The Tragic Tale of the Pain in my Ass

Sigh. In the past year, the only injury I've had has been rock-climbing related. I think that run is at an end.

Starting last Sunday, I had a little twinge in my back. I didn't think much of it. Figured I had slept wrong and it would go away in a couple of days. When I went out to run that day, I sort of ran out of steam after about a mile. I wasn't tired; I didn't hurt; I just sort of . . . stopped. When I got back to my house, my dad said, "Well, there was probably a reason why you didn't want to run today." Whatever, I thought. The reason is because I suck!

The next day, I went to Pawnee Prairie Park to try that long run again. I thought that it would be more interesting and therefore more bearable to run on trails than on the long, straight, boring dirt roads. And I was correct! After the first ten minutes, I felt right as rain and at peace with the whole world, running over a soft, grassy trail and enjoying the sounds of nature.

Then, after about 20 minutes, I felt a little niggling pain in my right buttock, just to the right of my sacrum. Ooh, I thought. I don't think that's good. So I slowed to a walk, trying to determine what that pain might possibly be. After a few minutes of walking, it went away, so I tried again. Nope, there it is again. And I continued in that manner for the next 20 minutes or so, experimenting with walking and running to see what caused pain and what didn't. It was never so bad that I couldn't have run through it; I could definitely have kept going through this pain. But it was the kind of pain that made me slow down because something is definitely wrong back there.

Tuesday I managed a twenty-mile bike workout without pain, but today's spinning class brought it out. I have an appointment with a physical therapist on Tuesday, so we'll see what's up. I think that it's sciatic pain brought on by knots and tension in my piriformis, but considering the alternative possible causes (i.e. a herniated disc), I think it's best to be sure. Until then, I will not be running or cycling (except for my Monday morning spin class).

And that is the tragic tale of the pain in my ass.

Ironmom: A Swim Workout to be Eager For

Thanks to Robin for this swim workout, which has kicked my butt for the last two weeks' interval swims, and has presented me with my fastest 100 splits EVER. Give it a try as you start to work speed and power into your swim sets:

6 x 100 Fast
2 x 50 Focus on technique
5 x 100 Fast
2 x 50 Technique
4 x 100 Fast
2 x 50 Technique
3 x 100 Fast
2 x 50 Technique
2 x 100 Fast
2 x 50 Technique

Robin didn't specify rest intervals, so here's what I did:

100 SKIPS (swim, kick, IM, pull, swim)

5x100 fast on 3:00 interval
2x50 for technique
4x100 fast w/ 1:00 RI (rest interval)
2x50 for technique
3x100 fast on 2:00 interval
2x50 for technique
2x100 fast w/ 1:00 RI

100 cool down

I think the 3:00 intervals were a little long; they enabled me to pretty much fully clear the lactate from my blood, starting each repeat fresh. The 1:00 rest interval was challenging; I saw my form and speed deteriorate over the course. The 2:00 intervals were frickin' hard, but I only lost :02 between the first and last repeat. I averaged about 1:38-1:39 on my splits, with the fastest being 1:35 and the slowest 1:44 (the very last 100). But the whole workout was fully awesome.

Thanks, Robin, for a wonderful workout!

Spinning Workout 18 - Rollers

A new workout! Woohoo!

SPINNING WORKOUT 18 - ROLLERS (45 minutes)

