My Sleep Chronicles
Week 1: Good sleep just wasn't happening, and I was starting to get really frustrated. During a Thursday morning run, I was so fed up that I was prepared to stop in the middle of the street, take off my shoes, and throw them as part of a temper tantrum (something I rarely ever do, which means I'm really upset). Then I figured that might be a bad idea because I might get hit by a car, and I wouldn't be able to t
Week 2: The quality of sleep worsened. I was too worried about not sleeping well and that my entire future depended on getting this issue fixed. The only reason I was able to make it through the training sessions and hit my numbers was because I was getting more hours of sleep than I normally do despite still waking up 4+ times throughout the night.
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| Felt like a zombie for a while. Even the bags under my eyes had bags. |
Week 3: Something clicked. I finally started sleeping better and only woke up a few times at night but went right back to sleep. Workouts were feeling easier, and I wasn't feeling as lethargic as usual. Then I volunteered for Ironman Texas that weekend, and the super early morning rising plus long days messed up my rhythm.
Week 4: See week 2 and 3. Volunteered for another race on a very crucial rest day. Doh!
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| Catching sleep whenever I can. A perk to carpooling to the TT Championships. PC: Natalie Pruitt |
Week 5: BREAKTHROUGH ..day. I slept through the entire night one day, and it was GLORIOUS! I mean, I was so excited that I emailed coach. :) I felt like superwoman that day and killed the workouts and the to-do list. The rest of the week sucked but getting that taste of sufficient rest gave me hope and strength to remain disciplined.
Week 6-8: Still similar to week 1-3, but it got progressively easier and easier to sleep early and well.
Despite all the frustration and setbacks, I'm kind of glad I'm going through the trenches now because I'm really learning what it means to be an athlete 24/7. And since sharing is caring, and I am naturally caring, I will share. :) Here are some of the top lessons/skills I've had to learn, re-learn, or hone:
1. Have patience and lots of it. I am normally a very patient person when it comes to others, but when it's about me, all bets are off! It's a lot harder to focus on something when you've failed at it for years and have almost completely given up. Sleep (quality and quantity) is not my forte, and it was really challenging to put it first above all else and to continue practicing good sleeping habits despite having little to no improvement. I had to learn to take it one night at a time and to continually encourage myself to keep up the good work. It'll all pay off. It has to.
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| I've learned to take it one day at a time and to enjoy every moment. Even if I'm dragging my feet on a run. |
2. It's imperative to let things go. If I don't sleep well one night, I didn't fret about it the next day or conjure up worse case scenarios in my head (Oh, you'll never be able to sleep well. You won't make it as a professional athlete. It was never meant to be.) Bollucks! As Ron Weasley would say. It's just one night. I'll add in an extra nap during the day or try to go to bed a little earlier that night. There's no reason in shaming myself over something I can't control. Just stay the course and keep at it.
3. Have a good support system. It's a must have in all walks of life. All my close friends and family know about my new bedtime, and they try their best to adhere to it, which helps immensely. I was at a dinner party one evening, and I stayed longer than I should've because I didn't want to seem rude and be the person who just came to eat and left before socializing. But next thing you know, my sister Karen shouted from across the room, ANGIE! GO HOME! IT'S PAST YOUR BEDTIME! Then she proceeded to yell at Tim, inquiring why he hadn't made me leave yet. His response: I can't control her.
4. Be prepared to make sacrifices and be very disciplined. Tim was right, as usual (except when he's around me ;) ), that no one can control me. It's on me to go to bed early. Even if everyone else in my life catered to my schedule so I could get the rest I need, if I don't sleep or can't sleep, it's my fault. I have to be very disciplined in leaving parties and functions early so I can get home before 8 to prepare for bed. That being said, I also miss out on a lot of get togethers, tv shows, movies, or other would-be-fun-impromptu-adventures because I need to sleep. Any rattling to my already fragile sleeping rhythm will throw my sleep off for a while. And you know, I can't be throwing tantrums every week during training! :P
5. I comes before U. I am not promoting selfishness, but it is imperative that we learn to take care of ourselves from time to time. If our own state of health isn't great, how are we to give the best care to someone else? I have struggled with this issue and saying no for many years, and that led me to this massive sleep debt for which I am paying for now. It is really hard for someone like me to reject helping someone or volunteering, but I need to do that in the meantime until I get this sleep thing in order.
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| Volunteering at Ironman Texas. Even though I was supposed to be watching the athletes, I had to think about me and eat :) |
6. Leave room for surprises. There's no need to get down during a tough time. Training was tough without enough sleep, and the adjustments coach made to my training plan discouraged me because it made me feel less adequate, that I was moving backwards. The dream felt as if it was fleeting. During this time, I forgot one crucial thing. Quality over quantity. Progress over dreams. Dreams don't come true overnight. It takes days, months, sometimes even years to come to fruition. You have to look at the little changes and progress that you're making, because it'll all accrue. Just as a dam holds back droplets of water, your fitness banks keeps getting filled. And once there's enough water, once there's enough fitness, the dam breaks, and you'll have your breakthrough moment. My breakthrough moment was the Texas Time Trial Championships. It never crossed my mind during these past two months that I was capable of those performances. But my body said, surprise! You treated me well the last 8 weeks, so let me return the favor. If you don't give up on yourself, you'll be rewarded :)
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| There's no shame in cheesing, because I'm really proud of this surprise achievement! PC: Natalie Pruitt |
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| #truth |
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