Fundamentals OF TRIATHLON-

 

1. PSYCHOLOGICAL

2. PHYSICAL

3. NUTRITIONAL

 

When it comes to the big day- race day- it really boils down to these three fundamentals, and how well you trained within each one. There, of course, is that LUCK element though…. You know, the flat tire, the brutal wind, the flu you got from the four year old on the plane, the mysterious pain that came from no where! This is something to work on with time; how you handle “BAD LUCK”. Do you handle it with grace, or with….let’s call it, “something to work on!” Besides that luck card, we have three things that we can rely on pretty heavily. Let’s start with what I consider the most important.

 

1. PSYCHOLOGICAL- this is the BIG one. That’s why I have it as el numero uno. Yet, how often do you see PSYCHOLOGICAL written down on your training plan? Well, it ties everything together. What are your thoughts on race morning? How are you setting yourself up for today? Positive words? Do you have a plan for when things start going astray? Your mind guides your body. Yes, sure, after all these years and months of training and imagining your dreams, self conversations, trainings, experimenting, your body knows what to do!!! But what about the inner dialog that YOU are having with yourself? My inner voice is strong, and it’s hard to shut that thing up. It has taken me out of what the small fleeting voice of my body screams from moment to moment; “This is so hard….why do you do this? You don’t need to sign up for another one of these….that person is doing this race with no problem…..my knee hurts….now my hip hurts….my stomach….oh god my stomach…my ssttooooommmmach!” The quicker your trained mind jumps in and reverses these thoughts, and gets you back in the moment, back in your zone, back to your mantras, back to your FORM focus, back to focusing on anything else than the negative—–then you are suddenly in a better position. Our mind is amazing. Have you been training with mantras? Have you been training with specific things to focus on? Have you trained on the rainy days, the windy days, the freezing fricken’ cold days? Did you do some amazing race once? Have you given birth to a child? Why am I asking you this? Because these are things we draw upon. It can be quite simple yet strong- like, “hey, I did my homework, I did my training! I am ready for this”. It can be deeper; “I gave birth to my child- I can do this!”…..”I survived_____”. Often, once you’ve done an Ironman, or a 70.3, you will draw upon that in your difficult times. The ‘six’ mile run is hard on the Olympic distance, and you say, “hey! I’ve done an Ironman! I can do this! Dig in! Come on- I’ve got this!” Your mind is actually your rudder, and with any way the wind blows, you can change it back to the course you want to be on.

 

2. PHYSICAL- This is actually quite simple. Did or do you not have a training plan? Do you believe in the plan? Did you follow it, to say, 80%? Are you entering the race pretty much injury free? I say, pretty much, because almost ALL of us have at least one injury, usually a few, that we are constantly doctoring and babying. The physical is something that, if you have followed that plan, you know you can do the distances…..you know you are capable, because you’ve done it. Just not all together perhaps! But, if you have put that time in, and, OF COURSE, we have had to adjust here and there for injuries, vacations, and the unexpected house explosion, but, physically I think we show up at the start line knowing what we might be in for.

 

3. NUTRITIONAL- this is really a wild card I think. So many people with so many different results and testimonials about knowing exactly what will and won’t work. It’s funny what some people swear by, yet at every single conversation they say, “well, I did have a bad stomach during the bike…or…. half way through the run my stomach was about to explode through my back, but it probably was something else.” Ummmmm….try something else then!! Everyone is different! And if you train with it day in and day out, you are much better off! If race day is super hot, it might totally throw you off….or very cold, because you may not be quite inclined to drink water and then it’s easy to become dehydrated. We also have to set ourselves up for success with all the other meals we put into our mouths. It’s not just about what you eat/drink right before you train, or while you train, or 15 minutes after you train. It’s about the other 20 hours of the day!!! This training takes a lot out of us. While it is so healthy and beneficial in so many ways, it also can be detrimental to our body- our cells- our joints- our immune systems- our cell function. So it is crucial to address our everyday dietary intake of nutrients, probiotics, antioxidants, water, etc.

Just promise me one thing; Don’t EVER.EVER..EVER EVER EVER try something new on race day!!!!! From your cute new jogbra, to your brand new (too tight- you know they take a few sessions to get all sweaty and stretched out properly!) awesome Ironman visor, to a new drink, different socks, tasty bar you tried at the Expo and thought it may be yummy when you are at mile 80 on the bike….. DON’T ever try anything new. Capiche? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zappo nun.

 

Now, how can one faltering fundamental be saved by the others? Well, when one wains, you better plan on the other two kicking in and getting the third back up. You are weak….Is it nutritional? The brain kicks in and says, “FUEL!” Body kicks in and says, “decrease power for the next 5 minutes.”

Your back is starting to get tight….Brain says, “there is a slight hill up here, let’s get out of the saddle awhile, stretch the back…..How is your form, are you sitting where you should on saddle,….let’s focus on a different muscle group for a bit…let the foot peddle for a bit….focus on the glutes, your stroke,etc.” Those mantras will save you if you have them embedded in your brain and believe in them.

 

When ones’ body is faltering, you had better hope the other trained elements can bring you back up to speed.

 

A race is all three. Train all three. Get to know all three. Stay strong in MIND, strong in BODY, strong in SPIRIT. And for luck…., well, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you:)

 

Keep smiling and enjoy. We are lucky that not only do we have the desire…BUT we have the ability.

 

DREAM- and DARE to make that DREAM come TRUE

As my husband’s first Ironman is quickly approaching; seven days, 17 hours, 23 minutes, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share some mantras and thoughts which helped me get through my first Ironman.

