Faith in the Process; Ironman Training

Completion of 140.6 miles of racing takes many things.  Among them is faith.  Faith that you’ve put in enough training, the right kind of training, and that Mother Nature won’t have it out for you like at IMAZ a couple weeks ago serving up a cold and rainy day.

Here’s an example.  I was backpacking with our daughter in Sequoia National Park a couple years ago, 15 miles from civilization.  As we were putting the finishing touches on packing up for the hike back out, bidding adieu to the other family that had shared the campsite with us the previous night, their Mom mentioned that somehow she’d lost her wedding ring “like a complete idiot!  I washed my hands in the river 2 miles back and put the ring in my pocket for some stupid reason.”  She was certain that she’d never see it again, “but if perhaps you see it, could you pick it up?”  Are you serious?  Millions of acres of national park land and I’m going to find a dropped wedding ring?  I told I’d give it a try knowing that she was SOL as far as this ring went holding little hope that it would be seen by mankind again.

But if there’s one thing I’m good at, very good at actually, it's finding things. My daughter’s car keys, that misplaced earring belonging to my wife.  I don’t know why, maybe it’s chromosomal.  I enjoy the challenge of doing something others cannot and I’m patient.  Very patient.  Sort of like an iron distance event, right?

Typical of the trails in Sequoia National Park, California

So rather than hike at a break-neck pace like our girls, I took my time as we headed downhill out of Hamilton Lakes.  After about half an hour of absolute concentration staring at the rocks and plants about my feet, under, and around every possible crevice seeing nothing other than more rocks and more plants, I thought I noticed a hint of grey.  But aren’t wedding rings gold?  Most of the ones I know are.  It was just that this was something different.  Maybe it was a tent grommet, or portion of some tarp in the distant past.  As I bent over to retrieve it, I saw that indeed it was a ring.  A ring with initials engraved in it. It was a wedding ring.  THE wedding ring, the object of my search!  Hot dog!!

I’m not sure why but I’d had the forethought to get the woman’s mailing address.  Subconsciously cocky that I’d find it?  Yes, you may be right.  You are right.  But later this year, you will be going to the start line of an Ironman, maybe your first IM, and you have to have more than just a little confidence that you’re going to succeed at your challenge.  

The challenge of doing something that others cannot.  You have to have at least a touch of “attitude.”  I have a friend who was unsuccessful at her first IM attempt.  Depressed, pissed off, you name it.  She easily had the ability, but just needed "a little something," something to boost her over the top, past that psychological failure.  In her case, tires, or so I thought.  Not just any tires mind you, but "good luck" tires. She later signed up for a repeat try at the iron distance. so I did a little research on the upcoming course, talked it over with the pros at my local bike store, and took their recommendation on a pair of skins. When I presented them to her later, I emphasized the good luck nature of these babies.  I don't know if I made any difference or not but the next time I saw her she was an Ironman finisher.  And will be for the rest of her life!

 As for the ring, I mailed it back to the owner at her Michigan address when we got home.  Lucky me.  Lucky her.

So in the hours before your first Ironman, review in your mind the effort expended to get there, the personal and family sacrifice that permitted you a shot at achieving what has probably been a goal for a good long while.  Remind yourself that you have 17 full hours to finish this thing and that the goal, the only goal in your first attempt at this distance mind you, is finishing.  Be nice if the first stop after crossing the finish line isn’t the medical tent too!  Have faith.

How Do You Deal With an Injury Psychologically?

"Eventually, competition and adventure wane, and I enter my ibuprofen phase. Tweaky hamstrings and achy knees restrict mileage, but I continue running for health, sanity, and the ritual of a Sunday trail run with like-minded buddies. We discuss the nagging injuries that bedevil us, and remember the good old days when we were kings."
                                                                                                              Don Kardong

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     The personality issues associated with an injury can be quite depressing.  “It’s a stress fracture, I don’t want you to run for 6 weeks,” said b the doc but interpreted as the death sentence by the athlete.  Often times, when hearing this, the athlete’s initial reaction is a flood of tears!  Or patent denial.  The athlete informs the care giver that he/she is terribly close to qualifying for Boston and has the perfect race scheduled shortly.  They can’t possibly put their sport on hold.

    When injured and told to decrease or eliminate that activity which gives them joy and a sense of purpose, the triathlete sees a piece of themselves being taken away.  Some even believe that the restriction will last forever, like an image in facing mirrors at the barber shop, and they are losing personal control.  It can be complicated dealing with the emotional ups and downs that accompany athletic trauma.  Friendships through the sport are temporarily put on hold and the daily enjoyment/refreshment of the work out is lost.  One’s sense of achievement or identity is removed and it can be a bitter pill to swallow.  In many cases, understanding the emotional impact is as crucial as understanding the physical nature of the problem.  When the damaged body part requires a prolonged rehab and recovery, at least a light at the end of the tunnel can be seen.  But occasionally, when surgery is required or a season ending problem is diagnosed, down right depression can be the result.

