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Guidance Needed...Lost my Way...
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 2009-04-06 8:24 PM |
Regular  108  Rowan University - Health & Exercise Science Major |  Subject: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way...Good Evening, This is my second tri season and i'm on the edge of scrapping it before it even starts. Im the type of athlete that feels if the body of work isn't where i want it to be then im not racing and the reasons for that: I'm a college senior (final semester) and im an ed major, so my time is spent student teaching this semester. On top of student teaching (which is a full time job with crazy work on top of that), I have senior sem which is more busy work, and i have a job on top of both of those. I was going well, keeping up with everything through the first two weeks, and then things occurred b/t my coach and I in which I didn't see coming and it knocked me down a peg...throwing me for a loop. This almost instantly took my drive away. Over the next month or so my training deteriorated, to the point in which i was swiming once per week (every Friday b/c it was a morning class with a bunch of people), but when i changed to high school, i had to go to school earlier in which resulted in not being able to go to the morning swim on Fridays. Fast forward to today, and i have gotten a handful (maybe two handfuls) of workouts in since the beginning of February. Which has also impacted me in other ways...i have put on weight (now im not a heavy person @ 140 but when you have sat on 130 for well over 6 yrs it bothers you)...As i need the end of my road at college im worried about my next step (finding a career, due to the economic downturn the country is currently in)...it's all playing a role, to the point in which i now have absolutely no desire to exercise, let alone workout in all three disciplines... My hopes are that after college and student teaching are over, a huge weight will be lifted off my shoulders, allowing me to put the time towards working out again (at least that's what im hoping for). Then their is the question of how to motivate myself to be disciplined and consistent in the tri training world. Thanks!
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| 2009-04-06 8:39 PM in reply to: #2066924 |
Master 2638   | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... Hey Kieran - Whatever was up with your coach is bygones. I'm sorry it happened and is getting you down, though. But your workouts, whether for tri season or just because, will help you get through this stressful time. Try to set aside some "me" time every day so you can run, swim or bike. Or walk the dog or yoga or do exercise classes. Don't worry about a plan or even a race if you don't want to. Just enjoy your daily time away from the obligations. If you feel like it and have the cash, sign up for some races for motivation. One day, you will feel like another race or going back to training. If it's tomorrow, great, but it's OK if it doesn't happen for a long time. Good luck with your student teaching, Steph |
| 2009-04-06 8:45 PM in reply to: #2066924 |
Sneaky Slow 8694  Herndon, VA, | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... I hate to tell you this, but it's not likely that life is going to get less complicated after you get out of college. I hope you're not planning to get married and have kids someday.  But for now, perhaps you just ought to approach triathlon as what it is supposed to be... fun. Perhaps working out could be a stress reliever for you, instead of a source of stress, which is what it appears to be for you right now. The fact that you refer to it as a "body of work" kind of indicates that to me. Don't approach it as work. Go out for a run or a bike and just enjoy it... don't get caught up in all these lofty goals which just might not be realistic for you this season, with all you have going on. There are folks out there who would love to be able to go run, bike, or swim, but cannot. You're only 20 or 21... it's way too early for you to be this stressed out! Save it for the mid 30s, at least!! |
| 2009-04-06 8:53 PM in reply to: #2066924 |
Champion 6503 NOVA - Ironic for an Endurance Athlete | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... |
| 2009-04-06 8:57 PM in reply to: #2066924 |
Pro 6767 the Alabama part of Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... Well, I think you have to ask yourself why you are doing tri's in the first place. If you are doing them for yourself, then whatever is going on between you and your coach is secondary. Either get a new coach, work out whatever happened with the old one, or find your motivation internally. |
| 2009-04-06 9:01 PM in reply to: #2066924 |
Veteran 186 Denver | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... I went through the same things this winter when i finished school. I let it all slide and then came back to fast got hurt and missed CA 70.3 because of it. As someone who knows and is in almost the same boat you just have to relax. Yeah the training may not be there now but you will find time. The season is long so shoot for something later in the year. Just relax make the last 2 months or so count. Your life is going to change big time when school gets out for good so enjoy the ride. Maybe just trian for fun untill school gets out. focus on friends and good times then dive back in. I went from 185lbs to 215 in my last 5 months of school i am back to 195 now so as long as you dont let that part silde too much you will be fine, i drank a little too much toward the end. Like i said befoe RELAX real life is a lot worse than college. |
