I came across this statement in a Lava Magazine article this morning, and while the article itself sparked my interest (I am a mental focus junkie come race time...), "conquering the mental" is just as important as swim, bike, run, nutrition...
"Competition in and of itself can be daunting. You avail yourself to comparisons with others in a confined set of rules. Your abilities, be they strong or weak, are put forth for judgment. This can be a tremendous undertaking for the human ego. How an athlete perceives the environment of the competition, and how it makes them feel is fundamental to mental fitness. Those with strong mental fitness can adapt to any setting, and either take full advantage of it or, at the very least, be completely unaffected." (Lava Magazine, "Mental Fitness," 9/21/2011) (don't question my bibliography skills, they always sucked...).
The mental game is huge but I've never really looked at triathlon in this way, which is why I posted this. For me it has always been a mental battle within myself--what I can do to succeed and reach that finish line as fast as I can, period. Racing, especially over the past year, has not been about winning, trying to win, or all the same, losing. Yeah, it is fun to go fast and faster than "almost" everyone else, and I'm sure there have been a few times this year when, if the situation arose, that I wouldn't have dug deep to keep a position in a race...but I think the comparison to others, and the "ego issues" just don't enter the mental side of racing for me. I follow pro triathlete blogs, and the one thing I have noticed a lot, is that they are mental studs...using songs, quotes, experiences, even having "folders" (Macca) that they draw upon at every turn of the race course. I tend to use family, songs, and am developing a bit of a folder system to keep it organized in my wacky head. Family is definitely the focus for me though. After watching SOMA 70.3 with Jenny, Sophia, and Andrew (well, he slept ;-), I found out that, while it can be very boring to watch a triathlon, that my family is more amazing than I thought. When we woke up and I asked Sophia if she wanted to go watch a race, the first thing out of this little 3 year old was "are you racing papa?" When I told her I wasn't, she wouldn't take "I'm not" for an answer, which really told me how big of an effect "her papa" racing has on her at 3 years old. All the more reason to want to get back to Kona (= most exciting race event to watch anywhere!) so she can "watch papa." The same goes for Jenny...after I put her through the ringer on saturday with all sorts of things, she was chipper for going, and we made a day of it, and get to see our brother in law Scott beat himself silly at SOMA while we were there. We had a great day, and it was nice to "spectate" while my ONE teammates clinched the Team Championships as well. So, if you can't tell, racing for me is to hear their cheers, see their faces, make them proud, and make all those hours away mean something...so, find out why you really race, and I imagine your performance will improve just by having a purpose---it works amazingly well for me and it IS my mental game.
A little off topic, but this past weekend I rode with a AIMP'er who came down to check out the IMAZ course, Joel Garza...and oddly enough, I was thinking about the following while riding. For as long as I can remember, I've never been a good athlete when it comes "practicing." Back in the heyday playing soccer and baseball, I always remember not really excelling on the practice field, which ultimately ended my baseball "career" after a week of tryouts at UC Davis. I remember it vividly...how was this 5 foot nothing, 170 nothing going to compete for a spot on the team when I am rotating in at first base with 7 guys who were all 6 foot something, 200 something...I mentally checked out of baseball inside of the first day. BUT, that end brought on the beginning of running for me, which led to Triathlon in 1995.
That is the great thing about triathlon (for me)...there is no set "advantage" that I feel someone else has over another athlete, unless you are at the extremes (well, maybe this is my way at getting back at those 6 foot something, 200 lb something guys standing on first base...) But, let's face it, your body in this sport is your weapon---I am 5'11" 165 lbs...I'm 10 pounds lighter than I was when i was cranking along in triathlon in the late 90's. So, in the same breath, I guess I could say I found a sport that fits my build. So, mental victory number one...you may be faster and have more talent, but we are both driving sports cars ;-)
When it comes to training for triathlon, I kind of feel that I don't have much to show when practicing/training. I feel I'm super steady, but I'm not the guy attacking on the bike (at all), swimming sub 1:20 in the pool (except for anaerobic intervals), and killing the run. Everyone else can have those victories in training...it's not important to me, and actually is working against you if that is how you approach every workout. I have recognized that IM training/racing is all about building an aerobic diesel engine. If the goal was to simply get faster, then intervals would be the choice, but they would serve relatively little improvement for someone like me for IM training. I am always thinking "build a huge aerobic platform" that allows me to train long, recover, and stay healthy. When the short races come, Chris throws in some nasty intervals to get the speed going, but mostly, we focus on that platform of what IM racing is all about. I feel like I have so much to "fall back on," so many "layers of endurance." Mentally, I use this "platform idea" to my advantage, and has become one of my biggest "You Got This" supporters. I think that is why IM racing becomes a lifestyle for those that are really into it...it's not just getting ready for a race, it's living it. While that heads off that mental topic, nutrition day to day, taking care of your engine optimally, resting/recovering, offseason training all play into the mental game. to quote Chris again (even though i am competing with myself...mostly ;-) "What is your competition doing in the offseason??" When it comes to qualifying for IM, your competition for that coveted qualifying spot is NOT taking it easy from here until 12 weeks before your first race in the spring. They are base training, working on their mechanics (stroke, pedaling efficiency, running gait) to be as efficient as possible when the season arrives. I've said this a ton (directed at Joel Gerber ;-) "every saturday is not race day." I guess my point is: stick to your plan...nobody gets an award for winning that climb on the Saturday morning ride.
I also hear a lot of triathletes say they need "offseason" to re-ignite the fire. I don't get it! You mean lose that base, then pick up and "get back to even" when the season starts? Then you enter a race and that guy that you owned is now beating you? It wasn't anything more than the offseason "break" catching up to you and making you pay for it. I'm not saying you have to do 4-5 hour rides; 3 hour rides are plenty, 1 to 1.5 hour runs are more than enough, and of course keeping the feel in the water and stroke mechanics are huge. Offseason running, I know, is not fun when it's freezing out, but remember, especially if you live in AZ with me; most triathletes are snow shoeing this time of year! I guess what I am saying is ...check with yourself why you do triathlon (of course I am talking to those on the bubble versus those of you that do triathlon for fun/social and those that are "so type-A" like me ;-)
If you haven't read Macca's book "I'm Here to Win," read it. He dives into himself, as well as his competition, and what he has noticed and how he has used that information to his advantage. His term, "mental milkshake," is definitely overused in my vocabulary nowadays. His is a master mental edge junkie---"kill or be killed!"
So...a little diarrhea of the mind in this diary entry...I've been wanting to post something like this for a while...focus on your mental game!!
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