    If an athlete is part of triathlon long enough, it’s virtually guaranteed that something will be injured at one time or another.  Some, unfortunately, many times as they bring previous medical and physical baggage with them with their desire to achieve.  So, if some type of pre-injury preparedness is undertaken the emotional blow can be lessened.  An effort is made to fill the daily time block allotted for training in some fulfilling way as this will soften the blow.  LifeSport coach Lance Watson compares this grief reaction to that of researcher Elisabeth Kubler-Ross who defines five stages of loss from her pioneering work with the terminally ill.  These are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance as seen in her classic text On Death and Dying.  If you think about this for a minute you’ll see that it’s quite applicable in this instance.  Indeed the injured party has lost the ability to race and train, possibly through no fault of their own.  Watson tells us to “reframe the injury.”  View it as an opportunity to work on our triathlon limiters in other areas.  He states, “Do as much as you can to solve the problem each day even if it’s only stretching and icing.”  Do your part so to speak. We’re told to “stay involved with what you love.”  Can you help out at local races, assist in set up, body marking, be a volunteer? It can also be a time to take care of things you’ve put off like chronic bike discrepancies and maintenance, repairing your rain gear or reading up on nutritional or recovery advances.  Finally, “look for the silver lining.” If you’ve been diagnosed with an issue that prevents you from running, perhaps you can make a short term “single sport block” as taught by Chicago based tri coach Ryan Riell.

View this as an opportunity to ramp up a very select part of your training to accomplish something that’s been holding you back in the past.  This will also force you to take ownership of the injury and increase your knowledge base as to the source of this type of damage.  It follows that it becomes your responsibility to ensure that the potential for recurrence is minimized.  In most all cases, the issue will be resolved and you’ll be back on the street in racing form.  And, you’ll also be a wiser triathlete.  

Knee Injections, A Look From the Inside

Hyalgan, Synvisc, Orthovisc, Quaker State, Knee Injections

With accumulated wear and tear, or even after trauma, the bone covering articular cartilage of the knee joint can erode.  You know it as arthritis. In addition to the various types of cortisone which can be injected, a class of agents focused on one of the building blocks of cartilage, hyaluronic acid, is also available for injection.  They are known as hyaluronate preparations and can be effective diminishing both joint pain and swelling.

These agents (Euflexxa, Hyalgan, Synvisc, Orthovisc, etc.) can be costly and are usually not considered until the patient is a failure to other conservative measures like limb strengthening exercises, Tylenol, possibly a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve.)  Frequently, injection of a corticosteroid (cortisone, steroid) would be tried given it's proven success rate and much lower cost.  These can be repeated over time.

Easily done as an office procedure, after sterilely prepping the skin at the intended point of injection, and aspirating any effusion (excess joint fluid) which may be present, the physician takes great care to ensure exact placement into the joint.  Depending on the product, there can be 1-3 injections and, other than the sting of the needle stick, seem to cause very little in the way of pain.  Post injection the patient is asked to refrain  from vigorous exercise (like triathlon!) for 48 hours.

The success rate in lowering pain and swelling while increasing patient activity levels can be impressive. Upwards of 80% patient satisfaction has been reported.  One company advertises “Over 1.8 million knees treated….and still going strong.”  It can be repeated if/when necessary.  And, if it’s included in a overall program to maintain/preserve knee health as well as forestall a larger procedure like joint replacement, it’s role is clear.

So, if you have osteoarthritis of the knee, and a hyaluronate is being considered by your care giver, it may be “just what the doctor ordered.” 

Our first two Ironman Champions 

33 Year Old Kona Memories Kept Alive/ Two Steve Smiths

33 Later, I Still Send a Kona Race Program

My first trip to Hawaii and my first try at this newly created Ironman thingy was in 1982, its 2nd year on the Big Island only 3 years after the first ever race on Oahu.  I was a hospital resident in Orthopedic Surgery at the time and my training buddy Ed and I were going to give this event a try.  Neither of us had ever done a triathlon but then neither had many of the others in the field. And heck, entry was only $100, so what did we have to lose? 

