RR: Girlfriends and Dudes Sprint Triathlon (PR)

And, we are back with another RR.  I've actually done two races since the last one but I'll start with the race that was the more exciting of the two.

It's been several years since I raced a sprint and I really wanted to find one this year.  The one I normally do fell on the day of my first HIM for the season so that was out.  I remembered a few years back Jen did this race so I googled it and registered.  I had high expectations for this race.  I wanted a PR, I wanted to compete and secretly, I was hoping for a podium finish, though, I was going for a top 5 AG.

Race morning, it was overcast, windy and chillier than it has been.  I'll take it--at least it wasn’t 108 like the HIM.  Pre-race went all fine and dandy and as I was getting into the water I told Mr. Pi that I was excited and ready to have a fun time!

Pensive pre-race photo

1/2 mile Swim: 13:03 (1:29/100yd)

Despite it not being a big race I got into a tangle with one other lady and couldn’t shake her.  We swam stroke for stroke for probably half the race.  It was slightly annoying but also motivating to not slow down.  It was a downstream race which made for a fast time.  Sprint swim PR set, off to a good start.

Awkward run up the sand...why is this always the hardest part of the swim for me? Probably added an extra minute just getting to the timing mat for T1.

T1: 1:44 Good lord, what was I doing for nearly 2 minutes, this could use some improvement!

12.5 mi Bike: 39:59 (18.75 MPH--2nd fastest bike split in my AG)

My goal for the bike was to ride balls out.  If that meant blowing up on the run so be it.  I got out and got going and right before the first turn one lady passed me, and sure enough she was in my AG.  However, not long after the turn I came up on a girl, also in our AG and blew by her.  Not knowing exactly where I had come out of the swim, my goal when Pink shirt girl passed passed was to NOT let her outta my sight.  I shifted and aeroed right through the headwind.  My watch was set on total time so I hadn’t a clue my pace and that was fine by me…all I wanted was not to be passed and to pass as many people as possible.  The charity wave started before my wave so I was constantly passing the slower riders but through the rest of the ride only two dudes passed me, hauling ass I might add.  Pink shirt AG girl was within my sights but riding too fast for me to catch her.  At the turnaround it was a nice tailwind back to the park and I got a look at some of the riders ahead of me.  I thought there was maybe one other girl in my AG ahead of me and thought I was probably in 3^rd.  For the first time in any race, I was a freakin’ competitor!  As I rushed through the final portion of the bike I kept saying, just run strong.

T2:  1:12 Again, this could be improved.  What took me so long?!?

5k Run: 28:53 (9:17 avg pace)

Not knowing my bike split really at all but briefly looking at the total time I thought, crap, I can blow my 1:35 total time goal out of the water with a strong 5k.  So, off I went.  The girl I had passed early on in the ride, I had seen at the turnaround and she wasn’t THAT far behind me.  At this point I was hoping she was a slow runner.  On the 5k, I passed several duathletes and charity wave runners and just settled into a comfortably hard pace.  I was focused on running a good race.  If the girl behind me passed me I would try to keep up but really I cared about executing my own race more than a podium finish at that point.  Mile one clocked in at a 9:20, I was happy with that and asked myself, can I run faster…so I turned it on a little more, especially as I approached the turnaround and saw the Pink shirt girl coming back toward me, I figured she was probably running too fast for me to catch her but I was going to try.  As I hit the turnaround, I was scanning the crowd looking for the girl I passed on the bike, sadly, she too looked like she was running pretty fast and gaining on me.  I held it strong and mile 2 beeped in at 9:09.  I was holding my own!  The only people passing me were guys who looked like they were running 6 min miles and 1 freakishly strong looking 40-44 year old lady (made me think of Coach Jen).  I felt awesome!  At some point during the final mile, green shirt girl passed me, I held onto to her tail as much as I could but she was out running me.  As I rounded the corner to the finish line, the only thing I could think of was HOLY CRAP this is awesome!  I saw the finish clock which read 1:34 and I was sprinted to beat my goal of 1:35…but I had forgotten that I wasn’t the first wave!  I looked down at my watch 1:24---holy shit, 1:24!  My 5k spilt was under 29 minutes and faster than the Freedom 5k (more on this race to come) I had done just a few weeks prior.  Not only that BUT I felt like a competitor!

