Good Mental Skills for Racing and Beyond

In my opinion, there is no more important athlete skill than solid mental skills.  Give me two athletes, one who is stronger physically and one who is stronger mentally, and I will bet on the second in every challenging race situation.

The sobering reality is that nine out of ten athletes will under-perform in a challenging race situation. They will not race up to their true potential.  Only one out of ten will meet or exceed their potential.

The key to being that one athlete that meets or exceeds his/her potential is to develop and practice mental skills as often as you practice your swim, bike, run, etc.

Critical mental skills include:

• The ability to shake off failures and disappointments.  Relish failures as a chance to learn and improve.  
• The ability to train and race with a "quiet mind" (do not over think or judge yourself while training or racing)
• The ability to stay "inside the box."  In other words, do not think of your entire race all at once, break it down into manageable segments (like the next mile or the next buoy) and focus on what you want to be doing during just that segment.
• The ability to be appreciative of your good fortune to have the ability, health and time to train and race.
• The ability to embrace periods of feeling uncomfortable or vulnerable.  
• The ability to feel deep satisfaction with your best efforts regardless of the place or finish time.

Developing these skills requires focused, repeated effort.  If you put in the time, you will earn the improved results in your athletic pursuits.  

You will also be better equipped to tackle non-athletic challenges.  This past week, a family member endured a dangerous and damaging house fire.  In the confusing hours and days that followed, these same mental skills helped both her and me to get through the difficult moments when our heads were spinning.  Shake off disappointments.  Quiet mind.  Stay inside the box.  Be appreciative of our good fortune.  Embrace feelings of being vulnerable or uncomfortable.  Enjoy a deep satisfaction in our best efforts.  These all apply to dealing with frightening house fires, insurance companies, rehab construction contractors and house fire cleaning companies.  

Mental skills...not just for racing!

USAT Paratriathlete High Performance Camp

Banner over the OTC Olympic Pool

I just had the privilege of spending eight days at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center as a staff coach for a USAT High Performance Paratriathlon Swim Camp..  The athletes at this camp are by invitation only - because they are all genuine medal contenders for the 2016 Olympics.  We had two 90 minute swim sessions per day plus lots of meetings with USADA, nutritionists, USAT, USOC and other expert coaches from this campus.  We also met with each athlete to map out their strategy for earning the points needed to contend at this year's world championships and to earn our country slots for the Rio Olympics.

  

It was an outstanding opportunity for me to feed my coaching soul by learning from the athletes and from the other coaches.  We all shared our own knowledge and were all so glad to be there.  

Coach John and me in the famous OTC Cafeteria

These paratriathletes continue to  overcome challenges that most of us cannot even imagine.  Therefore, they are incredibly appreciative of every day and every experience.  They are a dream to coach - they absorb every suggestion and immediately begin practicing it.  

We can all learn from them.  Aches or pains?  A little tired?  Toying with the idea of skipping a workout?  They wouldn't and their "excuses" are much more significant.  As I wobbled out of the door in the dark this morning to run on my gimpy knees, I knew that I certainly was lucky to be able to run.

I am reading a book right now called "Daring Greatly" by Brene Brown.  She talks about the correlation between dealing with challenges and the feeling of hope.  The more challenges that a person addresses and conquers, the more all-around hopeful they feel about life.  She also talks about being sure to not, "engineer your life to live small."  In other words, don't play it safe.  Go for it.  Most importantly, she advises us to "Dare to be vulnerable.  Dare to feel uncomfortable."  By doing that, you will likely feel much happier and hopeful about your life.  

So, I am excited about 2015 - for all of you, me and for these athletes.  I hope that you can use a little of their energy to help you to relentlessly pursue your goals this year.  Don't engineer your life to live small!  Let's live big together!

Hung out with other Olympians too

Mother Race; Spirit People

Some of my favorite people on earth

 

Mother Race; Spirit People

Think about the few people in your life that guide you to be a better person with every encounter and each conversation.  I crave time with these role models for life.  They share their rare, beautiful personality with the world, leaving inspired people in their wakes.  I once heard the term “Spirit People,” and I think it applies here.