The headquarters hotel for that years race was the Kona Surf, now known as the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa located in Keauhou near the birthplace of King Kamehameha III.  Never having been to Hawaii, I made my reservations there and met a fellow Virginian named Ben with his family on my second day.  He mentioned they had an unused bed and that I should check out of my solo room and split one with them for the duration saving me a bundle of money.  I only had to be asked once.  We did a number of activities together during race week, finished our first Ironmans, and returned home to the Olde Dominion.  I visited his home 2 hours away once decades ago but otherwise have never seen him again. But I've been back to Kona over twenty times and make a point of mailing Ben Kendrick a race program every single time just to remind him that his act of random kindness has never been forgotten.

One time he contacted me, said we should do the race again.  We talked about what a different kind of beast it is this many years later and agreed that doing one is much better than doing none.

So, Thanks Ben, be sure to look in your mailbox in October for you-know-what. 

Ben Kendrick, Alii Drive 1982

How has the Hawaiian race changed since then?

Well, if you can imagine, in 1982 there were NO

Markers of any kind on the swim course

Energy lab

Time limits for anything; you finished when you finished

No qualification 

You just sent in an application

Second Kona story:

As you may know, I've written a number of pieces for Ironman.com over the years and this year, purely coincidentally I selected Steve Smith of New Hampshire for one of the many athlete profiles I was asked to contribute.  But those of you who been in triathlon for any length of time know that name.  Steve Smith #2 was from Indiana, had a string of triathlon wins, Iron distance victories, Kona age group wins, etc. as long as your arm.  Plus, he was a nice guy.  Sadly, Steve-O as his friends called him, passed away in 2014 following a three battle with cancer. If you'd like to see more check out http://bit.ly/1Hbo63X .

Our Steve Smith points out regularly that he's "the other one" downplaying his athletic virtues.  Pretty hard to do if you're on the podium after the 2015 Kona race.  "The last time I saw Steve-O," he says, "was in Hawaii in 2011 in the Energy Lab. He didn't look good, but then who does after 9-10 hours on the Hawaiian course?" 

This year, Steve was 3rd in the age group as he was leaving the Energy Lab "when my hamstrings struck!"  He'd been prone to hamstring cramps for years and it took 133 miles of racing for them to rear their ugly heads this time.  But, he was still on the stage at the awards ceremony the day following the race!  You just know that Steve-O would be right proud of the effort!

Steve Smith of New Hampshire, Kona awards ceremony, 2015

What do you say we meet at the Kona Post Office next October to mail next years program to Ben?

Do You Know Your Triathlon History?

 "Through early morning fog I see, visions of the things to be,
the pains that are withheld for me, I realize and I can see..."
                        Suicide is Painless, Johnny Mandel  (Theme to MASH)

Did any of this well known cast come from the original movie?

It's important to understand our triathlon history.  By history, I'm not only referring to the contributions of John Collins, Scott Tinley, Dan Empfield, Bob Babbitt and Joe Friel, but of the more recent experiences of everyday Joe Athlete who's walked the road you're on before you.  USAT thinks that this is important enough that it's the very first thing taught in the Coaching Certification Course for would-be coaches. In the words of George Santayana, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
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I met a young woman recently who had no clue that the TV show MASH had come from a very successful movie by the same name, and the movie from a book by Richard Hooker (actually a pseudonym for a surgeon named H. Richard Hornberger.) 

One of the reasons this truth hits home in the triathlon world is the very common tri forum post, "I just was looking at buying some of those new xyz carbon wheels and wondered if anyone had any experience with them?"  Or you noticed that in your last sprint tri, the athlete next you in the transition area finished the swim well behind you but managed to exit T1 well before you and you figure that cutting time off your transitioning is needed..  All you have to do is go to You Tube for videos like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brHcsqKM_mo and after a few practice sessions in the driveway - yes, the neighbors will stare at a woman in her wet suit standing next to her garbage can in suburbia but this is one of the small costs of excellence in triathlon - you'll be the queen/king of T1 and T2.

A terrific place to learn new things is the transition area before the race. Triathletes are proud folks and many like to talk.  I do pretty well in my age group and I can't tell you hoe many times a complete stranger will approach me and ask something like, "How come you have so few items in your transition set up?"  I then go right back to the video above, experience and the particulars of this specific race and we have a good give and take.  Just as often, I'll learn something from them like, "Well if you were to place your bike over there for this particular race you'll avoid much of the foot traffic."  This is also very true at races end before the finishers party when everyone is full of themselves, their accomplishments, and relaxed.

In short, take the time to read, to talk, to quiz others, understand the "history" of your sport and it's intricacies and you'll be faster, for sure.

You Know You're a Masters Triathlete/Ironman

Ready
"There's something happening here.  What it is ain't exactly clear."  Buffalo Springfield.