Passing a duathlete...why on earth would someone want to skip the swim and do an extra run?

BIG smile to go along with my BIG PR

I found Mr. Pi and told him how awesome the race had gone! We walked around to cool down a bit and then I found the results tent.  I knew I was probably wasn’t going to be on the podium but I wanted to check.  It read 5^th…BUT turns out that the girl that won our AG was also top 3 overall (along with freakishly strong 40-44 year old) so I ended up in 4^th by about 40 seconds.    This is what stinks about not being a fast runner.  However, I think I can cross weak cyclist off my list. So CLOSE to a podium but I think what’s more important is that I raced to my potential and completely BLEW my sprint distance PR out of the water with a 25 MINUTE improvement!

Official time: 1:24:52

I really could not be happier with this performance, I left it all out there, I competed, I kept my wits about me and I finished strong. 

RR: Folsom Triathlon (aka Epic Mental Challenge in Extreme Conditions)

So, this blog is turning a little into  a race report blog.  I have all sorts of things to say but just no time to write them all down.  And, I’ve also felt a need to be more private with my life, not sure why but I’ve even considered deleting some of my social media, well FB, not really my blog or Instagram =).  BUT, for the time being, my posting may be infrequent but it'll still be present.

Before I get to the race report, I’ll do a little update on life.  Life has been busy.  I’ve probably been through the most stressful (emotionally and just generally) period in my life.  The last month or so has been an extreme period in my life.  My professional life has been busy, my personal life has been full of introspection and thoughtfulness (not a bad thing but a stressor) and I was peaking physically for this race.  I did the best I could with all of the stressors in my life—as far as workouts, I did almost ALL my workouts, I modified a few workouts to add in extra rest but all in all I still put in the work for this race.

This was my first long course distance tri since 2010 Barb’s race and my first tri since the IM.  Last year, I completed the halfRev aqua-bike in Maine but wasn’t yet up to the running.  I have been training well and have been having a stellar year so my expectations were high!  Well, they were until I started getting phone alerts for severe weather and drove the bike course.  Oh boy.  Foreshadowing…

Saturday I picked up my race stuff and my Dad went with me as we drove some of the bike course.  Couple of big climbs (for me), lots of rollers and some flats on the back half.  Driving the bike course a few things came to mind.  1) The course is going to be VERY exposed to heat, sun and wind. 2) Hillier than I was anticipating and hillier than I was really trained for. 3) Crappy pavement.  But honestly, none of that was a huge deal to me, I was staying positive, I’m stronger this year than I ever have been and I was only going to focus on what I could control.  As Saturday went  on and I kept seeing weather alerts for extreme weather, I got more and more nervous.  Temperatures were predicted to be over 100 degrees, topping out between 104-108, and wind gusts up to 20 MPH.  Well, it is what is--weather you can't control but you can control your mindset and how you respond to it.

Race morning went fine, got up got ready, ate my breakfast and my sherpas, aka the best family supporters ever.  Got to the race sight by 5:15am and it was already nearly 75 degrees.  Not wanting that to get in my head I calmly set up my transition area (first time since the IM and I had kinda forgotten what it is like to set up a towel transition area instead of a bag).  As go time got closer I put on my wetsuit and headed to the water.

Swim: Up until the horn start I didn’t even know which way  I was supposed to be swimming.  Not great race organization in my opinion (there were a few other instances of that on the course as well).  There wasn’t a loud speaker by the swim start and they hadn’t told us which way to go.  I figured I wasn’t going to be first so I would just follow the caps.  I have been doing some great swims but if I’ve skipped a workout it is usually a swim.  Readers here know that I’m comfortable in the water and the distance wasn’t at all intimidating. 

My goal: Hoping for sub-38 but really anything under 40 was going to be fine with me.

Actual: 39:14 not my best, not my worst.

T1: 4:10 – funny story here…I lost my bike!  I ran all the way to the end of the transition area IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!  Oops, rookie mistake.  Whatever, in and out, quick wave to the fam.

