Disclaimer: Mom, Dad, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents-I love y'all very much and this post is intended to be written in a general sense!
For this week's post I was inspired by pro triathlete Jesse Thomas' much funnier post on this subject. Hope you enjoy (*runners, simply exchange the tri-speak with much simpler words, like "marathon, half-marathon, 5k, and pace;)). I learned last weekend that a few family members read this blog on occasion, so I'll do my best to not offend!
This past weekend I went to a little housewarming/Father's day get-together with my family. Every once in a while, it's nice to get out of my little bubble and mix it up a bit. As many of you know, I am the only one in my family who finds putting as many miles on my body as I do my car some weeks, sweating my behind off in the Texas heat, getting really tired, and occasionally hurting myself in the process a fulfilling pursuit. Then we read about it, often brag about it, and talk about it like 6th graders gushing about first crushes. What's so abnormal about that?!
It's no secret that running and triathlon are growing subcultures becoming more mainstream, but for those who may not be aware: we are still a rather small bunch. So...flash forward to family gatherings, and then I realize that my lifestyle is well, rather unique in the grand scheme. Here are my observations and tips for mixing with non-endurance athlete family members:
1. Realize that mileage, gear, and training talk may or may not make the other party's face light up, and that's okay. Believe it or not, a few years ago I actually had to explain what Brooks was! Understand not everyone gets giddy about Garmins or that killer set of 800s you did last week.
2. Be prepared to explain different distances multiple times; and do it nicely. "Marathon, 10k, Half-Ironman," etc.can be hard to grasp at first. Remember there was once a time many of us did not know the lingo either. Side note: it's always fun to describe the actual distances that you and your friends go after, and that there's both a marathon and an Ironman triathlon in my small slice of suburbia.
3. If your relative thinks your race times are incredible but you "could do better", simply say "thank you" even if you disagree. I think that's good to do in any situation regarding compliments on race times. Why let our arbitrary disappointment supersede somebody else's compliment? In somebody else's eyes, you may be a superstar.
4. Try and keep the training talk to a manageable level. As soon as disinterested or confused looks arise, that's often cue to change it up. Keeping some topics in your back pocket is always a good way to go-and they'll still want to hang out with you.
5. Use the principles of reinforcement when you get called "crazy", a "nut", or when you're told "I don't understand ___________" (unless you like that kind of attention). Basically, only respond to those comments you would want repeated, otherwise, simply smile and maybe nod.
6. When you say you ran/biked/swam a certain distance last week, expect a multitude of comments and responses: some will be in awe, some will look at you cockeyed. See #5.
7. Love your relatives for who they are and they will likely return the favor. Appreciate the things they're into and learn from one another. Remember, diversity of interests is always a good thing!
So there we have it, a quick study on athlete-nonathlete family relations. Anyone else share similar experiences?
Stay the course.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
The "Random Ride"
Have you ever had one of those workouts that sounds so mundane and tame that nothing can practically go wrong? Yeah, this morning was one of those. Myself along with two of my triathletes I coach planned on getting an easy 30ish this morning in a relatively safe and secluded subdivision. I figured we could get a laid back ride in, also work on bike handling, shifting, etc. Who knew the coach would be one of the ones with issues this morning!? Today was definitely one of those "I'm a runner vs. a cyclist" days! Behold a 30-mile comedy of errors:
Quick side note: just FYI- it will be a challenge to write this while keeping a straight face!
Mile 3: "My gears are stuck!"
Well, at least the first 3 miles was uneventful. Until I tried to shift onto the big ring. And it wouldn't budge. Then I tried to fix it. And my cable came off my derailur. Yes, this all happened within 15 minutes of leaving the park! Luckily, we were assisted by some fellow cyclists as I needed more eyes and hands. Problem fixed, off we go!
Mile 10: Hammer Fest!
My newest athlete, Joey, is actually quite the cyclist. Not that I'm queen of the road, but I'm not slow either, regularly averaging 22 MPH + in triathlons on the bike. On a rolling stretch Joey caught and passed me, which both impressed and challenged me a tad. So I thought it would be fun to push the envelope for a loop see what he can do and how he'd respond to Coach A surging past. Cue the hammerfest. This was a fast and fun little exercise until we got to our meeting spot at the beginning of the loop...
Mile 14: "Where's Tabitha?"
A bit tired and with the speediness out of our systems, we noticed that Tabitha, my other athlete was not there. So we doubled back to catch up with her. And she was nowhere to be found. Crap. I don't like losing athletes, even if it is just in a subdivision. So we commenced on finding her.
Mile 16: "There's a pig in the road"
Yes, folks. On one of the roads, there was this big, round, black and white shape ahead. I should have been more afraid, but it was so dang random that I had to laugh (while probably waking up the residents as it was just 8 AM) and yell out "OMG, there' a pig in the road, what the heck??!!". No really, there was this giant pig in the road! Don't worry everyone, we swerved around and no bacon was made this morning, at least not my us. Still, no Tabitha. So we called her-and she had gotten lost and was waiting for us.
