Trust the Journey

Eric is not too serious - even after winning a medal

One of my favorite swim coaches came to me in frustration yesterday at the Regional Swimming Championships.  She said, "Chris, you are also both a coach and a parent like me.  As a Coach, I can stay calm through all the ups and downs on the team, but as a Parent, I feel such exasperation with my own kids (who are swimmers) sometimes!" 

You parents understand this feeling and why it happens.  Take just the swimming example in my own experience.  To get to the Regional Champs this past weekend was a 12.5 year journey involving sacrifice, time and money.  Starting with the little kid swimming lessons and persevering through all the trials and tribulations of learning how to swim and swim well, to the costs each year for swim team for two kids, to the time sacrifice (and career sacrifices that I've made to be able to get my kids to all the practices), not to mention all of the athletic endeavors that I've skipped to be spend weekends at swim meets, we parents have a HUGE role in getting our kids to have a positive experience in a sport like swimming.  It is far too easy to get caught up in the moment and to believe that any one meet or race is an indicator of the success of the entire swimming journey. 

It is not.

I am so lucky to be both parent and coach to my own kids and coach/teacher to many kids.  So, my perspective is enriched by all of my own experiences.  (And I am far from the perfect parent or coach, trust me!) 

My advice to her was to "trust the journey."  The success of this wonderful project that is known as child rearing is not determined by any one moment or race.  One frustrating day at the pool does not mean failure.  There will be ups and downs in performance and in attitude.  They will love and not love certain practices and seasons.  They will plateau or even get slower during growth spurts and developmental changes.  There will be great coaches and not as great coaches that guide them.  There will be significant disappointments and seemingly insurmountable challenges.  And it is all of that that makes the project so darn wonderful when it comes together in a magical performance or season.

Be patient and wonderful things will happen

As parents, our job is to hang on for the ride, be patient and stay calm.  Trust the Journey - with all of the ups and downs.  We are the lucky ones!

Rebuilding Time

On May 4th, I had arthroscopic surgery on both knees.  I had torn the meniscus on both knees - one in February and the other in March - both due to "age related degeneration."  The good news was that I was able to get both repaired in the same surgery - along with a little clean up of the chondromalacia behind both knee caps.  I should be good as new soon!

My orthopedic surgeon is a knee specialist.  He assured me that running did not cause my knee issues.  His opinion is that exercise is good for joints and knees.  As runners, we will not degenerate any faster than if we didn't run.  However, because we like to run, we will notice degeneration far sooner than a non-runner.  And at some point, we will no longer be able to run.

Until then, I've been rehabbing with enthusiasm.  And running on the Alter G treadmill at a fraction of my weight (what a wonderful tool!!).  At two weeks post surgery, I started swimming and it felt wonderful.  Swimming and kicking helped me to regain my range of motion and help my brain to start firing my quads once again.  I started cycling at the same time and after about a week, felt 80-90% of my strength come back.  In fact, it was wonderful to ride without pain for the first time all year.  And four weeks after surgery, I was able to do a local sprint triathlon.  I joined my son and husband, "Team Wolf Tracks," as their swimmer on a relay team.  Then, I did the solo race and learned to speed walk during the 5km run.  It was wonderful to be racing again, even if it wasn't up to speed.

Team "Wolf Tracks"

So, keep on running!  But make sure that you have other interests as well.  Because one day, we will reach the end of our running.  Treasure every run!  I will be so wildly happy when I can run without pain again - watch out!

Injury Frustration

I was feeling invincible.  I hadn't had a knee problem in seven years.  Then, in an ever so subtle way, my knee began to hurt.  Then, I noticed it was swollen.  What caused this?  I didn't know.  I looked over my training logs and tried to pinpoint the cause.  Was it the week that I went from teaching two bike classes to four bike classes?  Was it the slippery 15km train run?  Was it the impact from falling directly on that knee in the trail run?  Was it the 31 mile hilly American Birkebeiner race with no training that riled up my knee? 

I stopped running.  I rested.  I massaged.  I got electronic stim.  I got ultrasound.  I tried a warm, moist poultice of cabbage leaves.  I tried essential oils.  I tried EPAT sound shock treatment.  I tried Aleve for 10 days.  I iced.  I only used the bike that didn't cause knee pain.  I gradually brought back running but only on the Alter G treadmill under the advice of my doctor.  I ate an anti-inflammatory diet.  I tried a brace.  I tried K-T Tape.