Bike:  My plan was to stay hydrated and wet to stay cool.  I wanted to stay positive on the hills, push the flats and generally enjoy the ride.  Total success with all of those elements.  I have been riding between 15.5 – 16.5 on average but haven’t done any real elevation, the biggest gain I’ve done this year, um, 700 feet.  Starring down a 2200+ feet gain profile I probably shoulda worked more on hills, oh well.  Despite my lack of hill training (not Jen’s fault, I just haven’t gone hilly lately b/c I’ve been enjoying SPEED on flats), I felt pretty good on the climbs.  The rollers were just fun and the flats I exceled holding 18+ for miles on end.  The roads were as expected pretty bumpy, lots of strewn water bottles on the course.  Parts of the course were just weird, like the part through the office park (though, I was happy to avoid the busier roads and the pavement was nicer), but parts of the course were just gorgeous the rolling golden northern California hills, with big oak trees and the scent of summer.  By about mile 20 of the bike course I was already pretty warm and continued to stay hydrated and cooled off by squirts of water from my water bottle.  The last 11 miles were on a bike trail with AWESOME headwind, not.  This is the only place I really saw egregious drafting and no marshals---sooooo annoying.  Oh well.

My goal:  My goal was 3:30 – 3:40.

Actual: 3:47 (elevation per Garmin 2265)-- given the heat, the hills and the wind—I’m happy with this but definitely room for improvement!

T2: 3:00—I call that a success for me.

Run: Oh good lord this was where my race unraveled.  I have been LOVING running lately, especially running off the bike.  My runs off the bike have been 9:40’s – 10:30’s and I was feeling really confident about this run.  However, by the time I got to the run it was upper 90’s and the temp was still rising.  I started off with a slow shuffle and about 6 minutes in my HR was outta control and I felt dizzy and the slow march of determination began.  From here on out I tried a 1 min run/1 min walk, sometimes this was fine other times I felt like was going to pass out.  As one point, I seriously thought CA was having an earthquake it looked and felt like the ground was shaking.  At that point, I started taking 2 salt pills, instead of 1 at a time.  I found the best strategy to be the following: at the aid stations, drink 1 water, 1 water dumped on me or spray from a super soaker some of the aid stations had, 1 cup of ice down my sports bra and a BIG thank you to the volunteers for being out there on a triple digit day.  For a few minutes with ice down my sports bra this made running bearable—so I would run out of the aid stations until my heart felt like it would beat out of my chest and I felt light headed.  When I hit the turnaround at 6.55 miles I was so close to calling it.  Temperatures were now well into the triple digits and I was only halfway.  I was looking at the slowest half marathon of my life.  You know those people that say they are going to walk a half marathon? Yeah, I’ve always though they were crazy---now that I basically have, I still think they are crazy!  On the second loop, there were points I felt absolutely terrible and points were I only felt mildly less terrible but I don't think I got above slightly less terrible on the second loop even with the aid stations being fully stocked with ice and water.  By this point all my time goals were out of the window and all I wanted to do was finish and jump (or crawl) back into the river.  Everyone on the course was walking, several with very dejected looks on their faces.  The heat was oppressive and unrelenting and unfortunately the course had little to no shade and even in the shade I'm sure temperatures were triple digits.  I saw at least 2 people get taken away in the emergency ranger wagon and my family saw a couple of ambulance bound folks.  I ended up finishing the last couple of miles with a really nice guy training for his first IM.  I kept telling him how much harder THIS race was than my IM experience and that finishing this race, in these conditions, should give him a big boost of confidence for the IM.  This race seriously was the hardest race I’ve ever done--mentally and physically to keep going in those conditions, I think I walked the line of determined and stupid but ultimately, I know my body pretty well and knew that if I walked it in I could finish.  I didn’t pass out and I didn’t quit.

My goal: 2:20 – 2:30

Actual: 3:23, a FULL HOUR slower than I had wanted

Total: 7:57  Over an hour slower than my original goal of 6:30 (my pie in the sky was as close to 6 as possible).  With the hills on the bike course I had adjusted to 6:40 - 7 hours but definitely did not think I’d be nearly 8 hours. The total DNF/DNS rate from what I counted on the website was over 50 people!  I counted 180 total finishers from the website and the number of finishers over 7 hours, nearly 70.

best part of the whole day--the after race water float

The bright side:  This is STILL a 29 minute PR from my one and only other half distance at Barb’s race in 2010.  This course was much hillier (1000+ feet hillier), DEFINITELY much hotter and probably windier, though, I don’t really remember the wind conditions at Barb’s race.