Higher (3:55): Pre
What I'm Trying to Say (3:23): Pre
Porcelain (4:01): Pre
Rockin' the Suburbs (4:29): Warm up with one light climb; +(5), up @ 2nd chorus; -(4), down @ last chorus
Karma (4:18): Moderate to high climb; +(5) @ beginning; +(6), up @ verse, stay quick; +(7), stay quick @ “I remember when”; -(6) @ chorus; +(7) @ “I remember when”; +(8) @ 2nd time through chorus to end
Hey Baby (3:29): Descent; quick break to coast and bring resistance back down; beginning in (3), easy, quick spin; small increase every 64 counts (just enough to feel a little change); at (4)-(5) @ chorus; in (4), easy, quick spin; small increase every 64 counts; (4)-(5) @ chorus; quick in (5) at chant; add a little bit @ last chorus; pick up tempo @ 2nd time through chorus
Can't Stop (4:29): Moderate climb; intro to cruise, build to cadence; in (5) or just a little above, find climbing rhythm; add a little at 2nd half of verse; +(6), up @ 2nd verse; add a little at 2nd half of verse; down in (6) @ bridge, guitar solo; +(7), up @ last verse
Way Away (3:22): Descent; coast @ intro; begin in (3), easy, quick spin; add a little resistance @ 2nd half of verse; pick up tempo @ chorus; back off tempo at MT; +(4) @ 2nd verse; add a little at 2nd half of verse; pick up tempo @ chorus; back off @ bridge; add a little resistance every 16 counts; pick up tempo @ chorus
Satin in a Coffin (2:37): Moderate climb; ++(6), up, @ verse; +(7) @ 2nd time through verse; standing recovery @ slow bit; follow rhythm as it builds speed; back off resistance, cruise as music fades
The Machine Gun Song (2:51): Descent; in (4), match cadence; +(5), up @ chorus; -(4), down @ 2nd chorus; +(5) @ bridge; up @ next verse, stay up until end
Everlong (4:11): Descent; in (3), build to cadence; add a little at full entrance; add a little more every 32 beats during verse; don't add at MT; add every 32 beats during verse; +(5), up @ chorus; repeat sequence; rest during quiet interlude; build during song build; +(5), up @ last chorus
We're Not Gonna Take It (3:35): Moderate climb; stay in (5), down, quick; +(6), up @ chorus; down @ 2nd verse; +(7), up @ 2nd chorus; -(6) @ guitar solo; +(7) @ last chorus; -(6) @ fade
Carbon Monoxide (3:10): Moderate to hard climb; find rhythm in (6), standing; sit, maintain rhythm (adjust resistance if necessary) @ 2nd verse; +(6), up @ chorus; -(5), down, at quiet part; +(6), up @ chorus
I Ain't Saying my Goodbyes (3:43): Hard climb; cruise during intro; find rhythm in (6), up, @ full instrumental intro; add a touch @ 2nd time through verse; +(7) @ chorus; option to climb seated @ instrumental break; +(8), everyone up @ chorus; extra credit addition @ “you don't get upset,” stay consistent
Are You Gonna be my Girl (3:39): Cool down; cruise @ beginning; if you want to spin out quick on the descent, also acceptable
Somewhere Only We Know (3:57): Post

Looking for more workouts? Go here!

Quick Catch Video

I had a few questions about how exactly one does the Quick Catch drill which has been so helpful for me. And what better way to demonstrate than in film? Also see Dave Scott's video, which is actually filmed on a pool deck with real swimmers (not in a bedroom with a webcam)! Any more questions about this drill (or any others), just let me know in the comments.

Go read Wil's insightful (and well-written) post.  Then come back here.

I've mentioned before that I'm not ready to tackle Ironman, yet.  I believe there will be a time for me to take my training to that level, but it's not now.

And looking ahead to that time when I will inevitably face a long day of hard work . . . looking even beyond that to when I have that day--whether it be twelve hours or seventeen--behind me . . .

I wonder what comes next.

After rising to what is arguably the greatest challenge of our age--the most demanding, the most grueling, the most gut-wrenchingly humbling--after conquering that, what's left?  Where do I go from there?

I think I go back to whatever it was I did before I started running.

I don't mean running in a literal sense.  I mean that there were things in my life that I was confronting before I got into this whole triathlon thing.  I faced pain.  I suffered.  I uncovered wounds I never knew I had.  I wrote angst-filled poetry.  For some reason, all of that got pushed to the background after my first triathlon.  Well, not immediately.  It sort of faded away.  I've been thinking that it's a result of moving into the workforce, that it's because I have a full-time job and don't have time for the angst, the philosophy, the exploration of my own self and soul.  But maybe it has more to do with sport than I realize.

Far be it from me to describe sport as escapism; that word is entirely too pejorative.  No, it's more like sport provides a training ground for me, a temporary place from which I can safely step back, observe the world, and learn.  It's teaching me discipline (self-control), endurance (perseverance), and the virtue of carrying on through suffering (or, as Wil said, carrying a cross).

