kenj's group closed, training hard and having fun!! (Page 47)

You guys are all doing great.

Checking in:

On vacation so getting some workouts in.  Ran 21 miles this week, two 5 milers and a 11 miler and will run after a century (or near century) on Saturday.   One of the 5 milers was a club race.  PR'd. 9:06 pace.  Great for me. The long runs are slow, but they are supposed to be a pace I can maintain to avoid walking.  They are coming along.  Big kick for a guy who was 400 pounds 5 years ago unable to walk up a flight of stairs without dying to be able to kiss the wife and say, "I'm going running for 2 hours," and come home still standing without stopping but briefly to refill my water bottles.

Got the bike back from the shop.  Race wheels, Power Tap, compact crank, new 11/28 SRAM rear cassette.  I ought to be able to climb a barn with that set up.  I'll be doing a long organized ride on Saturday at 75% and 18 mph plus.   Course takes us along a river valley so very hilly...some steep grades, some long gradual ones.  Looking forward to it.

Swim = 2 X.  One endurance 2500 yards and today 2200 yards of speed drills pushed by the coach with 30 secs between intervals.  100s, 400s, 50s. 

All good.

At times I feel I’m experienced and times I know I’m not experienced. The reality is this is only my 4^th triathlon and only my 3^rd season of doing tri’s – if you can count the first season as a season. Which is debatable.

This year I’m more fatigued than last year and I’m having doubts about my training and my goals. Each year my anxiety levels go up before a race and this time it’s happening again.

How do you keep it all in check? I realize this is a hobby but I want to beat last year’s time and I think some of my family will be at the race for a little added pressure to do well.

Does it get easier with more race experience? 

At times I feel I’m experienced and times I know I’m not experienced. The reality is this is only my 4^th triathlon and only my 3^rd season of doing tri’s – if you can count the first season as a season. Which is debatable.

This year I’m more fatigued than last year and I’m having doubts about my training and my goals. Each year my anxiety levels go up before a race and this time it’s happening again.

How do you keep it all in check? I realize this is a hobby but I want to beat last year’s time and I think some of my family will be at the race for a little added pressure to do well.

Does it get easier with more race experience? 

I don't do the upload, but I did hear/read that there were some issues recently with the training log.

You guys are all doing great.

Checking in:

On vacation so getting some workouts in.  Ran 21 miles this week, two 5 milers and a 11 miler and will run after a century (or near century) on Saturday.   One of the 5 milers was a club race.  PR'd. 9:06 pace.  Great for me. The long runs are slow, but they are supposed to be a pace I can maintain to avoid walking.  They are coming along.  Big kick for a guy who was 400 pounds 5 years ago unable to walk up a flight of stairs without dying to be able to kiss the wife and say, "I'm going running for 2 hours," and come home still standing without stopping but briefly to refill my water bottles.

Got the bike back from the shop.  Race wheels, Power Tap, compact crank, new 11/28 SRAM rear cassette.  I ought to be able to climb a barn with that set up.  I'll be doing a long organized ride on Saturday at 75% and 18 mph plus.   Course takes us along a river valley so very hilly...some steep grades, some long gradual ones.  Looking forward to it.

Swim = 2 X.  One endurance 2500 yards and today 2200 yards of speed drills pushed by the coach with 30 secs between intervals.  100s, 400s, 50s. 

All good.

Ever notice how the emotional and physical feeling we associate with nervousness or anxiety can be interpreted in another way?  Excitement!  They are the same physically.  It is only the mental stamp we put on the feelings that make it something positive or negative. And we can change the way we think about things.  

- Positive affirmations.  Tell myself that I am strong, I trained for this day, I am ready.  Repeat these over and over.

- Meditation.  Practice mindful nothingness.  Use one word like strong, patience, alive...and drop it into my mind when it starts to get wrapped up in the testosterone and the nervousness around me. Yoga helps ALOT after workouts.

- I also wear ear plugs to shield my brain from cold water but also to filter out all the noise, smack talk, nerves of other people and that damn loud crappy music they play before hand.  I think positive words and thoughts, picture myself in the water, and breathe deep!     

- Expect problems.  Prepare the best you can to avoid bike trouble or nutrition issues...make a race plan...write it out...but expect that thing will go haywire and make it FUN to figure out how to meet them...It's all part of the challenge.  The longer you race, the more can happen.   When I rode the Wisconsin loop twice the first time a couple of weeks ago, the LBS has totally screwed my derailleur, which I found out on the first hard climb. I had to do 80 miles on the course that is considered among the hardest in Ironman in my big ring all the way.  I embraced the problem, loved the course, had a great time and came away knowing I can do it. 

Terri Schneider wrote a book about early triathlons and the mental part.  Really important.  Some people thrive on all the noise and confusion.  Some like me would rather isolate and think about the race to come in a positive way.   Goodle her name.  It is a great book. 

Your family and support group will love you even if you bonk, which you won't, or if you have a mechanical on the bike or whatever. 

This is FUN.  I know there is a lot of self-pressure we put on ourselves.  But the key there is that it is "self" pressure.  We put it there, we can do something to relieve it.

Kenj what I forgot to write it is uploading workouts from my Garmin 310xt.. Have no problems with workout plans from this site..

Just back from a week long trip to NY city - no running and not much swimming but LOTS of walking and some colourful rides around town.

Sounds like folks have been doing some fantastic things!!!

Well done Steve on that race. Next stop: podium.

Nice Bike Ken!!!!

Thanks for the pearls of wisdom Ice!

Just drove the bike course I will be doing on Sunday. It has some very BIG hills - long and steep.  I have trained for these, but never have done them in a race. Just need to ride smart. It will be interesting to see the carnage though!

Also the water temp "never exceeds 62 degrees" looks like another cold swim!

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!!!!