March 28, 2024

User Error

When we were all getting underway on this Ironman training thing, our friend Claire got told a bike issue she had was “user error.”

Then, Malinda was told some of her wet suit chafing was “user error.”

Cathy was told a chain problem was surely “user error.” And so on. It has become a little bit of a joke; when something goes wrong, it is always “user error.”

Calculating Time Needed for a Swim Workout

I had true user error yesterday when I severely underestimated the amount of time I needed to get my swim in. Not the actual swimming itself; I pretty much had that down to the minute. But swimming always seems to take a whole lot longer than it rightfully should. It takes a while to get there, then it takes a while to get from the car to the pool (or the dressing room and then the pool), and then there is a bit of time to put on/take off/change/whatever needs doing…and when you add it all up, it seems that I almost have to double the amount of time I need for a swim to insure that I have the proper amount of time. I didn’t do the math yesterday, and I had an 8 a.m. appointment to make, which meant I had a hard-and-fast end to leave Barton Springs by 7:30 a.m. to get across town.

The complete irony was that I had gotten out of bed just before 5 a.m. because I couldn’t sleep — if I’d simply gotten my ass in gear, I’d have had plenty of time.

Today can also be put in the column of user error, but I need to clarify.

Accepting Fear on the Bike

We were riding for the quality workout and were out on Bee Caves. Don’t know if you got out much today, but the wind was insane. Fast downhill at 30mph with a cross wind on busy Bee Caves was system overload for me. I completed one set but, when given the option, chose not to do a second set. The rest of the workout was not in the cards for me, and while that was hard to admit, it was the right decision at that time.

I have to say a special thanks to Coach Amy and Malinda for helping me avoid negatives and accept myself…that was a lovely gift.

(Visited 43 times, 1 visits today)

Leah Nyfeler

I'm a writer, content marketer, and adventurer who is always looking for the another story, exciting adventure, new trail, and good meal/book/movie. I love sharing things I'm curious about, what I know, and how I've come to learn it. Read my blog, "Enjoying the Journey: Observations on the Fit Life" (leahruns100.com) and find my articles in a variety of print and online magazines.

View all posts by Leah Nyfeler →

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.