Mental Fortitude
One of the rules of training is that every training session should have a defined purpose – building endurance, working on form and increasing speed are some standard goals. I’ve also spent training sessions working on learning to run slowly, increasing my running foot-strike cadence and testing my nutrition plan.
At this point in my Ironman training (with exactly 21 weeks to go), my training session goals are generally focused on building endurance or working on form. However, another very important goal throughout race preparation is training the mind and acquiring mental strength – for example, the strength to believe that your goals are attainable, the strength to focus on the physical goals you’re trying to achieve and, of course, the mental strength to endure the hours and hours of training required to compete in an Ironman.
This weekend was a good one for that final mental conditioning goal of simply enduring. This winter has been very mild; we’ve had some pretty cold days and some rain, but we haven’t had any snow worth remembering. On Friday though, New York finally got hit by a big snow storm of the year. The snow started falling in the morning and before sunset we’d gotten about six inches. Then, for the rest of the night and into early Saturday, there was off-and-on rain and sleet. It is New York City and the streets were clear of snow long before I got up Saturday morning, but it was still wet, icy and just plain nasty outside. I had a 3:30 ride planned for the day and realized that if I rode outside I’d just be asking to get hurt. So, I set up the trainer, put “Inside Man” in the DVD player and got to riding. After part of “Sportscenter”, all of “Inside Man” and half of “Blood Diamond”, I finally got off and went out for a short run.
It really wasn’t until about the end of “Inside Man” that I started begging for mercy. The first 2:45 was fine and I pushed through the next fifteen minutes, but that last half hour got exponentially more excruciating as each minute slogged by. My legs were tired, sure, but worse than that, my brain was tired. Normally, when I get on the bike or go for a run or start swimming laps, the physical motion of propelling myself forward is natural and I don’t need to think about the next step or stroke. Riding the bike, watching the seconds tick by, I put my brain into overdrive to keep up the intensity and even to just will myself to continue turning my legs over. I wanted nothing more than to get off that damn bike. But then I remembered feeling that way in the final miles at Lake Placid last year and I knew that this training session was a key moment in my base training – if I quit on the trainer after just three hours, what would happen after nearly twice that much time on the bike at Lake Placid in July?! I finished the ride – though not quite as strong as I started it – and finally got out for a nice run in the cool and fresh air.
This morning, I got up and dug deep inside that well of mental strength and put the bike back on the trainer for another 2:15. It was a beautiful morning and I probably should have gone outside, but the goal for today’s ride was “recovery” – a nice easy spin to get the lactic acid out of my muscles. So, I decided to stay in, watch the morning news shows and teach myself a little more about how long I could last on the trainer. I can’t describe how happy I am that those five and a half hours are done!
Back update: I’m feeling much better and once again thinking very optimistically for Boston and the triathlon season beyond. I had more good days than bad ones this week and in general, my back didn’t “hurt”. It seems that as long as I remember to get up out of my chair at work at regular intervals and to stretch often throughout the day and to ice and use the trigger point ball at night, I can keep the discomfort away or to a minimum. I think I’m going to get a massage this week and I have a physical therapy appointment on Thursday evening. Barring a setback, Boston is solidly back on the calendar.
Bike – February 17
Distance: 36.8 miles
Time: 2:00
Average heart rate: 122
Course: Sag Harbor, Southampton
Conditions: High 30’s (real feel low 30’s), overcast, some wind
Run – February 19
Distance: 9 miles
Time: 1:15:30
Average heart rate: 160
Treadmill – hill workout (total feet climbed: 701)
Swim – February 20
Distance: 3,000 yards
Time: 1:00
Strength – February 20
Indoor bike – February 21
Time: 1:15
Average heart rate: 129
Run – February 21
Distance: 5.5 miles
Time: 45 minutes
Average heart rate: 138
Course: West Side Highway
Conditions: Cold (low 30’s), clear
Swim – February 22
Distance: 1,700 yards
Time: 30 minutes
Strength – February 22
Brick – February 23
Indoor Bike
Time: 3:30
Average heart rate: 118
Transition: 5:35
Run
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 17 minutes
Average heart rate: 142
Course: Washington Square Park
Conditions: Low 30’s, cloudy
Indoor bike – February 24
Time: 2:15
Average heart rate: 121