Good morning.
‘We are made to persist. That is how we find out who we are.’ T. Wolff
I often watch the 2008 Ford Ironman Championships on DVD. I still get moved when the announcer talks about the swim start having a “slow, magnetic approach”. Having competed in a handful of tris now, I tend to agree with that poetic, astute description. The music makes my heart flutter, and I feel the rush when I watch them start the swim. Flash forward to Torbjorn Sindalle on the bike, shredding up the pavement en route to being the first bike finisher of the day. During all of this wonderful footage there are many shots of the racers’ faces. Some, like the face of Chrissie Wellington in this ephemeral DVD, are smiling; others…well, not so much. My curiosity is piqued when I think about what could be going on their heads during this race. If I could be a journalist I would, rather than be cliché and trite, ask about what motivates these people. Why does Belinda Granger push, what makes the legs chop for Crowie?
A run recently made me think of this. We 3 (OFP) went riding for a good clip and mileage counter, only to follow it up with a long (turned short) run. I had some issues (no excuses) this past week, and some of it reared its ugly head on the bike. When we finished the bike we threw on the Mizunos and I was smacked in the face with some serious doubt. This comes a week before I am planning on braving the course at Over the Mountain. Timing isn’t my strongpoint, obviously. When I entered the track my body was screaming no, but my mind kept up its soothing, reassuring mantra of yes. Unsurprisingly I was dropped by the other two in the first lap of the run. My only goal was comfort. I wanted comfort. I really wanted a couch and a fetal position, but that is irrelevant. After the first lap I just told myself to keep steady. A little time later I noticed the 2 swift runners weren’t gaining on me as much and my stride started to lengthen. What was changing, what prompted my improvement since I still felt like a donkey-punched lot-lizard?
It was the rhythm. Much like the Catholics, I was enlightened by the rhythm, however for much different reasons. It was as if my legs were behaving like I was on a bike. Tap-tap-tap-tap my feet went on the track. I kept my head level and concentrated on the tap-tap-tap-tap. Like a magic spell my body responded and started to calm down and get in that flighty state I call the “groove”. It was the eighth stage to Nirvana. Suddenly my body was in motion, musically attached to my rhythm. I could have gone for hours.
The humidity and heat cut our run short and the most amazing thing happened when I stopped: I felt like crap again. It was as if my body became biochemically dependent on the tap-tap-tap-tap. In the great words of Torbjorn, it was as if “you get hit in the head with a hammer”. As of this writing, however, my energy has returned to me.
Now I know a lot of you are saying the obvious “mind over matter”. But there is more to it then just that. I literally was controlling my bio-rhythms through my head. I had the pace preset in the upstairs matter and my body just responded as if being enslaved. To race smart, there must be this mental plan to the functions of your physiology. Detouring from this plan could have unexpected downfalls.
What do you do when you need to groove? Do you count road dashes? Do you listen to music, do you have a mantra? Whatever it is, make a replica and save it for race day. That rhythm is key to a great finish, practice, negative split, and all other things wonderful.
Until next time-lux aeterna.
Race smart.
OFP racing.
-The Mental-ist
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Breakthrough
Good morning.
For the endurance athlete life can become a grind. Training for a triathlon can be monotonous, having to swim and bike and run and swim and…you get the point. Different people have different tricks to get through the grind, the dark days, the winter, the rain, etc. Often it is music, a certain beautiful route, or even the giddy anticipation of an upcoming race. Whatever it is, the endurance athlete is in a special place because they need to be mentally prepared a lot more than most. Volume is important, and volume takes time. However there is one more tool to put in your shed that I think is amazing especially when it happens 3-4 weeks before a race.
I call it a breakthrough. We all have had it, and mine came last night. Per my workout schedule for my upcoming Alcatraz race I was doing a long swim. As I got out of the pool I dressed to do some weight work and got the idea that I wanted to brick a run instead. Considering I am still in “recovery” from my race Sunday, this isn’t the best choice to brick a long swim with a run. But, I wanted to test myself. On Sunday I had a faster 5k, and on Monday I ran a fast pace again. So, off to the treadmill I went. You should ask yourself now why, oh why, would I grind out a treadmill when the weather is so nice and inviting to run outside. The treadmill offers a couple of things. The first is consistent pace. Whenever you can kick out a consistent pace it will give you a great view of precisely how steady you can run, and any pain can be immediately identified and not blamed on road conditions, hills, etc. The second (and, to me, most important) is the incessant boredom. Running without scenery sucks. But, if you can grind out a workout on the treadmill, you can grind out anything. Watching paint dry is more fun.
