Many of you in the New England area have heard of QT2 systems. They are a local Triathlon coaching company that has taken off in many years. I am not a member but do follow alot of their athletes via social media. To say they are successful is an understatement. They have some great pro triathletes on their roster and some seriously talented amateurs as well.
The reason I mention them is that although I am not coached by them I have used some of their services in the past. They have a really neat triathlon calculator on their website that can help you come up with a realistic determination of your race times.
http://www.qt2systems.com/calculator-overview/
It is accurate. Scary accurate and those that have used it can vouch for it's accuracy. I recently used it to plug in some of my run times and to predict what I can and should be able to do for a half marathon. It was DEAD ON. The result of the calculations said I should, with the amount of training and experience level, should be able to run 6:48/mi for 13.1 miles. Well true to form this Sunday I went out and ran 6:48/mi for 13.1 miles setting a huge PR and giving a huge boost heading into this race season.
So the reason I bring this up is I wonder how much of our performances can be predicted and how much are we mentally locked into what we believe? I truly don't think I could have run any harder and finished the race in a upright and non-heaving position. But how much did knowing what I could run determine what I did run? So many people rely on Heart rate monitors and Garmin numbers these days that I wonder if it is hurting us or helping us.
Think about it in terms of this....Bill Rodgers won the 1975 Boston marathon in a time of 2:09, and 30 years later the winning time was actually two minutes slower in 2:11. Bill Rodgers did not have compression socks, foam rollers, Garmin files, Gels and sports drinks. He had heart and ability and he used them to run as fast as he possibly could for 26.2 miles. So at the end of the day are we better or worse for having these calculators that tell us what we can and should do? I say a little bit of both. The calculator gave me the confidence to believe that my body was capable of holding that pace for a half marathon. I did not panic when I ran a 6:17 first mile, or when I ran a 7:07 seventh mile. I just settled in knowing that I had some time to give and some time to get back. Not to mention that knowing my splits was made possible by my Garmin 310xt watch. So at the end of the day try not to get too reliant on data and gadgets and use them when they are appropriate. Too many athletes now a days have made themselves into "runbots" in that they are fearful of the unknown and not having the latest greatest device to guide them along the way. Bill Rodgers is quoted as saying "My whole feeling in terms of racing is that you have to be very bold. You sometimes have to be aggressive and gamble." It is OK to have the data and the gear to back you up and give you the confidence (much like a coach would) that you are capable of great things. However when the watch dies, or conditions aren't exactly as you have planned out, don't throw in the towel and give up. Tighten up your shoelaces, readjust your hat and have confidence in yourself and what you are capable of.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Goals vs Dreams
Goals are dreams with deadlines. ~Diana Scharf Hunt
This statement says a lot about the discrepancy between the definition between the two and yet also shows how they are very similar. We all have goals and we all have dreams. Knowing the difference and being able to chase each appropriately is a huge factor in success. Goals are measurable, they have something that is very definite about them. They are black and white. They are things that you can control, yet also stretch you and push you too your limit. Everyone who competes in a sport has a goal. That goal may be just to finish or to set a personal best. But without a doubt it is something that you will either do or not do.
Dreams on the other hand are everything that goals are not. Dreams are big, scary goals that seem out of reach to you. They are different from goals in that not only do they stretch you but they have an element of impossible to them. Dreams are the thoughts that come from achieving your goals. Set your goals, achieve your goals and allow yourself to dream of future goals that for now seem impossible.
I am a firm believer in putting both dreams and goals out their for the world to see. The thing that motivates me above all else is having the element of failure hanging over my head. I love nothing more than to have someone doubt me or to think what I am doing seems impossible. This is what gets me in the pool or on the bike when everyone else is sleeping. This is why when it is below freezing I bundle up and head out the door to run for several hours. I have fallen in love with the Ironman distance for this very reason. It seems impossible while at the same time being very doable. You tell people you are training for Ironman and they think it is something they could only dream of. When in reality if they were to make Ironman their goal they would be able to achieve it.