 

During my life, I’ve belonged to many teams, occupations and organizations.  “Spirit People” can be found within any group.  But rare is the group that is predominantly composed of these wonderful people.  The Birchleggings Club seems all Spirit to me.  Birchleggers are Birkie skiers who have skied 20 or more American Birkebeiners. 

 

The Birkie is hard.  The hills are monsters.  The weather can border on dangerous.  The outfits are not glamorous.  Just getting to the starting line is an immense, uncomfortable challenge.  Getting to the finish line twenty or more times during peak flu season is improbable.  This “Mother Race” filters out the usual fair-weather, show-off-your-muscles-in-a-cute outfit, pace-obsessed endurance-tattooed crowd. 

 

The result is a concentration of all that is good in the sport of cross country skiing, maybe in America – a crowd strong on flavor and spiced with the knowledge that one day we will no longer be able to cross that finish line.  The entire club of Birchleggers is composed of my “Spirit People.” 

 

I’ve attended the annual Birchleggings breakfast eight times now, the first seven as the skiing wife of an official Birchlegger.  This year, I earned my twenty year award and the honor of belonging to this astounding group of people.  I’ve shed tears of joy and appreciation at all of these breakfasts.  The stories of the founders, the trials of the aging skiers, the sadness of the death or decline of many a skiing friend – all are both harsh reminders of our mortality along with joyful inspiration for what remains possible.

 

This year, I experienced the magic of the 20^th Birkie.  My knee was painful and swollen-straight for the week of the race.  It made no sense to start the race last Saturday, but the tenacity of the Spirit People and the Mother Race took me all the way to the finish line.  I skied down Main Street with tears of joy and pride.  It was a goal that I had been working toward since one gray, snowy February Saturday in 1989.  I feel filled up with spirit.

 

Group Ski at the top of the famous VO2Max trail at Minocqua Winter Park

We are back in town. Up north, we had just a few moments for internet, almost no phone, no TV and no structure. Instead, I xc skied with my kids for 2-3 hours every day, then we played board games and gathered with our skier friends - a wonderful crowd of funny, musical, intelligent and like-minded people that we see just once a year up north. It was snowy, cold and beautiful. We saw bald eagles, otter slides and the tracks of a big pack of wolves that inhabit the area. I've attached a picture of a group of us on top of "Squirrel Hill" - a rewarding vista after 2km of climbing and before 3km of crazy descending. The skier with his poles in the air was diagnosed with stage 3/4 lung cancer (a non-smoker) a year ago.  Here, we are all celebrating life and the beauty of the winter woods.

The images of the winter woods and the cherished times with my family have now "filled me up." I am ready to go again - ready to coach, teach, write, train and parent.

Think about what "fills you up." When you are "full" of good things, the craziness of life just bounces right off of you. As we start this new year, make sure that you do what fills you up - family, friends, work, nature, books, music, etc. Don't skip those things for your training - it all must be in balance or your training won't be successful either.

But, at the same time, it is time to think again about your goals for 2013 and begin to pursue them in earnest. Without goals and the feeling of progress, I don't think any of us are happy. The holidays are over. The new year is wide open before us. What can we accomplish this month or this winter? How strong do you want to be when spring arrives? Visualize yourself at your "A" race this year. How do you want to feel on that day? Let this picture "fill you up" with purpose.
Remember that what we do as athletes is a privilege. Getting up in the dark to swim, bike, run or get strong is a privilege not an obligation. We have a choice with every workout: whether we feel lucky to be training for a goal or whether we feel the dread of the workout and the race. It is a choice. No matter what shape you are in (or in my case - how your knees feel), you can make the choice to feel lucky and get out there and train wisely.

Remember, we are the lucky ones.

I am lucky to be a part of your 2013 goals. Let's go grab those goals this year and have no regrets when it is all done!

Chris (who will be privileged to go swim after dinner tonight!)

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.!