Where did all that get me two months later?  Nowhere!  And now, my other knee hurts in the same spot almost as much!

At this point, my season is in jeopardy.  In fact yesterday, I had to race the New Orleans 70.3 just to the second transition and then turn in my chip.  There was no way that I was going to limp through a half marathon. 

So, tomorrow, I will get an MRI.  Hopefully it will tell me what is wrong and what I need to to.  Ugh!

Injuries are frustrating, painful, expensive and time consuming.  Don't mess around with a tight or sore spot.  Rest, ice and head it off before spending weeks or months recovering.

Motivation

Very few athletes “execute” on race day (race up to their potential).  It takes strong mental skills to remain undaunted throught the ups and downs of the required training and the challenges of each race.

Racing/coaching is as much about the mental game as the physical game!  In the end, the athlete must execute - in training and on race day.  I have to help them find the motivation to do this.

I have had many athletes from analytical backgrounds, but the best are motivated by a wide range of "rewards."  These rewards include objective numbers, but also include many other things.  I find that the most mature, "role model" athletes are those who do track their numbers but do not rely on them for all of their motivation.  I find that the athlete who is number focused is usually the newer athlete.  So, part of my job is to get a new athlete to see the bigger picture - to redefine a "win." 

A big part of this comes from experience.  A seasoned athlete trusts the journey and tolerates the ups and downs.  A new athlete is often only as happy as his/her performance in the last training session or race. 

What motivates you?

What Trees and Young Athletes have in Common

Excerpt from today's MMTT Youth Team letter:

Here is one of the guiding principles for coaching youths to reach their maximum potential in a sport:

"Young athletes are like young trees.  Bend them too far and they will break." - Coach Romas, coach and stepfather of Lukas Verzbicus. 

Remember that if a parent or a coach pushes a young athlete too far too soon, they will quit.  This is one of the basic youth coaching "laws" that guides the best coaches (and parents).  If the youth loves what they are doing, they will pursue it with age-appropriate passion and therefore eventually achieve their potential.  It's all about the JOY. 

And beyond the "joy," young kids are physiologically different from us adults in so many ways.  Their training must not be like ours.  They are growing and changing.  They are in their prime window for developing speed (not endurance).  They process heat differently, sweat less, cannot tolerate much effort at their anaerobic threshold and must endure some performance set backs while their bones and bodies grow rapidly and their hormones change.  Good youth triathlon training will focus on developing raw speed, sport specific skills, race experience and a love for the sport.

So, sit back and enjoy this ride.  We are pursuing excellence.  And we aim to achieve it by making sure that your kids have fun participating in age-appropriate skill and speed building and that they feel a vital part of their team, feel like they are progressing and feel like they are "winning" often (and winning does not have to mean 1st place in our world).  Along this journey we will also attempt to build good citizens - confident, polite, assertive, humble, proud and happy. 

