what counts as training?

Bit of an average week in the office this past week. Probably the memorable moment of the week was while out running and realizing that I was enjoying my running at the moment. It has probably turned the corner from being a struggle each time I go out the door, to being a good activity to clear my mind and just enjoy being out. I try to incorporate tracks, trails, parks and any other off-the-beaten track areas while out running, and that can be a little more relaxing too. No really good solid longer runs this week - quite a few shorter runs with a couple of days having two short runs in the same day. Not perfect, but actually enjoying being out there more than normal is a huge plus. 
Now I must organize some new shoes this coming week. I have two pairs that I alternate, and can feel they are starting to get a little worn. Still OK, but have probably only got a couple of weeks left in them before they will become a bit of an injury risk. I find it good to make the first few runs in new shoes pretty easy, just incase there are any issues - not many things worse than finding out your new shoes cause you bad blisters when you have 10km to run to get home! So I will need a few weeks so gently get the new shoes into full commission as well. 
The local pool has now closed - which is going to be a pain in the butt for swimming in the next few weeks. Have not quite figured out the best course of action for that yet - guess I will have to try something tomorrow though! Or it might just be a very big run week!!! I do like my routines, and do get good results from my training when I have a routine sorted that I can just get on and do it. So no pool will be disrupting! 
Three swims for the week, ideally there would have been a 4th - but went for the short run option there instead. A couple of positives - Mondays session was 20x200 - which was always going to be solid, no matter how you do it. Unfortunately Andy (our lane leader), put his paddles on at the start, and I really did not feel like starting out with the pull kit. So thought I would gut out the first 5-6 as swim only and then go for the paddles, but he then said (in a quiet gruff voice - not a good sign) - "were going on 2:45". Now that is a little too solid a send off time for first thing on a Monday morning for me, so paddles it was. At least the first ten went by pretty fast! He got what ever he need to out of his system, and the rest were far more civilized. But good to make those - swiming is going OK. The other positive, the 1500 (again pull...) in around 19:15, or a smidge under, and only go lapped once this week! 
Five runs this week -although may have to count the 15min run at Saturday training to meet the months goals - so it may turn to 6 runs! Unfortunately, most were in the 35-45min bracket - so not a big mileage week. I did get just over an hour and a half on Saturday afternoon - and if I count the 15minutes in the morning, that makes almost an hour 50 minutes, which is almost good! The problem with the 15minute run is that I am not sure I want to count the under 20 minutes runs, unless they are in combination with another session. The reason being they are probably not that effective for me, and if I start adding in a 10minute run here, and 8 minutes there, I may skew the "effective" training data. While I have not formalized what counts as training and what does not, perhaps in the back of my mind, the minimums that count (and this is just for me!) are 800m swimming, 30minutes cycling and 20minutes running - there I have done it - formalized! I think for where I am at, if I include less, then I am not including what is effective training for me at the moment. 
This is slightly different than when I first "retired" from training (and racing). After my first stint of cold turkey (ie NO training), I could not stand it, and had to do something. So I did a few swims and started mountain biking to and from school (I was back at Uni at the time). The swims were about 2km each, and just joined in with a casual group that took over a lane at the local pool a couple of mornings a week (which was great). I then got asked to be a training hack, so I was doing one 5 hour ride per week (quite hard), which took me a week to recover from! The issue I had mentally was that I could not see the point in doing a 1 hour easy ride (or similar) - I had gone from pro-Ironman training to nothing, and a 1 hour ride was a waste of time. I could still hammer for 5 hours (even though it would kill me) - but had not got my mind around the fact my fitness was in decline and a 1 hour easy cruise would in fact be very good for me! Probably the second best thing I could do at that time (the swimming was the best - in hind sight!)! After a few months I realized that 30 minute runs and 1hour easy rides were in fact good things to do now! That was where I was at. Life was different and not every training session needed to have purpose or be epic - I was retired! 
So now things have changed again - at least a little...