| 2009-04-07 3:42 AM in reply to: #2066924 |
Veteran 295 | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... wow...you and me seem to be in the same situation. Although I'm still motivated to train...it is getting harder. I'm also in my senior year of college and about to graduate. At least you know what you want to do and are student teaching. I have to enter the workforce in this job market not even knowing what I want to do...I know I would be a good administrative assistant but people seem unwilling to train these days...they just want exerperience off the bat. hello job fairs and lots and lots of stress. I'm actually looking forward to just getting a 9-5 job so I can start scheduling my training around it. Gonna be tough but we can do it. I try to look at training as a means to relieve stress and just get things off my mind...although that back fires when you have a crappy training day and feel like crap (like today). I'm sure everything will work out. Good luck! |
| 2009-04-07 8:06 AM in reply to: #2066924 |
Master 1887 Loveland, Ohio | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... Sorry you're feeling so down lately, but it does seem understandable. You're about ready to leave the world you've known for 4-5 years for a completely new one called real life. Unfortunately, there's no real transition. One day you're in college. The next day you're just not and you're swimming in an ocean where everyone seems to know their place except you. Here's the good news. 1) You will have a degree. Not only that, but, given your major, you actually already know what you're going to be when you grow up, 2) I understand that those 10 lbs. are a lot to you (been there at about that size), but you can nip them in the bud before they become even more, 3) you're graduating from college!! That is a huge sigh of relief! There has been a lot of great advice already given, but I do think you should look at what your goals are with triathlon. Also, if you swim, bike or run, take your first few sessions and don't even count. Don't count distance, don't count time. Just enjoy the scenery. If you're completely burnt out on SBR, definitely try something different: Pilates, walking, yoga, or go to the batting cages with a friend. It's understandable where you are but only you have the ability to make things different. Here's to hoping you find your groove again soon! |
| 2009-04-07 8:49 AM in reply to: #2066924 |
Pro 5011 Twin Cities | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... Oh, d00d. Life doesn't get simpler after college. Nor does it get more fun or less complex or easier or present you with fabulous ways to lose weight and get in shape. |
| 2009-04-07 8:56 PM in reply to: #2066924 |
Regular 84 Buckeye | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... Ok... First, I swam in college. My junior year, I had it out with my coach and gave up the sport all together. I was 1 year away from competing at the 96 Olympic Trials (would not have made the big dance, but still). I gave it all up. Do I regret it. Sure, sometimes. But I look back at what happened as a result of me quitting... I ended up more focused on school, got an internship that lead to a part-time job with the company. A job offer that took me out of the midwest, followed by meeting my wife. My life has turned out great! All I'm trying to say is that things happen for a reason and most likely everything will work out. You are most likely gaining weight due to the stress you are placing on your self. Stress does funny things to the mind and body. You also seem too focused on the competitive side of the sport and appear burnt out. It happens. It is not uncommon for athletes to take time off. Hell, look at the amount of time (and what he did during it) that Phelps was out of the pool... |
| 2009-04-07 9:26 PM in reply to: #2066995 |
Extreme Veteran 362 Security, CO Bronze member | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... |
| 2009-04-07 9:34 PM in reply to: #2066924 |
Extreme Veteran 495 Denton | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... As someone who has taught high school, and knows many who have gone through student teaching - I UNDERSTAND. From all I've heard, student teaching is pretty much hell regardless of whether or not you like what you're doing. You're working your butt off 40-50 hours a week and you're PAYING to do it. And that kind of sucks. And, teaching is hard work! It wears you out. Kids are crazy and they can run you ragged even on the good days. But here's the thing - you loved triathlon at one point, yes? Right now it probably seems more like work than before because you're exhausted every day from teaching, and it's probably harder to keep it up. It's important to remember that you do this because it's FUN. My advice, for now, would be keep the "training" for the weekends. Do your easy stuff during the week - 30 min runs, etc. Does the school you're at have a pool you can swim at during your lunch hour? Keep it at a level where you're not stressed about getting workouts in. Keep it fun. This should be stress relief right now - not added stress. The good thing about the profession you've picked is that triathlon CAN be a part of it - because you get way more time off then anyone else on this site!! Maybe that means that summer/fall is your racing season. Which is fine. But for right now, just maintain your base, and once that seems more manageable, then maybe you can start building. But don't let your training get stressful. Don't get discouraged. If triathlon issomething you love, you'll find a way to keep doing it. Just make sure you keep it fun. |