I know I have more in me at this distance and I know I’ll get there!  I mean, what’s the chance of doing another race in 106 degree temperatures?!?

Big shout out to my wonderful friend Kristen for driving down from the bay area, standing in the heat, while 9 months pregnant!  Also, just as big of a shout out to my wonderful family who are always there for me—both the highs and the lows.  They too, stood around in extreme conditions and had nothing but positivity for me.  THANK YOU—I am truly lucky to have such a great support crew.

Also a shout out to Jen, my wonderful coach, who has been pushing me to my limits this year and keeping me going with my PR streak.

As I’ve been saying, every race is a learning experience and this one taught me that the words on my bracelet (persevere, endure, believe) do really hold true for me.  I am not someone who quits, even if the day isn’t going as planned.  I am really proud of myself for finishing this race—now it’s time to recover and get back to training and pushing myself to my fullest potential.

A new year...

A lot of folks, including me, do New Years posts  in January but May 5, 2014 begins an important new year for me. 366 days ago, on May 4, 2013, this happened...

Since then, I have learned so much about myself, what I'm capable of and a lot about what I don't know about myself :). In some ways this has been the best year of my life and in others maybe the most introspective.

In the last year I have:
Swam 109.3 miles
Biked 2583.51 miles
Run 602.43 miles
And a combined total of 62 hours for all things strength, yoga and other exercises related. Since breaking my foot I've completed two 5ks, one 10k, two half marathons and one 140.6 epic adventure.

I've set several PRs, distance PRs and race PRs, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. I've learned I can push myself farther and faster than I thought I could. I'm learning what I'm passionate about and what I really want my life to look like. In that, I've learned a lot about myself and also I've learned a lot about what I don't know about myself. 

People looking at my last year probably see an amazing year of triumph--and don't get me wrong, I am super proud of my last years accomplishments. However, discovering new capabilities and a new sense of self also creates internal (and sometimes external) turmoil. I am learning what I want out of life--what I want my day-to-day life to look like, what and who I want to spend time with, what I truly love to do and what really matters to me. I am finally, after 31 years and 9ish months, in a place in my life where I truly like who I see in the mirror. It's taken a long time to get here--to be comfortable in my own skin, to really say what I think and how I'm feeling---now it's time to take that and run with it. In that I've also learned that I still have a lot of things to figure out and so much more life to enjoy.

Who knew a trip, fall, broken foot, DVT and an Ironman later would create such a learning and growth experience?!  Friends, family and readers of this blog, I challenge YOU to start thinking about what you really want out of your life---if you aren't living the life you want, make the changes to get there.  Lest this blog post turn into some hippy dippy new agey soap box of "following your dreams" I'm going to stop there.

Happy new year and cheers to figuring out how to love the person we see in the mirror everyday. 

Race Report: Blooms to Brews Half Marathon

Another PR in the books for me this weekend at Blooms to Brews half marathon.  While I’m happy with my 8 minute PR, I’m struggling to be really happy with this race.  I know, I know, I should give myself some credit, I had a significant PR and worked hard for it but for me, this was a poorly executed race and I’m already for a rematch.

I went into this race with a few goals---to PR, to break 2:15 and my super-secret A goal was to race 10 min miles and hit or break 2:12.   I hit goals 1 and 2 and for miles 1-8 I was totally on target for my A++ goal and hitting consistently strong even splits.  I'm disappointed in this race b/c for a few miles of this race I let my mind get the best of me.

