Tri Mark's Madness Group-Closed (Page 27)

here is my RR

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=253357

What a great day.  Could not have asked for better weather.  Started in 50*'s with sun and finished b4 it hit 60* i believe.  Cloudless day with great atmosphere.  Great smaller race (1,000 total runners with half, 10,5k) with good volunteers and expo vendors.  

Cheers!

OPEN WATER SWIMMING and THOUGHTS ON MENTAL TRAINING

So, after my first and second open water swims of the season, first being day before workout and second being a race, I thought I'd share some things I observed and some basic strategies if it's not exactly your thing.

The first thing that jumps out is that a dude in the second or third wave jumped into the water, swam 3 or 4 strokes, then stopped.  He turned around and ran out of the water.  My wife talked to him to see what his deal was and try to convince him to put on his big boy britches and gut it out.  He refused.  He said it wasn't for him.  I'd think you'd know you can or can't before you toe the line.  The lesson I take from this, is that if you can't do it, take a DNS, not a DNF.  If you have not practiced at all or have never done an open water swim, you owe it to yourself to do it before the race.  Now the next time that dude works up the nerve, he's going to have mind screwed himself and this race will keep playing in his head.  He set himself up for failure. 

The hardest part of your body to train is your mind.  Here's an example.

Last year I set out to do Ironman with a goal of 15 hours because that's what it took the only person that I knew who had done it.  Then I met more people who had done it via training.  I dropped 30 pounds, I was becoming a strong, efficient machine.  I thought maybe I can do this in 14 hours.  Months keep going by.  Finally I figured out I could do it in under 13 hours.  Here's the thing though.  I spent months figuring out what level I should be training at and where my focus should be.  My body was ready for greater adaptation that only comes through longer or more intense training.  My mind was not yet there.  You have to push your mind to consider the possibilities.

The above example is even more on point when we look at my wife.  The tri we did last weekend, she had done the year before in 2:09:00.  She was riding a borrowed bike that did not fit her well.  She had not done a tri in 7 seasons, and she did her own thing for training.  Late last season we began getting coaching and doing custom programs.  She shattered her marathon PR by about 30 minutes, then broke her half marathon PR in November on a really cold day by like 6 minutes, finished 2nd in a 5k in December in bad conditions, and won her AG in a 5k in April.  So here is this really impressive specimen, outstanding runner, incredibly strong and lean.  She tells me that she thinks she can get to two hours this year at the tri.  I said nothing as it's awful hard to tell your spouse anything about how to do something.  I told our mutual friend she'd finish between 1:50 and 1:55, as I'd been watching her train.  She keeps reverting back to last year's time and using that as her baseline.  She finished the race at 1:52:57.  She had a better run split than me on the 4.3 mile course.  It was an incredible race for her.  Afterwards when we discuss goals, she keeps saying, well it took me this long last year.  The thing is, she's not the same athlete as a year ago in body, but in her head, she's not yet realized how much better she is.

If you are training hard, you will not be the same athlete you were at the start of your program.  You will be race ready in body.  You need to make sure you are race ready and race hardened in mind and spirit too!  When you race, you WILL work harder than in training.  You WILL be faster than you think you are if you compare yourself to your training paces.  You take it up a notch in a race.  You push to empty the tank.  If only for the last mile of the race, you run like there is no tomorrow..because when you finish, there isn't one.  You can't get it back.  I suggest you set for yourself a goal that will take a great effort to reach, and then set one just a little bit faster/harder.  I always have an A goal and a B goal.  Truth is, some point in the race my mind tries to convince my body to slow down and accept the B goal.  Every race that happens to me, don't know why.  Nearly gave in last weekend.  Every race, however, I remind myself what my intentions are, and I push through.  Remember what I said a few weeks ago, set your intentions and race to them.  If you don't have them well rehearsed in your head and right there at the front of your mind, when your body starts wanting to slow down, you won't convince yourself to push through.

Good training and good racing!

Great race Barrett.  That's a hell of a time!  Keep up the good work, you're off to a great start this season.

Mark, thanks for posting your thoughts on mental training and goals.  I have 12 days left until my first tri and have been somewhat conflicted on what goals I should be setting for race day.

I read thread after thread where people say "just enjoy your first tri", "don't push too hard" and "make sure you finish with a smile on your face".  I know this is probably sound advice to ensure the first race is a good experience and a confidence builder for future races - but I have a fairly competetive nature and I think I am more likely to finish with puke on my face and not have such an enjoyable experience.

My race is a small sprint, probably less than 10 in my 50-54 age group.  I have to admit, for six months I've been looking at the times from last year's race and all I can think about is winning the AG.  I keep telling myself I should listen to all the advice to just enjoy the day and put the idea of a podium out of my head - but your post makes me realize "enjoying myself" and a big smile in my finish photo isn't my true goal.  The podium is what has been driving me for all these weeks and my training times say I have a good shot... my goals are clear now... thanks!

