The Map for Success

Thanks for all the well wishes after my last post (Head Case).  After 5 days of feeling pretty miserable, I don't sound normal yet but I feel pretty good.  I even had an awesome tempo run this morning, the best one in about 3 weeks!  There is definitely something to be said for rest. 

Approaching the final 2 weeks (12 days!) of taper, I am excited and ready for race day.  I promised to share my specific race goals with you the night before the race, but today I'd like to share my reasons why I can achieve these goals.  Goals for a race are not something that I pull out of thin air.  Or my backside, for that matter. 

A goal without a plan is a wish.

1.  My training plan says so. 
Being the type A, over-achiever that I am, I have a training plan.  And I follow it.  And I keep a log of what I did, how I felt, what nutrition I used for the training session, what shoes I wore, etc.  I can look back over time and see where I've come.  My training plan maps out the season (with room for adaptation or adjustment as needed) and places me on the start line fully ready to race.  For Ironman, this is a 24-week progressive schedule of swim, bike, run, strength training, and recovery.  I can look back and see the work I've done.  I have confidence in my race because my training log shows me that I have completed the necessary training to achieve the goals I have set out for myself. 

When I look back in my plan for IMAZ I see that I have biked significantly more miles than I have in the build up to any of my previous Ironman events.  I also see that I have ridden significantly more long rides (14 rides over 70 miles, with 7 rides over 100 miles) than I ever have.  In my previous Ironman events, I never had more than 3 x 100 milers, and generally only 1 or 2!  And my running may not be the fastest it's ever been, but it is the most consistent.  My long runs are finished with my legs feeling strong and not overly fatigued.  I have stuck with speed work and focused on maintaining a strong pace in transition runs. 

The last time I trained through the summer (2009) I swore I'd never do it again.  This year, biking 100+ followed by a transition run has become so routine that I don't even notice that it's over 110 degrees outside.  I'm just doing what I have to do to be successful. 

And I can look back in my log and know that I've tested myself.  I haven't just sat back and cruised around town for 7 hours.  I've pushed the pace in my long rides, tackling intervals at half iron and Olympic race pace.  I've done time trials and hills.  Lots of hills.  I've pushed myself right to the edge of bonking and learned what it takes to keep myself from plunging over the cliff of dehydration.  On race day, I will know exactly how hard and how far and for how long I can push myself.  Because I have been there before. 

2.  I believe that I can.
One of my favorite motivational speakers, Bob Moad of Edge Learning Institute, says this:  "Anything vividly imagined and felt with emotion will be stored as reality in the creative subconscious."  And this, "We are going to consistently perform in alignment with what we believe to be true about ourself."  And (last one!) this: 

"You will see it, when you believe it."

This is not about blind faith.  This is not about "believing" you can do something for which you have not prepared.  (That sounds awfully close to the definition of insanity if you ask me...)  This is about being physically prepared, and then augmenting your training with mental preparation.  Visualization.  Seeing yourself going through the motions of race day, knowing what can go wrong and how you will address it, feeling the emotions and physical changes that your body will go through over 140.6 miles, and watching yourself cross the finish line, victorious. 

I used to have a visualization script that I'd read through the night before my race and I'd get excited and hoot and holler a little bit, raring to go.  Now, visualization is part of my every day training.  If I'm executing a particularly difficult training ride or run, I will think about race day and imagine myself at mile 80 of the bike or 16 of the run.  I will imagine working through fatigue, windy conditions, heat, sour stomach.  Whatever I am dealing with in training, I place myself in that situation on race day.  And I learn to deal. 

I also see my success.  When I am driving home from work at night, I'll turn off the radio and walk myself through race day in my head.  I see myself hitting my target goals for each component of the race.  I want my actions to be so rehearsed that on race day, I don't even think about what happens next.  I just execute.  I have phrases or mantras that I use in training to help me stay focused or realign myself with the goal if I get off track.  They have become a part of my thought pattern to the point that on race day, I only have to repeat my phrases to myself and think of nothing else. 

Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one's level of aspiration and expectation

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3.  I have set myself up for success. 
This sort of plays along with my first point, having a training plan.  But it really takes it a step beyond.  Having a long term vision and plan.  Last year I was contemplating my approach to 2012/ 2013 and was considering being done with Ironman and focusing more on trail running and ultras, with the ultimate goal being a 100 miler.  (Yes, on foot.  I know, I know.  Where does the insanity end?)  Though I have worked really hard to become the athlete that I am, I was not born with natural athletic ability.  I knew that I could not divide my attention between Ironman and ultrarunning and be successful in both.  I would always be sacrificing my performance in one area in order to train in another.  Ultimately, I knew if I gave up Ironman before I had seen what I could really do with the sport, I'd always look back and wonder.  So I made the decision to focus fully on Ironman, in pursuit of the World Championships via the Legacy Program.  In the process I wanted to work my butt off and see how fast I could really be. 

Having made that decision last spring, I read a book called In Pursuit of Excellence by Terry Orlick.  In his book, Terry asks you to choose a goal and work through a self assessment, identifying where you are, where you want to be, how you're going to get there, and how you're going to get back on track if you get distracted.  I worked through the assessment in May with the focus on becoming a stronger cyclist.  The target goal, obviously is IMAZ, though I was tested several times late summer at half-iron distance events.  Having not looked through my journal in several months, I was pleasantly surprised to open it in September and realize that I had achieved every step of the process that I outlined for myself in May.  I am on track to do exactly what I want to do in 12 days from now.  This knowledge further fuels my desire to do my best on race day and achieve the goal that I am trained to reach.       

"Bulletproof is a state of mind backed up by a training regimen that has pushed you beyond your perceived limits and has targeted the event you're attempting to run.  Your goal after passing through the training gauntlet is to emerge bulletproof."  Gary Dudley, Ultrarunning Magazine.

As the hours wind down and the clock ticks toward race day, I begin to reflect on the season and the people who have supported me along the way.  I am the one who did the work, but it wouldn't be possible without a few people to kick you in the pants during the journey.  And there are several people I'd like to thank... (for the sake of privacy, I've always used initials for individuals and never full names- but you know who you are...)

After my DNF at St. George one friend reached out to me and offered me a lifeline.  A very successful triathlete, BD invited me to come talk to him about my race and what went on, and he offered me some insights into overcoming my obstacles.  He also shared a very important sentiment which has become my mantra throughout my training.  He said that his goal for St. George was to win his age group (he did), and he reminded himself as he was battling horrific conditions in the swim and on the bike at St. George that "someone is going to win my age group today, it might as well be me." 

Those words resonated with me and I found that they were words that I could believe in and rely on to keep pushing myself.  I changed the sentiment to reflect my own goal for IMAZ and I have repeated those words over and over and over to myself when my body starts screaming "NO!".  My mind has learned to say, YES!, and continue to push.  Through the wind.  Through the heat.  Through the fatigue.  I will be forever grateful for his taking the time to chat with me when I was feeling really down about myself, and for giving me the most important tool that I carry into next week's race.  (Next week, when I share my specific goals, you'll get to see how I changed his vision and what words got me through the last 24 weeks.  Until then, it remains my little secret.)

"Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be."  George Sheehan

My physical therapist (Nate Snell at Endurance Rehab) has supported me not just this season, but for the last 3 years.  We have a weekly standing appointment at which he works on me and gives me exercises to improve balance, strength and flexibility.  I can rely on him to change things up just when I start to feel really strong and fit.  He keeps me humble, in a good way.  He cares about his patients and always has an encouraging word to say.  Without Endurance Rehab, my athletic career would have ended long ago. 

My team, TriScottsdale.  TriScottsdale is a low key group of like-minded folks who are as passionate about the pursuit of their goals as I am.  These high caliber athletes have become friends and training partners.  They challenge me on the race course, high five me at the finish, and cheer me on in training.  I look forward to seeing them on race day, on the course and on the sidelines.  I will push myself to my best, knowing I am representing this great group of people.           

"Running is not a private activity.  People are watching.  Show someone what it's like to want something."  Marc Parent

And lastly, my husband.  I have never met anyone who works as hard as he does.  He is the model of persistence, determination, consistency, perseverance and passion.  He isn't the fastest guy on the course, but he will outwork everyone and in the process achieve his goals.  I am so proud to walk through life with him.  He doesn't believe in doubt, or fear, or uncertainty.  Only in hard work, preparation and taking a chance.  On race day, I will be happy to compete beside him as I have proven I'm a bumbling mess of a spectator when he's racing.  I look forward to watching him give his best on race day, just as he has inspired me to do.  Baby, I'll see you at the finish line.       

"Somewhere behind the athlete you've become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love the the game and never looked back.   Play for her."  Mia Hamm