Yesterday I woke up and after dropping my dad to work, I did not want to do my long run. It was my day off and I sat vegging in front of the tv for an hour before I finally got up. I read an article about a bunch of survivors stuck in an mountain from a plane crash. To survive, they resorted cannabilism. To be rescued, two decided to march off (in -40 weather, no climbing equipment) to find help. What kept one of them going was that he didsn't want to see his dad lose him since he already lost the mom and sis from the crash. His lesson...there is always a little reserve left in the tank no matter how empty it is.
So with that in mind, I did my long jog. It was slow and I kept it that way. HR was spiking up to 160 in the first hour but after that it settled nicely between 149-153. It was nice. The type of pace that I coud run forever.
I got home, ate a bit, nap and did some house chores.
Since this week is swim week, I hit the pool. Did 1,500 m before the lane was crowded. Usually I would be disappointed and angry at not getting my swim done (i plan for 3,000 m). Since I had to pick up my mom at 5 and need to head out, no point in being negative. Just pick her up and come back later. (I did and done the other 1,500 m).
I bolded the negativity part b/c of the article I read from trifuel. Lance Watson, a tri coach, talked about what do you do when those negativity cloud your mind during the race. It happens and it sucks! I start to realize I have these negative thoughts in my car regularly. A few times, I have to tell myself 'thinking like this don't help you and good for you' and force myself to change. Amazing how tri lesson can be applicable to life.
I have orderd a few books from amazon. One of them is call Breakthrough Triathlon Training. The author focus on keeping a pure motivation to train and race. Woah, this is a good book. I think I ordered this after getting the title from Steve or Tammy. Anyways, whoever it is, thanks.
The author focuses a lot on the head and motivation. The key is to have a positive look at the lifestyle and keep a pure motivation (not for ego, money and girls..). That is one of the key to you breakthrough in your training and race.
When it comes to training and triathlete...discipline comes to mind. Lately, with Mike's post about training with low HR if he has to and talking with Darren on Sat about in Ironman you can never swim and bike too slow, and compare that with my weekend training, I was pushing too hard. This was my only explanation of my little burnout on Sun (I feel like CRAP!).
The first idea with discipline is to train hard. Pile those sessions. Right? More swim, more bike, more run. More intervals, more hill repeats....It is very easy to train hard and go hard all the time. Especially in tri community where there is a lot of type A personality and in a culture where we are encourage to go all out and never quit.
The discipline I have in mind, especially in Ironman, is discipline to slow down and keep it down. This sounds such a radical idea. Afterall, when I start training my first tri, I just go all out.
I ain't worry about going too hard. I worry about over training and burn out. There is a few local triathletes I know, they will not understand. To them is going all out before they blow their load. Maybe even a few reading my blogs might disagree.
Ironman is a different beast.
Even my last post, my mentality is to pile my sessions before I blow up. Gordo once describe training for Ironman is like turning a styrofoam cup inside out. You can't rush it. And neither nor can I rush my body. The trick is to keep the motivation up there all the time. To hit every training like it was your first. Imagine if you can train like that for 5-10 years? Dang this fast age society, I can't even think the next two years...
Perhaps the question is not how much and how hard I can train, but rather, how much training can my body absorb and how fit my body is for the training I am going through.
So far, I am doing pretty good. These two weeks I have a great time. Especially Wednesday when I get my day off and free to do whatever. Had a slight burn out on Sun but nothing serious.
Last year in the summer I was training 6-7 hours. By fall, I was training 10 hours. Last winter, I started 12 hours. And now, I am hitting 15-20 hours. Slowly I am turning the styrofoam cup inside out. And I plan on keeping it that way....
14 comments:
Hey, that sounds great Cliff. Slow is hard to do because it exercises a different part of oneself.
Enjoy your Wednesdays off.
Maybe you just bonked a little on Sunday? With the extra training your cals might be a little low. Thats what happens to me and then it catches up with me 40k in, BANG, and I have ssssss lllllll ooooooo wwwww legs. Actually, I don't recover from that for at least 24hrs or so.
go mr. fitness!
well, you definintely have the determination Cliff!! I don't think I could get up as early as you and do all the working out if my life depended on it.
The discipline is no problem for you or anyone training for an Ironman. Now you just have to find a way to remove all doubts and fears.
Cannibal plane crash survivor movie
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106246/
Title: Alive
Tagline: They were ordinary young men driven to the very limits of human endurance
Summary: The amazing, true story of a Uruguayan rugby team's plane that crashed in the middle of the Andes mountains, and their immense will to survive and pull through alive, forced to do anything and everything they could to stay alive on meager rations and through the freezing cold. The only thing the team has riding on after losing so many of their good friends and family members is the slim chance of making it through alive and their faithfulness to God.
VERY true, Cliff--I am with ya on that. Great post. Learning how to "go easy" and do LOTS of LSD (not the drug--ha ha) was the hardest part of this training for me--with a background of sprinting the 50 freestyle and coming off 3 years of road racing 5Ks and sprint tris! It truly is a whole new way of thinking and IM is a TOTALLY different animal. Sounds like you've got it all in perspective!
Hey Cliff,
One of those two Andes survivors who walked out just wrote a book about his ordeal and survival. It took him this long to be able to get past it and write about it.
The book is called Miracle In The Andes. I have it, but have not yet read it. When I do I will post a review on my blog like I do for all books I read.
Also, the Kearns tri-book you're reading is a good one and I am reading that one right now too.
Keep turning that cup inside out...
I totally forgot about that analogy, but it's a very good one. That's a very nice, steady increase in volume that you have going there. Keep it up!
Your consistency has given you so much discipline!
How nice to see back in time and see how you are growing.
Wow. You went back to the pool and finished up. That is discipline. Good for you. I went back to Pilates this week--tonight. It was STILL HARD! I couldn't finish all the sets, but I do what I can (rest a moment and join in again). It did get a tinge easier than Monday night. buT IT'S STILL HARD! :)
Excellent post Cliff- you definitely have the right mindset for going loooong! Keep chopping!
I agree! Discipline is knowing when to pour it on, when to hold back, and then actually doing it.
I looked at that book. Looks good. I'll have to read it. I'm in the process of trying to revamp my training plan. Any tips?
Good for you for pushing through the lack of motivation and doing all that running and swimming anyway. I need to figure out how to do just a little every day right now.
Just like everyone else is saying discipline is being rigidly malleable. Keep at it!
Interesting; looking ahead 5-10 years as the barometer for what we're doing today. That is a perspective few ever take but that most would greatly benefit from.
Think in terms of where we were 5-10 years ago and you see the value of little changes over a long time.
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