Back Where I Belong

Our MMTT Youth Development Team began practices this week.  My fabulous friend, Jan agreed to coach the team with me this year.  We are just meeting our young 2011 charges, but we are impressed.  There is nothing quite like seeing a group of kids attempting to become strong triathletes.  It is not an easy sport.  You've got the grueling nature of any endurance sport combined with the skills required to swim, bike and run proficiently.  You would think that they'd pick something easier.  A lot of parents wouldn't believe what I have witnessed in young triathletes for the last several years.  Kids LOVE the sport.  It never gets dull.  And kids like that.  IT is never easy.  And kids embrace that.  They crash.  They get up.  They get side cramps.  They learn to run through cramps.  They have a tough race?  Their team-mates cheer for them.  It is an individual sport.  It is a team sport.  They are part of something different.  They begin to define themselves as "triathletes."  This makes them feel strong and ready to take on the rest of their lives. 
It is good.  It is more than good. 

But for me, it may even be better.  I loved coaching kids and teaching kids in the 90s.  I have missed it terribly.  I am back where I belong.  Tonight's practice was the best part of my day.

Birkie Brrrrrrrr!

Have you ever set a long term goal?  I've been working on one specific goal since 1989.  I am slowly working towards the notable achievement of being a Birch Leggings member of the American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon.  To become a member of this inspiring group of fit skiers, one must complete 20 full Birkebeiner ski races.  The race is held once a year.  Therefore, it takes a minimum of 20 years of hard training, dedicated racing, a lot of equipment and plenty of traveling.  Then, you must have some good luck to not be ill or have sick children on race day.  Finally, there is the weather.  Occasionally, Mother Nature wins the Birkie by melting the snow or freezing the faces, toes and fingers of the participants.

My first Birkie was in 1989.  My room-mate, Tracy and I bought skis on the Wednesday before the race and took an American Youth Hostel bus up to the race.  We didn't know how to ski, and although I gave it a good effort, I missed the cut-off time at the half-way point by 90 seconds and they took my chip and pulled me off the course.  Birkie 1, Chris 0. 

Birkie 1990.  After a winter of working to learn to skate ski, I completed my first Birkie.  This was one of the "cold" Birkies - with sub-zero temperatures and even lower wind chills.  I was ecstatic to finish the race after my 1989 DNF.  But when I got my boots off, my right foot was swollen and black and my left was halfway black.  Frostbite.  My right foot was numb for almost ten years as the nerves slowly repaired.  But this year, I earned my first Birkie finish and the sweet medal that goes with it.

Birkies 1991 and 1992 went by without incident.  I got faster and broke the 4 hour mark.  No more frostbite.  Just a glitch in the busing that got me and most skiers to the race start at Rosie's Field twenty minutes after my wave had taken off.  And in 1992, the race switched directions, now starting at Telemark Resort and finishing on Hayward's Main Street, an improvement.  I earned my 2nd and 3rd Birkies.

Birkie 1993.  I was skiing and racing in January while attempting to work, go to Northwestern for graduate school and student teach.  Not surprisingly, I got mono.  It just about killed me to be a spectator for Jeff at the race that year - as I was too tired to even think about skiing.

Birkie 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997.  I earned my 4th-7th Birkie pins in all kinds of weather including the 1996 tropical race that finished in 50 degree weather with an ungroomed trail.

Birkie 1998 - the weather took its toll and melted the second half of the trail.  The race was cut in half, but those of us who had signed up for the Birkie were given credit for the full race.  The half race ended up being a quick sprint to OO with my skiing buddy Shelley in record time.  Birkie 8 was pinned to my medal.

1999 - My first pregnancy was only weeks old.  My doctor said that it might be OK to ski, but how would I feel if it wasn't OK?  I didn't ski and found myself spectating for Jeff once again.

2000.  After working incredibly hard to get back into shape after my daughter was born AND bringing my in-laws and baby up with us to the race, Mother Nature intervened with high temperatures all week and heavy flooding thunderstorms on the day before the race.  We literally watched the snowy trail melt before our eyes and the race was cancelled by the evening newscast.  No Birkie once again for me or anyone else.

2001.  After three years without racing the full distance, I was anxious to complete the journey to Hayward once again.  Mother Nature said, "Ha!" and sent about a foot of snow on race day.   This made the trail the slowest and hardest skiing possible.  Times were 45 minutes slower than usual and I cried tears of relief when I made it to the finish line.  Birkie 9 was in the books.