Mile 17 (one mile from the pig): Stung by a bee :/
After telling T. that we'd be right there, it was back up to the low 20s to meet up with her. Then all in the sudden I got this sharp pain in my chin-right underneath the chin strap. And it kept stinging. Really?! Could anything else weird happen on this ride?
Mile 20-28: Relative Normalcy
Long story short, we finished the rest of the ride easy and together. In the end, nobody was seriously injured, my gears still work, my chin is normal size, no body got in a fight with a pig and we all got a good short ride in. In all actuality, I think I got more out of this morning's ride than I planned. Maybe the next one will go a little smoother, but this one was good for the books!
Stay the course and watch out for bees, wrong turns, and farm animals!
Quick side note: just FYI- it will be a challenge to write this while keeping a straight face!
Mile 3: "My gears are stuck!"
Well, at least the first 3 miles was uneventful. Until I tried to shift onto the big ring. And it wouldn't budge. Then I tried to fix it. And my cable came off my derailur. Yes, this all happened within 15 minutes of leaving the park! Luckily, we were assisted by some fellow cyclists as I needed more eyes and hands. Problem fixed, off we go!
Mile 10: Hammer Fest!
My newest athlete, Joey, is actually quite the cyclist. Not that I'm queen of the road, but I'm not slow either, regularly averaging 22 MPH + in triathlons on the bike. On a rolling stretch Joey caught and passed me, which both impressed and challenged me a tad. So I thought it would be fun to push the envelope for a loop see what he can do and how he'd respond to Coach A surging past. Cue the hammerfest. This was a fast and fun little exercise until we got to our meeting spot at the beginning of the loop...
Mile 14: "Where's Tabitha?"
A bit tired and with the speediness out of our systems, we noticed that Tabitha, my other athlete was not there. So we doubled back to catch up with her. And she was nowhere to be found. Crap. I don't like losing athletes, even if it is just in a subdivision. So we commenced on finding her.
Mile 16: "There's a pig in the road"
Yes, folks. On one of the roads, there was this big, round, black and white shape ahead. I should have been more afraid, but it was so dang random that I had to laugh (while probably waking up the residents as it was just 8 AM) and yell out "OMG, there' a pig in the road, what the heck??!!". No really, there was this giant pig in the road! Don't worry everyone, we swerved around and no bacon was made this morning, at least not my us. Still, no Tabitha. So we called her-and she had gotten lost and was waiting for us.
Mile 17 (one mile from the pig): Stung by a bee :/
After telling T. that we'd be right there, it was back up to the low 20s to meet up with her. Then all in the sudden I got this sharp pain in my chin-right underneath the chin strap. And it kept stinging. Really?! Could anything else weird happen on this ride?
Mile 20-28: Relative Normalcy
Long story short, we finished the rest of the ride easy and together. In the end, nobody was seriously injured, my gears still work, my chin is normal size, no body got in a fight with a pig and we all got a good short ride in. In all actuality, I think I got more out of this morning's ride than I planned. Maybe the next one will go a little smoother, but this one was good for the books!
Stay the course and watch out for bees, wrong turns, and farm animals!
Monday, June 3, 2013
Training for 'Possible'
Today I'm going to toss around something that I have bounced around in my own head for a while but have had quite the time putting it into (coherent) words. Take it as you will; because as always what you are reading is 100% my opinion and observation, minus the occasional research article. To begin, I am coming off a very fun and productive working weekend in Austin, TX, spreading the good word of sport psychology with a couple teams I support there. One of the biggest topics that kept coming up over my 48-hour stay was the gap between training and actual results. A.K.A. "the bain of a competitive athlete's existence". Why do we work so hard and not get the result we trained for? The question of "why" is something I see professionally all the time and have dealt with it plenty myself.
I was prompted to write this post today after a conversation over a cup of coffee with a running friend where the "post-goal-race-gone-bad cloud" topic came up and we swapped stories on not meeting the race times we've set out to accomplish after MONTHS of hard training, early mornings, and skipped social opportunities. Why is it that when we dial all the numbers, go in confident, and seem to do all the right things do things go wrong? Why?
Based on my experience, it somehow seems that the longer the event or distance-for example, marathons, long-course triathlons, and grueling swim races such as the 400 IM (if you're not privy to swimming, google it)-the more magnified the effect. Let me rephrase-the greater chance of dealing with the aftermath of a disappointing race-this does not have to happen. Whether it is dropping out of a race you felt more than ready for, getting off pace, out touched, seeing those seconds go by on the clock, athletes don't have to go through a post-race crisis. Why?
