Motivation Tuesday! (Because there was not enough Monday…)

Joel here – I have 2 motivations this week.

Motivation 1:

Getting friends into Triathlon. So, I think most of our non tri friends think we are just absolutely crazy. We wake up early we do long runs, long rides, and swim multiple times a week. We talk about “zones”, “aero”, “fuel” and we wear spandex on purpose. So, its rare when one of the friends from outside the tri group decides to jump into it. It also is motivating in the way that not only will we be able to help create a fun experience for training and racing and they’ll have a blast, but maybe, they will become hooked too and we will get yet another tri friend that we can dork out with and not get shifty looks.

We are going to get to share that crazy of being up at 4am, at the race start by 5:30, set up by 6am and then racing at 7. Having someone else share the strange and crazy energy that inhabits a transition in the morning. Watching other athletes go through their checklists and pre race rituals is strangely always a ton of fun, but its not something that is easily described to other people. Last year we were able to introduce it to our friend Justin, and this year we get to share it with Manu.

Motivation 2:

Doing non tri activities can sometimes unintentionally make you better at tri. So, really, this comes down to us doing our SCUBA certification dives over last weekend. We had a decent amount of “bottom time” where you’re just chillin’ and weightless, but we also spent a good long time at the surface doing drills and exercises. So, you know, swimming on the surface of the water with a good 50 to 60 extra lbs of weight on your back and having to swim a few hundred yards without using your arms. Also, the drills where you try to stay in one spot of the water by being neutrally buoyant, I think helped with the way I was able to keep my legs and butt up while swimming.

When I got in the pool last night I believe my kicking was doubly effective compared to what it was last week. I felt like I was flying.  My form felt awesome.  So, don’t discount a “sport” that is not related to tri when it comes to your extra training activities. You never know what will help you improve some aspect of your triathlon performance.

(8612)

Motivation Monday: The Payoff

Leah here.  It’s been a solid 2 months of work, of putting hay in the barn.  Work I like, certainly, or I wouldn’t be a triathlete.  But after last year’s once-every-other-week race carnival of starting lines, crowds, tests, free breakfast tacos and finishers medals, it was weird to have such a long stretch of just training.  Eight weeks of just getting after it, after a seven week break from being an athlete.   Eight weeks of going out and doing what I’m supposed to do every day, watching my numbers, and quitting when I’m supposed to be done.  Some days I may complain because I’m tired or don’t feel like it right then, but it’s really not hard to get myself out into the fray as right now it’s mostly all easy peasy pace.

indoortri13

But does so much easy peasy mean sucky at racing?  It feels like that if you want to get good at something, you should practice it.  I’ve, in the past, spent a lot of time doing a lot of race pace and speed work and not put much faith into slow, easy miles being anything but junk.  I am starting to like this method training, but it does leave the question of – am I really improving?  Can I put it together at a race?  All this easy zone 1/2 work – have I forgotten how to hurt?

It was also interesting going into a race I’ve done before at a completely different place in my training.  Last year at this time, I was a runner right after half marathon season, who hadn’t had a break from training in a while.  This year, I came in as a triathlete who is at the beginnings of base building after a nice long winter’s nap.  What would that mean?  I postulated that it would translate into bigger gains on the bike and swim, and coming up short on the run from last year.

I’ll post the full race report later, but let me spoil the ending.  I got my first overall female win for a race, ever.  Sure, it was small (10 girls total), and sure, I probably won’t be able to say that again this year because I’m usually in the middle third of my age group, but I’m taking this moment to celebrate.  For all women that entered into the contest yesterday, I came up victorious.  I executed a pretty solid race if I do say so myself, and beat out the next woman by 1 point!

I’m also pretty excited that I was able to perform solidly.  I got my heart rates where they were supposed to be.  My results were predictable.  I like when things go by the numbers.  Especially when the end result is NUMBER 1! 🙂

So, I’ll take this week to bask in my glory, and enjoy a recovery week, and get ready to hit it hard again for Build 2 in March.

 

(1638)