Maybe that's why some athletes feel compelled to run double- or even triple-Ironmans (Ironmen?) . . . they just need a little more training.

Thanks to Wil for the insight and inspiration.  Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.

Meh.

Sigh . . .



I need some inspiration.

Getting Over the Hump: Overcoming March Malaise

What a crappy time to feel lack of motivation in training. The weather's starting to warm up; the equinox has come; we have more daylight, more warmth, less wind . . . and here we are reading blogs, putting off the inevitable swim, bike, run, weights, core, technique, drills, tempo, flexibility . . . It's all so overwhelming, and we don't want to do it anymore.

It seems to be a common problem, this time of year: I know I'm feeling it; several of the athletes I coach have mentioned it; I have a friend in Germany who just e-mailed me about the same thing--March Malaise; March Melancholy; March Mediocrity; March Don't-Make-Me.

Why is that? Like I said, it's the perfect time of year for training. We should all be chomping at our respective bits, rather than dreading the next workout!

I think it's because we've been training for several months, all in base training. We've worked our asses off since January, but have seen precious little result. Plus, the long steady work is starting to take its toll; after all, there are only so many times you can listen to your Long Run Ultra-Hardcore Superstar Like-Macca Playlist before you go a little nutty (and know exactly which song comes next).

If you're starting to feel a little lackluster in your training week, here are my ideas for putting some spark back into your schedule:

• Throw in some intensity. Do some fartlek work in your long workouts. Fartlek means speed play. So play! Have fun with it! Include some short intervals in your tempo workouts. Add a big kick to the end of your workouts. If you've already worked through months of base work, some high-intensity training is not going to jeopardize your path to peak fitness.
  
• Cross train. I know, I know; that's kind of our whole sport. I mean try something new. Find a climbing wall (or, if you are so fortunate to live in an area that has those funny things called mountains, get out and climb); take yoga or pilates; play basketball or soccer with your kids. Shake things up a little.
• Get outside! Bonus points for going with friends.
• Buy gear. You know that as soon as you pick up new equipment, you can't wait to try it out. It can be something small and simple (and cheap!) like new goggles, a running cap, or . . . okay, I can't think of anything small, simple, and cheap that you would need on your bike. What can I say? It's an expensive sport.
• Reflect on your goals. This is the one that has by far been the most helpful for me. Take some time to think about what you want from this season and what it will take to get it. If you can remind yourself why you're working so hard and keep those things in front of you all the time, your motivation will strengthen. I recently finished a book that suggested writing down your goals and using a colored dot (or gold star, or anything similar) next to each goal. Let's say I place a red dot next to each goal on my goal sheet (I actually use a pocket-sized notebook for this). Then I put red dots on my toothpaste, my phone, my watch, my computer screen . . . Everywhere I look, I'm constantly reminded of my goals. Pretty soon, I think of my goals when I see a stop sign, or a red light. Even thinking about the technique gets me excited!
  
• Rest. This is a big one. Don't skimp on recovery. Lack of motivation and general ennui are some of the symptoms of overtraining. Remember that it's better to be 10% undertrained than 1% overtrained, come race day. If you've been pushing hard and your body starts to say, "Hey! I don't wanna do this!" then listen! One thing I've done in my recovery weeks is replace scheduled workouts with goal sessions; two birds with one stone (I know you triathletes love that multi-tasking stuff)!

My final recommendation would be to find a race, a local 10k or a casual weekend time trial, to get your competitive motor running and remind you why you love this sport. Because I'm pretty confident that if you didn't genuinely love this sport, you wouldn't have read this far.

Wildflower

I am officially registered for Wildflower.

And at $175 for race entry alone, I'm definitely committed.

Look for a video on quick-catch, a new cycling workout, and an article on getting over the hump in the next week.

Mental Training: A Break from your Regularly Scheduled Podcast

Well this is an experiment. I've read a few articles on mental training in the past few months. I'm guilty of not training the mental side of my racing hard enough, and I'm sure you are, too.

So I decided that guided meditation might work as a way to help us all prepare a little bit better for that next open water race.

Let me know whether or not this works for you: Is it helpful to have someone talk you through something we all should be doing anyway? What would make it more effective? More space between comments to absorb what I'm saying? Different conditions (i.e. a cold open-water swim, lake swim, river swim, swim through high surf, pool swim, etc.)? Corny Tai Chi music?

