Racing versus Doing An Ironman Or Any Event
Racing Kona This October.....not DOING Kona this October.
Racing. Just the word alone gets my adrenaline rushing. I hear the word racing and I think about the work that goes into a successful race and I get excited. I want to create a plan, execute the plan, push my mind, body and soul past its pre-set limitations so that when race day comes I am ready. This year I will be racing only twice, which sounds odd, but it is where I have decided to focus my attention. I already raced the Lake Martin 100 and in four weeks will be racing Ironman Chattanooga. Why am I only racing twice this year? It is because of what I pointed out in the first paragraph. I am pushing my mind, body and soul past the limitations that I have set upon myself. I want to test my physical as well as mental parameters. I want to know that I can reach those expectations and then blow by them. How am I doing that? By focusing purely on racing and not doing. A few weeks ago I was listening to ESPN Radio with Cris Carter talking about his entrance into the NFL Hall of Fame. His co-host asked him how he got into the Hall of Fame and his response hit me and stuck with me. He said that he was willing to do what others weren't. Stay after practice and catch 100 balls. Stay after practice and work on getting his feet in bounds. Wake up early before practice and run hills and stadium steps. Wake up early before practice and study his playbook. Studying the playbook from other positions in case he needed to help a teammate out or line up in that position due to injury and he wanted to know what to do. The extra step. The ability to take what he was given and push himself past that limitation to create a new bar for him to reach for. I have always said that I may not be the fastest or the strongest but there is nobody out there who is going to out work me. I will push my body until it wants to give up and then I tell it to shut up and keep moving. I will pack up all my gear the night before so I am ready to go when the alarm sounds and do not hit snooze. I have a car full of gear so when a friend asks if I want to ride I do not have to think about getting ready as I already am. When I am out on the road or in the lake I am thinking to myself that nobody else is up and doing what I am doing. Nobody else will have something come up in their personal life and adjust their training to get it in but rather they would just blow it off. Those last two statements aren't 100% true but I would guess that more than 50% of the people training for an Ironman or a 100 Mile Ultra-Trail Marathon would not. I am willing to go beyond my limitations to achieve MY greatness. This leads me to the question of racing versus doing an Ironman. When I am asked what is next on my calendar, I respond with: I am RACING Ironman Chattanooga at the end of September. The next question is typically: What's after that? My response? I am racing Rocky Raccoon 100. I am not DOING an Ironman. I think when you have that answer you strip away any chance you have at achieving your greatness. You are already setting yourself up to just get by. You are going to be the person that skips a workout or doesn't pay attention to proper rest and recovery because your goal is to just do an Ironman. For me, that is unacceptable. I am going to pay attention to my sleep patterns, to what/how/when I eat. I am going to focus on how my training plan is strung together so that I am going to be able to race when the canon goes off. There are going to be plenty of opportunities on race day to not achieve those goals, but being unprepared is not going to be one of them. I understand that not everybody wants to race and that some will want to check off a bucket list item and I do not hold that against them. What I think they are doing though is cheating themselves. What if they went into the event with the idea of racing it? Maybe they would love it more than the stress of wondering if they are going to make the cut-offs? Maybe it would have more meaning to them than just saying I did an Ironman. I know I want to see what greatness I am capable of. Of course, that greatness is defined by me and not by anybody else. For example, the three levels of greatness I am looking to achieve in the next two races are:
- 11:30 finish time at Ironman Chattanooga (PR --> 11:53)
- sub-4 Hour Marathon at Ironman Chattanooga (PR --> 4:06)
- Sub-24 Hour finish at Rocky Raccoon 100 (PR --> 27:53)
This is how I am determining my greatness and why I will be racing those two events and not merely doing them. Can you define your greatness by crossing the finish line of these events? Sure. The questions you have to ask yourself though is: did I push myself to get there? Did I face my fears and chase them down? Did I do everything in my power to get my toes close to the edge? I never want to finish a race and think: I could have done more. Has that happened? Yes it has and it has left a sour taste in my mouth. For example, at LM100 the last 7 miles I completely walked. Yes my body was tattered and my mind was nothing more than a jumbled mess but sitting here today and for the past few months I reflect on those 7 miles. I could have run more and finished close to 27 hours. I could have pushed my body and my mind just a bit more to finish stronger than I did. That same scenario will not unfold at RR100 at the end of January, especially if I am to hit that sub-24 hour goal. Some will think that I am questioning their goals and that is not my intention. My question is are you merely going to the starting line to do the race or are you toeing the starting line fully prepared for racing the event? Pushing yourself so that you have to ask if what you are doing is insane. I do not care if it is a 5k or an Ironman because we all have different agendas but regardless of distance or type of event are you doing or racing? Racing an Ironman is what I will be doing when I get to Chattanooga but I will not be just doing an Ironman. My body will ask me to quit and my mind will tell it to shut up. My mind will question its own sanity when the pain in my legs rockets through to my back, arms and neck but the body will continue to push forward. Through 11 weeks of training I have fully prepared myself to suffer, but when I am done racing I fully expect to have achieved my own level of greatness.
Are you racing or doing?
Hard Knocks And My Triathlon Lifestyle Run Parallel

