Ahhh this is the life! It is 8am and I am sitting at the Bouldin Creek Coffee House with a cup of coffee and a just out of the oven Morning Glory muffin. I have swum this morning, checked and written emails, made phone calls and now am taking in the rich life that I have. These past two weeks have been really amazing for me in all the learning that I have done through training. Although I am still working on increasing speed for Olympic distance triathlons I am also preparing for my first half ironman (next week Sunday!). The differences are not so much in the volume of work but the type of effort and how to manage it both physically and mentally. This is what I mean….
Lesson #1: First Tempo Run Workout of 2010. The first thing you should know is that it is hot in Austin at this time of year. Many days you just have to walk outside and you start to sweat. The second thing you should know is that I have never really enjoyed evening workouts – that is anything past 6pm. Maybe knowing these things Zane decided that I should do a tempo run with him on his bike at 7pm – nice and hot and late. Ugg.. I had all day to wonder if I would get my nutrition right, whether I could manage the heat and whether I would make the pace times. The first steps I took I thought – I hope I don’t puke. The next few steps I thought- this is not going to be particularly fun. So it began and so did Zane in his constant “encouragement” for me to fix my running form. As the workout progressed I got it into my mind that I was not hitting the pace times, that I was not living up to what I could do and was expected to do, and certainly not looking like a good runner. Essentially the negative thoughts began. I started to feel my stomach turn, my breathing went wacked and I gave up on trying to lean forward, keep strong posture, arms strong…. I broke down in frustration. If one saw us on the side of the path they would have seen me ready to cry and yell in frustration and Zane, in his very cool way, saying “use your words Tenille”. That is what my sister says to my 5 year old niece! Out came all my fears, expectations, frustration with running. Zane made me come back to believing in myself, trusting in the process and coming back to focus on what is important in completing the workout. For me this focus is on running form. When it gets hard I have to dig into how I am doing it not in the fact that I have to push harder, work harder, and get the time. I have no trouble in working hard (it’s innate) and the time will come on its own. My body position will only come from me. Once I regrouped I headed out for another 10 minutes. Low and behold I got the time, felt strong and had MUCH better form. Imagine that! It is about controlling the mind and focussing on what is important for you.
Lesson #2: Going long. I headed out yesterday for a long ride which included 2 hours at race pace followed by a moderate 6 mile run. I have to admit that I had no idea what to expect. I have done several longish Saturday morning rides with the Austin Tri-Cyclist group but on your own is different as you aren’t using the motivation and energy of others. What I did know was that it was going to be about proper nutrition and focus. The focus is different – it has to be held for a much longer period and is not so much managing at the upper threshold of pain as in a tempo run but in a constant push of pain. And so it began. There were several times throughout those two hours when I was dripping in sweat and wondering how in the world Zane thought I would be able to hold my watts up… then I realized it is again about believing in yourself to do it and managing it one pedal stroke at a time – pulling and pushing. It was about staying in the process and not for a moment letting up on it. Did I manage the whole time – absolutely not. Do I know what I have to do to be the best I can be in long course triathlon – absolutely. The respect I have for the Chrissie Wellingtons and Terra Castro’s of this world is huge! I am thus far “only” undertaking a 70.3 distance, racing an ironman is a completely different ballgame.
Summary: Focussing and what it takes. There is an important difference between a good triathlete and great triathlete. There are those people who race amazingly well and train good. These people know how to bring something special to the race, are usually smart strategically and have an unwavering confidence. Although successful these people won’t live up to their potential because they have not done everything they could to bring their peak fitness to the race. Then there are those people who train very strong, are unbelievably fit but race only well. They don’t race up to their potential because they lack belief in self, in their training or are overwhelmed by the competition and/or the race itself. Finally there are those that train and race up to their potential. Races are not won in the race but in the focus that one can maintain day in and day out which they then are able to bring to that day. It is about staying in each training session with that belief that you need to get through that day but also that you need to take to the start line. It is about the constant decisions you make to be the best you can be – nutrition, recovery and the details. It is about remaining open to learning and relearning how to be better mentally including what to do to regroup after everything seems to be falling apart (tempo run) and how to stay in the “zone” (long ride at race pace). Bringing deliberate training to the race is what makes one great at the race. I certainly have a long way to go but when you are following your bliss like I am this kind of “work” is where joy comes from – and lately, I am full of it!
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