Because when we train and prepare-we are training for possible. Just as in other facets of life, nothing is ever guaranteed. This is a tough one to swallow, at least I think it is. Think of it this way: suppose a runner sets a goal of running an 'X:XX' time. They do all the work necessary, check off all boxes, yet they run a 'X:XY'. "What?! But I did all this work!" is usually the knee jerk response. Commence questioning everything that does not need to be questioned. You are ready. You are in shape. You likely still did a good job. It's taken me over a year to get over some race performances where I did not get what I wanted because I neglected to accept this very fact.
So, why do things seemingly fail to align during our perceived "key moments"?
Well, we are human. We are capable of doing more than we imagine, but never 100 percent of the time. Gee, even machines don't always run perfectly.
The elements are real: as I talked about in my last post, heat does crazy, uncontrollable things to the most fit and committed.
I'm working on applying the following equation to my training and racing to help keep thing in perspective:
'Adrienne + Training + Confidence + Self Care (sleep, nutrition, recovery, etc) > Uncontrollables (fill in the blank accordingly) = Goal Performance'
This formula is replicable at any time.
Sometimes, there are just things we can't explain. More often than not, not meeting a goal is a product of...well who really knows...good thing there always is another opportunity. Another possibility.
You know those days of training when you just feel off and things don't go right? Yeah-we may not even remember those as we just power through. This can happen on a day you compete as well. And you just power through.
Bottom line comes down to acceptance. You got, what you got, but should be satisfied that you did what you could.
Here is the unfortunate, yet liberating "truth" (or something like that)-we get in shape to make our goals possible. We may reach them on the day we plan to or we may not. I always hear experienced athletes and coaches say "It is in what the day gives you" whether our work, fitness, and courage meet the intangible and uncontrollable. We really train to make our goals possible. If we didn't, we'd have no shot whatsoever.
I advise us all to go in determined to give it our absolute best, but accept that if things don't go our way for whatever reason, there's always tomorrow.
So, not intending for this to be a total Debbie Downer post-so given all these things-why not go for it? With a positive attitude and a willingness to be patient and flexible-timing be damned, anything is possible.
Stay the course.
I was prompted to write this post today after a conversation over a cup of coffee with a running friend where the "post-goal-race-gone-bad cloud" topic came up and we swapped stories on not meeting the race times we've set out to accomplish after MONTHS of hard training, early mornings, and skipped social opportunities. Why is it that when we dial all the numbers, go in confident, and seem to do all the right things do things go wrong? Why?
Based on my experience, it somehow seems that the longer the event or distance-for example, marathons, long-course triathlons, and grueling swim races such as the 400 IM (if you're not privy to swimming, google it)-the more magnified the effect. Let me rephrase-the greater chance of dealing with the aftermath of a disappointing race-this does not have to happen. Whether it is dropping out of a race you felt more than ready for, getting off pace, out touched, seeing those seconds go by on the clock, athletes don't have to go through a post-race crisis. Why?
Because when we train and prepare-we are training for possible. Just as in other facets of life, nothing is ever guaranteed. This is a tough one to swallow, at least I think it is. Think of it this way: suppose a runner sets a goal of running an 'X:XX' time. They do all the work necessary, check off all boxes, yet they run a 'X:XY'. "What?! But I did all this work!" is usually the knee jerk response. Commence questioning everything that does not need to be questioned. You are ready. You are in shape. You likely still did a good job. It's taken me over a year to get over some race performances where I did not get what I wanted because I neglected to accept this very fact.
So, why do things seemingly fail to align during our perceived "key moments"?
Well, we are human. We are capable of doing more than we imagine, but never 100 percent of the time. Gee, even machines don't always run perfectly.
The elements are real: as I talked about in my last post, heat does crazy, uncontrollable things to the most fit and committed.
I'm working on applying the following equation to my training and racing to help keep thing in perspective:
'Adrienne + Training + Confidence + Self Care (sleep, nutrition, recovery, etc) > Uncontrollables (fill in the blank accordingly) = Goal Performance'
This formula is replicable at any time.
Sometimes, there are just things we can't explain. More often than not, not meeting a goal is a product of...well who really knows...good thing there always is another opportunity. Another possibility.
You know those days of training when you just feel off and things don't go right? Yeah-we may not even remember those as we just power through. This can happen on a day you compete as well. And you just power through.
Bottom line comes down to acceptance. You got, what you got, but should be satisfied that you did what you could.
Here is the unfortunate, yet liberating "truth" (or something like that)-we get in shape to make our goals possible. We may reach them on the day we plan to or we may not. I always hear experienced athletes and coaches say "It is in what the day gives you" whether our work, fitness, and courage meet the intangible and uncontrollable. We really train to make our goals possible. If we didn't, we'd have no shot whatsoever.
I advise us all to go in determined to give it our absolute best, but accept that if things don't go our way for whatever reason, there's always tomorrow.
So, not intending for this to be a total Debbie Downer post-so given all these things-why not go for it? With a positive attitude and a willingness to be patient and flexible-timing be damned, anything is possible.
Stay the course.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)