Make Your Ironman Day the icing on the cake!

OK everyone, while it won’t come to anyone’s surprise that I had a lot to say this month, I narrowed it down to one topic, but understand that I’m not used to blogging.  Can I talk about more than one subject?  Perhaps it’s the generation gap, I don’t know; however, the way I understand blogging is I can write about my thoughts.  Scary at times for sure.  I thought about writing about the Tour de Cure and how Lori Drake inspired both Ren and me in 2012.  I missed the Tour then due to a bike wreck and Ren and I went and met Lori who took on the challenge of 215 miles by herself.  Pretty impressive.  Or, I thought about writing about following your dreams even when others think they are crazy…I mean Leigh Adams is a rockstar and has done just that and succeeded and has taken the world of trail ultras by storm!  But, everyone who knows me knows that I love and truly appreciate and value the mental side of endurance sports.  I’m constantly every day using mental strategies on my athletes to get optimal results.  Getting to know them and how they operate and what they respond to…because we are all so different and one size does not fit all for sure!  Hmmm…my tricks are out now J

Sit down for what I’m about to say here…Ironman Race Day is not about pacing, nutrition strategies, your training plan or the fact that you a run a 7:00 min/mile.   Those are issues that should now be second nature after training and speaking with your coach (hint, hint…).  You should be able to feel how easy the bike is, know where your place in the swim start is, and know your run plan.  IRONMAN RACE DAY IS ABOUT HEART AND STAYING POSITIVE…PERIOD!  The coach is gone, the training plan is gone, and it is you and your thoughts.  Having completed 7 Ironman events, I can tell you, each one is different, but somewhere in the course of 12-15 hours, I’ve had lots of discussions with my demons and some better than others.  It is simply rare to have optimal preparation for an Ironman because the reality is we are amateur athletes and we simply have a life and other responsibilities.  So, for starters, don’t berate yourself when life gets in the way. It happens and we move on to get to race day.  Hopefully, your training has been harder than the event itself.  Heading into race day focus on the sessions that you have performed well and remember how you felt when you completed those.  I ask my athletes to write key sessions on their mirrors!!  Why, they can look back on those and immediately remember what a rockstar they are!  Remind yourself you have accomplished the work  and your mind will reward you.

While you are out there on the course your mind will play tricks on you.  Visualize what you have done in those situations previously, whether they are race day or in training.  One of my athletes (who shall remain nameless at the moments) always says…Rinse and Repeat, Rinse and Repeat.  What becomes second nature will be second nature on race day.  Practice visualization and train your mind…this is what we do and this is what happens.  Welcome the hard spots because you’ve been there in training.

We have Ironman France, Ironman CDA, Ironman Lake Placid, Ironman Mt. Tremblant, Ironman Louisville, Ironman Lake Tahoe, Ironman Japan, Beach to Battleship Full Iron Distance, Ironman Florida, and Ironman Arizona all on the hit parade this year. Each one of those presents unique environmental challenges, but they all have one similarity…2.4 miles on the swim, 112 miles on the bike and 26.2 miles of running.  No getting around that.  As I was standing on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, circa 2008 before my first Ironman, I met some Spaniards.  I heard a saying from them that I have remembered to this day. The true Ironman is the training leading up to the event; the event is simply the icing on the cake.  Enjoy every moment and take it step by step, kilometer by kilometer and mile by mile.  Race day is the day to let go of any negativity and focus on all of the training and believing in you.  Your body is physically trained and your mind is now in control.  Visualize you drawing energy from people bumping you on the swim (ahhhh…another blog on swim starts should be in the works), don’t let people take the energy from you; visualize lactate leaving your big muscle groups when you switch to a different cadence; Stretch on the bike, relax.  If you feel bad, sit up, regroup and push the negativity from your head.  YOU’RE DOING AN IRONMAN!!!!  Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.  Just keep pedaling and just keep forward progress.  STAY IN THE MOMENT!  Don’t think about what is coming.  Laugh at the long training run you are about to do with a fully catered buffet.  I WILL ENJOY THIS DAY!  I WILL BECOME AN IRONMAN!

Most importantly, know that one moment does not mean you will feel bad in the next 10 minutes.  It will pass and you will keep moving.  Life is made of moments, the good and the bad, and this experience will stick with you.  Keep focusing on the positive and why you attempted this in the first place.  Focus on your friends and family members who have supported you and remember…what you are doing is special!  You are challenging yourself both physically and mentally.  Make this day the icing on the cake!!!!

RALEIGH 70.3

KERR LAKE INTERNATIONAL

Bridge to Pier Triathlon

Virginia Wine Country Half

MAIN STREET 5k

Who remembers their first attempt to run a mile? What about a 5k or even a marathon? For most, the hardest part is building up to the first few miles. The beginning weeks and months are so difficult, and the simple things we now take for granted (breathing rhythm or side stitches) are major obstacles! Some may have started running at such an early age that they don’t recall the struggle of ‘learning’ to run. But, surely they have had to master some activity out of their comfort zone. We all know the struggle of practicing, stumbling, and then the enjoyment of mastery. That enjoyment comes from knowing we persevered when it wasn’t easy. The accomplishment drives us to continue and push harder.