Hard Knocks: Lesson #1
This year the program is covering the Cincinnati Bengals. If you follow the NFL you know that this has been an organization that has been run poorly and when you expect them to be good they disappoint their fans and their owners. When I thought about how this related to my endurance lifestyle I thought about the work that I put in during training cycles to set myself up for success. Through training I expect a certain result and when it doesn't happen there is a piece of me that is disappointed. Yes, you cannot compare yourself to others and I don't but I do compare myself to myself. I look at my training and previous results and expect to get better with each race. The problem is in defining better. We live and die by numbers in triathlon. 140.6, 70.3, 1.2, 2.4, 56, 112, 13,1, 26.2 are all numbers you recognize. You will also be able to spit out your personal bests at any distance without thinking so the definition of better is typically going faster. It is also something that I look at from race to race instead of season to season and building on the previous efforts. This mindset is changing though. I am looking at Ironman races for next year for a few different reasons. Do I want a new experience or do I want to go back to a race I've already done and challenge myself to go faster than before? The Cincinnati Bengals can do the same thing and think about building a team that wins year in and year out and not one that wins today and has no clue about tomorrow.Hard Knocks: Lesson #2
The Bengals signed James Harrison who had formerly played for their rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. What did I learn while watching the segment regarding Mr Harrison? Here is how I paralleled that story to my triathlon lifestyle. James Harrison is an intense player who practices like he plays in the game. When it comes to training I put in the effort but when I look back at my efforts in the race they weren't as strong as the training efforts. At Ironman Texas I had a horrible swim, which I have discussed previously, and what I am doing to get better at it so that isn't where I am focusing. What I am looking at is the bike. I rode the 112 miles in just under 6 hours but I know that I can get down to 5:45 just by pushing a little bit harder. As with anybody the idea that the run is still to comes causes us to potentially take it a bit easer than we had been training and so this coming training cycle I will focus on riding hard (when training calls for it) and repeating a mantra to myself that I can then repeat when the race comes. Getting my cycling to be faster means that I will have to look to James Harrison and focus and train like I plan on playing on game day.Hard Knocks: Lesson #3
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Mental Fitness or Physical Fitness. Which is more important?

Is Mental Or Physical Strength More Important To You?
Experience.....It Helps

Do You Race The Same Venues Repeatedly? How Does This Help You?
Ironman Lessons Learned: The Cliche' Version

I learned this because I will have raced a total of 12 races this year. I started with a 15k in January, then a 1/2 mary, 1/2 IM and it kept going. All the while training has to be fit in along with trying to be a husband, step-dad, partner in my business, etc. It was more than I should have done. When the peak training for Ironman Arizona hit I was frustrated, crabby, mad and HUNGRY. It had all come to a crescendo during those 4 weeks and as much as I love racing I don't think this schedule is smart. Our bodies and minds need rest, so take it. Step back from the game. For the past two weeks I have done what I want and when I want. This has been the best recovery ever and I am loving it. Sleeping in, making breakfast, talking to my wife past 8:30p......it is all awesome and very much welcomed. Be mindful of what you are going to put your body through and don't bite off more than you can chew.
2- Treat Others As You Would Want To Be TreatedThe paragraph above talks about my frustrations and my crankiness and that spilled over into my home life. I was not the best husband I could be because I was tired. Just plain tired. I wanted to sleep, I wanted to eat, I wanted to train and all on my time. I tried my best to not put myself at the top of the heap but there were times when I did even when I didn't have to. I like to get my workouts over with early in the morning so I can spend time with my family. The problem with that is there were days where I was just too tired to do anything and yet I pushed forward to do them. Sometimes it worked out but other times I was just a crabby asshole. Your family and friends deserve to be treated better and so if you are tired then bow out of the event and let them have fun rather than being the thorn in the side. If your training calls for a 4 hour bike ride but you want to be with your family then do a 3 hour bike ride and be fresh for them. Treat them the way you want to be treated.
3- Just Say NoDid you read that last paragraph where I say to just bow out? It is so important to know and understand your limitations. There are only 24 hours in the day so you need to respect that. You are training for 3 hours, you need to work for 10 hours, you need to sleep for 8 hours and that totals out to 21 hours. You have three hours remaining so make sure you take advantage of them and don't try to do too much. If somebody asks you to help them out think about it long and hard before you commit to it. They may be upset that you say no but it could help save the friendship in the long run because you end up being a no-show since you fell asleep on the couch. I know that as IMAZ training continued on I started to post less on the blog. I stopped posting on the weekends unless there was something very compelling I wanted to say. I have also cut back on the number of blogs that I read as I just didn't have the time and more importantly I wanted to read it and understand it. If my eyes are glazed over then I am not really comprehending what I am looking at and this is a disservice to the writer.
4- Listen To Your BodyI cannot tell you how important this is to having a successful training cycle. I know when I went through the first cycle for Texas that if the schedule said 4 hour bike ride well damn it I am riding for four hours no matter how tired I was. In the cycle for Arizona if the schedule said 4 hour bike ride and I finished the loop in 3 hours and 39 minutes I got off my bike and did my run. I got home 20 minutes faster than I expected and that was a good thing. I didn't push it because nothing was going to be gained in that 20 minutes of riding. When I needed a nap I took it. If I needed to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich I did. Your body will give you the answer to all your questions so listen to it.
5- Eat All Your VeggiesThis is not a ploy to convert everybody to vegetarianism but more of a reminder to treat your body like a temple. You cannot possibly go out and ride your bike for 4 hours and do a 30 minute run and then stuff your face with Oreo's right after. Make sure that you are recovering properly with the proper nutrients. Get all the macronutrients that you need into your system (carbs, protein, fats) as well as your micro-nutrients. Be smart about what you eat and when you eat it. It is important to get that recovery shake or meal into your body within 30 minutes but after that listen for your hunger queues. Your body will tell you when it is hungry so pay attention and then make sure you are eating something that is going to help you recover and get out the door the next day for training. That is not to say that you shouldn't have pizza if you want it. Go for it and enjoy the hell out of it. You earned it and it is what your body is craving at the time but remember that you need fuel for that next workout and making wise food choices will help make that workout a bit easier.
My journey to Ironman Texas 2013 begins one week from today and I am excited. This week is my last unstructured week and I am taking advantage of it. I am swimming a little, riding the trainer a bit and running for however long (not how far) I want to. I added in Bikram Yoga as well as using the rowing machine (that machine is now affectionately known as the Machine Of Death.) I have gone to a wheat-free (not gluten-free) diet and it all feels right. My body is telling me that it feels good and I like to hear that. When the clock strikes on the 10th I will be rested and ready to get into the workouts again, but I also know that if something doesn't feel right I am going to back down. I have 6 months until this next Ironman and I want to get there in one piece and that starts by following the lessons I have learned in 2012.What Lessons Have You Learned From 2012?
What's Your Motivation?

