Mental Buffer
I have noticed that in training and racing I tend to pace myself with somewhat of a "buffer". I seem to go at a pace that feels as fast as I can handle but when I know that I am within reach of the finish I can suddenly push that little bit harder. It is difficult to explain because I am pushing hard but my body/subconscious seems to be protecting me from blowing up. The OS has taught me to push harder than ever before but there is still a feeling of leaving a little bit on the table.
Should this be something that I work harder at overcoming or will it come naturally with more racing?
Is it at all beneficial in ironman racing?
If I should work on this, what are some techniques to start pushing to the absolute limit?
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Comments
1. It teaches you to expand your definition of hard work...and we all become junkies to killing ourselves on these workouts.
2. There is a design inside these workouts where by you get enough work to incrementally improve over time, without having a highly increased potential for injury and burnout.
So, MY opinion would be to understand that you CAN continue to push harder, to an 'absolute limit', but you should reserve those efforts to the last few run miles in your races because pulling out all the stops during training poses too high a risk of injury. You mentioned IM training specifically, and, I heard something (I think from Al T) that I will repeat...in IM training, you are training as much for tomorrow's workout as today's each day; meaning, IM training is about a consistent, day in and day out over a long period of time (12-20 weeks), effort...not killing it Monday and Tuesday and sitting on the sidelines recovering until Sat and Sun.
Just my thoughts...
Learning how to pace a race is of course a significant key to success. The fact you are aware of what your body is letting you do is an important element of being able to pace well.
I think the best way to train for pacing is to open up your awareness during your normal workouts. Learning what your body is capable of at various levels of effort and attempts to hold pace/power is part of what is improving during a training program. Just as your muscles and heart are getting fitter, so is your brain, even the parts of it "you" are not aware of. You're learning the best way to race is just get out of the way and let your trained body/brain do the work.
While "pushing to the limit" means something different in an Ironman than in a 5K, the concept is the same; its just the time frame and effort level which are different. The model you are describing will work in any race.
Stay on this path; it will lead to success.
I definitely understand the importance of consistency in training. I was concerned that I was building a mental pattern of never pushing to the limit and subsequently never breaking through that limit. I am also very interested in the mental aspect of training/racing and what can be done to sharpen those tools. I think that is a huge aspect of why the EN formula is so successful. It encourages you to truly think about racing/training. My first OS has been very helpful in as Al says above "opening up my awareness" (really like that description). I feel I can read what my body is doing much better than I ever have in the past and am starting to understand what that means in performance terms. I like the idea of using a test every once in a while to just go for it and see what happens.