| 2009-04-07 10:09 PM in reply to: #2066924 |
Veteran 235 Colorado Springs, CO | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... I agree with everyone here. Life sucks sometimes and it gets harder. There are a million coaches out there that you can train with, find another you like! As for school and balancing the work, school, etc., I feel ya! I am currently working 50 hours a week, going to school for my Masters, and am married with 2 young boys who are screaming for attention. It is all a balancing act....I personally make time for myself at 4:15am, before I go to work, to ensure that I get some training time in for myself, before the hustle and bustle of the work, school, and family activities. In the end, what matters is ensuring you take the time to enjoy life while you can and not let the small things get to you. This includes taking the time to take care of yourself! Now get out there and train! Edited by Max_O 2009-04-07 10:10 PM |
| 2009-04-07 10:13 PM in reply to: #2069864 |
Veteran 169 | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... morganjohnson - 2009-04-07 9:34 PM As someone who has taught high school, and knows many who have gone through student teaching - I UNDERSTAND. From all I've heard, student teaching is pretty much hell regardless of whether or not you like what you're doing. You're working your butt off 40-50 hours a week and you're PAYING to do it. And that kind of sucks. And, teaching is hard work! It wears you out. Kids are crazy and they can run you ragged even on the good days. But here's the thing - you loved triathlon at one point, yes? Right now it probably seems more like work than before because you're exhausted every day from teaching, and it's probably harder to keep it up. It's important to remember that you do this because it's FUN. My advice, for now, would be keep the "training" for the weekends. Do your easy stuff during the week - 30 min runs, etc. Does the school you're at have a pool you can swim at during your lunch hour? Keep it at a level where you're not stressed about getting workouts in. Keep it fun. This should be stress relief right now - not added stress. The good thing about the profession you've picked is that triathlon CAN be a part of it - because you get way more time off then anyone else on this site!! Maybe that means that summer/fall is your racing season. Which is fine. But for right now, just maintain your base, and once that seems more manageable, then maybe you can start building. But don't let your training get stressful. Don't get discouraged. If triathlon issomething you love, you'll find a way to keep doing it. Just make sure you keep it fun. I agree with this as well. I am a teacher as well and when I did my student teaching I ran into the same issues you did. In my case I fell out of training, mostly weights and general fitness stuff at the time, but the result wasn't pretty. I thought that once I was in my job things would become easier and I would have time to start training again. The problem I ran into was by the time I started found time to train again I was so out of shape I was miserable and found excuses not to train. It took me 8 years (slow learning) to finally learn an important lesson that we have to make time for ourselves, no one dies if it takes you an extra day to get those papers graded. The profession is mentally stressful and frustrating, the kids will drive you nuts some days, it is important to make sure you have a healthy release for that. It will be hard during the rest of this semester and your first year of teaching, but please make time for yourself for some training. Scale it back for awhile has the above post suggests, but be active it helps a ton Teaching is hard very hard on the mind and soul at times, it is why the profession has a high turn overrate in the first few years. Having a physical outlet will reduce your stress, make you feel much better in the classroom and it will help you become a better teacher. Once you get into a district get to the know the staff. You will likely find a fair number of people in your building or district who train for endurance events and can become a good support system. Good Luck. |
| 2009-04-08 8:51 AM in reply to: #2066924 |
Master 3546 Millersville, MD | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... Another person to pile on with a bit of empathy, having been through student teaching while marathon training. Unlike those who say life doesn't get easier after college, I disagree regarding the last semester of college as an education major... it is just plain terrible. You're doing student teaching full time, you involved in 1-2 extracurriculars (e.g. after school... trips to track meets, choir competitions, whatever), you have weekly classroom debriefs back at campus, you may have significant commute time depending on how big your school's program is and how many local spots were available, you're working part time to pay the bills (I was too, as a data entry clerk at night), you've got papers or tests to grade at home in the venings, and on top of that you're trying to train for an endurance sport. I'm here to tell you, at least for me, it DID get better after school ended. Maybe your fitness goals and race goals need to be adjusted, so you can do well in student teaching, which is essential for your placement after school ends. I ran my first marathon the summer after I graduated, undertrained, and suffered through it for a finish time over 20 minutes slower than my goal time. It didn't get me down... just motivated me to do a better job prepping for the next one (when my life allowed it)... where I came in almost 40 minutes faster. |