Back to the workout… I hopped on the treadmill and started my run, fully expecting to run for about 15-20 minutes. As I started to groove my body gave me great feedback. My breathing was steady, heart rate stayed low, and by all indications I had some serious gas in my engine. So, I bumped up the speed. And I bumped it up some more until my pace was at 5k pace for a triathlon (currently 8:30 miles, which isn’t that fast, but still fast for me). I ran…and I ran some more. 2 miles turned into 3, then 4 and before I knew it I ran for a full hour and hit over 7 miles. I could have run more, but the evening was getting late.
The point of this story is to explain the “breakthrough”. Previous to this, 3 miles was my max, and it was painful. I hated running because of where my body was. But as I shred pounds, the stride is returning. Yesterday, I felt like I was in college again. When you are finishing with a workout, and you want to do more, then do it. Listen to your body. If it says go, then go. The mental benefits of extending your workout and feeling great about it are endless. Imagine being faced with a long run in a race. All you have to do is tap into that memory of the day you ran 12 miles instead of 4 and your body will respond as if it never forgot. Certain coaches might tell you to never go beyond the assigned workout, but they leave out the mental benefits. Sure, I am not recovering properly. But this morning, I felt great. Other than a tiny bit of soreness that compression is currently healing, I feel like I could run ten more miles this morning. I attribute a bit of that feeling to the mental joy I got from going so far last night.
Alcatraz doesn’t seem so daunting now.
Until next time, lux aeterna.
Race smart.
-The Mental-ist
*If you comment or contact the author, write to csharpserge@gmail.com
For the endurance athlete life can become a grind. Training for a triathlon can be monotonous, having to swim and bike and run and swim and…you get the point. Different people have different tricks to get through the grind, the dark days, the winter, the rain, etc. Often it is music, a certain beautiful route, or even the giddy anticipation of an upcoming race. Whatever it is, the endurance athlete is in a special place because they need to be mentally prepared a lot more than most. Volume is important, and volume takes time. However there is one more tool to put in your shed that I think is amazing especially when it happens 3-4 weeks before a race.
I call it a breakthrough. We all have had it, and mine came last night. Per my workout schedule for my upcoming Alcatraz race I was doing a long swim. As I got out of the pool I dressed to do some weight work and got the idea that I wanted to brick a run instead. Considering I am still in “recovery” from my race Sunday, this isn’t the best choice to brick a long swim with a run. But, I wanted to test myself. On Sunday I had a faster 5k, and on Monday I ran a fast pace again. So, off to the treadmill I went. You should ask yourself now why, oh why, would I grind out a treadmill when the weather is so nice and inviting to run outside. The treadmill offers a couple of things. The first is consistent pace. Whenever you can kick out a consistent pace it will give you a great view of precisely how steady you can run, and any pain can be immediately identified and not blamed on road conditions, hills, etc. The second (and, to me, most important) is the incessant boredom. Running without scenery sucks. But, if you can grind out a workout on the treadmill, you can grind out anything. Watching paint dry is more fun.
Back to the workout… I hopped on the treadmill and started my run, fully expecting to run for about 15-20 minutes. As I started to groove my body gave me great feedback. My breathing was steady, heart rate stayed low, and by all indications I had some serious gas in my engine. So, I bumped up the speed. And I bumped it up some more until my pace was at 5k pace for a triathlon (currently 8:30 miles, which isn’t that fast, but still fast for me). I ran…and I ran some more. 2 miles turned into 3, then 4 and before I knew it I ran for a full hour and hit over 7 miles. I could have run more, but the evening was getting late.