Miles 1-8 were the most consistent splits I’ve ever had in a race!  I clocked miles 1-8 between 9:52 – 10:02’s (a 10 second spread is uber consistent for me) with mile 7 being a 9:37 (and no, it wasn’t downhill)!  Miles 9 – 13, I fell apart!  I fell apart more mentally than physically but my mental state impacted my physical performance.  I could lay out a list of reasons why this happened but I won’t because those would all just be lame excuses for a poorly executed race.  The number one reason I didn’t continue to hit even splits---because I didn’t believe I could.  I kept thinking about how I had only run one 11 miler in training at a significantly slower pace—I thought back to my less than stellar long run the weekend before…AND, fell apart.  Instead of giving myself props for feeling good and running strong with consistent HR data, I went straight to the negative self-talk. THIS.NEVER.HELPS.ANYONE!  I know that…I knew it at the time too but couldn’t shake it.  Instead of getting my competitive edge like I have in my past few races, I didn’t care about chicking the guy in front of me that I TOTALLY COULD HAVE PASSED.  While I am proud of myself for not completely positive splitting, I did rally again toward the end, I'm disappointed that for a few of those latter miles I blew it.  I stewed a lot about the poor execution yesterday afternoon as I did my 60 min recovery spin (yup, I got on my bike AFTER the race), glad I didn't write down my thoughts then, I think they would have been a mess of disgruntled words.  I'm less disgruntled today and more pensive.

This PR makes 4 for 4 this year, a feat I should be really happy about (and in some respects I totally AM), I’m disappointed that I didn’t execute a better race this weekend but as I sit here with sore legs and a little bit of a bummed attitude, I’m already thinking about how I can learn from this experience! Onward and upward toward a faster and stronger me.  I AM stronger than I think I am, I AM faster than I think I am and my biggest hindrance right now is my own brain.  During my next couple of runs I plan to do a few things differently.

1) Practice what I preach.  I wrote a whole post about mental tricks and tips.  I plan to incorporate mantras or positive thinking into my runs, both short and long.  When I write in Training Peaks I want to have at least one positive thing to say about each run. (Coach Jen, positive run recaps coming your way.)

2) Believe in me. Jen, as in good friend Jen, gave me a card before I left for Arizona from her and little Penny that said, “we believe in you.”  And, if you remember, I saw a sign on the race course around mile 20 that said “believe in you”---clearly, for that race the universe was sending me signs to believe in me.  What I failed to takeaway is, 'believing in me' didn’t stop on that day in Arizona.  I need to remember to carry that with me every time I’m racing.

3) Trust my training.  This goes back to believing but I think it is even more than that.  Coach Jen knows what she is doing.  Look at her roster.  On any given weekend of racing her athletes are standing on podiums, achieving PRs and qualifying for the most prestigious events in the country/world.  I was given an amazing opportunity to work with her this year—to learn and grow from this experience I need to trust what I’m being given.  As she wrote in response to my email telling her I PR’d but that I was disappointed, she said “Next time sub 2:10 but I will say that I am OVER THE MOON ABOUT another PR---IT IS WORKING!” {emphasis not added, that’s an exact quote}

With that, I’m going to be happy with my 2:14:42 and am going to take this experience with me for my rematch!

Side Note #1:  Super studly Mr. Pi placed top 15 and was 4th in his age group with a time of 1:35...wow!  And that comes a few weeks after his super challenging 50k with not a ton of road miles under his feet.  Seriously, super stud.

Side Note #2: It was a gloriously sunny day for racing and I would recommend Blooms to Brews course for anyone looking for a flat, rural and scenic spring race.  Rumor has it that next year they are adding a full marathon.

tulips for miles

so many colors!

Three months with Coach Jen Harrison

In the last three months with Jen I’ve learned a lot (I started on January 15 so I’m calling it close enough to three months).  I bought paddles for the first time since HS!  I learned (am learning is probably more appropriate) how to swim with a band (let’s just say it is HARD and makes you feel like you have excessive junk in the trunk, if you know what I mean).  I can sustain over 100 RPM on the bike for at least 5 minutes (last year I think I maxed at 95 or so).  I’ve PR’d 3 running races and am feeling stronger than ever out on the roads.

I am seeing performance gains and maintaining a high level of confidence in myself (for the most part).  I’m still learning to stay mentally strong!  I often reference my own TTT on mentaltraining.  Jen likes to post things in TP like “ask yourself why not?”  This is resonating with me.   Seriously, why not?  I sometimes struggle with grasping this concept, I certainly can let my mind be full of excuses as to why “I can’t.”  BUT I’m working on it.  As Olympian Barb Lindquist would say, build up the tools in the tool box and on race day (or a training session) you’ll be able to pull out the perfect tool for the situation.

