't have it in me.  Plan called for 3 hours on the bike and 3000 m swim and I just didn't have it in me.  So I gave in to the headache and deep fatigue and rested.  I've been hit with a few days of headache also so this gives me a chance to try and deal with that.  I've also had day after day of palpitations and while they seemed to be induced with the new Guatemalan coffee we've been trying I got off it and the asthma meds (which I know can cause palpitations) and I did notice a day I didn't get them.  Today I'm back with them so who knows.

I think I'm going to try a 2-week taper but honestly I've begun to rethink ALL my training and have come to the conclusion that I've just wasted a year of training with no focus and have no hopes of bettering my time (other than in transistion) this year.  I am hoping I do at least as well as last year on the swim, think I might have a 6:30 bike in me but expect to do about the same on the run (and hopefully not worse).  So either exactly the same or maybe 30 minutes faster.  That said, I'm deep into trying to figure out how to train for next year.  Yeah, I'm already planning to do Cozumel again.  Can't seem to get that race out of my blood (though I'll likely have a much different view in a couple Sundays).

Mom and Dad arrived and muled a SHITLOAD of crap down here.  Got maltodextrin for Jamie (and me), Scratch, some electrolyte tablets and lots of clothes for Sissy and some for Ellen, but the main mule will be my sister's family, who are bringing half an Amazon warehouse.  I think I finally placed my last order on Friday and after this trip my sister may decline the opportunity to visit for the near future.

It has only taken me a year or two but I finally figured out I should be riding intervals and much harder efforts than I have been in order to get faster.  Who knew?  The last couple weeks I've been trying them out and hope that I'll glean a tiny bit of benefit from it.  I also managed to break a toe AFreakingGain swimming.  I always leave a water bottle on the dive boat (to wash the salt out of my mouth after each 750m "lap") and I have managed twice, so far, to break a toe on an unseen giant piece of concrete or rock.  I ran on it immediately afterwards, not sure if it was broken or not, and have had pain all the way down my foot (unlike the last time when my toe just increased gigantically in size and showed all colors of the rainbow).  Still able to run, though, so I guess I just keep doing that and icing it.

I've been working on my cycling pedaling motion and when I keep the image of a steamtrain in my head with the arms that move back and forth on the wheels, it really helps me pedal quietly and efficiently and stops the pedal mashing.  It takes incredible concentration though, so it doesn't last long.  Tomorrow I hope to make up today's missed 3hr ride and 1 hr run.  After a day of lazing about in bed, I should be up for it.  Mentally I'm already checked out though.