Jedi Mind Tricks

I am a young Jedi when it comes to mental training. But, I am unlearning what I have learned -- in many respects. First off, I'm unlearning silence. I am lucky: so far, I've had company on most of my workouts. Michelle, Beth, Erica, Jen M., Jen Y, Nicole, Jess, Renee, Leanne and Ben - have been joined me in my recent swims, rides and runs. They are patient with my heart-rate workouts. They help me keep pace, they  help pass the time. We laugh and plan and tell stories. We out-run dogs and the heat. I am so lucky that what I was told could be a lonely journey has turned into a party at times.

Of course, many of my runs have been alone....and more are coming. I've added two more workouts each week (up to nine now) and I know I will be doing a lot of them in solitude. Some say silence is golden and I admit there are moments that I LOVE the quiet. However, I've known for a while that out of the quiet comes discouragement and apathy. My mind can concoct a zillion ways to tell me in the middle of a three-hour ride that I'm too tired, or that this is hard, or that I really don't need to finish the whole workout.

I am unlearning how to talk to myself in the quiet. Instead of listening to the voice that says: turn around, young jedi, I'm redirect my thoughts. In fact, I think of Yoda a lot.  Do or do not. There is no try, I hear him say. I hear Obi Wan: use the force. [By the way: which makes me crazier? signing up for a half-iron tri or hearing voices? Don't answer that.]




In truth, I try to memorize quotes. I like this month's:

Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today? [Peter Maher - Olympian]

I play a few mind tricks to make the time go by a little faster. From the very start of my training years ago, I began to count from one to one hundred and one hundred to one in french. All to the beat of my footfalls. Lately, I've added conjugating verbs in french! I run: Je cours, tu cours, il court, nous courons, vous courez, elles courent. I go: Je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont.

I also alphabetize my gratitudes as I go. I think of all the things I'm grateful for this week. Many are people. Most are foods. Here's a sample from last week:

A - ACE Engineering
B - Beth Sheppard joining me for sunrise over Dillards
C - champagne tasting at wine sampler
D - ditching one run workout
E - excellent melon and honeydew salsa
F - fire rocket red visit with angela
G - grady white social with beth and the swim for zoe trial run
H - halyburton run with jess and beth
I - indian spiced okra
J - jenna shaw
K - key lime pie ice cream
L -  lake run with erica, injanca, leanne, ben and tina
M - michelle and jen m. and our ride to rocky point
N - nikki's sushi
O - oleander produce fresh peaches
P - porch yoga
Q - quiet
R - running in the rain for 3.1 miles
S - stopping to visit louise from hallsboro
T - top ten reasons to cycle indoors presentation
U - uno with the bailes
V - visit with lisa and mattie
W - walk with sugaree at 5am - shooting stars!
X - new runner's world issue arrived [x can be any letter]
Y - you
Z - zebra stripe idea for birthday cards

I'd love to know your jedi mind tricks. Until then, I'll be practicing mine.

State of the Heart

Many of you have asked about my triathlon training and I think it's high time that I start documenting some of the journey. As of today, I am seven weeks into my half ironman training and 16 weeks away from RACE WEEK!

First a little background: for the first time in several years I'm using a triathlon training plan. My new best friend is Don Fink - a triathlon and running coach and author of Be IronFit. I don't actually know him and I've never seen him, but I am following his advice and his training plan to get me across the finish line on October 29. His method entails heart-rate training. His belief is that "effective heart rate training is the best way to maximize your training benefit and minimize your training time."

I read the book twice before I even signed up for the B2B. I compared the plan to two others I trusted. I asked two local iron triathletes. [Both said, yes, it's a great idea! I've never done it, but it's supposed to work!] I debated, drew straws, thought twice, listed pros and cons and finally committed. Two things sold me. First, THIS ARTICLE by Mark Allen. Second, the picture below of my friend and iron-distance triathlete Renee Griffin! I watched as she crossed the B2B half iron finish line. She was laughing and smiling and practically dancing across with her two daughters. Plus, she was FAST!

My first step: calculate my proper heart rate zones. I started with the standard 220-my age = Max Heart Rate equation. I compared it to Mark Allen's method and tweaked it with the Karvonen method. My next step: stay in the zone. The first phase of the plan is ten weeks of building an aerobic base by staying in Zone 2 -- 75%-85% of my maximum heart rate -- which is about 133bpm - 155bpm. I set my Garmin 405 and set out on my first run. 

 

I learned a lot in that first week on the bike and on the run. First, my runs are a lot slower in zone two. My natural pace for short runs is about 8:50/mile. At that pace, though, my heart-rate jumps up to zone three. In order to stay in the zone, my pace slowed to nearly 11:00 minutes per mile! I also started tracking all the things that make my heart-rate jump:

1. waving to neighbors
2. the hills on Masonboro Sound road
3. nearly hitting a squirrel that has stopped in the middle of the road
4. a flat tire on mile two of my first bike ride
5. negative thoughts [I'm going so slow, this is ridiculous, I'll never meet my goals]
6. positive  thoughts [OMG! This IS working! I feel so much better! I could ride all day!]

I have learned so much in what my training partner calls OPERATION BASE PHASE [thanks, JYo]. Stay tuned for more adventures in the next few weeks, including mind games, racing dogs and getting the drift.

Gotta Run!