I would appreciate any feedback on this little project of mine. Let me know if you want more!

Mental Tri Training: Open Water Swim

"This audio file is a guided meditation for the use of open-water swimmers. In it, you will focus on relaxing and practicing good form. Try to visualize yourself completing each movement. The more real it is in your mind, the more beneficial the meditation will be in improving your neuromuscular performance in swimming."

Quick Catch

On my faster swim pace:

I've seen a 10-20 second decrease in the pace of my 100 yard repeats in the past month. I attribute the bulk of this new speed to one drill: the quick catch drill.

I spent all of last summer working on my balance on body position. I spent the off-season focusing on my recovery, entry, and breathing. By January, I was looking pretty good in the water. But I still wasn't going anywhere (at least nowhere fast). Focusing on my catch has allowed me to apply more power to the water using my arms, shoulders, back, and core. It took about a month of doing quick catch drills constantly--the first workout I tried it, I could only do about 30 meters before my arms were exhausted--for me to work the concept into my stroke, but it was definitely worth it.

I recommend doing the following sets (maybe not all at once, though) to help you incorporate the quick catch.

Drill Set 1
8x100 as
25 quick catch
25 fist swim
25 quick catch
25 regular swim
4x25 as fast as possible while maintaining the feel of quick catch

Drill Set 2
8x50 drill quick catch/50 swim (if you can't do quick catch for a full 50 to begin, do alternate 25 drill by 25 swim)
4x25 as fast as possible while maintaining perfect form

Drill Set 3
8x50 fingertip drag, incorporating the feel of quick catch (I love using fingertip drag as a base for focusing on other drill points, because it forces you to swim slowly with relaxed arms)
8x25 quick catch drill with high arm turnover

Quick catch drill isn't the secret to success for all mid-level swimmers, but it is the next step for many of the athletes I'm coaching currently, so I bet that it'll also apply to some of you.

For more on why quick catch is important, read this.

More Belief: Trusting in Trust

IM Able: Every Last Minute

This reinforces what I was saying last week; if you believe you can do something, you're going to push yourself through anything to bring your belief into the realms of reality, whether that's running a mile in under 4 minutes or finishing a 2-minute standing interval on the trainer.

Although I should amend with this: when I tell my spinning classes, "C'mon, just 30 seconds left! 30 seconds never killed anyone!" I secretly fear that someday 30 seconds is going to kill someone--or at least force me to prove my CPR and AED credentials.

Building Momentum

I feel like I'm flying.

Last week I absolutely nailed my swim workouts. Remember a couple weeks ago when I had to switch my workout plan from swimming 100s on a 2:00 interval to a 2:15 to give me enough time for recovery? This week I left comfortably on 2:00 for 4 repetitions, about :20 to spare between each one. I hit my 300s in 5:40, and my 25s in :19-:22. In the SwimEx this week, I swam 2.5 MPH. Also, my butterfly is starting to actually look like a swim stroke, instead of a drowning cat. I feel like a rock star.

The weather here was getting warmer and warmer, but then last week we had a ridiculous cold snap. I went out trail running on Saturday, despite the 20-degree weather (not factoring windchill). 4.2 miles in 40 minutes on the trails.

Yesterday, the cold snap broke. It was sunny and mid-50s with light wind from the north. I rocked out for 40 miles, averaging 16.9 MPH (which is only gonna go up, baby). Besides which, my ridiculous mid-arm bike jersey tan is back (whoo!).

This is exactly where I want to be, building up some solid momentum as I transition from base building to the higher-intensity, more demanding workouts of my build phase. This is the first year where I've really felt everything come together.

It's time to get excited for this season.

Workouts!

It's not quite a podcast yet, but here are a few things to keep you busy while Audigy is being finicky.

