The Branson 70.3 is this month! I can't remember exactly when I signed up, but it was months ago. If you look at the official website and review the participants, you'll see my name. That means I have to do it. There's no getting out of it now.
It is not hard to believe that the time is close. It seems like I've been waiting and training for eternity. I'm convinced that the best triathletes in the business are very patient. Of all the attributes that you might assign to a top notch racer, you cannot leave off patience. Sure, there is physical ability, strength, endurance, tactics, nutrition and whatever else you need to win, but don't forget about the ability to train hour after hour, day after day without quitting.
I'm not saying I have that ability. Not at all. So far that has been my biggest weakness. Not that I haven't been faithfully training. I've been pretty consistent, but nothing on the order that will win me the gold. For instance, I'll go out in the evening and ride for an hour or so. That'll give me 18 or 20 miles on the Katy Trail. Or when I run I'll do 5, 6, 7 miles. Not exactly a marathon. Then there's the swimming. Swimming, how dost I hate thee?! It's not that I hate swimming per se, it's that I have to do it on some one else's time, so that means dragging out of bed at 5:30 to swim before work. I'll usually get 1100 to 1500 or so yards in per swim. (Don't worry, I have actually swam 1.2 miles, but more on that tomorrow, maybe.)
At some point during a workout I start having this conversation with myself.
"OK, we've been doing this for a half hour, forty-five minutes, can't we do something else."
"No, I'm sorry, we have a few more laps/miles to go."
"But I'm bored!"
"Well, that's too bad."
"Let's go home!"
"Do you want to finish this 70.3 or not?
"Yes, I guess."
"Then keep swimming/running."
I think I've had that conversation with my kids as well.
So I believe the best racers must posses the patience (and discipline) to stay with their training, even when their "A" race is months away. If we expect to run today and then run faster/lose weight/have more energy tomorrow, then we are kidding ourselves. It's going to take day after day, sometimes monotonous work in the heat of the day or in the freezing cold of winter before we see any results.
Hey, I'm going to make a DVD and sell that on an infomercial! Work out day after day for months on end and mind your diet and you'll get in shape and lose weight! It's that easy!
It is not hard to believe that the time is close. It seems like I've been waiting and training for eternity. I'm convinced that the best triathletes in the business are very patient. Of all the attributes that you might assign to a top notch racer, you cannot leave off patience. Sure, there is physical ability, strength, endurance, tactics, nutrition and whatever else you need to win, but don't forget about the ability to train hour after hour, day after day without quitting.
I'm not saying I have that ability. Not at all. So far that has been my biggest weakness. Not that I haven't been faithfully training. I've been pretty consistent, but nothing on the order that will win me the gold. For instance, I'll go out in the evening and ride for an hour or so. That'll give me 18 or 20 miles on the Katy Trail. Or when I run I'll do 5, 6, 7 miles. Not exactly a marathon. Then there's the swimming. Swimming, how dost I hate thee?! It's not that I hate swimming per se, it's that I have to do it on some one else's time, so that means dragging out of bed at 5:30 to swim before work. I'll usually get 1100 to 1500 or so yards in per swim. (Don't worry, I have actually swam 1.2 miles, but more on that tomorrow, maybe.)
At some point during a workout I start having this conversation with myself.
"OK, we've been doing this for a half hour, forty-five minutes, can't we do something else."
"No, I'm sorry, we have a few more laps/miles to go."
"But I'm bored!"
"Well, that's too bad."
"Let's go home!"
"Do you want to finish this 70.3 or not?
"Yes, I guess."
"Then keep swimming/running."
I think I've had that conversation with my kids as well.
So I believe the best racers must posses the patience (and discipline) to stay with their training, even when their "A" race is months away. If we expect to run today and then run faster/lose weight/have more energy tomorrow, then we are kidding ourselves. It's going to take day after day, sometimes monotonous work in the heat of the day or in the freezing cold of winter before we see any results.
Hey, I'm going to make a DVD and sell that on an infomercial! Work out day after day for months on end and mind your diet and you'll get in shape and lose weight! It's that easy!
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