Race Morning Mindfulness: I Just Want to Feel This Moment

You may have heard or read advice to “stay in the moment” when racing or training if you want to have a breakout performance, or make the most of a key training session. I know I’ve written about staying focused and being present more than once. But, it’s not common to think about this advice in the context of race morning – the very moment when anxiety threatens to culminate in a potential freak out or meltdown. Obviously, the meltdown scenario has to be avoided at all costs – or it may cost you a positive race day experience. In the chaos …

Age is a just a number & sex is just a division

Unless you consume absolutely no mainstream or social media of any type, it’s very likely you’ve seen this incredible feat by Kacy Catanzaro, the first woman to finish the American Ninja Warrior finals course. It’s incredible. It’s inspiring. And, it made me weep, thinking of how accomplished, how fulfilled this woman must feel. But, the more I thought about it, the more there was something about the response to her achievement that irked me. The tone in the announcer’s voices, the amazement on the faces of the spectators, the proclamations of utter surprise all about the social webs–including myself at first. The …

5 Tips to Train the Brain: Mental Training for Endurance Athletes

John and I were just moments from jumping into the river at Ironman Louisville. The line was moving at a fast pace, and I was quiet. John asked, “Are you okay?” “Yep,” I replied. “I’m just getting ready to go to work.” I was calm and prepared. Flashback to Ironman Mont Tremblant in 2012. John and I are on the beach, in the moments before the start. He asked me how I was doing. I burst into tears. I was nervous and scared. What was the difference between these two moments? Simple: My brain. Most of us spend 7 days a week training our …

Yes, running hurts, but it’s just pain

Ironman training is hard. But, more than anything, Ironman training involves loooonnngggg hours. Ultramarathon training doesn’t have as much volume – but oh boy, it packs a much more painful punch. It’s been a few years since I trained for an ultramarathon, and after the third or fourth looooonnnnggggg run, I remembered just how painful ultra running can be. But, let’s be honest, here. The pain is part of what I like about it. Yes. Running hurts. But, that’s living, as the nerves fire and the muscles strain. With each footfall, you get a very tactile sense of the kinetic …

Is Belief in Yourself Egotistical?

Before Ironman Lake Placid, I read an article in Triathlete magazine by Chris “Macca” McCormack, titled, “‘Ego’ is not a Dirty Word.” Macca’s main message: have belief in yourself. He goes on to say that some may see this belief or confidence as an overblown ego, yet he cautions that such a view is wrongheaded. He writes: “Our ego is simply the way we see ourselves, and in a competitive environment, this is without question our defining variable. This word “ego” is tossed around nowadays with such a negative spin on it. It annoys me to think that by believing in yourself and pursuing …

Fear(less)

As far as emotions go, fear has its uses. For example, if faced with the Zombie apocalypse, a certain amount of fear can be useful. Just the right amount of stimulation to the nervous system gets the adrenaline flowing, and can help to put the fight in the fight or flight response. But, too much fear can paralyze you – and BAM! Just like that, there goes your brains, a tasty treat for a rotting corpse. So, that’s one thing that triathlon and running have in common with the zombie apocalypse: In order to survive, you need to keep your head. …

Is your performance anxiety slowing you down?

As I stood on the beach, awaiting the start of Ironman Mont Tremblant, I was filled with nervous anxiety–more than I had ever felt before. I was about to race – truly race – this Ironman. While I put forth a good effort in my previous two ironmans, I cannot say honestly that I worked to the upper limit of my edge. I cannot say honestly that I raced them. I was filled with fear that I wouldn’t be able to hit my targets, that I would find out that I’m really not the athlete I want to be – that I thought I was. …

There is no magic on race day

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act. But a habit.” (Will Durant) Last weekend, John and I traveled to Lake Placid to watch and volunteer at the second oldest Ironman in North America. So, you know what that means… Yup, I’m doing IMLP again. Third time is a charm. Back to where my love affair with the 140.6 began, and (hopefully) back to where I will take my long course racing to the next level. After I successfully registered for the 2013 race (which was no small feat considering I left my ID at home), …