Ego. There it is out in the open for everyone to see. After all that is what Ironman is isn't it? Whether we want to admit it or not that is why we line up for events such as the Ironman. In fact that is how the Hawaii Ironman became a reality. It was the ego of several men who wanted to see who was the best athlete by combining three existing events on the island of Oahu. This lead to what we now recognize as Ironman. Ego was and is the driving force behind most all competitions such as Ironman. You can not attempt one of these events without having a healthy ego in which you truly believe you can complete the race. The word ego has taken on a very negative meaning over the years and this is really a shame. Ego is what drives us everyday to be better people and it also can hold us back in many respects as well. Many people whom protect their ego never realize their full potential because they are afraid of failure.
The reason this thought of ego has come to my attention is for several reasons. First is that I am currently reading "I am here to win" by Chris "Macca" Mcormack. This is without a doubt a book that delves into ego in many ways and how you can use it effectively to increase your race performance. Macca explores his ego and learns to harness it, to effectively beat his opponents before the race even begins. The second thing that brought ego to my attention is that I just got back from swimming, biking and riding the Lake Placid course for the first time. I went up with my tri team (roughly 10 of us whom will be doing the race)and was able to really realize what this race is going to be like. One of the biggest things that I took away from this weekend is how important ego will be to this race. I need to harness it and not let it take me out of my game plan. Bottom line is with my projected swim time their will be a healthly number of people out on the bike course before me. With a bike that is 112 miles long I need to let certain people go and not worry about anyone but myself. Basically I can not let my ego dictate the pace in any of the disciplines but most importantly on the bike.
The way I see it my swim will be my swim. Even a bad swim should not negatively effect my day. A good swim would be welcome and I do think that I might surprise myself but all and all not being able to "clock watch" means you just do what you can do and live with the result. On the Bike however is where this race could be impacted the most for me. My ego usually dictates my pace in training rides and even rides I do alone. I am constantly analyzing how far I have gone and in what time. And when I get into group rides I am always trying to ride up front regardless of what the pace is. I need to let my ego go come race day. If I try to chase someone whom I think I should be beating, or simply go to hard because of my goal time then it will only negatively effect my run. And the run is where I hope to make my race. However that being said, I do know from running the course this weekend that I will need to not go out too hard on the first lap. On that last lap of the run is when my ego is going to allow me to be the aggresor. My goal all along has been sub 12 hours but more importantly a sub 4 hour run. I choose this goal above all else because I read that only 10% of Ironman athletes run a sub 4 hour marathon. So when I read that my ego said lets be in that 10%. On that last lap I will put it all out there to make that happen. A saying that I like to use is "there is no race tommorrow right" which for me means lay it all on the line today.
As the race draws closer and with this weekends course preview behind me I have begun to think more of the mental aspect of the race. I feel my coach has me physically ready so all that is left is a solid nutrition plan and the mental toughness that will make or break the race. My ego had me sign up, it has made my daily training bearable and now I need to keep it in check for 127.5 miles and then let it carry me home for the last 13.1.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
To Ironman or not to Ironman
So heading into this whole Ironman thing I had a good feel that I would handle the race fine and then move on to the next big thing. This lead to thoughts of "maybe I will do two in one season", or "hmmm would be cool to do a double Ironman". All of this came to an end on Sunday's Lucky 7 workout (70 min swim, 7 hour bike, 70 min run)in the pouring rain. Well actually it did not rain the entire time just for the swim and the first 45 miles of the bike. It was one of those days where you know it needs to get down but you really have to dig down deep, like to China, and find the motivation to get through the day.
So all of this lead me to this blog post and how Ironman is sooo much more than a 12 hour race a couple times a year, or a double which would take a full day. Ironman is the training time, the prep time, all the laundry, the bike cleaning, rainy 55 degree Sundays getting up at o' dark thirty to go workout for 7 hours, and don't forget the HUGE cost associated with doing these type of events. I more than alot of people I know have the mental capacity (of a fly) to be able to do these long sessions and not be bothered at all. Even this Sunday there was no hesitation getting out of bed or driving to see if anyone would even show up. I just did it, why? because I had to do it. It was on the schedule and when the cannon goes off on race day the only thing that seperates us is the quality and quantity of training time. Now for different people this can mean many things. For instance someone who finishes in 16 hours does not mean that they trained any less than someone who does the race in 10. The difference is that those that go in under trained pay dearly for missed sessions. There is no hiding not being properly trained for an event of this magnitude.