I recently came to the realization that this season I have gone from training to finish the race to training to race the race. Ironman is no longer a dream, it is a measurable goal. Marathons are no longer distances which make me doubt my abilities or that seem out of reach. I now train to go as fast as I possible can over these distances instead of worrying if I will even make it to the finish line. So in order to keep myself honest, drive me to perform and get me out of bed every morning I need to have new dreams and goals. And with these new dreams and goals I need to put them out their for all to see. This way with every goal or dream not reached I can hold my self accountable for not doing the things to make them happen.
I dream of one day being on the start line at the Hawaii Ironman. Statistics state that the chance of this happening is 3%. That is what a dream is. It is something that has a 97% chance of NOT happening. I am not afraid to have a dream that big, and I do believe deep down that I can one day be that 3%.
My goals are to do all the things now, that will get me into that 3% someday. My goals for this season are to try and qualify for the Half Ironman championship, Run under 3:25 for a marathon, and finish in under 11 hours at Ironman Cozumel. All things that I may or may not be able to accomplish. Every day I get up these goals are staring me down, daring me to achieve them so that I can set new, higher goals. And when I reach those new goals then I will be that much closer to my dreams.
This is the treadmill in my basement. And this is my goal for the Ironman marathon in Cozumel. Everytime I step on this treadmill I will run this pace. I will never run slower, because if I do I will not be attempting to reach my goals. And if I don't reach my goals I will never reach my dreams.
This statement says a lot about the discrepancy between the definition between the two and yet also shows how they are very similar. We all have goals and we all have dreams. Knowing the difference and being able to chase each appropriately is a huge factor in success. Goals are measurable, they have something that is very definite about them. They are black and white. They are things that you can control, yet also stretch you and push you too your limit. Everyone who competes in a sport has a goal. That goal may be just to finish or to set a personal best. But without a doubt it is something that you will either do or not do.
Dreams on the other hand are everything that goals are not. Dreams are big, scary goals that seem out of reach to you. They are different from goals in that not only do they stretch you but they have an element of impossible to them. Dreams are the thoughts that come from achieving your goals. Set your goals, achieve your goals and allow yourself to dream of future goals that for now seem impossible.
I am a firm believer in putting both dreams and goals out their for the world to see. The thing that motivates me above all else is having the element of failure hanging over my head. I love nothing more than to have someone doubt me or to think what I am doing seems impossible. This is what gets me in the pool or on the bike when everyone else is sleeping. This is why when it is below freezing I bundle up and head out the door to run for several hours. I have fallen in love with the Ironman distance for this very reason. It seems impossible while at the same time being very doable. You tell people you are training for Ironman and they think it is something they could only dream of. When in reality if they were to make Ironman their goal they would be able to achieve it.
I recently came to the realization that this season I have gone from training to finish the race to training to race the race. Ironman is no longer a dream, it is a measurable goal. Marathons are no longer distances which make me doubt my abilities or that seem out of reach. I now train to go as fast as I possible can over these distances instead of worrying if I will even make it to the finish line. So in order to keep myself honest, drive me to perform and get me out of bed every morning I need to have new dreams and goals. And with these new dreams and goals I need to put them out their for all to see. This way with every goal or dream not reached I can hold my self accountable for not doing the things to make them happen.
I dream of one day being on the start line at the Hawaii Ironman. Statistics state that the chance of this happening is 3%. That is what a dream is. It is something that has a 97% chance of NOT happening. I am not afraid to have a dream that big, and I do believe deep down that I can one day be that 3%.
My goals are to do all the things now, that will get me into that 3% someday. My goals for this season are to try and qualify for the Half Ironman championship, Run under 3:25 for a marathon, and finish in under 11 hours at Ironman Cozumel. All things that I may or may not be able to accomplish. Every day I get up these goals are staring me down, daring me to achieve them so that I can set new, higher goals. And when I reach those new goals then I will be that much closer to my dreams.
This is the treadmill in my basement. And this is my goal for the Ironman marathon in Cozumel. Everytime I step on this treadmill I will run this pace. I will never run slower, because if I do I will not be attempting to reach my goals. And if I don't reach my goals I will never reach my dreams.
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