GMC Workout 3/5/08 - Rollers (Zone 3 & 4)

32 Flavors (6:07) 92 BPM: Warm up (Zones 1-3)
Barely Listening (4:06) 93 BPM: Slight downhill (Zone 3)
Healer (3:51) 90 BPM: TT (High zone 3)
'Cause You Can (3:01) 171 BPM: Moderate hill (Zone 3)
Dammit (2:46) 109 BPM: Descent (Zone 4)
What I'm Trying to Say (3:22) 160 BPM: Moderate Hill (Zone 3)
Processed beats (3:07) 107 BPM: Descent (Zone 4)
Mockingbird (4:10) 85 BPM: Moderate climb (Zone 3)
No Brakes (3:03) 150 BPM: Intense climb (Zone 4)
Criminal (5:41) 91 BPM: Descent, with climb at the end (Zone 4)
Bathwater (4:02) 75 BPM: Intense climb (Zone 4)
Tiny Little Fractures (2:28) 144 BPM: Intense climb (Zone 4)
Tyrant (4:44) 99 BPM: Descent (Zone 4)
The Light of a Fading Star (3:52) 102 BPM: Descent (Zone 3-4)
Keep This Fire Burning (3:56) 100 BPM: Cool down (Zone 2-3)
Chan Chan (4:16) 84 BPM: Stretch (Zone 1-2)

I know the zones seem backwards ("Shouldn't my heart rate be higher while climbing than during descent?"); just go with me here. I want you to work on climbing efficiently. If you have trouble keeping your heart rate down at the beginning, keep working on it; eventually, your body will get the idea and it will make you a stronger climber. "Keep This Fire Burning" isn't available on iTunes, by the way, but I'm sure you can find your own favorite cool down song.

And a track workout . . .

Warm Up
1600, stride the straight-aways on the last 800

Dynamic warm up/drills
A skip
B skip
Side strides
Karaoke
Side-to-side drill
4x100 strides

Main Set
1 X 1600 -- 70% effort/zone 3
1 X 1200 -- 85% effort/high zone 3
1 X 800 -- 70% effort/zone 3
1 X 1200 -- 90 % effort/zone 4
200 active recovery between each interval

The 1200s are the key intervals, so work hardest on those. For all track workouts, record your times, but don't let them guide your pace; follow your heart rate.

Cool Down
400-800 easy

Overcomers

Yah! There's so much I want to do and say with this blog, but so many times I start a post and get stuck halfway through . . .

This kind of thing shouldn't be happening so consistently to an English major. Seriously. I was trained (hah!) to do this.

So some quick updates . . .

• I'm still working on the beginners' series; I'm just trying to decide between two topics for the next post.
• I do have another cycling workout on the table; unfortunately, my computer ate it yesterday (Audigy crashed and I had to start over).
• The weather here has been absolutely beautiful--60+ F and sunny (well, it's currently raining, but Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were gorgeous). I got a long run in Thursday of 10 miles, which unfortunately may have been too much. It had been two (maybe three) weeks since my last long run, and I think that the sudden re-establishment of heavy mileage demanded too much from my poor legs, which said, "Oh! no thank you! (link has some language)" As a result, my right foot and ankle are a little cranky--too cranky for running, which I discovered this morning when I tried to take advantage of the beautiful weather before church. So I may have to take (another!) hiatus from running. This is disappointing. But I will find a way (maybe the elliptical trainer?! noooo!).
• I'm still eating around 80% raw, 20% cooked. I am really enjoying salads, dried fruit, fresh fruit, and nuts. Without having to worry about getting 100% of my calories from raw food, I don't have to muck about with nasty things like green smoothies (my one attempt at a green smoothie was teeth-burningly disgusting, which isn't to say that they're all universally bad). I also feel like it's much easier to put calories back into my body after 10-mile runs and 30-mile bike rides (potatoes, anyone?).
• I road my bike to Lake Afton on Friday, wetsuit in tow, to see if it's warm enough yet for swimming. It's not.
  
• I've reached that magical point of base training where I feel frickin' slow. And I want to go fast. But I must stick with my plan and go slow for another month. Sigh . . .

But you know what? Triathletes are great overcomers. We are. That's why so many of us suck at swimming and end up injured; whenever we come up against a challenge, we think, "Okay, I just gotta keep going. Just gotta keep those legs moving. Just gotta muscle my way to the end of the pool and back three more times."

A final note: Congrats to my friend Jonathan in the Distance for completing Ironman New Zealand this weekend! Fight on, Jonathan!

