It has been two months since my last blog entry and I can’t
really pinpoint why it has taken so long for me to put another one out. After
the Buffalo Springs 70.3 I was a little over half-way through my race season.
For the entire month of July and most of August I had been getting ready for
the Redman 70.3 in Oklahoma City at the end of September, but because of dog
emergencies (haven’t we all been there) I will not be able to attend. In
addition to taking care of my dog, I also missed a huge chunk of training (8-10
days) because of work obligations. So what’s my point?
Not sure I have a point to make, but given where we are in
the Tri season, I have a couple reflections on the season so far that might be
of help to a few of you.
What do you train or
race for?
Last year I raced to race. I loved the feeling of
competition and the drive that came with it. I didn’t always do well, but I
couldn’t help feeling butterflies at the beginning of each race. This season I
was looking forward to racing, but was much more interested in how much I could
improve my overall abilities in each discipline. I began working with a coach
(Francois Modave) and cut my race schedule from ten races to five. I found that
I didn’t want to even do a race just for fun, because I would miss a long
workout that I had planned that day. Training became just as gratifying as
racing. I’m completely content with not racing again until February and
training hard for the next five months. Find your reason for training/racing
and it will help clarify your goals.
The happiest endurance athletes that I have met are the ones
that can incorporate their family, work, and down time into the sport. I know some
workouts just have to be done by yourself and take a significant amount of time
from your day, but others can be done that incorporate the many other pieces of
your life. Have your wife, husband, children, or dog participate. Plan
mini-vacations around your races and incorporate your healthy eating habits
into the family’s diet as well. Pretty soon they won’t call it “Dad’s healthy
stuff”, but instead “dinner”, “lunch”, or “snack”. Incorporating work can be a
little harder, but not impossible. I like to swim during my lunch break or even
get a run in at a local park. I know this isn’t possible for everyone, but by
breaking up the day with a workout, I find that I can be much more focused at
work and not constantly thinking about how many hours of planned workouts I
have when I get home. This also allows you to spend more of your free time with
your family.
Find your ceiling and
then SMASH IT!
Thanks to a focused workout plan and the help of several
friends that are incredible triathletes, I have been able to far exceed many of
my expectations. You can do the same, but be willing to put in the effort. I
know I’m simplifying a statement from both Bobby Gonzalez and Francois Modave
but, “If you want to be a better runner, run more. If you want to be a better
biker, bike more. And if you want to be a better swimmer, swim more”. The point
being that hard work has its rewards. Improving your swim stroke and swimming
1000 meters a week won’t make you any more ready for a 1.2 mile swim then if
your stroke was garbage and you swam 1000 meters a week. Those new running
shoes are not going to shave three minutes off your 5k time and your sleek new
bike helmet won’t help you average 26 mph. What will help you accomplish those
things is a ton of hard work and a strong desire to improve.
I hope everyone has a great time this weekend and I look
forward to seeing many of you out there!
