Mind Games

Hey guys! So obviously triathlon is a very physical sport, but there is also a huge mental aspect that often gets overlooked. It is crucial to prepare your mind for training and racing the same way you train your body.

As I was writing this, it got pretty long. As such, I am breaking it up into a 5-part series which will be posted one a day for the next 5 days. Here is my first set of tricks that I am sharing with you. Enjoy!

1) Turn concepts into concrete objects;
This one is fun for me. It helps me to focus on what I am doing and helps keep things in perspective. I know some of these are kinda cheesy, but keep in mind I was a nerdy kid who loved (and still love!) Star Wars and played with legos until I was 14. That's right, I made the decision between toys and girls a little later than most dudes. That being said, here are a few examples of my concrete-ified ideas and why I bother doing it.
-My Fast is a small black totem to which I must make daily sacrifices in sweat and lactic acid. (I got this idea from a car commercial) This is not a real object that I have... that would be weird... but thinking of "Fast" as an entity that I must work for really helps me to focus.
-My Comfort Zone is an invisible jump suit that I zip off and leave at home before threshold workouts. Doing this reminds me that I am not working out, I am training.
-My Swagger is a flat billed hat like rappers wear that I put on before a race. This is one of the few that is actually a real object. I will be feeling nervous before a race, and then I put that hat on and I feel as confident as Lil' Weezy.
-My Energy is a bonfire. If I am feeling sluggish or unmotivated, I honestly just picture the bonfire roaring, kicking out heat and smoke, and I can fake it like I have energy (a cup of coffee certainly doesn't hurt either :) ) Also, when I need to relax, I let it smolder, and everyone brings out the s'mores stuff.

Again, these are maybe kinda strange concepts, but they really work for me. I would recommend trying them out and see if you like it.

Yesterday was a recovery day for me, so I have nothing to report on the training front. For today, I have a long base run that I am going for, a 10-miler. I will try and keep my cadence high and mostly just focus on keeping my form good rather than going fast. Also, my sister is in photography school, so she and her boyfriend and I are going to Cherry Creek State Park to do a little photo shoot with some action shots, so I will get a little ride in, maybe 25-30 miles, and some open water swimming.

Until tomorrow, follow the Pace Rabbit, and don't forget to make a sacrifice to your Fast!