Training? What?

So I've been reading some of my old posts on here, and it occurs to me that even though this was originally, in my head, intended to be a training blog, most of my posts are just about life in general. Which got me thinking. One of the things we always talk about in Playtri is the "triathlon lifestyle." It's the idea that multisport, at its best, isn't just a hobby, it's a way of life - and everything in your life feeds back into it.

Am I living the triathlon lifestyle? I think I am, but sometimes it feels like it's harder than it should be, or like I'm missing too many workouts, or forgetting to log my nutrition, or forgetting to send my coach my schedule, or one of a million other things. Sometimes, I feel like a complete failure of a triathlete. Sometimes I worry Team USA will read this blog and kick me right off. How could they possibly want someone like me representing them at an international competition? The thought is ludicrous.

See, I am secretly a perfectionist. (This isn't actually a secret at all because every triathlete is a perfectionist, deep down). The way this plays out for me is that if I mess one thing up during the week, it's like I might as well not bother with anything else because I've already ruined the week. I know this type of thinking is completely illogical, but that doesn't stop it from happening. Last week was a huge victory for me, in a way, because I didn't log any calories for three days, but then I still logged for the last two days of the week. It's funny sometimes the things that make me feel victorious.

So the hardest part of living the triathlon lifestyle for me is letting go of my mistakes and moving forward - the good news is, I do already view my entire life as affecting my sport (which is why this blog is about anything and everything), I just have to remember that when things go wrong, it doesn't necessarily mean that everything is ruined. It might be slightly damaged, but it can still be pretty good.

I'm working on being ok with just "pretty good."