2002.  Baby number two was born a month early in January with an emergency C-section.  We were moving the next week.  Jeff and I both skipped the Birkie that year out of absolute necessity.

2003.  There was no snow in Chicago that winter.  We made due with exactly four trips to the local downhill ski area to do hill repeats and dodge snow boarders.  Fortunately, the weather and conditions were fast that year and Jeff and I both had good races.  I got my 10 year Birkie pin and plaque. 

2004, 2005, 2006.  These were good years with strong races and good times.  Birkie 11, 12 and 13 for me.

2007 - Mother Nature stepped in again and melted the southern half of the course.  The northern half of the course was coated with two inches of ice.  The race director declared the course unsafe for racing and eliminated timing for all but the elite racers.  We were allowed to start whenever we wished and finished at OO.  Jeff and Bob and I skied together and had a great time!  Birkie 14 pin on my lapel.

2008, 2009, 2010.  Birkies 15, 16 and 17 came and went without too much struggle.  The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm in the 20s.  The course was firm and fast.  Life was good for the skiers especially in 2009 and 2010.

So, Saturday was Birkie 2011.  At race start, the temperatures were -12 F.  90 minutes into the race, temperatures were still at -8 F.  Despite wearing my warmest gear, hand warmers and my trusty balaclava, at kilometer 17, I was frozen and hypothermic.  My face was frosty with ice, my eyelashes were clumped with ice, my hands and feet were numb and I was shivering in my core.  With the decade that I couldn't feel my right foot still fresh in my memory, I was very, very tempted to pull out at an aid station and get in a warming tent.  But the drive to become a Birchlegger was stronger.  I am planning to get that beautiful purple bib in 2013 if at all possible.  So, I skied on.  I welcomed every hill and charged up them at full speed in an attempt to warm up.  My mantra was, "I can do this.  I will do this."  I was focused on purple and I kept skiing.

Although my race was slow and uncomfortable, I won my battle with the Brrrrr Birkie.  I crossed that finish line and got my 18th Birkie pin.  All for that darn goal - a goal that I started working towards 23 Birkies ago.  A goal that I started when I was 23 years old and if lucky, will finish at age 47 - more than half of my lifetime.  It's hard to explain how I will feel when I earn that honor.  But I am sure that I will be looking to become an Uberlegger - a skier who has completed 30 Birkies and gets a beautiful golden race bib!

Good Health is Everything

As an athlete, your number one goal is consistent training.  Excellent athletes get in 9 out of 10 of well-planned workouts.  Sick for four days?  You've just gone backwards 2-3 weeks on your training plan.  Injured for a month?  You'll need to start over.  Injured for six months?  There goes your season.

When we've had a great workout, we start to feel invincible.  Teenagers have this same false sense.  Don't fall for it.

Be alert for any tightness or sore spot.  From the first sensation, treat it as if it is an injury.  Back off from training and start icing.  With your quick attention and a little luck, the tightness might disappear in a day or two rather than becoming a long term ordeal.

Guard your health like a newborn baby.  It is almost as precious and precarious!  Have hand sanitizer handy.  Avoid sneezing, coughing friends.  Get enough sleep.  Eat nutritiously.

Don't risk your health!

Child-Like Racing

 

I am just back from the Cross Country Coaches National Champs in Lexington, KY this weekend. We took at team of 15 runners aged 6-13, including my 8 year old son. The course was run on a horse cross country training grounds, so it was lumpy, bumpy and Kentucky hilly. It was my son's first experience racing from a starting box along with 200 runners. What a thrill for him! All the kids were there to do their best, and have a lot of fun. This race was their reward for all their hard work running this summer and fall.

 

Of course as soon as his race was over, he spent the rest of the afternoon tossing around a football with the other kids, then splashing in the hotel pool all evening. And those may be even better memories from this trip for him.

 

There are many lessons that we can learn from these kids:

• Sign up for some races/challenges that seem a little scary.  
• Get some training partners that make you laugh.
• Enjoy the people that you meet along your journey of training and racing.
• Train hard, race your heart out, cross the finish line, then move on and celebrate with everyone.
• Definitely get a cool sweatshirt to help you remember the fun weekend afterwards!

