Mental toolbox for IM racing and training

Good question Kathy.  On the swim I was counting stokes.  I knew how many stokes a lap was in the pool so I was counting stokes to kinda guage how far I'd come.  At some point I gave that up and just relaxed and enjoyed the swim.  I looked around at all the swim caps and thought "this is SO COOL!  I'm doing a damn Ironman!!!"  I  was so pumped on the swim...the time just flew by.

I spent 7 hours on the bike and I guess I thought about everything imaginable.  Didn't really have a mantra.  Just kept moving. 

Like you mentioned, the run tended to focus on the next mile.  I set a time goal for each mile and did my best to meet each goal.  The only thoughts of "DNF" that came to me was when I saw other people go down and heard the ambulance.  That is when I would give extra effort to eat and drink so I stayed fueled. 

~Mike

There were two things that got me through some of the darkest times at LP last year. One was planned for and the other was a totally random.

1). One of my training partners who ultimately went to Kona last year gave me this bit of advice.

Pack a few scraps of paper in your SN bag and a few more in a plastic baggie to carry with you on the run. Before things start to get pearshaped, pull out one or more of these scraps of paper and read it to yourself.

These can have anything on them, from bits of inspiration from race reports, notes from friends, quotes etc. Make it as random as possible as to what comes out.

In addition to some notes from a few friends that I did not read before hand, I also packed clips from a few BT IM race reports as well as a few posts. It was pretty cool to read these things out on the course. "I Love You" was the best one I read by far. (I started balling right there at the turnaround on the back side of loop 2)

2). Get to know  the folks your racing with

Last year was my 5th Tri Season but the first where I actually knew other Triathletes.

When I first got into this sport, I  trained alone and there were no Tri Clubs in the area where I live. I raced 4 seasons showing up for races not knowing a soul.

IMCal and IMLP were the first Triathlons I ever did where I knew people out on the course. Because of the out-and-back nature of IM courses, you get to see a lot of people a bunch of times.

The suprise was that it was always at the darkest moment that I would see someone that I knew and give them a high five or a shout. It really cheered me up to know I was not alone out there.  Many of them were BT Folks and quite a few I had met that weekend at the warmup swim.

During the swim, I'd sing to myself in my head.  I'd get a couple of songs and sing them over and over.  The beauty of Lake Placid, and other courses as well, is that it's two laps so you get to flip the record over (OK, shoot me, I'm old school....change the CD) at the halfway point!

On the bike, I'm a sightseer, pure and simple.  I look at the foliage, the guy out in his yard mowing the lawn, the fly fisherman, the brooks and rivers.  Lake Placid is a great course for this too.  And I'm a people watcher.  I'll make comments to the spectators as I ride.  To the 60 year old guy applauding as I ride by, "So am I going to see you out here next year doing this?"  A woman standing outside her house gets, "I'll wash your windows if you'll bake me some chocolate chip cookies!"  Anything for a laugh.  I'll hand out compliments to those riders I pass or who pass me.  Anything to keep your head in the game.

On the run, it's all about counting and calculating.  I see how many hours I have left, I know the distance by the mileage signs, so I do the mental gymnastics.  "Let's see...XX miles in 5 hours and 20 minutes means YY pace per mile."  Check my watch for the next mile, and I'm 3 minutes per mile above that with 20 miles to go so I have an hour in the bank.  2 miles later I'm doing it all over again.  The pace is slower so I have more time to thank volunteers and make more hilarious comments.  Wear something unusual on the run so that people will remember you.  A running shirt that says on the back "If you see this body by the side of the road, return it to the finish line" will crack up everyone who passes you.  Sing songs, sing out loud, who cares what you sound like.  Pick out several landmarks and run from one to another.  The horse show grounds, the corner of River Road, the twisty "S" turn a couple miles later, the River Road turnaround, the "S" turn again, back to the corner, the horse show grounds, the bottom of the steep hill into town, the top of the hill at mirror lake, the turn around.  Make it a goal just to get to the next one, ad infinitum.  Look for friends, interact with them a lot.

writers2 - 2008-05-01 6:05 PM This is a great thread. Thanks Kathy for starting it. I hope it keeps up! In my training, I sure have experienced the highs and lows so far. Plus, being in my own mind for hours at a time is pretty lonely. Any advice on how you can stand yourself for so long anyone? Rhonda

I do all my running and riding alone which I think really helps with the fact that you will be out there by yourself for so long. I did Redman Iron Distance last year which unlike an IM brand with 2000+ athletes and a ton of spectators there were 300 or so athletes so a good portion of the time it was just you and nature.

I think a good 6 hour ride by your lonesome really helps prepare for the day.

I don't believe you Rob..you take jabs at me every time you can...I don't care what you think....

LOL...I remember how paranoid you were that my calculations were off and we wouldn't make it.  Hell, I had 17 minutes to spare!!! 

Great thread Kathy! Thanks for starting. I do think all these things help- at least they have in my mary and my HIM. Maybe some people don't think so, but the majority seems to think it's a good thing.

Max, you are so funny. I would like to race with you sometime. I bet the time just FLIES by.

I also sing songs (but only in my head as not to annoy others since I am BAAAAD) and I am also a sightseer/people watcher. Sometimes I'll make stories up about people I see. Not bad stories, good stories. Like when I see a couple racing, I'll decide they are celebrating an anniversary, or that they just got engaged. When I see a parent and child racing, it's to celebrate someone's birthday, or perhaps someone's good health, etc. I also do this in restaurants. My brain works so funny all the time! It doesn't matter that I have no idea what their story is, I'll come up with one I think is inspirational or good and that's the one I'll think about.

Well get yourself over to New England!  If you don't mind a large blow-up air bed, we have a free place for you to stay.  There are actually plenty of us here who could keep you entertained during a race.  To paraphrase Jimmy Buffett, if we couldn't laugh, we'd all go insane! 

There is some great advice here, particularly answering the question as to why you are doing this.  This is important, particularly in training, as you will likely end up having doubts at some point and asking yourself that question.  Having that answer and being able to tell yourself to shut TFU helps get you through the tough patches in training sessions and the race. 

Also, I find it particularly useful to quite the mind and shut off at points during the race, i.e. get in a rythem and go on autopilot.  The IM is a very long day and just as draining mentally as it is physically, if not more so, and it is good to take breaks from thinking about sometimes.  There is a balance with this, so don't go to sleep and forget your nutrition or let your HR get out of control.

Finally, soak the atmosphere in and take a look at the people around you when you need the extra motivation.  To me, generally being around other triathletes that signed up the year before and have endured the training, suffering the course and conditions, all with a common goal of finishing, is an inspiring thing in and of itself to get through the difficult points.

Recognizing that there will be tough patches and having a plan to deal with them is very important.

Train your body and train your mind.  Do not allow yourself to think negative thoughts.  You CAN control your thoughts.  You can't stop a thought from coming to your mind but you don't have to entertrain that thought.

During training when I feel the urge to cut a session short, I tell myself I can either endure another 20 minutes of swimming (or whatever I'm doing) or I can live the rest of the day with guilt knowing I quit early.

~Mike

 oooooo that's a good one.

Remember to say Hi, Hello, THANKYOU to all the race support VOLUNTEERS.   You are always moving forward, but they are stuck there for hours at a time.

It's called Good Karma.

Keep in the moment and never stop moving forward (even if it is slow).