Working with the WalktoRun group over the past 6 months has been so rewarding. The first night of practice, we didn’t even leave the TrySports field. A 1:1 interval of walking and running kept them challenged for 20 minutes. Every beginner has different struggles, but they are slowly building up their mileage over months of drills, core work, running intervals, and stretching. Not only is it a joy to see them succeed in races, but at every practice their form is improving and the confidence to try harder is evident. Some are running to lose weight and stay fit, while others are now committed to their first HALF MARATHON next spring- Wrightsville Beach Half, here we come!

So, great job to all the beginners who have the courage to RUN! Your stories help motivate all of us! As I watch the runners finish races in the back of the pack, it takes me back to my own struggle of finishing 3 miles. I am humbled when I see the 5 hour marathoner come through the finish. When was the last time I ran for 5 hours? THAT is some spirit!! That’s what running is all about. The spirit of perseverance. Let’s
keep encouraging each other to finish the race and never forget how difficult the first few miles can be.

New Hanover County Teacher Trot

Dolphin Kids Dash

Over the Mountain Triathlon

Raleigh Open Water Swim and Bike Ride

Post your results or training reports from the weekend!

When I was thinking about what to write about for this blog I thought about my season and my training.  I have been training and racing for a few seasons now and I can look back on what has worked and what hasn’t.  One thing that has really been a game changer and that I have become a lot more aware of and really tried to keep an eye on this season is my eating.  I LOVE food.  I worked in restaurants almost all of my life, starting at age 13 making salads at a friend’s dad’s restaurant, all the way to owning my own for about 6 years.  Food has always been a passion of mine and still is.  Some of you might have seen the picture of me when I owned my bakery and you can tell that I liked to eat!  Now I have really started to look at how that fits into my training.

One thing that I have tried to change about my diet is the philosophy “training to eat” into “eating to train”.  This is nothing profound, but it is a great approach to thinking about what you are eating.  You wouldn’t buy a really expensive sports car and put low grade fuel in it, would you?  Would you drive the same car around with cheap oil in it?  Or even more than that would you start out on a long road trip with the car on empty? I hope that the answer to all these questions is NO!  I think that my body and health are more important than a sports car, but a lot of the time I don’t treat it like it is.

Low grade fuel or cheap oil?  I think about this like training really hard and then going through a drive-thru on the way home.  We wake up before the sun to head out on a run.  We are at the pool before most people have even thought about their first cup of coffee.  We are on the bike for a long ride right as the sun is coming up.  We go to great lengths to get our training hours/miles in, so why would we want to eat poorly.  I have tried to this season think about my food as one more step in my training.  I train hard to perform the best that I can, and want the food that I eat to help me with that training.  I think about it like this, poor quality food= poor quality workouts!

Running on empty!   Think about heading out for a long drive in that nice sports car and having very little or no gas in it.  You will not get far and you WILL run out of gas.  I think about this all the time. If I am headed out for a long bike or a long run and haven’t eaten, or eaten very little I’m going to run out of gas too.  You have to have enough energy to get through your workout and reach the goals that you have set for that workout.  The food we eat is turned into the energy that we burn and is what gets us through the workout.  It is important to know your body and how it works to be able to fuel it correctly.  This is where trial and error, suggestions, and a good coach can help you figure that out.  But once again think about the quality of the fuel that you are going to be using.

This topic can be argued and discussed and I know that everyone has their own way of doing things. This is my opinion and I have seen results by taking a few simple steps and having a little self control.

Steps that help me:

1. Plan a weekly menu and stick to it.
2. Allow yourself to be human and eat a “cheat meal” every once in a while.
3. Prepare food to take with you to work, makes it easier to be good.
4. Avoid junk food (we all know what this is).
5. Drink LOTS of water.
6. Potion control.  Not always eating until I’m completely full.
7. Making sure there is some color to my food.  Veggies, fruits, berries, etc.
8. Eating a higher protein diet with less carbs (unless they are complex carbs)

These are just a few things that have worked for me.  I know there are lots of ways to achieve results.  I have just tired to “clean up” the way I eat and am enjoying seeing how it effects my training and my everyday life. I have been happy with the results so far.

Remember that this is not always going to be easy and we are only humans (busy humans) at that.  But it is not easy to get out of bed when the alarm goes off at 4:45 am.  It is not easy to show up for a bike ride when our legs are worn out from the previous days run.  It’s not easy to hit the paces that our coach gives us for our long runs.  BUT WE DO IT!  I would suggest giving it a try and seeing what you think.  Hey what have you got to lose (maybe a few pounds)?

As someone that loves food and has a giant sweet tooth, I have found this challenging but very rewarding.

Coach Brian

Lets hear about them!