Aside from race reports, I’ve been a bit vague about numbers, not really intentionally just I’ve found other things to write about and haven’t really felt the need to always include paces, distance, yards etc.  However, as one that likes to look back at these posts as a reminder of where I’ve been and where I want to go, here are some numbers.

Since January 1, 2014...

-I have PR’d three running races.  My 5k PR went from 29:29 (set in 2002) to 28:20 on 1/4/14 to 27:05 on 3/9/14.  I PR’d my one and only standalone 10k on 3/15/14 in a time of 57:55.  I’m learning my zones, learning to let go of my ego for easy runs and have been pleasantly surprised by the T-runs I’ve executed.  My mileage has been quality over quantity which is right where I need to be.

Snowy T-run (first brick of the season)

Typical running in PDX 9 months of the year--wet, sometimes wild.  That day was particularly windy.

Getting in some quality intervals while on the road for work.  Even if I hadn't had intervals on the plan, I'm learning that the local HS track is a great and safe place to run while traveling in an unfamiliar location--especially for pre-dawn workouts.

-On my first outdoor training ride since IMAZ, I averaged 16 MPH for 2 hours in Zone 2, including a stint of 17+ (nevermind that I was drafting behind Page).  The trainer is still my friend and is teaching me how to suffer in a controlled environment.

Enough time had passed between the hours I logged on those roads over the summer/fall to where I thoroughly enjoyed my time on those roads again.

Trainer love

Sweaty selfie

-I’ve swum 58,525 yards (or 33.25 miles).  While I’ve struggled a little with motivation to actually get in the pool, once I’m there I’m happy.  Jen has pushed my comfort zone was a few weeks of over 8000 yards and is keeping swimming fun.

Felt like swimming on that day watching poor Mr. Pi run a REALLY HARD 50k in the pouring rain.  Way to go DEAR!

-I am maintaining a strong core and continuing to strengthen my hips, glutes and power muscles. 

{Insert fun pictures here. Hehe.}

This doesn’t show up on Training Peaks but I am also thoroughly enjoying coaching athletes of my own!  My athletes are working hard and seeing positive results—it’s fun to watch!

And, I think most importantly, I’m having fun!

Smith Rock family hike

Top o' the world

Running with friends...the best way to socialize IMO

TTT: The Mental Game

A couple of weekends ago I attended a USAT Pacific NW meeting where we had various speakers present on all things triathlon.  One speaker, Olympian Barb Lindquist, led off with a powerful presentation about mental preparation.  Sometimes transition is called the fourth discipline of triathlon but I personally think mental training is more important than a superfast transition time.

One of the tips Barb talked about was about staying present.  This really struck a chord with me.   I think back about my successful races and my not-so-successful races---one huge component of the successful races was my attitude about the finish line.  During my successful training sessions and races, I wasn’t solely focused on the finish line and about what time I may (or may not be achieving) but rather, about the experience.  For example, the 5k I ran a few weeks ago.  I was keenly aware of my space throughout that race.  Sure it was only a 5k but I’ve had 5k experiences where all I was doing was staring at my watch or getting annoyed by the crowds of people ahead.  With endurance training and racing, staying present is vitally important.  When you stand or float at the starting line of an ironman, you don’t want to be thinking about the marathon, you want to be focused on the first 100 meters of the swim or the first buoy.  One the biggest successes in my racing history was the ironman and throughout that whole race I was constantly focusing on the present moment.  My attitude wasn’t, “this is hard” “why am I not done yet” but rather “this is awesome” and “I AM in fact DOING this race” and “I am loving this…swim…this bike…and this run…”  I remember seeing Mr. Pi on the back portion of the run course, I was running, I was smiling, I was present in the moment soaking it all up.  He pointed out how close I was the finish, I didn’t.  I wasn’t thinking about the finish until probably mile 25 of the marathon.  I spent the whole day in the present moment.

So, my training tip on mental preparation—STAY PRESENT. Don’t know how to do this…well, let’s discuss two ways in which Barb helped us think about staying present.