Birkie Magic

I had at least 20 good reasons to not ski the Birkie this year.  The history-making mild winter meant no skiable snow within 5.5 hours of our house for most of January and February.  My kids were swimming in meets every weekend - all weekend long.  I threw my back out, my feet hurt and my knee was oddly swollen in the two weeks before the race.  Jeff was diagnosed with serious arthritis in his hip.  Both of my kids qualified for the Regional Swimming Championships - held during Birkie weekend.  As a mom, my overwhelming instinct was to stay at home and watch them swim.
But I also had the gut feeling that it was important to ski the race.  It is a race that has had a huge influence on my life.  Without the Birkie, I wouldn't have met Jeff.  Without the Birkie, I wouldn't have started canoe racing, which led to canoe triathlon, which led to bike racing, which led to triathlon, which led to coaching and all that I do today.  Without the Birkie, I wouldn't know some of my most treasured friends.
My gut also tells me that continuing to ski the Birkie will keep me fit for a lifetime.  Skiing the Birkie is one of the most important gifts that Jeff and I give ourselves as a couple.  And sometimes, being a mom means that you must maintain your own strength and your own happiness and your own marriage - so that when the kids are grown up - you still have an identity.
So, I found a swim family to take my daughter for the weekend.  My amazing in-laws took my son to his swim meet and activities.  And in the midst of an ironic snow storm, we drove the long road up to Hayward, WI. 
The magic didn't hit me immediately.  Friday was cold and gray.  As Jeff and I did our practice ski, I broke down in tears and just wanted to drive straight back home to the swim meet. 
After that release, I began to soak in the familiar rhythm and landmarks of Birkie weekend.  The festivities on Main Street.  Seeing good, good friends.  "Birkie Fever" ski art stamped in Rosie's Field by our friend from Canada, Ken.  Blackberry pie at the Norske Nook with lunch.  The beauty of the trail and the region.  The drive along the Namekagon River.  The Birkie songs and wax reports on WOJB.  The combined energy and lust for life of 9,400 people who are strong and so happy to ski.  It is Birkie Fever and it is contagious.  Thank God for that!
Saturday morning dawned crisp and sunny.  The canon went off, and I enjoyed every second of my 19th Birkie.  Every hill and every turn were like old friends.  The toughest parts of the 50 km trail were made easier by drumming, singing, musical, cheering, cowbell swinging spectators.  The sun was warming.  I felt strong and whole - a mom and a wife and an individual. 
The finish line was a party and we celebrated.  We both skied better than we had hoped.  One more Birkie in the books - our momentum was not lost. 
Dinner with friends.  Computer access that showed me that our kids were doing well and having fun.  Sunday Birchleggings breakfast with some of the most inspirational, determined athletes I'll ever meet.  A song about how important it is to treasure every experience.  Lessons to guide us for another year once again.
Then, the long road back home - to my busy, wonderful life - with a glow that will remain far into the warm months of the year.

Don't get caught up in the madness

My husband has always been an excellent runner.  He has been struggling this year with pain while running as he tried to train for the Boston Marathon.  Last Friday, x-rays revealed significant arthritis and bone malformation in his left hip.  He has cancelled his Boston plans and we now need to find him some new activities.  We were blindsided by this!  He had never had a hip injury.  No-one expected this. 

So...as I've always said, treasure every race and workout like it might be your last.  This snaps your priorities right back into place!  And remember that it is very important to train smartly.

A couple of interesting blogs/podcasts on training mistakes:
http://wpblogs.runningtimes.com/blogs/performancepodcasts/2012/01/podcast-smart-masters-training-with-pete-magill/?cm_mmc=RT-_-811468-_-02152012-_-MagillPodcast
Here - Pete Magill talks about the mistakes that he made that resulted in injuries and missing his goal race.  A good lesson for everyone.  He knew what was right and he still ended up making mistakes.

http://www.teamtbb.com/?option=com_content&task=view&id=1352  Here, Coach Brett Sutton blogs frankly about the fallout from the hard training and epic racing in the women's Kona Ironman Championships last fall.

The bottom line here is that it is far too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that a key workout (like the 20 miler, or the mile repeat session, or the course simulation ride or last weekend's race) is too important to miss.  I can't count how many times a friend or an athlete has gotten injured in pursuit of finishing that mythical 20 mile training run - because they believed that they could not run a marathon without it.  I even did this to myself - then had to skip the 2006 Chicago Marathon with an injury that took 6 months to heal.  Pete Magill says it best - there is no one workout that is worth jeopardizing your health and training.  If you feel a twinge or a cramp, time to stop and live to run again soon (or canoe or bike or swim). 

And Brett Sutton reveals that he has questioned Chrissie Wellington's hard training every day approach for the last 2 years.  He talks about the toll that too-hard training takes on an athlete.  Chrissie is the best - but could she have been better with less training?  She is now taking a break from training and racing - Brett seems to think that she is now done forever. 

It is too easy to question your training when you have friends who are doing twice as many hours as you are.  It is easy to get hung up on getting in that last 20 miler no matter what.  It is easy to think that if you don't train to exhaustion every single day - that you are not training enough.  DO NOT FALL INTO THESE TRAPS!!!! 

My goal is to keep my athlees in the game for a long, strong, healthy journey where they achieve their potential for many years to come.  I also want them to remain important to their family and friends and employers. It is all about training when you are ready to conquer a training stimulus and resting when you need to rest.  It is all about doing the minimum amount of training that will accomplish your goals.

Be smart.  Don't get caught up in the madness.  Treasure every run, bike, swim, paddle, ski, etc.!