These kids had a great time. They didn't dwell on their times or place. They knew they did their best. And they definitely are very, very proud that they can race cross country at the national champs. My son stands a little taller after each one of these experiences.

 

As it turns out, these kids have a much more mature attitude about training and racing than many adults who unhappily stress over competition and perfection, often over-training and shunning family and spouses during the process. It might help all of us to train and race a little more like kids as we start the 2011 season.

 

This week is the beginning of the holiday season! Holidays are sometimes going to get in the way of training. Try not to stress. Your families are truly something to be thankful for this week. Don't worry if you don't get a swim in while you are traveling. Just do your best to do something every day. Even a 20 minute run will maintain your fitness. Don't despair if you only have time for a 20 minute run. Get out there, warm up for 5, run hard for 15, get showered and you maintained your fitness during a hectic week.

 

 Relax. Be thankful for your health and your ability to go after your racing goals. We are the lucky ones!
 

Chris

Off Season Pondering

The off season can be a welcome break from the rigid structure of the competitive season.  Some athletes are very good at relaxing and regenerating.  Others find that they miss the day to day accomplishments of training and working toward goals.  "What should I do today?"  "Should I lose weight or is this the time for a little splurge?"  "Should I do any training?"  "What will happen if I don't run for a week?" 

Or you might find yourself out on a late season bike ride on a beautiful day and wonder why you are riding?  This happened to me last week.  I hadn't ridden simply for pleasure for months.  With a spring and fall Ironman this past year, my purpose filled bike rides started in January.  It was odd to be out there on my tri bike when I didn't need to be. 

And this is exactly why we need an off season.  It is time to rediscover who we are without an upcoming race.  It is time to recconnect with families and clean the garage.  It is time to heal that injury (my darn S-I joint for example) that has been niggling at us for months.  But most of all, we need this to rediscover the joy that we had when we rode that first long ride out on country roads, or that fun in-town running loop that passes by the restaurants or the ski trails this winter.  Go out for dinner, stay out late, read a book, don't run for a week.  Release yourself for a few precious weeks this fall, and you will be better off next year.

Breath Catching

My apologies!  The summer and early fall was busier than ever.  Summer was followed by "A" races for all of my athletes and myself.  USAT Youth Nationals, Ironman Louisville, Ironman Wisconsin, IronKids Nationals, Long Course Nationals and fall marathons - never a dull moment. 
It is a hectic time for a coach.  I spent many hours on the phone talking through the smallest details with every athlete.  At the end of the day, I didn't have much left for a blog. 
Aha!  But now it is the off season.  A few weeks of more sleep and less training have done us all good.  My goal is to post 2-3 times a week.  I can't wait! 

Race Tips for Young and Old and the Importance of having FUN

Tips for our Kids' Triathlon Team at races.  Not bad reminders for us older racers either.  The bottom line?  Don't let anyone ever convince you that you must be serious to win.  I have found that the athletes who are having FUN, are those most likely to perform to their potential. 
Here are the tips:

Day Before Race


• Attend the course clinic and scout out the course. Learn exactly where you will be swimming, biking and running. Pay special attention to the transition area.

• Lay out all of your equipment. Make sure that everything is in working order, especially your bike gears and brakes. Put your race numbers on. Do a little transition practice to check that you have everything.

• Eat nutritious foods that you know your stomach can handle well. Drink often to make sure that you are adequately hydrated.

• Put your feet up and relax a little more than usual today. Rest. Read a good book. Watch a funny movie.

• Look forward to tomorrow’s race! Remember that those pre-race butterflies will give you the energy to race faster. Remember how lucky you are to be able to participate in this race!


Race Day

• Eat your favorite pre-race breakfast about 2 hours before your race. If you race later in the day, eat breakfast and then another pre-race snack about 2 hours before your race.

• When transition opens, check your bike one more time. Are the tires filled? Are the brakes rubbing? Are you in the gear that will work best for you to get started?

• As you set up your transition area, keep it simple and compact. Don’t take up more than your fair share of space. Make sure that you have your bike and run gear set out. Take your goggles and cap with you to the swim start.

