15. What Training Looks Like Now

Six months ago training looked like: Long rides.

Long runs.

Swims.

Strength sessions.

HYROX workouts.

Training plans.

Heart rate zones.

Always looking ahead to the next event.

Always chasing improvement.

These days, training looks very different.

Some weeks, it barely happens at all.

And honestly, that's been one of the hardest parts of this journey.

A Body I No Longer Recognise

Over the past couple of weeks, I've hardly trained.

Not because I haven't wanted to.

Not because I've lost my motivation.

But because my body has simply said, "Not today." Over, and over.

The fatigue has been relentless.

Some mornings I wake up feeling as though I've already completed a workout before my feet have even touched the floor.

My muscles ache despite doing very little.

Brain fog has become a regular visitor.

Sometimes even concentrating on simple tasks feels harder than it should.

It's a strange feeling when your body behaves as though you've pushed it to its limits... even when you've barely exercised at all.

But perhaps the hardest part hasn't been missing training.

It's that life doesn't stop.

The alarm still goes off.

Work still needs to be done.

The washing still piles up.

School lunches still need making.

After-school activities still need getting to.

My family still need me.

The world doesn't pause because your body is struggling to keep up.

There have been days where simply getting through a normal workday has felt like an endurance event in itself.

Days where I've sat at my desk trying to concentrate through the brain fog.

Days where I've driven home knowing there was still another shift to begin.

Being a wife.

Being a mum.

Being present, even when my body is quietly asking for rest.

Not because I always have the energy.

But because the people I love deserve the very best of me that I can give that day.

Some days that looks different than it used to.

And that's okay.

Training Has Become an Experiment

These days, every session feels less like training and more like gathering information.

I'm no longer asking,

"How much fitter can I get?"

I'm asking,

"How does my body respond today?"

Can I recover from a short bike ride?

Will a walk leave me feeling energised... or exhausted?

Can I manage a strength session without needing to spend the next day on the couch?

Every session teaches me something.

Sometimes the lesson is encouraging.

Sometimes it's humbling.

But every one of them helps me understand this new version of my body a little better.

Supporting My Body Differently

I've always believed that nutrition plays an important role in training.

Now, it feels even more important.

Not because I'm chasing performance.

But because I'm supporting recovery.

I'm taking my medication consistently.

Thinking carefully about timing.

Learning which vitamins can help support my thyroid and the medication.

Making sure I eat enough protein.

Staying hydrated.

Choosing foods that reduce inflammation and nourish my body.

None of these things are a magic fix.

If only they were.

But they're my way of saying to my body,

"I'm with you. We'll figure this out together."

Life Doesn't Press Pause

One of the biggest surprises through this journey has been realising that recovery doesn't happen in isolation.

It happens in the middle of real life.

Between meetings.

School pickups.

Sports practices.

Laundry.

Grocery shopping.

Sick children.

Dinner that still needs cooking.

Conversations with my family at the end of the day, when all I really want to do is crawl into bed.

Recovery isn't something I do instead of life.

It's something I'm trying to do while life keeps moving around me.

Some days that balance feels impossible.

I've often wondered why I wasn't bouncing back the way I thought I should.

Then I remind myself...

My body isn't only recovering from surgery and adjusting to medication.

It's also carrying the mental load of work, marriage, motherhood, and everything in between.

Maybe it's no wonder healing feels slow.

Letting Go of Comparisons

Perhaps the biggest lesson has been learning to stop comparing this version of me with the old one.

There was a time when I would have been frustrated by how little I'd trained.

I would have worried about losing fitness.

About falling behind.

About not being ready for the next event.

Now I'm trying to see things differently.

Because comparing today's body to yesterday's body isn't fair.

They've lived through very different things.

One was preparing for races.

The other is recovering from surgery, adjusting to thyroid medication, and learning to function with a body that's still finding its balance.

They deserve different expectations.

What I'm Learning

One of the hardest lessons has been accepting that rest isn't just about putting my feet up.

It's about protecting my energy.

Sometimes that means saying no.

Sometimes it means leaving things until tomorrow.

Sometimes it means accepting that not everything on my to-do list will get done.

That doesn't come naturally to me.

But I'm beginning to realise that my worth isn't measured by how much I can fit into a day.

And neither is yours.

Training used to be about improving my body.

Right now, it's about understanding it.

Listening instead of pushing.

Responding instead of forcing.

Celebrating consistency instead of intensity.

Some days, success looks like a workout.

Other days, success looks like making it through a full day at work, coming home, sharing

dinner with my family, being present for my family, and finally giving myself permission to rest.

Those days count too.

In fact, right now...

They might be the biggest victories of all.