Brr . . .

Guess what.

It's still too cold for swimming in Lake Afton.

I know. I checked.

But it was plenty warm enough for biking!

RAW: Days 8 and 9

I was going to back off on the daily posts for a while, but I really must share.

I posted my concerns and questions at GoneRaw.com, and look what came back . . .

http://www.goneraw.com/forums/3/topics/3518

The response from this community overwhelms. I was expecting a little more vehemence. If someone were to challenge my way of life--and let's face it: raw foodism is as much a lifestyle as it is a diet--I think I would be more hostile in defending it. However, the posts here are nothing but helpful and encouraging.

Today was pretty difficult for me, in terms of detox. My stomach was turning over and over; I felt nauseous at points; and let's just say that things were a little, erm, loose. But that is an indication to me that my colon is cleaning out. Because things aren't just loose, they're also a strange color. I may be mistaken, but I take this to mean that a raw diet really is effective for me, in terms of cleansing. And I like the idea that my body is becoming cleaner and more healthy.

Also, my Amazon purchases (Larabars and hemp protein powder) arrived today.

Being raw is very difficult for me, for some reason, perhaps because I'm still so deep into my immortality phase that I'm not as pressingly concerned about my long-term health as I might be in another couple years. My extraordinarily (current) good health probably contributes to this mindset as well; this year has been awful in my area for flu and respiratory viruses, but I haven't gotten even a little sick. However, the three occurrences that I've mentioned above compel me to continue my raw food experiment, with one concession: I'll stay 80% raw, but allow myself 20% cooked food. I'll still try to stay as clean as possible in that 20% by avoiding gluten, red meat, high fructose corn syrup, processed flour, etc. (with the exception of Girl Scout cookies, of course). But I think that will give me some leeway, so that by the end of this month I don't hate (hate HATE) the very idea of living food.

I'm currently approaching this as an endurance activity. I think of this as a little run-walk strategy: 8 minutes of running, 2 minutes of walking. Maybe next season (month? year?) I'll be able to go 100% for longer. In the meantime, I intend to take care of myself as well as possible, and will continue to post on my experiences with raw and living food.

Race Report: Wichita Central YMCA Indoor Triathlon

500 yard pool swim: 8:56
I went out hard from the moment I pushed off the wall. After the first 15 yards or so, I pulled back gradually, finally settling on a pace after the first 50. I kept on the hip of the woman to my right (there were no lap lanes), thinking I could maybe get a little bit of draft benefit. One thing I noticed was that I was keeping pace with her flip turns with my open turns (which, I must say, are quite fast). A little over halfway through, I caught a little bit of her wake and came up sputtering. I flipped onto my back for a few yards, then turned back over and finished out. I remember it was hard, but the circumstances stand out much more clearly than the feelings. I can still clearly picture the whole thing, but can't remember whether my body was tired or hurting . . . I just know that I went out hard, and that I really worked for my fastest swim split in a race ever.

6 mile bike: 19:16 (includes both transitions)
This was murder. We were on Cybex stationary cycles, the kind with rubber straps for your feet. So this bike was all about pounding the legs, and it absolutely destroyed my quads. I just focused on muscling through it. My heart rate was over lactate threshold the entire time.

2 mile run: 16:32
Once again, my fastest split ever in a race: 8:15/mile. It took me to a whole new level of hurt, and that's what I'm always looking to do in a race. The indoor track was 14 laps to a mile, for a total of 28 laps. One of my athletes, Rich, was there to cheer me on the whole way, and it was amazing to get to see his face every few seconds. Four laps out, I started accelerating, and absolutely sprinted for the last lap. Rich was standing at the end of the straightaway, demanding that I run as hard as my legs would carry me. After I finished that final lap, I slowed to a walk, sagged against the wall, and swore under my breath. It hurt so bad! One thing that took my mind off the effort was considering whether or not I would be disqualified if I threw up on the indoor track. Outside, it wouldn't be a big deal, but indoors, I think it would be a hazard. Regardless, I didn't lose my cookies, and I think that my emphasis on mental toughness is really paying off.

Total time: 44:43
UPDATE: 3rd place Female 21-34! Whoo!
My time at Derby Rec, which was the same distance, was 48:36. And I think that's all I need to say about that.