I was excited to go to Charleston and watch my athlete’s race and be there for them, but at the same time I’ve had some ups and downs this year and was excited to race myself.  The sprint, let’s do it.  I registered, packed my bags and yes, I did glance at the course maps, but thinking it’s only 13-14 miles, I can follow the pack.  Well, guess what….I raced open and so I was at the front chasing some very fast guys.  I made the right turn and started looking for a sign, a volunteer, anything to indicate the turn-around.  I glanced at my Garmin and soon I was up to 9 miles.  OK, I thought to myself, I’ve gone too far, but I still wasn’t sure if I should turn around?  Maybe they changed the course.  Intuition finally kicked in and I turned around with the guys in front of me.  As we passed what was the real turnaround we shouted out, what happened?  You know what truly happened…we missed the turnaround; yes, there should have been signs and we often take the volunteers for granted, but WE missed the turnaround.  23 miles later we rolled up to T2.  We looked at each other and I said, “Guys, we go run because you always finish.”  We did.

So, why “turn that frown upside down” because I can look at it as I had a really slow bike and placed far down in the pack or I averaged an incredible speed for 23 miles!  I’ll take it!!  There are always positives to be had in every race.  Your run was slower than you expected, but you ran the entire race!  The swim felt awful, but there was no panic and no stopping.  Everyone passed you on the bike, but guess what you outran them at the end because you conserved your energy.  Take away the positives and don’t forget all the hard work that you put in to improve.  That is what carries you over past the triathlon world.  And of course…ALWAYS STUDY THE COURSE MAPS!!

Off to tackle “the Beast” and what is known as one of the most difficult courses in the triathlon world.  I will look it in the eye as I begin the day and the joy of racing and being out there with friends will take over.  Here come the islands, but first I gotta go packJ  And, I have studied the course maps!

Osprey Flight 5K and 1 mile 

Coastal Run for Autism

Step of for Soldiers Mud run

Virginia Half Marathon

Great Glow Run

Huntersville Triathlon

Post Your Results or a Result about another WOL Athlete Below!

Last night I was watching the events unfold in Boston. I saw the crowd cheer for the police, public safety, and for the victims. This reminded me when Dave told me to “SET GOALS, NOT LIMITS” “If you live Without Limits, anything is possible…all is takes is the desire to want to accomplish something, the will and guts to make the commitment to do it, the dedication to earn the right to do it and the acceptance of the sacrifices involved to succeed at it.”

All of us, who have participated in a marathon, whether as a runner or volunteer, have witnessed first-hand the positive impact these races have on a community.

What happened at the Boston Marathon was without-a-doubt a tragedy. However, we continue to witness resilience, compassion, sacrifice, and true humanity. Runners, volunteers, race officials and residents all RAN to where help was needed. Even after running 26.2 miles, runners continued running to give blood. When tragedy strikes, triumph will over power. When hate and evil come about, Love and friendship will prevail. The positive stories coming out of this tragedy continue to raise the human spirit to the next level of greatness.

Running has taught me so much in life from age 10 to now 29. Without running, I would not have met great people, I would not be as strong of a person, and would not have had the opportunity to start our own marathon here in Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach. I hope as we move forward, we don’t shrink from danger or hardship. Just like life, a marathon has its ups and downs, but crossing the finish line is the ultimate triumph.

Because of these triumphs and the moral fiber this sport attracts, The Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon is proud and honored to present this $17,000.00 check to the Landfall Foundation. The foundation is our biggest beneficiary. We are grateful to be able to support the Landfall Foundation which benefits so many local causes. Knowing that our hometown race, directly benefits our own community is something we are very proud of. Giving these underfunded organizations a chance to set NEW GOALS AND NOT LIMITS and is what this is all about.

One thing I learned about Dave during his visit was that he was the first person to run across the U.S – 3,452 miles. Yet he was also the FIRST person to raise money for charity through running. Running events raise millions of dollars for charity today because of the amazing example Dave set. He instilled more motivation in me to continue to grow our Marathon and raise money for charity.

Leigh is a mother of two kids and part owner of Lighthouse Beer and Wine.  She lives what she preaches, loving kids, loving the woods, and drinking a couple of beers on the way.

I think the future of Leigh is going to be ultra marathon based on her facebook page.  It is hard to tell what she will tackle next, but I know she will have a goal and reach it.

A pretty cool quote from Leigh from the Uwharrie 20 miler.

“Sometimes I think getting lost gives you a new perspective about racing…not so important where you finish, but that you do finish and are still proud of your efforts. I was bummed at first when I realized my mistake, laughed at myself in the woods, looked at my beautiful surroundings, and paid WAY more attention to the white hash marks on the winter trees. It’s the journey that counts and what you learn about your spirit along the way. This is why I love to run trails”

After this race, she conquered the Run for Ray 19 miler and took 1st place female and then her team took 1st place in the Palmetto 200 mile race in South Carolina.  Congrats Leigh, you have never lost site of what you love!