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LOST: 8 week old motivation, if found please return . . .
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| General Discussion | Triathlon Talk » LOST: 8 week old motivation, if found please return . . . | Rss Feed  |
 2009-05-04 10:03 AM |
Expert  1121   Chicago |  Subject: LOST: 8 week old motivation, if found please return . . .I'm sure that I'm not the first person to experience this, but I decided to last fall that I was going to do triathlons this summer. My first race is coming up on May 17th (T minus 12 days, 21 hours!!). Over the winter I went from having a hard time running more than a mile or two (never got back into after an ACL reconstruction) to being able to handle 6 miles without too much of a problem, not swimming since high-school (almost 20 years) to getting back down to a 1:35-ish pace for a short sprint distance swim and getting in some biking as well. I put in enough training to be happy with my progress, but didn't go over the top. Over the last few months I have gradually ratched up the intensity and have been enjoying the training a lot. For a variety of reasons my schedule was thrown off this weekend and will stay somewhat thrown off this week. With a race a few months or even weeks off, I don't think this would have mattered to me very much. For some reason, with only one weekend looming before the race, I'm feeling more stressed out about it than I expected. I feel like the wheels are about to come off, but I'm trying to stay rational, keep my head down and just keep getting in what I'm able to leading up to the race. If anyone has found any good little mental tricks or otherwise to keep the focus up through race day, I'd love to hear about it! |
| 2009-05-04 10:15 AM in reply to: #2128261 |
Master 4118 Toronto Bronze member | Subject: RE: LOST: 8 week old motivation, if found please return . . . I find that races are excellent motivators but can cause a lot of stress worrying about being ready. Well, you've come all this way and you're as ready as you're going to be! When i start to get really nervous about how I am going to do or even whether or not i am ready I just have to tell myself to trust the training - i've done x amount of hours, kilometers, intensity and that's going to get me across the finish. My worst habit prerace is to look at the weather forecast every 20 seconds. Ugh. That way i can fret about what to wear/bring instead of worrying about whether or not my training is there. Good luck! |
| 2009-05-04 10:20 AM in reply to: #2128261 |
| | Subject: RE: LOST: 8 week old motivation, if found please return . . . No Worries! Your just stressed about the race coming up. Ive sure been there. If you just got a week left and you've lost your motivation, try and just strech every morning and night. Find the one discipline out of three that you like the most and keep loose with that. One, and I mean just one good workout (30 min) canstart the machine again. If you don't find it before the race, dont worry. The race is about 60 percent mental anywho. You'll do great. |
| 2009-05-04 10:21 AM in reply to: #2128300 |
Expert 1121 Chicago | Subject: RE: LOST: 8 week old motivation, if found please return . . . juniperjen - 2009-05-04 10:15 When i start to get really nervous about how I am going to do or even whether or not i am ready I just have to tell myself to trust the training - i've done x amount of hours, kilometers, intensity and that's going to get me across the finish. Good luck! Kilometers!! Oh crap, I've been training in miles.  OK, haven't lost the sense of humor (whether or not it's good) . . . note to self, don't take things too seriously. Thanks for the feedback. It *is* good to remember that even if the mind wanders, the body won't forget all of the training . . . trust the training. |
| 2009-05-04 10:24 AM in reply to: #2128261 |
New user 151 | Subject: RE: LOST: 8 week old motivation, if found please return . . . I've found that races can be very stressful leading up to them and I have worried about everything that is out of my control, and even then some things that were in my control. I've found what works the best for me is to keep telling myself to "trust my training" - if you have put the time in leading up to the event, what you do one or two weeks out will have minimal affect. Don't stress, this stuff is supposed to be fun! P.S. I think I saw in on the corner of 1st and Amistad... |
| 2009-05-04 10:26 AM in reply to: #2128261 |
Expert 1049 Burnaby, BC | Subject: RE: LOST: 8 week old motivation, if found please return . . . Why did you decide you wanted to do triathlons in the first place? Focus on that, not on the race and use it to pull you through the next 2 weeks. Decreasing motivation happens when your training load is high. It's part of fatigue and can be a sign of overtraining when part of a number of other issues. Go back to focusing on the fun rather than the work. If you have to throw a workout and just have fun that day, then do it. The miles are in your legs, so now it's just form that you're working on. For a quick burst of motivation, I search youtube for Blazeman, Rick and Dick Hoyt, UW Warhawks Matt Scott, the Nike-Lance Armstrong commercials, etc. They're all good for a quick burst of "Why the hell am I whining, let's do it!" |
| 2009-05-04 10:57 AM in reply to: #2128261 |
| Subject: RE: LOST: 8 week old motivation, if found please return . . . I think what you are going through is pretty normal, for a lot of us anyway. No matter how much training you do, even without any obsticles like you've had pop up this weekend the race is an unknown and that in of it'self can bring with it some tension. You said your training has been good and sounds like some great progress been made. Twelve days isn't enough time to ruin what you've built up just as 12 days wouldn't be enough time to cram in some good training if you had sluffed off the last four months. Enjoy the pressure/stress, that's what lets you know this is important and that it matters to you. Pressure is what creates a girls best friend. Come race day it should be a great stress reliever for you. |
| 2009-05-04 2:44 PM in reply to: #2128261 |
Expert 1121 Chicago | Subject: RE: LOST: 8 week old motivation, if found please return . . . Thanks for all of the feedback. I'm starting to trust in the training and getting to a more zen place about the race. I appreciate encouragement. |
| 2009-05-04 3:57 PM in reply to: #2128261 |
| New user 8 | Subject: RE: LOST: 8 week old motivation, if found please return . . . Just want to be another voice to add to your shifting of focus. Definitely remember why you're doing this! Another thing to note- sometimes we start to feel anxious when we're really excited too and misinterpret it- so remember that too- you're getting excited to do your Tri! I am a pro at dealing with pre race anxiety (Had to quite the XC team in College because of anxiety issues) and what I've found is letting myself feel the anxiety and just do what feels right leading up to the race (usually not pushing myself too hard) works. Good luck! I'm doing a tri on 5/17 too in MA so I hear that- oh s#@$ it is really soon! |
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