The point of this story is to explain the “breakthrough”. Previous to this, 3 miles was my max, and it was painful. I hated running because of where my body was. But as I shred pounds, the stride is returning. Yesterday, I felt like I was in college again. When you are finishing with a workout, and you want to do more, then do it. Listen to your body. If it says go, then go. The mental benefits of extending your workout and feeling great about it are endless. Imagine being faced with a long run in a race. All you have to do is tap into that memory of the day you ran 12 miles instead of 4 and your body will respond as if it never forgot. Certain coaches might tell you to never go beyond the assigned workout, but they leave out the mental benefits. Sure, I am not recovering properly. But this morning, I felt great. Other than a tiny bit of soreness that compression is currently healing, I feel like I could run ten more miles this morning. I attribute a bit of that feeling to the mental joy I got from going so far last night.
Alcatraz doesn’t seem so daunting now.
Until next time, lux aeterna.
Race smart.
-The Mental-ist
*If you comment or contact the author, write to csharpserge@gmail.com
Monday, May 11, 2009
The True Athletes
Good afternoon.
We like to look at ourselves and believe that we obtain the qualities for greatness. We do. Some, however, epitomize greatness in ways I will never know. I saw three people this weekend that were the paradigm of greatness. And for those three people I dedicate the next few words of praise and hope the words find them someday.
Will. We all say we have it. Some people stop smoking, exercise, eat right, etc. Some of us need a boatload of will just to finish a race. Some need to tap into it daily to get through struggles we may never understand. I admit, it is extremely hard to get out of bed, or off the couch with a bowl of ice cream, but I do. I have will. So do the rest of you. But one special person has will I only hope to emulate someday.
His name is Grady Gaskill. Grady Gaskill finished the White Lake sprint tri this weekend in approximately 2:35. This isn’t a great time. In fact, this time officially stands outside the “cutoff” set by the race. Ok. But Grady finished. And Setup Events let him finish. And at the awards ceremony Grady received a tear-jerking 5 minute standing ovation. Grady has will, mountains of will. What did Grady do? Oh, Grady only exercised more in his two hours than the 80% of the nation does in a month. So what? Whooppeee, he finished a triathlon. Yeah, he did. And when he did he beat all of us Sunday. Grady is 81 years old. He is a statistical anomaly by being alive. As Bill Scott said, I hope to be able to recognize people at 80, let alone finish a triathlon. My hat is eternally off to Grady, and I hope we all use him as motivation. Grady is 81. How old are you?
Courage. It is the force behind taking that first step into the dark, the juice that fuels the jump off the airplane, or even talking in public. We all think we have courage. We all think we are brave and can face our demons. Think about an adult who didn’t swim until their late thirties. Six months ago I met this adult and without sugar-coating anything…I was afraid she wasn’t going to make one lap in the pool. Yet she tried. She spoke about her fears. She faced them. And she swam two laps. And three. And four. Sure, some of the swimming was a backstroke-like concoction. But does that matter? On Sunday she jumped into the same water with the rest of us. An outside observer might look at her time, or see her in the water and wonder what happened. Though I was in the middle of the race course I thought about her and the fear she was facing. Then as I came in the run and saw her hammering away on her bike, I knew she had arrived. Her name is Amy Barrett. She did her first open water tri on Sunday. I hope I can summon her courage when my fears face me. She showed all of us Sunday what it meant to be brave, and although most will never recognize this, I hope she realizes how much she accomplished. Amy didn’t quit, even though she spent some serious time in that choppy water. Amy overcame, can you?
My third is a real special person. She is a punisher, an intimidator, a force, and the tiniest little ball of power you could ever meet. Twice now I have started the run portion only to see her cruising toward the finish. In an age where waistlines are exceeding IQ’s, I see much of our younger generation falling victim to processed diets and uncaring parents. It is a health crisis, a pandemic of apathy, and a very grey, bleak outlook. In the middle of that, though, is Kathryn Buss. Google her and you can find out much more. Plainly put, Kathryn finished third or so in White Lake this weekend. My coach, Marisa, finished 2nd. Kathryn, at age 15 or so, finished about 1 minute behind her. Let me put this into perspective. Marisa is badass. She punishes most of the males she races with. Marisa is fully versed in physiology, nutrition, kinesiology, training…etc. The point is she has a huge arsenal to attack a race (and other competitors) with. Kathryn does not. Kathryn has a teenager body, an unsteady metabolism, and growth to look forward to. Yet she hammers. Not only does she hammer, but she does it in age of exponential distractions. Girls her age hardly think a great transition is cool, or shaving a minute off of your 5k time. Facing ostracizing comments she pushes through. As all of the pre-teens and teens search for identity, Kathryn has found hers. Let her be an example for that, and I hope someday to see her finish in the top 5 in Kona. Kathryn you should be inspiration to many more.
