IMAZ Week 20 - The One Thing
Race week is finally here! Race week is finally here! (Oh shit, race week is here ;-) )
Hopefully your first week of taper went well and you are feeling healthy, or at least as healthy as anyone can feel after an IM build. Also I hope all of your admin / travel preparations are going well. Travel is stressful regardless and in my experience at least, IM travel can be even more so. For a stress free race week, download the checklist from the wiki or make your own and then work the checklist.
Since it's race week, it's finally time to talk about the "One Thing".
Key #4: The One Thing
Summary: During the course of your race day, expect your body to have a very convincing conversation with your mind: "Look, Mind, you've had me out here slogging away for 132 miles. This is really starting to get old and very painful. If I see another Strawberry Banana Gel I might throw up. You need to give me a good reason to keep going forward. If you can't give me a good one, I'm gonna slow down and you can't stop me!" If you don't have an answer ready, your day could be over right here.Advice: Before the race, you need to be able to answer the question: "Why am I doing this race?" In other words, you need to determine what is the One Thing that put you in this race? To finish in the daylight with a smile on your face? To run a 4:10? .
1) Whatever your One Thing is, be absolutely clear and rehearse your mind/body debate beforehand. Practice makes perfect and this is a critical thing to have ready for when your body starts to push back.
2) Be warned: your body can be a helluva good negotiator at mile 18, especially if your mind hasn't prepared its rebuttal arguments beforehand.
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Last year my one thing was clear and concise and it really was just one thing: my dad. He passed away the previous year, shortly before I made the trip to Arizona as a volunteer to get my '14 IMAZ spot. He was in my thoughts all day as I helped others towards their IM goals in '14 and he was in my thoughts on the course last year.
I'm sure he will be with me again this year, he liked the idea of IRONMAN: chasing after something that's out of reach, something that "normal" people think is crazy... But this year my one thing is really a lot of little things that all add up to one big family. My wife will be in Tempe cheering along with my youngest daughter and her two kids. My extended family will be there too. There's something about family, especially when it spans four generations, that gives you strength and determination and courage. So my family is my one thing.
Comments
race plan posted!
still working on my one thing!
Sorry about your tooth Tim
Wahoo! Race week is here!!!! Looking to be a very nice weekend for racing for you all.
Ill be helping out with Timing during the swim leg, and then out on the course on my MTB cheering you all on. If you need a race morning sherpa, I'll be there early for the prestart too, let me know what you need.
I am so very jealous and proud of where you all and how far you've come! Looking forward to cheering the all the EN red out there!
@Betsy & David: Thanks! Hard and not hard. I'm very grateful to be getting healthy finally, and extremely happy to be able to start training again instead of having to retire from endurance sports. An IM will not happen before 2017, but if it does you can bet it'll be IMAZ!
Ill post mine soon....promise!
Yea taper! -to much other sh!t going on I am appreciating the "extra time"
Yesterday was a 30 min swim TT @ RPP , then a 45 min bike TT @ ABP.... Then immediately called the dentist... Got in late afternoon... Sure enough I have a cracked molar, will need a root canal/ crown and possible worst case extraction/implant... Pain has subsided quite a bit from the peak a few days ago, they think I waited long enough the nerve is dead.... Had the tooth ground down to keep it out of the way of chewing , got some antibiotics to prevent infection, will keep my fingers crossed , and "The Real Dentist Appt" is scheduled for next week... Oh boy I can hardly wait!
Today- BIG FAT ZERO day - got the bikes cleaned up, new chains and rubber installed!
The group me messages have started. If you don't have group me you can download it from Google Play or the Apps store.
If you do have it and you want to stop getting the messages, you can turn them off via the app settings.
See you all tomorrow and/or Friday!