Mid/Late Season Thoughts

So is everyone ready for Eagle in the Sun? Have you already had your “A” race for the year and begun to slow down on the racing? Or are you putting in those last few months of grueling workouts to end the season with a 70.3 or 140.6? Regardless of where you are in your season, it’s always a great day when you can wake up and push your body to the limits.

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.

 Being an Endurance Athlete is a life style not a hobby.

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!