Many times when you are alone with your thoughts on the road, doubt creeps in. This has been my problem since I hurt my hip last winter. I recently read an article that talked about how success is equal parts ability, practice and mental strength.
Today, I focused on mental toughness.
THE SWIM
What crap! Team in Training was also doing a mini-training triathlon in our same space. Grrr. Having access to only half the lanes, more folks participating and screwed up swim seedings meant that the swim was a bit of a mess.
I was seeded 60th, but during the last practice triathlon I finished 21st. Needless to say, I quickly caught the person in front of me and was totally frustrated for the final 150 meters.
T1
I always seem to have trouble with my socks and feeling a bit dizzy. This time it also took me a bit of extra time to get peddling. I had to wait for a line of cars to pass before I took off for the first of five laps on the bike.
THE BIKE
I felt more confident on the bike since I've practiced more and the loop is very familiar to me.
During the last training triathlon I was getting dropped left and right. This time I lived in the big ring and just kept pounding away. I definitely felt like I was more in the mix and actually passed some people. Yay!
As I entered lap four of five, I felt the old dark clouds of doubt trying to creep in. I just continued to focus on a biker ahead of me and tried to either run them down or if they were a lot faster --- keep them in my sights.
T2
I was a star here last time. I was a tad slower this time b/c the tongue of my running shoe folded over in a weird way.
THE RUN
This is the moment that gets me every time. Even though you train for it and know it's coming, it's still hard to mentally deal with dragging along legs that feel like worthless bricks.
During the last practice triathlon I fell apart on the run and had to stop to walk, shuffle and eventually stretch. The truth was it wasn't my muscles that got me last time...it was doubt.
As I started the run this time, I was already talking to myself and willing my legs forward. Each step for the first half mile was brutal, but I imagined battling back those thoughts of doubt and worked to get myself thoroughly pissed off enough to want to grit it out and finish.
I again focused on a runner ahead of me and tried to run them down...getting pissed off if they started pulling away Surprisingly, I actually passed a few people.
The best moment, was cruising past this guy in the last mile. He had previously sprinted past me at the 1.5 mile mark. I took great joy passing him and then pulling away from him.
CONCLUSION
•Do things that scare you.
•Pissed off is good
•Feed off others on the course
•There will always be someone slower and faster...get over it...race your own race
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