• Jog through all the transition area entrances and exits: swim-in, bike-out, bike-in, run-out. Know where the bike mount/dismount line is and what it means.

• Try to get in a short warm up jog within an hour of your race. At a minimum, jog for 5-10 minutes and do some strides to get your body ready to race.

• HAVE FUN!!!!!! No matter what, keep smiling today. It will make you race faster!

How to Peak for your "A" race - A Visual Representation

One more view of my WKO chart as I built fitness for IMSG, then tapered, then raced. 
Remember that the BLUE line represents my fitness.  The PINK line represents my fatigue.  The YELLOW line represents my "form" or my potential to have a great race. 
This chart shows clearly how I was able to build fitness almost continuously.  The exception occurred in late February when I did a mini-taper for the Birkie, then recovered from that effort.  I love how this shows how races can seriously interrupt fitness building!  Don't race too much this summer if you plan on an important "A" race in 3-4 months. 
I was able to build my fitness up to the low 120's.  This means that my average daily TSS (Training Stress Score) of my workouts was in the low 120's.  As I tapered, I was careful to not lose too much fitness.  Here, you can see that my blue line dipped by about 10 points or about 10-12%.  This is a reasonable amount of fitness to lose for an "A" race.  Simultaneously, you can see that my yellow "form" line climbed to its highest level of the year so far.  This means that I was "peaking" for this race.  And I did feel very strong on race day!  :)
When I coach, everything that I do is geared towards having my athlete's peak high for their most important races.  It is an art and a science to get that peak to happen on the right day - with a minimal loss of fitness. 
Best wishes for a magical peak for your 2010 "A" races!