I love love love these short, indoor races. At this distance, I can stay anaerobic--and heck, even above LT!--the whole time; I can really see what my body is capable of. It gives me hope, to think that I might someday be doing Olympic distance at these speeds. It's just a matter of hard work.

I don't have the results (I had a seminar for personal trainers at the club on Saturday, so I didn't stay for awards) or pictures yet, but I'll post them as soon as I have them! Whoo! I'm so amped!

RAW: Days 6 and 7

Yesterday was race day. I ate mostly raw, but scarfed up whatever was on hand, right after (oranges, bananas, granola bars, gatorade) and celebrated by having a nice (COOKED!) dinner with my dad. Race report to follow.

Today is not going well. I am sick of eating frickin' leafy greens, but trying to stay away from too much dried fruit to avoid the simple sugars. I'm currently munching on mushrooms. Furthermore, I feel hostile towards the entire raw community. I've been surfing message boards, reading chirpy posts, and wanting to punch all those raw food nuts in the face. Not so much enjoying this lifestyle, at the moment.

Finally, I've been trying to find some solid evidence on the benefits of a living food diet. I know the basic theory: heating food above 118 F for longer than 3 minutes denatures the protein, caramelizes the sugar, and destroys the enzymes that are built into the food to help it be digested. But I would like to see some data on the actual science behind this. Every article I've found on line strikes me as a knee-jerk, defensive, propagandistic, and even fanatical. I get that this is something people really believe in; maybe it's something I could believe in. I've even found a few good articles, and I think, "Okay, I can buy that . . . but if you have studies, show me references." Because I don't want to be preached at; I want some facts.

I hope things start looking up in the next 3 weeks, because at this rate, I'm never going to want to eat raw veg again!

"Believing in Belief"

Several things have been brewing in my head for this post: an article by swim coach Richard Quick, an Endurance Planet podcast, a blog post by triathlete Gale Bernhardt . . . consider this post a synthesis of their thoughts and mine.

Have you ever read about the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes? Before Roger Bannister ran his liminal mile, most people--almost everyone, in fact--seriously doubted that it was physically possible. After he broke that barrier, many athletes followed in his footsteps, to the point where running a sub-4-minute mile became almost pedestrian. It was Bannister's belief that carried him beyond the world's assumptions and made him the first.

Not everyone can be a professional athlete; no matter your work ethic, there's a half-dozen genetically-determined and unchangeable variables: muscle type, body composition, VO2 max . . . I would even argue that many professional endurance athletes possess a predisposition for higher tolerance of pain and a stronger sense of discipline . . . what if an extraordinary ability to believe is another difference between the elite and the age grouper? Belief makes the ordinary extraordinary; belief brings commitment; belief gives permission beyond limits; belief will carry an athlete through difficulties and setbacks; belief makes you act as if you cannot fail.

Belief makes the extraordinary ordinary. The success of Roger Bannister gave other athletes permission to believe that running a mile in 3:59 is possible. Before his achievement, the belief was visionary; now it's mundane, because it's fact. His accomplishment--which began with his belief--actually expanded the cultural perception of what is normal and ordinary! Wouldn't it be great to be a person who breaks that kind of barrier?

Belief brings commitment. Roger Bannister didn't run just one mile; I mean, he ran the famous one, but he ran countless others before that. He sacrificed. He reached new levels of physical pain. He restructured his life (he wasn't a pro athlete, by the way; he was a recreational runner) to give him an appropriate amount of time to train. He committed a huge chunk of his life to this goal, because he knew it was attainable--not just theoretically, but personally; there was no reason to half-ass it. It wasn't only something that his coach or his parents or his nation wanted (although they all did); no one thought it was possible, and if he hadn't initially believed himself capable of running the fastest mile ever, his culture never would have expected and demanded that he achieve it. His belief initiated the pursuit for the goal; he was committed before anyone else was.

Belief gives permission beyond limits. Roger Bannister wasn't waiting for someone to say he should or could; he wasn't waiting for someone else to break the barrier. In fact, he was committed to breaking the 4-minute record before anyone else could (there were two other men pusuing the same goal simultaneously). And many saw the 4-minute barrier as a natural limit: 4 minutes, 4 laps around the track . . . it seemed perfect. Bannister disregarded that idea of a natural order; he knew he could run a mile faster than that, and he set out to do it. His own belief allowed him to overlook any so-called limits.