- Ron

Just think about how big that smile will be if you podium!  Seriously though, goal number one, do all that stuff, enjoy every minute of it, but race hard, and when you know you've given it all you had, you'll feel great no matter what the results are.  My wife gives me a lot of guff about focusing on seconds and practicing transitions, riding and running sprints with no socks even though it blisters me, etc.  The point is, to me, that is a good time.  Knowing I executed, focusing, being in the zone.  That's the ultimate for me, to be in the zone.  To have it all down so well you don't think, you execute.  When I played football, I was a linebacker, lots of "rules", if this, then that.  But if you thought about it, you were a step slow.  If you executed, you were there before the play developed.  So execute and have the race of your life.  Don't be afraid to fail, you just might succeed.

Ok, let's take this from the athlete's perspective and one who's dealt with some of this.  First, glad to hear on the Vibrams.  I'm not a fan of that whole fad.  Trying to undo hundreds of years of adaptations doesn't seem prudent to me.  Next, for the fasciitis, take a golf ball and have your husband or kids work it into your foot.  If all else fails, rub it into the floor pressing it against your foot.  It has to hurt to be effective.  You have to work it in hard.  My wife had this last season and we cleared it up in about a week.  Ice it.  Ice it more.  If it's a personal thing about the cortisone, so be it, but I can tell you, works wonders to knock down the inflamation.  Cortisone and a few days rest and you're in a world better shape.  I've had plenty of it, no significant side effects, and it's not like "the roids".  It's very good news that it's not your achilles, that's a bad deal.

garrunning - 2011-05-25 8:53 AM Did another OWS yesterday, I love swimming in a lake compared to a pool. I feel refreshed instead of dirty I swam around 1240 in 24 minutes and it felt great. I am planning a bike ride tonight. I can't wait till next Saturday to do my first tri. My ultimate goal is to finish around 230, or at least by 245. Being my first I hope I'm not setting my goals to high. The run is the part that is scaring me right now. I am going to start running again tomorrow. My legs feel great aafter running the half last Saturday. I love racing it makes you feel like a kid again woohoo.

Are you doing an Olympic?  Make sure you don't ride anything more than say 45 minutes this week and probably should not run longer than 30-40.  Moderate intensity with a few brief pickups to race pace, and I mean brief, like 90 seconds. 

I'm not sure your running pace, but if you are doing an Oly distance, I'd be thinking along the lines of 2:45 to 3:00.  That's with a 25 min. swim 1:24:00 bike (20mph avg.) and 55 min. run.  That would be 2:44:00 without transitions, which should add 4-10 minutes depending on how much you have practiced and how simple you keep it.

mwp1054 - 2011-05-25 8:02 AM

garrunning - 2011-05-25 8:53 AM Did another OWS yesterday, I love swimming in a lake compared to a pool. I feel refreshed instead of dirty I swam around 1240 in 24 minutes and it felt great. I am planning a bike ride tonight. I can't wait till next Saturday to do my first tri. My ultimate goal is to finish around 230, or at least by 245. Being my first I hope I'm not setting my goals to high. The run is the part that is scaring me right now. I am going to start running again tomorrow. My legs feel great aafter running the half last Saturday. I love racing it makes you feel like a kid again woohoo.

Are you doing an Olympic?  Make sure you don't ride anything more than say 45 minutes this week and probably should not run longer than 30-40.  Moderate intensity with a few brief pickups to race pace, and I mean brief, like 90 seconds. 

I'm not sure your running pace, but if you are doing an Oly distance, I'd be thinking along the lines of 2:45 to 3:00.  That's with a 25 min. swim 1:24:00 bike (20mph avg.) and 55 min. run.  That would be 2:44:00 without transitions, which should add 4-10 minutes depending on how much you have practiced and how simple you keep it.

Yes it is an Olympic, I hope to get the swim done by 30 min, the bike is 24.4. So at 20 mph avg that would be 1:14. I want to do a 50 minute run. So if my math is right that would be 2:34 plus transitions. That's why I thought I could do around 2:45 and if I have a great day maybe a little less. I am keeping the transitions very simple I just need to practice them a little bit.

hypoxic - 2011-05-25 11:22 AM Well, the ice helped quite a bit, and I am digging through my sons room today - I know he has tons of golf balls he has collected from the neighbors creek.  It seems ok until I am on my feet for a while.  When should I run and how far?  Should I stop if I am in pain?  The race is Olympic, and so far the farthest I have run is 4.5 miles, although for three months I ran three times a week.  I feel a little under prepared, I have not set goals or thought about times like some of you newbies!   I am looking forward to getting to the lake June 29th to have two weeks to actually swim, but I have a little bit of a feeling that I might not be as ready for the run with this injury.  Any recommendations for exercises to help my run without running?  Except water running - when I get done with my swim workouts I am tired, plus my kids are ready to be done as well - by that time one of them is usually crying, hungry, or hurt by the other   Kimberly

Hypoxic,

I am sorry to hear about your plantar fasciitis problems.  I agree with Mark on the golf ball. It helps to break up adhesions and scar tissue that may have been created.  The fascia is not a muscle, but connective tissue.  Unfortunately blood flow is often weak to the area.  