Dad - I am sorry that I could not get to 4 miles today but rest assured that on November 18 I will run as hard as I possibly can to make you proud.
The motivation to get up every morning stopped being about me. It stopped being about getting to 4 miles in 30 minutes. It stopped about being a 2x Ironman in the same year. It was now bigger than anything I could imagine. I have about 30 days until the cannon goes off in Tempe, Arizona and I now know what will not just get me to the starting line but to the finish line.
The motivation will change between today and that day but in the end when I reflect on Ironman Arizona I will know what the underlying motivation truly was.
I also want to say Thank You to my wife, Karen, for putting up with peak training AGAIN. I know it is not easy on you or the family but I want you to know I appreciate your ability to allow me to get out every morning to do what I do. Without you this doesn't happen (and some mornings that is a literal statement.)
What Is Your Motivation?
I Love Carbs
I love carbs and I will not lie. Carbs give me the energy I need to power through these workouts. I hear athletes talking about avoiding carbs and it surprises me because I just don't know where they are going to get their energy from if they don't take in carbs. A solid diet of 60%-65% Carbs, ~15% Protein and 20%-25% Fat is ideal for an endurance athlete. A couple of days ago I came across an article on Active.com talking about the 5 best carbs for athletes and it made me smile. I didn't care what the carbs where I just loved the fact that it was saying that there were great carbs for us athletes. I could list out the carbs for you and tell you why they are good for you, but rather than do that I am going to give you a recipe based on the 5 carbs. Here are the carbs first:
- Sweet Potato
- Oats
- Wild Rice
- Banana
- Chickpeas
The recipe I am going to provide for you will be for a sweet potato burger with a side of rice and chickpeas. Very easy to make and very good for you too. Ingredients: 1/2c Lundberg Black Japonica Rice, 1/4c Dry Chickpeas, 100g Sweet Potato, 100g Banana, 1/2cc Rolled Oats Nutritional Breakdown: 740 calories, 156g Carbohydrates, 8g Fat, 21g Protein Servings: 1 [caption id="attachment_6482" align="alignright" width="275"] Source: Path For Life Food[/caption] Directions:
- Soak chickpeas in water overnight.
- Preheat oven to 405*
- When ready to cook pour chickpeas and soaking water into pot and add another 1c of water and bring to a boil. After water boils lower heat to low and allow to simmer. Should take about 40-45 minutes for chickpeas to become soft.
- While chickpeas are boiling bake sweet potato for 30-40 minutes or until soft.
- Remove potato from oven and scoop out flesh. Smash the meat of the potato with the banana and combine with oats.
- Form 2 patties with the mixture and place on plate and refrigerate to allow to set up.
- While the patties are setting up cook rice in a rice cooker according to manufacturer's directions.
- Remove patties from refrigerator and place in a smoking hot pan (cast iron preferably) and allow burgers to cook for 3-5 minutes on each side.
- Plate the rice topped with chickpeas and then sweet potato burgers on the side.
- Top with mustard and lettuce, red onion, avocado and spinach.
Enjoy!
What would you make with these 5 great carb ingredients?
Embrace The Suck
Can you say the same thing?
An Open Letter To Ironman Competitors
Double Ironman....

HAVE YOU RACED TWO IRONMAN RACES IN THE SAME CALENDAR YEAR?
DO YOU CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THE WHY NOT QUESTION?