The Pain Cave: Suffering Loves Company

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I rowed crew in high school. It was an incredible experience, that taught me the value of discipline and how much fun it could be to suffer with a group of other athletes. To be on the crew team required an enormous amount of discipline, especially for teenagers. We trained hard for hours after school–and sometimes before school. We gave up every weekend for at least half of the year–if not more. As members of the lightweight 8, my crewmates and I restricted every morsel of food that went in to our bodies.  But, it wasn’t all hard work all of …

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

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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 …

Moments of Movement

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Tuesday night, I went to bed with a feeling of physical satisfaction and mental contentment. In the previous week, I had had moments of flashing brilliance in my workouts. My mind and my body were giving me all of the right signs to indicate that it was time to look forward to the 2014 triathlon season. As I fell asleep that night, I dreamt of sugar plum fairies, Ironman trophies, and Kona slots. When I woke up, I swung my legs around to get out of bed. Huh. That doesn’t feel right. There was a niggle inside of my left hip. A little tender, I thought. …

A Pretty Big Run with a Pretty Important Meaning

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There has to be more to life than going to work, spending money, and complaining about the weather. At least, I certainly hope there is. Life must mean something–or even a whole lot of somethings. The actions we take and the paths we make have to contribute to some greater good, whether that is through supporting others, improving social justice, or just simply being a positive influence. Endurance sport adds considerable meaning to my life. But, the significance of running and triathlon goes well beyond the physical acts of training and racing. Sure, the human body is pretty amazing, and I’ve learned …

Pure #awesomesauce: Rosaryville 50k race report

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Not long after I finished Ironman Louisville, my coach Vince and I talked to discuss what was next. “I want you to run a 50k,” he said. “Squeeeeeeaaaaaaallllllll!!!!” I was so excited, and so very loud in my exclamation. I do feel optimistic that Vince will regain full hearing at some point. Prior to this talk, I had assumed that his recommendation would be another 6-months of cycling, with a side of cycling. But, I was wrong. Gloriously, wonderfully, happily wrong. I had about two months to focus my training on the thing I loved the most: the run. And …

Yes, running hurts, but it’s just pain

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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 …

The fog lifts to reveal the present moment

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The last two months have been busy. In fact, I haven’t been this busy since I-don’t-remember-when (which explains the poorly updated blog as of late…). When I get this level of busy, and I have limited “me” time, I tend to get cranky, anxious, and fatigued. Needless to say, a busy work schedule is not optimal for training. And, I’ve felt a little off most days, as if my body was not 100%, and my mind has felt foggy. At first, I thought these feelings were simply a result of my I-can-do-two-ironmans-in-one-month stint. To be sure, that trick left a …

Is Belief in Yourself Egotistical?

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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 …

Oh, baby, I got the post Ironman blues

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There I was, in the middle of my run, just bee-bopping along and the thought occurred to me: triathlon season was coming to an end for me. The best season of my triathlon career. Over. And, then it hit me. The “it” being the post Ironman blues, or in my case, the post-best-triathlon-season-ever blues. Since then, I’ve been feeling a little sad, agitated, bored, unmotivated, and annoyed. All at once. Being the curious sort that I am, I wondered if there was an explanation for the post Ironman blues. I’ve had this feeling after almost every Ironman or “big” race I’ve …

The Mission: Ironman Louisville Race Report

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(Note: This Ironman Louisville race report is about my experience at the race. If you are looking for a course overview that discusses the logistics of the race, the swim course, the bike course and the run course, please click here.) *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* “It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.” ~Muhammad Ali Ironman Louisville was a mission. I signed up for the race with the idea that my mission was to nab a Kona slot for 2013. It was my hail mary pass for the golden ticket to paradise. But, IMLou wound up …