As a general rule this injury is the worst in the morning.  It has been sedentary all night during sleep, and with those first few steps in the morning you will feel the worst.  When you wake up try to gently massage the bottom of your feet.  Gentle roll them with the golf ball, stretch them gently in dorsiflexion (pull your toes towards you shins).  This will hopefully relieve some of pain that will ensue with your first steps in the morning.

What we often have our clients do with this injury is to freeze a small tin can of soup or beans.  Then roll your foot out on it with the can on the side.  The circular shape of the can fits nice in the arch and can be a self ice massager.  

Have you ever been fitted for shoes? When our patients are diagnosed with plantar fasciitis they are often either overweight or are on their feet all day with poor quality shoes.  Make sure you have proper shoes that support you individual stride and gait patterns.  There are reasonable orthodics out there (super feet inserts) that can be bought at many shoe and running stores without the hefty price from the podiatrist.  

Swim and bike a lot.  This should not affect the injury.  Do you ride with cycling shoes or do you ride without clip in shoes cycling shoes?  At times if you really have the cleat put to the front of the shoe (towards the toe) you will put more flexion into your foot.  This might irritate it, but typically speaking swimming and biking will be fine.

If you can try running on tracks, dirt, and wet sand if you live by the beach.  It will temporarily put less stress through the foot.

Finally, when patients I work with really aren't getting better and don't want to deal with injections, we sometimes advise the use of night splints.  The theory behind them sounds great, however I have not used them enough to have a good opinion on them.  However they are non evasive and are easy to use as you just sleep in them. (they just slightly pull ur toes up into dorsiflexion while you sleep)

Best of luck! Remember your injury is just an "itis".  Inflammation! So mark's advice of Rest, Ice, and more Ice is spot on!

Best of luck! Feel free if you have more questions! 

I would think you'll just need a couple days off of running with the cortisone.  You'll get immediate relief from the short acting anisthetic they put in there, then in 24 hours it will feel really good.  The longer you can deal with letting it rest, the better.  You have to keep doing the golf ball or can, either one.  You'll be ok for your race. 

This happens to me in training as well.  But now I share a mantra with others in this group: "What would Mark do?" Honestly, it has gotten me through points in my running where normally I'd stop and walk for a while.

My first big race is this weekend--a duathlon (5k, 33K, 5K).  I'm not a fan of two runs, especially since various injuries have really diminished my run training. But the past year of training makes a difference in spite of that. For my last training run, I ran the duathlon course--not super hard but not totally easy. Finished a minute faster than the first leg of the race last year. I've been training a lot harder on the bike.  Last year, I finished the whole thing in 2:16.  I will work to finish in 2:09 this year.  I intend to run both 5ks without walking and to run the hills slowly so I can accomplish that goal.  I am going to hit the hills hard on the bike in the first half of the race because I know them well and I'll work with what I get on the 10 mile straightaway (often intense head wind).  I'm excited for tomorrow!

Remember on the second run leg, easy off the bike.  Start out a little slower, get your legs under you, then work towards negative splits.  If you go the opposite strategy and come out too hard, you won't have it left at the end.

garrunning - 2011-05-27 10:26 PM Did a 41 minute bike ride tonight, it was hard holding back and not killing it like I am use to. I still averaged 18 mph for the ride. It felt good getting the legs pumping. I am getting way nervous for next weekend, I want to train right so I do well. it is just hard to hold back and not give it 100% I guess it will be all built up inside and I can explode on the course Hope everyone has a good and safe weekend.

Improvement comes from the rest weeks and the taper.  You keep your fitness high, bring your stress down low, your form will be just right, and you'll "pop".  It's hard to trust sometimes, but it really works.  Have faith in the plan and then execute your race strategy.  If you did the work, it will all come together. 

hows everyone doing this memorial day weekend?

im recovering from my race last weekend.  I have just been doing nice easy 30min runs for the past few days. Then went out on an 8 mile trail run this morning with friends.  Felt pretty good! 

Now that the rain has gone away temporarly i think I will get out on the mtb and road bike!

Cheers!

I have been doing the same just finish a 30 minute run in the rain. I went for a OWS yesterday, I can't wait to get this week over with. Holding back is killing me.