Until next time…race smart.
Lux aeterna Grady, Amy, Kathryn.
-The Mental-ist
We like to look at ourselves and believe that we obtain the qualities for greatness. We do. Some, however, epitomize greatness in ways I will never know. I saw three people this weekend that were the paradigm of greatness. And for those three people I dedicate the next few words of praise and hope the words find them someday.
Will. We all say we have it. Some people stop smoking, exercise, eat right, etc. Some of us need a boatload of will just to finish a race. Some need to tap into it daily to get through struggles we may never understand. I admit, it is extremely hard to get out of bed, or off the couch with a bowl of ice cream, but I do. I have will. So do the rest of you. But one special person has will I only hope to emulate someday.
His name is Grady Gaskill. Grady Gaskill finished the White Lake sprint tri this weekend in approximately 2:35. This isn’t a great time. In fact, this time officially stands outside the “cutoff” set by the race. Ok. But Grady finished. And Setup Events let him finish. And at the awards ceremony Grady received a tear-jerking 5 minute standing ovation. Grady has will, mountains of will. What did Grady do? Oh, Grady only exercised more in his two hours than the 80% of the nation does in a month. So what? Whooppeee, he finished a triathlon. Yeah, he did. And when he did he beat all of us Sunday. Grady is 81 years old. He is a statistical anomaly by being alive. As Bill Scott said, I hope to be able to recognize people at 80, let alone finish a triathlon. My hat is eternally off to Grady, and I hope we all use him as motivation. Grady is 81. How old are you?
Courage. It is the force behind taking that first step into the dark, the juice that fuels the jump off the airplane, or even talking in public. We all think we have courage. We all think we are brave and can face our demons. Think about an adult who didn’t swim until their late thirties. Six months ago I met this adult and without sugar-coating anything…I was afraid she wasn’t going to make one lap in the pool. Yet she tried. She spoke about her fears. She faced them. And she swam two laps. And three. And four. Sure, some of the swimming was a backstroke-like concoction. But does that matter? On Sunday she jumped into the same water with the rest of us. An outside observer might look at her time, or see her in the water and wonder what happened. Though I was in the middle of the race course I thought about her and the fear she was facing. Then as I came in the run and saw her hammering away on her bike, I knew she had arrived. Her name is Amy Barrett. She did her first open water tri on Sunday. I hope I can summon her courage when my fears face me. She showed all of us Sunday what it meant to be brave, and although most will never recognize this, I hope she realizes how much she accomplished. Amy didn’t quit, even though she spent some serious time in that choppy water. Amy overcame, can you?
My third is a real special person. She is a punisher, an intimidator, a force, and the tiniest little ball of power you could ever meet. Twice now I have started the run portion only to see her cruising toward the finish. In an age where waistlines are exceeding IQ’s, I see much of our younger generation falling victim to processed diets and uncaring parents. It is a health crisis, a pandemic of apathy, and a very grey, bleak outlook. In the middle of that, though, is Kathryn Buss. Google her and you can find out much more. Plainly put, Kathryn finished third or so in White Lake this weekend. My coach, Marisa, finished 2nd. Kathryn, at age 15 or so, finished about 1 minute behind her. Let me put this into perspective. Marisa is badass. She punishes most of the males she races with. Marisa is fully versed in physiology, nutrition, kinesiology, training…etc. The point is she has a huge arsenal to attack a race (and other competitors) with. Kathryn does not. Kathryn has a teenager body, an unsteady metabolism, and growth to look forward to. Yet she hammers. Not only does she hammer, but she does it in age of exponential distractions. Girls her age hardly think a great transition is cool, or shaving a minute off of your 5k time. Facing ostracizing comments she pushes through. As all of the pre-teens and teens search for identity, Kathryn has found hers. Let her be an example for that, and I hope someday to see her finish in the top 5 in Kona. Kathryn you should be inspiration to many more.
Until next time…race smart.
Lux aeterna Grady, Amy, Kathryn.
-The Mental-ist
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