Another one down. Muncie 70.3 Triathlon

I don’t know if I have bad luck or what, but Mother Nature has been providing some interesting interruptions on race day for me this year. First, it was in New Orleans where a lake turned into an ocean with incredible winds, and this passed race in Muncie, Indiana record setting temperatures forced race organizers to cut the race distance in half.

To say that I was frustrated would be a severe understatement. Why does this keep happening to me? Why do I drive half way across the country to have a race changed last minute? The answer to question 1, it doesn’t just happen to me, everyone had to deal with it, so get over it. Question 2, well it may seem crazy but I really do love to race, so driving across the country for the chance to push my body to the limit is more than worth it.

My final result wasn’t too bad on the day, I was happy with my overall time, and if it wasn’t for an unfortunate mechanical issue on the bike my good day could have been a great one. If anything, it was an opportunity to see where my fitness is and test out a race strategy in hot weather that will come in handy for racing the Ironman 70.3 World championships in Vegas.

I also found out a little about myself in terms of how my mind isn’t always on the same page with my body. It was extremely hot during the run portion of the race and my legs where ready to rock but my brain kept saying, “it’s too hot, maybe we should take it easy out here”. Sure, it was hot, and for some the conditions were dangerous, but I know that I am in great shape and that I have spent hours training in the heat to acclimatize my body for these situations. So, I pushed through and ended having one of the top amateur runs splits on the day, with a time that I can definitely hang my hat on.

I come across this mind/body battle almost every day when training my clients at Eco Fitness. Earlier this week, I was putting one of my clients through an intense interval session on the treadmill at higher speeds and incline than they would normally do on their own. I could see some doubt creeping in and the reps were starting to take their toll. She didn’t think she could possibly keep going, but somehow, someway she found that little extra to push through. Afterwards, she was in shock, she couldn’t believe she was capable of handling that intensity.  Needless to say she found out a little about herself.

Of course it helps to have someone push you, but testing yourself on a regular basis is great way to help you reach those upper fitness goals. Maybe try to hold your planks a little longer, jack the incline up on the treadmill, stack some extra weight on the bar, or put one more quarter turn of resistance on the bike and have a workout that you can hang your hat on.

Get moving. Keep Moving.

Ian