So I’ve got my 1/2IM this coming Sunday… and there’s schtuff happening at work which is very distracting to say the least. I am finding it hard to keep a good mental focus during my taper because of this schtuff. I have only a few key short sessions left, which I can get through, but I am more worried about race day. Usually I am very good at maintaining focus, but I think it’s going to be tough this time.
Suggestions? If it wasn’t taper week, I’d go beat it out of myself with a killer workout day.
Better to go in rested. I have never gotten worked up about tapers and hard workouts. Tris are not my job, just a way to make life better. I have had some of my better races with less training.
This was me last week. Family issues and then race day came and my mind wasn’t on the race and the day went to crap. Keep the big picture in mind (which can be hard to do about mile 10 of the run).
The week before Lake Placid, I found out I have 2 tumors in my chest. Sure, it made me lose focus, but then I remembered that triathlons are fun, and perspective is important.
Taper is hard on a lot of people. It makes you feel fat and lazy while your body transitions from ‘tired’ to ‘rested.’
But think of all you’ve done to get to Sunday, and now it’s in your sights.
And remember…you’re AndyPants, and we’re not. So you have to kick ass.
Cold beer (even a picture thereof) is way more motivating than anything SAC could ever say
Leave work at work. You can’t fix anything at work while you are swimming, riding, or running, so don’t even think about it.
Come up w/ a gameplan for your race, and focus on trying to make that happen, and what you will do in any contingincies on race day. Way more fun than thinking about work.
Visualize yourself hitting all of your key splits, and kicking ass. And you will.
Funny, I have actually been writing a real race plan (first one ever), and I think it has been helping, for sure. Kind of like removing the element of thinking required during the race. Just follow the plan and it’ll all be fine.
I had planned on spending the rest of the week on ST ha ha…
I figure I will tape SAC’s words to my bike handlebars (“isto e que e vida”)… or a picture of a cold beer.
I think SAC would have loved the race at Lake Placid. There was a sign at the side of the road with a bottle of beer (empty I checked)taped to it, and on the sign it said
“Hurry up skinny, they are getting warm.”
Funniest sign ever. I was killing myself laughing.
Try not to be hard on yourself. I’ve only done 1 tri but when it comes to road races (running and bike) my mind can really play tricks on me. When I find myself mentally wandering where I shouldn’t go before a race…i.e. troubles at work and other big life pressures I try to gently steer my mind away from it. Gently. When you catch yourself “sinking” or “going there” or whatever you want to call it…gently remind yourself where you would like your mind to be and place it there. Stay there as long as you can. Repeat. Do your best and let this newbie know how it goes! I will be doing my 1st Olympic distance this Sunday. I will think of you! Good Luck! Be well!
Not your A race so don’t sweat it, do what you have to do to get through the week (work, family, the odd workout) On Friday afternoon start to get your mind round to racing, go throgh all the mental checklist, visualisation etc. Then just race, race hard. The result is going to be what it is, don’t worry about that part of it as there are too many things that will/can affect results.
Thing is you know physically you are good for it, the rest is between your ears. That you can control to a large degree. Once you make the decision to control it - most of the battle is won.
hey SAC…what about people like Natasha Badman? She’s always smiling…and she wins. IF she isn’t going hard enough and she still wins I’d hate to see what she could do if she weren’t smiling.
