Easter Plans and How to cope with low motivation 2 weeks to an event

So It's Easter

I have a busy weekend planned......

Run Friday morning (which turned into a walk as my friend was injured)
Then a Kayak trying out the double inflatable kayak we will be using for an adventure race in 4 weeks time. It was fun and the harbour was very flat! Fabulous day for a paddle. What was really interesting that although my other half and I managed to paddle across the harbour with just a few minor steering issued it was his lack of fitness and need to rest regularly that was most interesting.... Clearly I am fit .... OK very fit.... good sign....

Tomorrow I am planning a swim across the harbour in Albany, Just a lazy 4km swim to start the morning. It will be my 4th time and could be interesting to see how I go with the extra training I have been doing.

Sunday I am planning to take a rest day - given I will be busy timing a swim event in a near by town.

I am now in count down mode from my next big event - Busselton half ironman. it will be my 9th half. pretty pleased with that.... I was going well with training about 1 month ago but I have been really struggling in the last few weeks.

So I have been taking a good dose of JFDI. Although this hasn't always been easy and sometimes due to extreme lethargy I have started a session and pulled out.... I have also been having trouble with knee pain and swelling as well.

So I now need to relax and use my version of the 5 minute rule - that is if after 30 minutes I still don't feel like I can train well I stop... a little longer than the 5 minutes but it works better for me.

So this week when my motivation to cycle was waning I jumped on the computer trainer did a 20 minute session at 100% of my maximum power threshold then got off and went for a short 1km run. I figured a "brick" session like that would actually help and I am sure it did......

So this week again I am going to relax and enjoy the ride... it's taper time... all about short sharp sessions.

Music free running and songs for inspiration

I notice a fellow 1/2 marathoner commented on music during events. I have to say I am not a fan of running with others with headphones in so this will be a little bit of a rant but also a bit of a reflection of music which has shaped some of my events.

I am a bit of an old fart - and have been running for a long time - long before music able to be carried easily - I remember trying to run with a potable CD player - just didn't work!

So firstly - why I don't like people running with music (especially on events)

1. you miss talking with fellow competitors
2. you don't hear someone coming up behind you and generally become a greater obstacle to pass.
3. It probably gives you an advantage over others (especially as most people train with music now)

I guess I am just mostly old school - but I will say if everyone wears headphones then why do we bother gathering and running together on big runs - what happened to actually talking to each other and sharing the experience.... I did say I was old school.

So to help keep myself motivated and just because I am a complete nutter .... I sing to myself on the event (and often in training - remember practicing everything you are going to be doing in an event makes it easier)

Here is a list of what popped into my head for some major events.

First Half Ironman - Busselton 2008 - "I feel good" - didn't even know the words properly but it popped into my head in the swim then I switched to singing the rocky theme on the bike. Got a bit tough by the run so I started singing "I feel good" again - just to try and fool myself!

Gold Coast Half Ironman - This was a very wet day 200mm of rain so we were all soaked. My brain got stuck on "day trip to bangor" which is a really old song that people who grew up in the 70s and 80s in country WA seem to remember from their childhood - there was only a small number of radio stations and ABC often played it. So nothing is more fun than singing "didn't we have a lovely day the day we went to bangor" .... in the poring rain!

Other songs I have sung include: hey soul sister, someone like you, jumpstart, call me maybe (which a SA tri group made a youtube video about at Busselton IM one year). I have an interesting remix of the Lazy Song which I also like singing.

I also know the words to "chariots of fire" and on the run leg of my second half one of the local residents was playing this song (without the words) so I started singing

"there is but one freedom, men running along, each step that he's taking a step to his soul. The passion and courage it is to be there, the spirit of freedom alive in the air.... whenever the running in man awakes to challenge the freedom he knows that he can turn the key once more to unlock the soul"

Definitely inspiring stuff.

 

The best event for this was London Marathon (my only marathon without a swim and bike before it) in the pre ipod era of 2003. Here the music is on course for you - every pub ( it's London there are lots of pubs) had music. From classic, to rock, to pop, reggae music... it was a complete blast ... helped me dance all the way to the finish line.

 

So pre event now I think about what songs I might be singing.... then I set up a playlist called "ear worms" This helps me find my mojo when out there on course and makes my event more fun.

 

Mandurah 2013 was my last event and strangely it was Adele "Someone like you" that was working for me.

 

Now I need to find a new set of ear worms for Busselton this year - or will I just go back to my old favorites?

Ahh recovery week - its all about the mindset

Training in a competitive way is about balance - like everything else in life. I suppose I am a competitive athlete although that was not what I was ever aiming to be - or how I look at myself.

So we will just assume that lots of the world will look at me as a serious athlete.....

There are several things I have learnt on my journey to be a serious athlete

1. Have a plan

I use a training plan and have done for years in various form. I started with a generic program we used at the club. This was lots of fun, lots of coffee after some great rides and runs. All very social. Then for my first ironman I borrowed a friends program and after my first I got a program of my own. I now also have a half program that is individualised. Individualised plans are definitely better but one thing I have learned is that no one ever gets everything done on a plan..... but it is the consistency that matters. Doing a smaller amount more regularly gets results more than cramming. In fact I have a saying -

" Ironman is not a test you can cram for " 

 

So a plan is important and keeping consistent is also really important. this time I am using my old half ironman plan - I have missed quite a few sessions but I also know that quality is more important that quantity.

This week is a recovery week so I am going to have a light week as planned. I will be perhaps a little more than planned but I am feeling like I am going OK and there is no point "flogging" myself and then getting too tired to put in the effort I need next week when I am sharpening up.

2. No you can't eat whatever you want - no matter how much you train

This is such a sad fact. I can eat more when I train but I have managed to do 15-20 hours of vigorous training a week without losing any weight! This is a sad but true fact. People often ask me about supplements. I have to say I am not a fan. I love food. Why would I "skip" eating food and take a supplement! I don't understand it. I know lots of people think that we need supplements as our soils are depleted in this or that but I eat a really wide variety of foods and I think my diet is pretty balanced. For this reason I don't take supplements only the occasional vitamin D (don't show much skin when I train) and some magnesium if I am getting lots of cramps.

Key things for me if I am hungry seems to be protein. Yoghurt or a tin of tuna. Lots of protein based breakfast. Don't do a big training without food - it just doesn't work so I have a piece of toast before I head off for a 3 hours bike ride or I take food with me. Also don't get hungry eat small amounts and often.

3. Mindset is the key to life and success

Not quite "the secret" style believe and it will be but more dream and it could be. There is a great saying that if you say you can or you say you can't chances are you will be right either way. The thing I love about the 12WBT program and part of why I keep doing the program. Yeah yeah we all know these things but somehow we don't do it.... So we seem to be reminded regularly.

Set your goals - but make them realistic and measurable.
Be the adult - not the teenager who has been left alone with the fridge for the first time
stick to the plan but be kind to yourself

We all deserve success but we need to work for it more some times than others.