Hey,
Sorry I haven't posted much of anything lately. Sometimes I try, but then quit promptly when I feel I can't put my thoughts into words. I've tryed the not worrying about spelling, grammer, etc. but it's not even that what bothers me. I want to say somthing but I just can't put it into words. Oh well enough about that.
Training has been crappy this last week. I've been fighting the last bit of a cold. I never really got it bad, but the last part has been hanging on a little longer then I would like(duhh). I've also missed a few workouts cause of timing and a lack of planning on my part. It seems I need the whole day wide open just to make sure I get the workouts in and done. I admire some of you, well I guess it's a lot of you that have families and or very busy lives. You guys are so awesome, being able to get all the regular family stuff done and then train for an IM, or w/e.
Well IMC is coming up and at times I'm starting to freak out a bit. I always do that so do not be alarmed, I'm used to it. Maybe that's why I don't race that often, I love the training, love the results, just don't like the race mornings and the stress that they bring. I do however have some tricks that I use to try to take the edge off so to speak. Here they are in no particular order, they are my tricks, you may use them, but you have to give me the credit, even though I may have stole them from someone else. :P
1. Tell myself the race doesn't matter. I may have hopes, goals, big dreams, but I will tell myself that it's just a training race, or that all I want to do is finish, maybe I'll even tell myself that this year doesn't matter, next year I'll really give it a go. This works for me cause it takes the importance of the performance away. You'd think that if I was convincing enough that I wouldn't push myself as hard I was able during the race. This is not the case, the moment the gun goes off all of that convincing goes out the window, I"M RACING!!
2. Realize that as I enter the water, or toe the line all of the work is done. There is nothing that I can do now that will change the speed that I will race at in the water, on the road, and on foot. That being said don't shut off the brain completely there's still things to think about, transition, pacing, nutrition, etc.
3. This is related to #1 and #2, the race is the icing on the cake. I am as fit as I can be and that is good. It's all about the journey to this point and I feel gooooooooooood. Sorry I'm not explaining this well. Lets try this, This is a celebration of fitness and I belong here, the numbers on the clock as I cross the line won't change that. I will simply enjoy doing this, why? CAUSE I CAN! and I WAS MEANT TO DO THIS!!
4. I will worry about me and my box(taken from the eating paste article) nothing outside the box matters. How fast my friends go, or my friends/coach's expectations. It all doesn't matter, I will listen to my own body and pace myself accordingly. That being said I'm gonna scoop a super big helping of Paste and fill up Curtis's bento box. HE CAN HAVE IT ALL!! muah ha ha ha
5. Tell myself I will find a way to enjoy parts of each leg. There may be parts that I dislike, but I will enjoy other parts. In fact for the bike I tell myself that I WILL enjoy the first 100-150km, this will also help keep the pace down.
6. Now that I'm an IM vet(I'm not being conceited remember this is what I tell myself) I have done this before. It'll happen I just have to keep it a constant easy effort and my body will remember how to do it.
7. I have done the training, I have done rides 180k, maybe even longer by race day. I have climbed hills tougher then Richter and Yellow lake. The swim is flat, exactly like cda, been there done that. The run, well the run is tougher then cda, but I do like to run hills, I'm a hill runner at heart.
8. We can't go out too slow in the Swim/bike that a solid run performance can't fix. :) Keep it relaxed, bring my C game and strap it to my bike frame no matter how bulky and un-aero it is. :P
K there's gotta be more that will help. Anyone else have mental tricks you use to calm the butterflies? Cheers,
Darryl
5 comments:
K, Darryl, I'll chirp in, although I think I've told you this before. When I ran the Manitoba 1/2 Marathon, and was bummed out by my time afterwards, I recalled that you couldn't run that year, and my cousin in his early 40's passed away from cancer a couple hours later in Calgary. For the next year, I put his initials on my hand, ran the 1/2, and just thanked the good Lord that He had given me the health go do something that most other people weren't physically able to do on that day. It took the pressure off, and as I crossed the finished line, I looked up and said, "thanks for the good health." It put it all in perspective.
All that said, I don't mean to "rain on your parade" and take away the motivation to do well. I'm planning on hill running in the heat of Belize over this next year in hopes that MAYBE I can PR the 1/2 next summer... we'll see - I am getting older as my teenage kids keep reminding me.
All the best in your training. I'll be rooting for you from Belize, and keeping an eye on the IM results as they come in! Go Darryl!
Gord
That's a really good one Gord. You told me parts of that, but I didn't remember the initials and the thanking God when you cross the finish line. Thanks for the reminder, I needed that. We are def. blessed with the gift to do endurance events(triathlons, running races). That reminds me of my Dad, I wonder what he'd think of my Ironman indeavors if he were still around. I suppose he could be up there chattin it up with some new friends, pointing down at me on the IM course going, "See that runner, racer #555 THAT's MY BOY!!!"
I'm hardly a vet at this, but here goes a bit of a brain dump.
I'm going through a bit of a tough time on the training cycle too. I think it's a bit of recovery blues, and thinking about new goals.
As for races, and other stuff, I'm a big one for lists. I write stuff down. Shedules, to do lists, to bring lists, contingencies to consider. Everything I ever think of, I write down. Sometimes I cross it off the list right away, but that's ok. That helps the butterflies. I can look and remind myself that I've thought about that already.
The schedules consider the "official" event schedule, but then I think about traffic, road construction, making sure the gas tank is full. I make sure I know where to go, where to park. How to carry stuff to transition. I obsess about the details, reading and re-reading all the info about the race I can find.
I remind myself that really, no matter how well we prepare, shit happens. (This is gonna get morbid for a minute.) We could be in a traffic accident on the way there. Or have a stroke/heart attack/other sudden medical adventure. We could get the dreaded call from family - get a plane ticket, go there, now. In light of this, what happens or doesn't happen in the race is trivial. A PB or PW? So what?
Gord hit the nail on the head. You have to enjoy what you have.
Great post and great responses too --
One thing I do during IM is to have a completely different perspective on life during the race -- everything that happens is GOOD. If my bottle cage breaks, or any other obstacle crops up, it is of secondary importance. I deal with it, and then move on. There is no dwelling -- It's weird -- I wonder how in the world I can somehow get this perspective in my day-to-day life! :) :) :) :)
I see what you mean about having a difficult time putting these thoughts into words...:) :)
I second Gord's comments. My friend Tricia is fighting Luckumeia for the fourth time. She just underwent her third stem cell transtplant (that's the first time anyone in Canada has had three) When I'm racing or having a bad training day I have one thought "Suck it up Wiens, you can do this" We are all lucky to be able to this.
This is my first so I'm not in the greatest position for advice but my plan "to have fun" every chance I can get. Have fun, finish each leg with a smile and remember that we do this for fun. If your not having fun then why are you out there?
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