| 2009-04-08 11:52 AM in reply to: #2066924 |
Extreme Veteran 495 Denton | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... Also, why not share what you do with your students? Comments like "Miss, when you say you a runner, do you mean like... track? Or like running errands?" were pretty much what got me through my brief time as a teacher. The kids usually think it's kind of cool, and talking about it with them may 1) inspire them to try something new that they thought wasn't possible, and 2) keep you inspired to keep doing what you love. |
| 2009-04-08 1:02 PM in reply to: #2070561 |
Pro 6767 the Alabama part of Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... JoshKaptur - 2009-04-08 9:51 AM Another person to pile on with a bit of empathy, having been through student teaching while marathon training. Unlike those who say life doesn't get easier after college, I disagree regarding the last semester of college as an education major... it is just plain terrible. You're doing student teaching full time, you involved in 1-2 extracurriculars (e.g. after school... trips to track meets, choir competitions, whatever), you have weekly classroom debriefs back at campus, you may have significant commute time depending on how big your school's program is and how many local spots were available, you're working part time to pay the bills (I was too, as a data entry clerk at night), you've got papers or tests to grade at home in the venings, and on top of that you're trying to train for an endurance sport. I'm here to tell you, at least for me, it DID get better after school ended. Maybe your fitness goals and race goals need to be adjusted, so you can do well in student teaching, which is essential for your placement after school ends. I ran my first marathon the summer after I graduated, undertrained, and suffered through it for a finish time over 20 minutes slower than my goal time. It didn't get me down... just motivated me to do a better job prepping for the next one (when my life allowed it)... where I came in almost 40 minutes faster. I'm glad that you found things got easier after college. For many people, however, you get new things to contend with. The job/school issue is only part of the problem. Sure, I spend a lot less time studying now than I did when I was a student or resident. But my "free time" got taken up with raising my kids. For other people, they might be working on making new relationships in their 20's. Plus, if you believe the psychology of postponement, many people in their newly minted careers want to make a good impression, so they work hard to shine. Which takes up more time since it is all still new for them (I know I am a lot more efficient now than I was 10-15 years ago). So if it's not one thing, it's another. And speaking as a middle aged guy who let himself slip (physically) over the past decade, it is a lot better to try to contain a 10 pound weight gain than...well, let me just say "more". |
| 2009-04-08 1:48 PM in reply to: #2070561 |
Master 4118 Toronto Bronze member | Subject: RE: Guidance Needed...Lost my Way... JoshKaptur - 2009-04-08 9:51 AM Another person to pile on with a bit of empathy, having been through student teaching while marathon training. Unlike those who say life doesn't get easier after college, I disagree regarding the last semester of college as an education major... it is just plain terrible. You're doing student teaching full time, you involved in 1-2 extracurriculars (e.g. after school... trips to track meets, choir competitions, whatever), you have weekly classroom debriefs back at campus, you may have significant commute time depending on how big your school's program is and how many local spots were available, you're working part time to pay the bills (I was too, as a data entry clerk at night), you've got papers or tests to grade at home in the venings, and on top of that you're trying to train for an endurance sport. I'm here to tell you, at least for me, it DID get better after school ended. Maybe your fitness goals and race goals need to be adjusted, so you can do well in student teaching, which is essential for your placement after school ends. I ran my first marathon the summer after I graduated, undertrained, and suffered through it for a finish time over 20 minutes slower than my goal time. It didn't get me down... just motivated me to do a better job prepping for the next one (when my life allowed it)... where I came in almost 40 minutes faster. Definitely do what you need to do to get through the next few months. The last semester of school is crazy but the end is in sight. It won't hurt you to prioritize school and your job ahead of training for a little while. Just make sure that you do take care of yourself. If that's with some exercise (which makes me feel awesome and energized) or with quiet time or being able to go out with your friends. The rest of the everything that's weighing on you - getting a job, training, worrying about life getting harder - sure, that's all there, but just be in your today. You can't change the economy or a bad situation with your coach. Best of luck! Congrats on getting through school! |
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