Sunday, May 10, 2009

There Are No Miracles

THERE ARE NO MIRACLES

So, I am racing Orlando 70.3 next Sunday, May 17. I have just completed my 2nd full week of running after 3 months off, both weeks of which I've logged in 25 miles.
My "key run" this past Friday morning was an 8 miler in which I averaged 7:10 pace, which nearly killed me with HR in zone 4 the final 6 miles. I would have liked to have a good race in Florida because I would be defending my 07 M40 win there. I of course need a good race to prepare for Boise 70.3 next month, but my primary motive for racing in Orlando is to put myself up against those younger competitors in my age group, seeing as I'm racing as a 44 year old this season. Of course, I will have an average swim, and I hope to set a personal best on this course on the bike, as well as a personal best for sustained watts in a half ironman.

All this is irrelevant because I will be 10 minutes slower per mile most likely at my fastest compared to my 2007 race. This is just the way it is...I am happy to be running near 7 min pace for an hour pain free, believe me, after a 56 mile time trial, I dont expect to perform some miracle out there in the half marathon. I only hope I can hold onto 7:15 pace for 10 miles...then just hold on as long as I can for the final 5k. This would put me 10 minutes slower than my time in 2007. No....there is no miracle that will suddenly allow me to run 6:30 pace next Sunday. I will race as a product of my under-fitness in running for this one. Gladly, because I am still able to run. A month ago, running my 12 minute jogs at 9 minute pace at the tail end of my injury...I knew if I stayed pain free, I could manage to get to under 7:30 pace for an hour a few weeks later. So, here I am. I will very most definitely get killed on the run, and chased down by many in my age group next week. It is what it is. For every other athlete out there, and those that I coach. That's right....there are no miracles. If your PR in the marathon is 3:15 in the past year or 2...you likely will not break 3:30 in an Ironman, unless you've managed to train yourself to get into sub 3 hour fitness prior to your race. Not just sub 3 hour fitness...but with the real-time ability to execute a sub 3 hour open marathon. Then, sure, you're ready to run under 3:30 barring some unforeseen incident on the race course. If you get in the workouts with proper intensity, without skipping too many workouts, and not over-training...you'll do just fine on race day. More so, you'll be happy with your day.

I upset a teammate a few years ago the week before IMCdA. I simply stated to her that "there is no God on the race course, and trust me...there is no God at mile 20 of the marathon in an Ironman." Sure this upset the person, which was not my intent. My only point was that if you havent properly prepared for the marathon, in part of which means running many long runs at or 15-30 seconds under your goal pace, then you wont by some miracle suddenly run 30 sec per mile faster than you've trained...and with 3-4 long runs completed prior to race day.

So, yeah, I stand by my sarcastic comments. I am not saying there is no God...dont misquote me. I'm simply stating....he (or she) wont be there to help you the final 10k of your Ironman marathon. Trust me...God may be watching...but there will be no intervention, and no miracles. You are on your own. You are isolated and alone. This is what you train for...not to be picked up and carried by something else. You are here because you want...need to do this on your own.

There is a misconception in athletes, even world elites, that the harder you train and the more prepared you are, the final stages of the race will somehow come easier. You feel that if you've put in 8+ 18 milers you'll somehow feel great running your goal pace the final 10k in your ironman. As well, hammering yourself into the ground at your PR open marathon pace each week, unable to recovery in time for the next intense workout 48 hours later will also allow you to just float to a PR on all that over-training in the final few weeks of your key race. These concepts couldnt be further from the truth, and further from reality.

Training and proper preparation, and execution, allows you to take your body deep into that lonely state of consciousness of which you are on an edge ready to fall off. It allows you to remain on that edge slightly fall over, then slowly pull yourself up.

To overcome. Yeah, that's why I do it. This is my true and singular goal for my ironman athletes on their race day. Take yourself to the brink of failure, then succeed. This is why I didnt pull out of Orlando.