The annual Come to Jesus/Trust the Plan/Don't Think Thread!!!
Was just having this discussion offline. Thought others could benefit from the advice. It comes up every year about this time...
It is the SILLY season. People have embraced the EN philosophy all winter, done the OS, worked the plan. However, it is about now that the summer IM folks start to do something very dangerous and start to THINK for themselves...
...I do not think my long runs are long enough...billy is doing another 130 mile ride this weekend...I think that if I run 23 miles this weekend with Sam on "tired legs" it will help me get used to what I will feel on race day...etc. STOP!
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO THINK. NO ONE IS PAYING YOU TO THINK. THINKING IS A BAD IDEA. WORK THE PLAN. THE PLAN IS GOOD. TRUST THE PLAN. R AND P KNOW MORE ABOUT IM TRAINING THAN YOU DO. IGNORE EVERYONE. DO THE WORK. DO NOT DO MORE.
If you feel that you really must think at this point devote your time to the really useful stuff like the aero advantages of shaving your eyebrows, whether you really need an extra pair of sneakers in your SN bag, or if you are going to do a back handspring across the finish line [which I think would be really cool BTW] etc.
Good luck 
Comments
I, like, know this dude, he was thinking of thinking.....
My $0.02: after ten+ years of training for IMs on various plans, with some success, I can safely say that the EN plans (at least the adv. IM one I follow) are HARD ENOUGH.
x3
WORKWORKS......nuff said.
Too funny of a post Chris, and good info for all.
Yes, I agree, the EN plans are challenging enough, no need to extend any further thank you very much. I'm all about the 'less is more' approach if possible.
As for shaving the eyebrows to be more aero, that may be a bit too much...the hair there makes up for the loss on top of the head.
Good stuff!
Just how much did RnP pay you????
We don't pay Chris and he buys us beerz when we see him. There is a lesson to be learned there...
I could not agree more with what chris said, trust it.
Just smile. And when you put those mad execution skillz on top of the EN training, guess who have the last laugh.
Same goes for race execution.
Great timing with this thread...it is SO true though. This IS that time of year for sure!
chris, it is that kind of thread that makes you a WSM. thanks.
I also appreciate the timely reminder as I prep for IMWI. Just like we focus on executing the race - need to focus on executing the prescribed work outs.
Pretty much, well kinda. There IS a lot to learn and a lot to absorb. What you do NOT need to do is start making major changes this close to the start line. We all second guess ourselves, it is natural. IM is scary, it is normal to feel unprepared no matter what you have done. "Maybe if I do the whole IM 3 weeks out I will then know I can do it on race day and crush it?" Keep your head down and keep doing what you have been doing and you will put yourself in the position to do well. If you have not been doing the work you are screwed at this point anyhow, might as well have some fun with it.
It is hard to explain. I'm bored so I will try. Take Manny Ramirez for example. It can be argued that [besides huge talent and maybe some help from PED's] the key to his sucsess has been that he seems to never get nervous. Be it stickball with some friends or game 7 of ALCS, 2 outs in the 9th, the guy approaches every pitch the same way. Does not tense up. Does not try too hard. Same thing every time. It has also been said that the reason he can do that is because he either actually does not really care or is mentally ill. I am not suggesting peeing in the scoreboard or traveling with a midget will help on race day. The point is that keeping calm and focused is the key. Letting the pre IM mania get to you will not help anything. It may hurt.
Taper madness is a bit of a different animal but related. I think it is that once you cut down on the volume and are not as exhausted all the time the thinking kicks in, you start to drive your loved ones nuts, think about adding in an extra 20 miler etc.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I have actually put extra sneaker in my SN bag in case the other ones fell apart somehow
That's funny - I have the opposite thing happening. This was the email someone sent to the group I ride with some weekends:
"I’m planning on riding for 4 hours (easy ride) tomorrow morning."
ARGH!
Great group and it's nice to ride with others, but...
Thanks for the reminder to practice my back handspring though...
chris
this article is dead on. After 8 IM's, my 2 cents, pre race does some crazy ass stuff to your brain. You know, you go to the expo and see the carbon fiber widget that will save you 5 grams and get you a third of a second. Don't be the guy or girl that spends 7 hrs at the expo and talks yourself into being stupid. If you haven't bomb proofed something in your training then the last place to try s-thing new is right before a race.
also don't be the guy who stares out his hotel window at the folks running marathons and then start that fight with yourself. You know," if everybody else is doing that, I should be doing that." This doesn't just apply to 1st timers, I've tried to do some stupid stuff on my 7th IM(latest drink X) so nobody is exempt. I laughed about the shoes in special needs because I think back to what some of mine looked like and the bag wasn't big enough for all the crap I tried to put in there.
I still have trouble with not being stupid on the bike. It took me a long time to let people go by me and blow up on the bike. Now with power, I look at the meter and it is simple. If you think about chasing and being stupid, think about those same folks walking the run talking about their killer bike, it's a long walk.
I know come race week in LP, if and when I try to be stupid, I will come back to this laugh and snap out of the stupid attack. Great topic, Trust the plan, Coach R and P aren't making this stuff up and we are paying money to trust them. I don't have to second guess the work I've done, prepare and most importantly, enjoy the day. We spend a fourtune to do these things and spend the year drilling it for this moment.
This needs a bump. People are super mental.
...but I read on x forum that an XX taper is .... zip it ... follow the plan
@Kitboo - looking forward to the handspring!