Masters Athlete...older than his baby face would appear.

Some of us, er, some of you have been around this sport for a long time.  As such you've seen fads (skid lids, long sleeved tri suits) come and go but now approach the sport with a little more casual eye.  If there's something you learn that can save you a few seconds in transition, but maybe it itches, you think "maybe tomorrow."  Here are a few other ways you know you're a masters triathlete.

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Aging up - being the youngest in your age group used to be a good thing, but the older age groups are often more fierce - and in some cases faster.

Masters prerogative - at swim team or in your Sunday bike group, you may at times employ MP in changing the work out or negotiating sets with the coach or fellow athletes, something you could never do as a youngster.

It's a Fine Line - you no longer have 14 or more workouts/week.  Hell, you're lucky if you get 7!  So when it's time to race, you're not sure if tapering will get you out of shape or the warm up gets you in shape.  It's a fine line.

Bodies - Many have taken their ailing shoulders, backs and knees to that place where the cutting is done.  In other words, butterfly is no longer an option, hill repeats (?) forget 'em.  At least your Ortho doc says so.  And so do you when you want to try the second one.

Adult beverages - relaxing with a glass of wine, or three, the night before a race was never an option.  But it is now!  In fact, it wouldn't be  uncommon to find a bottle of that great cabernet from the recent wine tasting mixed in with your race number and helmet in your suitcase.

Laughing out loud - everybody shows up at bike group, not because their parents or coach are making them, just because it's what you do..  I don't remember smiling or laughing this much during training as a younger age grouper. 

Doesn't Matter - Some have extended masters credentials.  They can't see, can't pee, can't hear but it just doesn't matter.  "Consider the alternative" is often heard finding it remarkable that you're still out here.

Morning math -  Having to think twice, maybe three times while swimming a complex set as you try to compute the interval (I screw this up all the time.)

Remembering when morning stiffness was a good thing.

Many thanks to Kirsten Read

Goal Setting 2016, Thanks to You the Readers!

When I buy cookies, I eat just 4 and then throw the rest away.  But first I spray them with Raid so I won't dig them out of the garbage later. Be careful though because Raid really doesn't taste all that bad.        Janette Barber

The most advanced SAFETY FEATURE this car has is THE DRIVER standing next to it. 

Thanks to you, the readers, from this author.

First, I want to thank all of you who:
                                                           
A) Sent me positive feedback on my pieces on Ironman.com during Ironman Championship week in Kona,The Athlete Profiles like http://bit.ly/1NSmCuH or http://bit.ly/1LSpzus were fun to do and even though not competing, it makes you a part of the race. I very much agree that it captures the feeling, the wonder, the absolute joy you experience at this terrific event.



                                                      
B) Commented on the piece I was privileged to write for LAVA Magazine recently, http://bit.ly/1l6XB5n :

Kona From the Perspective of a Snowed Under Bike Mechanic

C) followed me on Twitter as I'm over 1400 now.

D) took the time out of your busy lives to read this blog.  I'm at 6-10,000 hits per month and growing steadily thanks to you.  Who says a blog can't be fun?



Ironman support from your kids.  Can anything be better? Nope.

Below is a piece by motivational speaker Jim Rohn.  It's particularly well suited to the triathlete as he/she is reflecting on 2015 and planning the upcoming year.
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What goals did you set at the start of this year? Have you accomplished them? Personal development legend Jim Rohn says it's ok if you haven't yet achieved your goals. The more important question to ask is if you've started.

“The real value in setting goals is not in their achievement. The acquisition of the things you want is strictly secondary. The major reason for setting goals is to compel you to become the person it takes to achieve them,” Rohn says. Say you want to be a millionaire. The greatest value to becoming one is actually not the million dollars. (Seriously!) “The greatest value is in the skills, knowledge, discipline and leadership qualities you’ll develop in reaching that elevated status,” Rohn says.

"Answer this question: What kind of person will you have to become to get all you want?

Write down the kinds of skills you’ll need to develop and the knowledge you’ll need to gain. Your answers might give you some new goals for your personal development. Work on your goals. Your ability will grow to match your dreams. This is the magic of goal setting. The more you work on your goals, the more new opportunities will present themselves to you,” Rohn says.
You can make big changes in your life. “You can make startling changes you can’t even conceive of right now, if you just give yourself half a chance.”

Sounds good doesn't it?

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I think as triathletes, this is what we do as we prepare for the upcoming season.

Here's wishing you racing and training success, hopefully smart and injury free, in 2016.

Hope you never see the inside of this tent in 2013