This leads me to my point that to do Ironman you must commit 100% of your being to the race. Weekends, family time, money are all things that are required of a successfull finisher. These are things that are precious to everyone and especially to those around us. It is true what they say that both spouses need to be on the same page when it comes to Ironman. You simply can not fake this race. It takes 8, 9, 10 hour weekend training sessions, 15 to 20 hour training weeks, early mornings and most of all it takes time away from loved ones. So what the conclusion that I came to this Sunday in the pouring rain is that this sport is my passion but I don't want it to be my obsession. I enjoy training (sometimes alot more than racing) but up until now I have been very open to new events and I would like to keep it that way. I don't want to lock into an Ironman race every year that requires countless lost weekends to put in the proper time. I do however want to continue to challenge myself and experience different races of all kinds. Doing an Ironman and having already completed two ultra marathons I have the confidence to put my name on the start list of any race of any distance. What I don't want is to be a slave to a goal (such as Kona) that becomes an obsession that makes you lose perspective on why we do this sport. With that said this does not mean that I will not do more Ironmans or not attempt a double at some point or try and qualify for Vegas or Kona. It simply means that I enjoy trying new things in and out of this sport, wether it be a new vacation destination or a race in a place I would never go to in a million years. I want to stay open to these oppurtunities and not get locked in to countless hours of mindless Ironman training that someday instead of being new and exciting will just be routine.
So all of this lead me to this blog post and how Ironman is sooo much more than a 12 hour race a couple times a year, or a double which would take a full day. Ironman is the training time, the prep time, all the laundry, the bike cleaning, rainy 55 degree Sundays getting up at o' dark thirty to go workout for 7 hours, and don't forget the HUGE cost associated with doing these type of events. I more than alot of people I know have the mental capacity (of a fly) to be able to do these long sessions and not be bothered at all. Even this Sunday there was no hesitation getting out of bed or driving to see if anyone would even show up. I just did it, why? because I had to do it. It was on the schedule and when the cannon goes off on race day the only thing that seperates us is the quality and quantity of training time. Now for different people this can mean many things. For instance someone who finishes in 16 hours does not mean that they trained any less than someone who does the race in 10. The difference is that those that go in under trained pay dearly for missed sessions. There is no hiding not being properly trained for an event of this magnitude.
This leads me to my point that to do Ironman you must commit 100% of your being to the race. Weekends, family time, money are all things that are required of a successfull finisher. These are things that are precious to everyone and especially to those around us. It is true what they say that both spouses need to be on the same page when it comes to Ironman. You simply can not fake this race. It takes 8, 9, 10 hour weekend training sessions, 15 to 20 hour training weeks, early mornings and most of all it takes time away from loved ones. So what the conclusion that I came to this Sunday in the pouring rain is that this sport is my passion but I don't want it to be my obsession. I enjoy training (sometimes alot more than racing) but up until now I have been very open to new events and I would like to keep it that way. I don't want to lock into an Ironman race every year that requires countless lost weekends to put in the proper time. I do however want to continue to challenge myself and experience different races of all kinds. Doing an Ironman and having already completed two ultra marathons I have the confidence to put my name on the start list of any race of any distance. What I don't want is to be a slave to a goal (such as Kona) that becomes an obsession that makes you lose perspective on why we do this sport. With that said this does not mean that I will not do more Ironmans or not attempt a double at some point or try and qualify for Vegas or Kona. It simply means that I enjoy trying new things in and out of this sport, wether it be a new vacation destination or a race in a place I would never go to in a million years. I want to stay open to these oppurtunities and not get locked in to countless hours of mindless Ironman training that someday instead of being new and exciting will just be routine.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Rev3 race report
Rev3 went as follows: PR swim by 5 minutes, average 20 mph on bike for first 33 miles, then flatted, then co2 got stuck on replacement tube and it exploded, waited 40 minutes for somebody to offer a spare, installed but could not get it to sit right but decided to wing it, 7 more miles and that exploded putting a hole in the tire as well, walked 1 mile, sag wagon assisted with new tube and tire, rode it in and then Pr'd the run by 10 minutes. The END thanks for coming.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
T-minus 72 hours
First triathlon of the season coming up in three days. As I right this the only workouts I have missed have been two swims since February 1st. All the bikes and runs have been accounted for and no injuries to report. Last week did my first century in a little over 5 hours and had little to no soreness or fatigue the next day.
