Beginning a new Training Contract.

I feel so Oprah-empowered when I say, "I am giving myself permission to think about an event schedule next year." I know, pathetic. This starts with a Training Contract. For those that are not clued in, my wife and I create training contracts so that our family has some balance and I can selfishly train for multiple hours a week without regret. It usually takes us a few weeks of going back and forth on a range of subjects before its locked down. Unlike my more famous last Training Contract, I will actually post this document so other athletes have a template for there spouses.

For example, in the last contract, Mistress really wanted wake up with me in bed next to her so I was required to wake up with the family three times per week, instead of being out the door before sunrise and getting back after sunset. I wrote my weekly training on the bathroom mirror a week in advance and these sessions were uncontestable so long as I completed her chores list within 24 hours of her asking me, (dishes, laundry away, etc). If I did not, then lost training time on the weekend. There were many more, like no eye rolling, passive-aggressive behavior when I left for a six hour workout. Which in hindsite, she suckered me with that concession, Mistress has been super supportive of my training.

Based on my health issues, the results of my Grand Canyon hike and other performance evaluations, Mistress and I have been talking first about limits. Right now she is dead set on so many consecutive hours in one workout and I, of course, want more. I think it will end up somewhere around four hours per long ride and two hours per long run. We will see.

She has made it quite clear that Ironman makes its appearance in the first paragraph of the contract. It is off limits to discuss, an absolute deal breaker. My routine is immediately stopped and I cannot start again till I finish a psychological evaluation to make sure I can resume training without pushing myself into an IM race mentality. Fair enough concession on my part.

She also made it quite clear that century rides, (100 mile bike sessions), are not allowed. Her feelings are that, if I am not doing any Ironmans, then why do 100+ mile bike rides? Fair point. We both need to figure out if I will be held accountable to hours or distance. Once that is concrete then we can go over this stuff.

I have an inkling of events for next year, mostly short road and trail races, but also some wilderness trips. More balanced than just half marathon, Olympic triathlon, repeat, repeat, repeat. The blessing is that a load of my team is doing St. George Ironman next May and Kona or Silverman next November, so there is no shortage of training I can't jump when I want. I would love to do more weekend hiking trips next year based on peakbagging mountains in southern California and the SW region. As long a I keep the technical aspects of rock climbing out of it, and bring a helmet when required, Mistress will be happy with this.

This whole events concept for 2010 is right along the course my doctors planned for me. I haven't even seriously thought of racing in the last year. Its left me quite conflicted as I enjoy the forced retirement, but missed the discipline, the comraderie and amazing energizing spirit of my teammates and a race goal.

There is treasure everywhere...and right now it looks like a racing bib.