1.  Focus on the immediate surroundings, create a mantra.  Her start line/swim mantra “first buoy is mine!”  I like it…I plan to use it.  For the bike, she thought of her legs as pistons on a train “chu chu.”  I personally go back to the song that got stuck in my head during my first century ride, “rocket man.”  My legs are my rockets propelling me forward.  For the run, her saying and one I have said myself is “I am a runner.”  Those of us that come to the sport of triathlon from another discipline (in my case swimming) sometimes we don’t think of ourselves as ‘cyclists or runners’ but in fact WE ARE.

2.  Stay positive.  We all have things we are scared of…mass starts, flat tires, heat, hills, etc.  Roll with these things.  Another of Barb’s mantras from the weekend, “I thrive on challenges.”  Say this to yourself as you’re waiting in the pack of a mass start, as you’re riding up a hill that seemingly won’t end.  Stay positive…YOU CAN do this…YOU trained…YOU are there…YOU CAN DO THIS.

Mental preparation takes training.  Just like your swim, bike and run workouts…work out your mind.  Start creating and using your mantras or images in training, then, on race day you’ll have tools in the tool box.

TTW? (Training Tips Wednesday): Motivation

Gah, I missed my TTT date so I'm making this a special TTW, training tips Wednesday!

Motivation...Finding it, keeping it and combating bouts of dips in it.

We are all motivated by different things.  While it may seem that some folks are always 100% motivated to do their training, trust me, they aren’t…myself included.  I sometimes struggle getting in my workouts, even though it’s what I love to do!

How do you find motivation?

This is an extremely personal process and I can’t really tell you what will motivate you BUT I can offer a few suggestions.  Instead of thinking about motivation from an end-goal perspective (a finish time, a number on the scale, a pant size, etc) think of motivation as a feeling.  I am motivated to do this ____ because it is going to make me feel _____.  Thinking of motivation in terms of feelings I think makes it a more internal process and can help keep motivation up when some goals are long term rather than a quick fix.

How do you keep motivation?

Ah, keeping up the motivation.  There is a reason that gym goers sometimes loose interest in the gym by February or March…motivation is a sneaky thing, it can come and go.  As I said above, I think tying motivation to a feeling helps keep it fresh and top of mind, rather than a specific end-goal which, in the case of performance gains and weight loss can be slow moving and incremental.  I would also say setting goals is really important to staying motivated so long as you are setting REALISTIC expectations.  As someone who likes to help their friends (and now athletes) stay motivated and on track, one of the worst feelings is helping someone that is over committed or has unrealistic expectations.  Setting ambitious goals is great, I’m all for that, but unrealistic goals can actually be a hindrance to motivation.  Keep it real and honest with yourself (and your coach, if you have one).  For example, I would love to sit here and tell you all that I have a goal of qualifying for Kona.  That would be an unrealistic goal and, if that really was my motivator I would probably get pretty discouraged pretty fast.  Instead, I’ve set a goal to PR every distance I attempt for the year.  That’s certainly ambitious but also within the realm of possibility!  Stay positive, stay present, set goals and be realistic.

How do you combat bouts of dips in motivation?

Everyone has a bad day here and there but if you feel that your dip in motivation is lasting more than a day or two it is time to evaluate.  Ask yourself why you’re unmotivated?  Are you bored? Burnt out? Overcommitted? Injured?  There could be a number of responses to that question.  Figure out the root of the issue and then take steps to reverse it.  Bored? Try something new in your routine.  Burn out? Maybe you need to take a break from your regular schedule and take some time away from the sport to regroup. Overcommitted? Figure out what you can let go.  What’s the most important race/training/etc on the list…keep that, drop the rest.  Injured? Think of the mental and physical break you’re providing your body as you recoup from your injury.  What’s something you’d like to do but your training usually gets in the way…go and do whatever that is.

Motivation can be a finicky thing.  Finding it and keeping it is part of what makes us stronger as athletes.  As a coached athlete, I feel like having a coach helps prevent some dips in motivation.  My routine is always changing…I’m no longer swimming Mon-Wed-Fri, running T-Th-S, etc.  I get new workouts and a new schedule every 2 weeks.  I also think being a multisport athlete helps with motivation; having a change in scenery from the water, to the bike to the road is a great motivator—each have their own challenges and unique characteristics.  Remember to stay present and to think about the feeling that inspires your motivation!