My age group goes off at 7 am Sunday morning into Lake Quasipaug in Middlebury, CT. To say I am excited is an understatement. The only downside to this trip is that I am going it alone. Very rare that the wife has to miss one of my races but this is one of those times. As with all the training and racing that goes into being an Ironman, sacrifices have to be made and you can't let them constantly affect those around you. That has been one of the toughest things about this journey but also the most satisfying. When I can look back and say I trained for an Ironman while working two jobs and maintaining a fairly normal social life that is what I will be most proud of. This is one of those races that is a just tuneup for the big one in July, of which alot of sacrifices have been made on her part. So with that the decision was made I would head down alone. Normally I would not like this at all, as I always love the calming influence that she brings but I have done this race before and there should be no surprises.
All the training miles are in the bank and now I am off to get all the gear prepped and laid out. I always like to create a list of everything I will need and check it not once but at least twice. This avoids any race day disasters and lets me sleep very comfortably the night before a race knowing that everything is taken care off. As with a lot of HIM's bike drop off is the day before and that really is a great feature knowing that all I have to do Sunday morning is top off the tires, load up the water bottles and put on a wetsuit.
As for goals for this race I have no expectations. Last year it was my first HIM ever and I learned alot but also was able to knock off 30 mins in my two subsequent HIM's. My training schedule has a 2 hour bike the next day (Monday) and I did just do a century less than 10 days out so to have high hopes would be foolish. However I will not be mailing this one in. This race is a dress rehearsal for the big day in 7 weeks and I hope to do really well while not going into the hurt box at any point. I would be very happy with a sub 40 min swim, sub 3 hour bike and a 1:45 run. Add it all up, throw in transitions and anything in the 5:30 range would be awesome. Bottom line is my goals for this season revolve solely around Lake Placid.
My age group goes off at 7 am Sunday morning into Lake Quasipaug in Middlebury, CT. To say I am excited is an understatement. The only downside to this trip is that I am going it alone. Very rare that the wife has to miss one of my races but this is one of those times. As with all the training and racing that goes into being an Ironman, sacrifices have to be made and you can't let them constantly affect those around you. That has been one of the toughest things about this journey but also the most satisfying. When I can look back and say I trained for an Ironman while working two jobs and maintaining a fairly normal social life that is what I will be most proud of. This is one of those races that is a just tuneup for the big one in July, of which alot of sacrifices have been made on her part. So with that the decision was made I would head down alone. Normally I would not like this at all, as I always love the calming influence that she brings but I have done this race before and there should be no surprises.
All the training miles are in the bank and now I am off to get all the gear prepped and laid out. I always like to create a list of everything I will need and check it not once but at least twice. This avoids any race day disasters and lets me sleep very comfortably the night before a race knowing that everything is taken care off. As with a lot of HIM's bike drop off is the day before and that really is a great feature knowing that all I have to do Sunday morning is top off the tires, load up the water bottles and put on a wetsuit.
As for goals for this race I have no expectations. Last year it was my first HIM ever and I learned alot but also was able to knock off 30 mins in my two subsequent HIM's. My training schedule has a 2 hour bike the next day (Monday) and I did just do a century less than 10 days out so to have high hopes would be foolish. However I will not be mailing this one in. This race is a dress rehearsal for the big day in 7 weeks and I hope to do really well while not going into the hurt box at any point. I would be very happy with a sub 40 min swim, sub 3 hour bike and a 1:45 run. Add it all up, throw in transitions and anything in the 5:30 range would be awesome. Bottom line is my goals for this season revolve solely around Lake Placid.
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