Belief carries an athlete through difficulties and setbacks. Bannister didn't run a sub-4-minute mile the first time he tried. In fact, there were several races and events which were orchestrated specifically to help him break 4 minutes, times when all the world watched and waited thinking, "This'll surely be the time." He failed multiple times, at international events, and small-town races, even with other athletes pacing him. He failed. He failed, he failed, he failed. And in the face of discouragement, he continued his training with a singular aim, and continued to participate in meets and events; his belief did not allow him to look at himself and think, "Well, I guess that's it. I gave it everything, and it wasn't enough." It carried him through the profoundest discouragement--failure.

Belief makes you act as if you cannot fail.

Let's apply. What is an extraordinary goal for you? What's something on the outside edges of what (in your mind) is possible for you? For some, the idea of even finishing a triathlon is an extraordinary goal. I coach one woman for whom swimming 25 yards is mentally inconceivable. Maybe you have an inkling that you could run a marathon in under 3 hours. Maybe you secretly believe that you could get first place in your A-priority race this season. Maybe you dream of swimming the English Channel. Or maybe it's something completely unrelated to performance. Whatever it is, allow yourself to fully define your goal; I would bet that most of you have a little thought niggling at the corners of your brain. Mine says, "Know what? I bet you can get 1st in your age group at Shawnee Mission." Invite that thought into center stage in your mind and take a good long look at it.

What's your first reaction to that goal/dream/desire? Maybe that it's not realistic. It's a pipe dream. It's never going to happen.

Psh. Why isn't it going to happen? Is it because you're not genetically pre-disposed to win first place at a major race? Or because you didn't learn to swim until you were 37 years old? Check this out:

How could Dara Torres--at age 33 and having been out of swimming for seven years--return to the sport in 2000 after only 14 months of training and swim significantly faster than ever before in each of her events, setting tow American records and taking five Olympic medlas (two of them gold on world-record relays)?
How could American 200-meter butterflyer Misty Hyman drop from 2:09.2 (her lifetime best) at the 2000 Olympic trials to 2:05.88 just 30 days later to beat world-record holder and defending Olympic champion Susie O'Neill, breaking O'Neill's six-year winning streak in the 200 butterfly?
-Quick, Richard. "Believing in Belief." The Swim Coaching Bible. Human Kinetics: 2001.

That's right! Belief! And you may not be a world-class 200 meter butterfly specialist, or a former Olympian, but you are capable of the same kind of belief that drove these athletes to do what was extraordinary for them. Know what? No matter how exceptional the physiology, dropping almost 4 seconds from a swimming PR is extraordinary. And coming back to the Olympics to win big after a seven-year hiatus is extraordinary. For you, extraordinary will look different (for one thing, if you're an age-grouper, you should damn well be able to drop a lot more than 4 seconds from your swim time!), but it is no less extraordinary, and it is no less achievable.

So look back over this post and ask some questions. I look forward to hearing what happens from there.

RAW: Days 4 and 5

I can tell you, the amount of fiber in my body currently is really intense . . .

I feel sorry for whoever might be so unfortunate as to end up behind me at any point during the YMCA Central indoor tri tomorrow . . . because they're in for a stinky ride.

This raw thing comes in phases . . . sometimes it seems ridiculously hard, other times it's a breeze. For dinner tonight, I made some raw hummus using sprouted chick peas, and it tasted really good! Besides which, the friction from processing it in my food processor warmed it nicely. And I haven't had warm food in a while.

One of the most interesting parts about this whole process is wondering where I'm going to land: will I be so full of energy and healthy by the end of the month that I'll never want to go back to cooked foods? Will I be so sick of frickin' fruits and veggies that I'll cook everything forever, until all semblance of nutritional value is gone from whatever I eat? I'm betting that I'll end up halfway in between--glad to have had the experience, but ready to incorporate cooked foods (BREAD!) back into my diet. I could see myself being about 50% raw.

But it's thrilling, not knowing where I'll come down at the end of this experiment.