Ironman St. George Re-Cap

Back to regular posting!  April was busy with a trip to Boston to watch my athletes, friends and husband run the marathon.  Then, off to St. George, Utah for the inaugural Ironman St. George.  Here is a taste of what that new race is all about.
The venue is gorgeous.  I've never seen a more beautiful area.  The red rocks, 11,000+ ft. Pine Mountain, the lava fields, Sand Hollow Reservoir, Snow Canyon State Park, ancient cinder cones - amazing views everywhere. 
The area people truly came out to support the race.  Spectators were enthusiastic and the volunteers seemed like veterans.  The race was run flawlessly as far as I could tell.  Even the shuttle buses seemed plentiful on race morning - when you don't need backups.
On a difficulty scale of 1-10, this Ironman ranks pretty highly.  First of all, the logistics are more complex with two transition areas and the need to use shuttle buses on race morning. 
Then, there was the water temperature.  Mike Reilly announced 58 degrees on race morning, but many cold water veterans speculated that the temperatures were in the mid-50s.  The cold water made my hands, wrists, feet and face numb.  Many athletes were hypothermic after the swim and needed to spend some time in warming tents before they could go on.  T1 times were very slow for the rest of us - who had to change out of wet clothes and put on arm warmers, vests, gloves and hats with numb hands before getting on our bikes.  The air temperatures were in the high 40s at that time, but the sun was out and we started to warm up quickly.  However, my feet were numb until about 40 miles into the bike.
Our cold, gloved hands made accessing gels and drinks more difficult for those first few biking miles and I think many people were pretty depleted on their nutrition early on in their bike rides. 
And the bike ride!  The first 22 miles of the "stick" were beautifully paved and fairly fast.  There were 3-4 significant climbs during this section, but we needed to warm up so they were welcome.
Then, we started the first loop into a headwind on much bumpier pavement.  Those who had speedometers saw lots of single digit numbers glaring up at them.  Over 30 miles, we gradually climbed up to Veyo at slow speeds with some very steep climbs:  the first up to Gunlock Lake, the second (steepest) after the town of Gunlock, and then "The Wall" an intimidating switchback climb of one mile up the side of a cinder cone.  These climbs were very steep - requiring granny gears and standing to get up them.  Where I was, no-one walked them, but I'm sure that everyone thought about it!
After Veyo, another long climb.  Here I passed a friendly racer who said, "I think we've climbed all the way up to heaven!"  Then, finally, the long downhill run back to St. George.  Here, the downhills were relentless and some were steep.  I bet those speedometers were showing 40s and maybe higher.  (I'm so glad I don't race with a speedometer!).  Gusty winds made the downhills a little precarious and I was hanging on to my bars tightly.  By the time I turned onto Snow Canyon Parkway, I was really ready to relax on some flats again.
Luckily, there are actually about 5 or so miles of gently rolling flats - and here is where you get to go through the lava fields and the enthusiastic town of Ivans -with hundreds of spectators.  Then, back onto the bumpier climb into the head wind at slow speeds. 
This was one of the many tough psychological moments of this race - knowing that all those climbs loomed ahead and a very difficult marathon awaited when I finally got off of the bike.  Times were slow - at this point, I think we all knew that we were in for a bike segment that was about an hour slower than the typical tough Ironman bike course - like Wisconsin.  It was important to be patient and non-judgemental here - otherwise it would have been very easy just to call it a day.  I kept the faith that everyone was feeling exactly the same as I was - all we had to do was to keep making steady forward progress and it would be a successful race - though not even close to a PR.
So, right-left-right-left I kept pedaling.  If anything, I felt stronger and more confident on the climbs and less nervous on the decents during that second loop.  One last "insult" of a climb - on Snow Canyon Parkway and I was flying down into St. George to T2.  Finally! 
So, my sacro-illiac (S-I) joint - has been very painful since I dared to shovel heavy snow in January.  It had severely limited my bike training all spring and it made it very difficult to bike on race day.  Lots of pain.  Now, at T2, I could not stand up.  My legs felt disconnected.  I hobbled into the changing tent.  I had a great volunteer who helped me and put BioFreeze all over my back.  I was able to straighten up and with strides of about 2 inches per leg, I started to run. 
The IMSG run goes straight uphill immediately to Diagonal St.  Then Diagnonal St. is a steady climb.  Turn right on Bluff and the climb steepens again.  Then, the short out-and-back up to the Elks Lodge - even steeper.  All in all, the run gets gradually steeper as you climb for the first 3.5 miles of the course.  I ran until the last, steepest grade and then power walked - as it was almost as fast and allowed a lower heartrate.  When my HR got high, I felt a little queezy at this point and therefore, Gatorade and gels were not working anymore.  So, I kept my HR low enough with this walking to settle everything down.  I also went for the life-giving chicken broth - always magical at bringing me back from a fog in Ironman races.  Cola helped too.  Before I knew it, I was running down a 2 mile downhill and feeling pretty good again.  My stride was lengthening out and things were looking up!  In and out of the Pioneer Park path - with many short, steep hills and down to the turn around.  Everytime I crossed a timing mat, I looked up at the sky and said, "Hi!" to all of my friends and family who were watching Ironmanlive back at home.  It was so nice to know that they cared!
Back up the 2 mile uphill with the Pioneer Park hills and down the 3.5 miles to the halfway point.  All was well - I was enjoying the beauty, had found my rhythm and knew I had this race in the bag at this point.  I could do that loop again.  Not easy, but I could do it!
So, I did.  And as in all six of my IM's, time seemed to bend into a different speed.  The miles clicked away - faster than they do on my easy run days back home.  The sunset was extraordinary. 
So, after my slowest IM since my first 96 degree IMWI, I crossed that finish line.  Mike Reilly was there.  A super nice volunteer got me to the food tent.  There, Meghan, Brian and Sue were waiting there for me - a nice surprise!
My immediate thoughts were that IMSG was the hardest race of my lifetime of races.  It was tough - partially because I was apprehensive about everything from how my back would feel to the cold water - to "The Wall."  At first, I didn't think I would ever be back to do it again.  Of course, that only lasted until about 3 days later.  I will go back and improve on my time.  I can't wait to see those hills and mountains again.
But, for a novice, it might not be the best choice.  There is a very real chance of DNF at this race.  Many that I knew - did not finish.  Either the cold swim or the tough bike forced them to abandon this race.  And, if the winds had been any stronger on race day, we would all have been in some serious trouble out there on the desert. 
If you choose to take on the extra challenge that this race will give you - go with the right attitude.  Ready for challenges and slow times, but also ready to soak up the beauty of the area and enjoy the finish line even a little more than usual!