An Ironman is big- the Distance is big (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run)….the Training is big (months and months or years and 18+ hour a week trainings)….the Emotion and Physical toll is big. But one thing I know for sure; EVERYTIME I even think of crossing that finish line, my eyes well up with tears as the culmination and enormity of this whole thing we call Ironman adds up to one very emotional heart felt result. It’s a result of Pride, and Gratefulness and pure relief that it’s all finally over!

You call upon your friends and family to the nth degree during Ironman and the months leading up to it. It is true that Ironman makes one very selfish….how can it not? Everything revolves around the training and bedtime and meals and it’s just Everywhere. Which, I might add, is also very fun (often enough)! I always love talking Ironman with my friends- somehow it NEVER gets old! And I’m sorry for the poor people who are out to dinner with us triathletes and you don’t do triathlon…..because it is just about all we are going to talk about- from appetizer till after dessert! Sorry! Anyways….these mantra’s and advice that I’m about to share, I have gathered over the years. I wrote them down on notecards when it was time for me to leave for my Ironman. I put the cards in a ziplock baggie, along with two pictures of my children. I placed that baggie in my special needs bag for the Run portion, which was to be collected around mile 13. On race day, I did retrieve that baggie at mile 13. I couldn’t wait to get to it. I knew it would help me get through the next 2-3 hours….even though, I had forgotten one thing. By the time I would be getting to the last leg of Ironman (the run portion), and after I had already been running for more than 2 hours…ummm…it was….DARK. I couldn’t read those mantras and advice. So funny. But it didn’t matter- because I had it ALL memorized, and those people who shared the words with me, they had been with me all along the course that day. I called upon each one of them. My Mom, Kate Mattsson, Linda Laughlin, Dawn Kershaw, Tom Basmajian, Chrissie Wellington, Chantell Johnston….and many other friends from back home….you were each with me! And, of course, there was the constant chant engraved into my mind from my children, “Go Mommy Go! Don’t be Slow!”

So—-today my husband has a birthday. I think it is BEYOND extraordinary what he has put his mind to and dedicated himself to over the past year. He took his half ironman times from 7:00 hours….to 6:30…to 6:00(Pays d Aix)….then 5:43 (St.George)….then 5:30 (Boise)….5:22 (Utah half). How? He believed in his coach, ‘Wes Johnson’, and he believed in himself. BIG point I want to make is this though; he just turned 49. 49. That inspires me and makes me smile big. Isn’t that the age when things start falling apart? When that extra 10 pounds just kinda shows up one day? When down hill starts? NO- no way Jose. This is another reason I just LOVE triathlon. So many age groups out there, and they are all just Killing It!! It’s awesome- I love the passion and seeing what is possible! Congratulations Stephen- You have done all the training, and in our eyes, you are already an Ironman. Now let’s go make it legit.

Back to the Mantras……I recently shared these with my friend, Stephanie Chard, who just became an Ironman last month! Here are my Favorite Quotes and Mantras;

1. Take a deep breath and smile, and enjoy, and take it all in.

2. Stay in THE MOMENT. Keep doing checks on yourself, to make sure that the pace you are doing is the pace to get you through the day, but stay in the moment where you are. Focus on form, meditate, talk to the person you keep cat and mousing:) Look around.

3. Stick to your plan, and know that things are going to get hard at times….but you will get through it. It’s ONE DAY. You can do anything for ONE DAY. If it was easy, everyone would do it.

4. An Ironman today, an Ironman Forever.

5. STRONG IN MIND, STRONG IN BODY, STRONG IN SPIRIT. This is my forever #1 mantra. I have used it in every race over the past few years. Say it over and over again (if you want:) ) what does it mean to you?

6. INVEST IN OTHERS. You think it’s hard for you right now? (at mile 105 on the bike….at mile 18 on the run)…guess what, it’s hard for everyone. Somehow I take solace in this. It’s not just hard for me…we are all in the same boat. It makes me smile at the people I see…it makes me offer a word of encouragement to the guy I just passed, or the gal who just passed me. We are ALL OUT there TOGETHER. I love that.

7. At mile 21ish, I had to walk….I was wobbly in the head. Soon after, two brothers came up behind me. “Come with us!” they said! “We are walking one minute, running one minute!” I thought, ‘well, I can do that.’ Pretty soon we had a posse of about 10….all of us walking (fast) one minute, running one minute. One brother would do the count down in spanish (we were in cozumel, and he was practicing his spanish!). His brother-in-law had lost 100 pounds over the last year, training for this ironman. You never would have known that, looking at him. Those last 5 miles were the highlight, as I was learning about these two men……and trust me, I was NOT feeling great. But they took me to a happier place 🙂 I finished very strong, thanks to the two brothers.

8. Ask yourself this, when the going gets tough, “HOW am I at this VERY MOMENT?” Most likely you will answer, “well, I’m OK…..right here right now.” OK, then just keep at it:)

9. YOU CAN SLEEP WHEN YOU DIE. I say this almost everyday to myself!!! Tee Hee…when the alarm goes off at oh f*#k-thirty……”I can sleep when I die.” love that one:)

10. You are living your dream. Dream, and DARE to make the DREAM come TRUE. For me, it was a 10 year old dream to become an IRONMAN. It’s easy to dream, and lovely. But few dare to make their dreams come true.

11. Control your mind, it is the only thing we have control of.

and lastly,

12. Pain is temporary, IRONMAN is FOREVER. (in hind sight….sorry Stephanie….I think this one may have broken your foot!)

When it all comes down to it- enjoy your day. Show up at the start line unbroken, and with a smile on your face. Take it in. It’s a long day, but that’s OK:) When your mind goes down the darker roads tomorrow, let your words and thoughts bring you back to the greatness that you are. Do your best:)

oh, and #13……buy as much of that cool IM shwag as possible….how FUN!!!!!!

Happy training and living and enjoying everyone around us:)

Wanda

IRONMAN COZUMEL

IRONMAN COZUMEL