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The tough part of writing about the process of training for a triathlon is that 80% or more is such a mental game. Unlike weight lifting or body recomp, there are no physique shots to show off your hard work.
To be sure, I can relay to you how my bottom jaw almost dropped to the floor when I discovered these legs biked over 122 miles in one week. We can share a chuckle over the shock I felt when the weekly cycling average hit 132 and I actually took out another calculator and re-calculated the numbers, because I felt for sure "The Sum" command on my mac pro was broken! LOL
...but, it wasn't.
We can cry together over how overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness I felt when I finally walked 6.3 miles in one go. The first time before and after the 2017 Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis with numb stiff legs that I have ever walked that distance at one time since my teen years and I'm 48 so that tells ya something right there.
We can share a "WOW!" moment the weekend I pulled in 134 miles on the bike, and brought my average watts up from 241 to 248 leaving this past weekend with over
89.59 miles of movement
15.28 miles of walking
74.31 miles on cycling
...and 4.28 miles of that walking was done with a 20 lb. weighted vest.
It is beautiful. Heck, it impresses me even as I write it! LOL
But, it doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the "states of mind" and the mental shift that happens with this kind of training. Which, to be frank is really the most significant part of endurance activities and unfortunately the hardest to express in words.
So, yes I've avoided writing about it all because there's just much and it's all good, and it's all an amazing humbling learning experience, but I don't even know where to begin.
And, yet there is this other part of me that feels compelled to put something out there about the process, because at its best endurance training and participating in endurance type of events over time will inevitably strip you down to your purest self.
As most Ultra marathon runners will state, "you find out who you really are out there." One can use these events to be competitive for sure, but it's really laughable because "time" is the least significant point of measure when tapping into the body's potential.
Don't believe me?
What does the amount of "time" I take to walk over 6 miles mean to this girl who only 4 and half years ago walked out of a hospital with a walker and whose physical therapist compares her recovery to that of a paralyzed man who was told he would never walk again, but decided to do it anyway.
When one's own MS neurologist isn't quite sure why her patient is able to neurologically do what she ISN'T supposed to be able to do, what does the amount of time I take to walk, swim, or bike really mean?
But, truthfully it's come to my attention that most vetted marathoners know this and the use of "competition" is really more about giving the mind something to aim for when it's inclined to give up or hits the proverbial wall or the ever dreaded inevitable "low".
The truth, outside the thin veil of competition?
When it comes to endurance, especially when the miles of movement exceed 25 - everyone is on even playing field because the ultimate challenge every endurance athlete faces is the battle that will be initiated with their own minds. And, that battle can be so formative and at times ruthless it flattens the playing field for every individual participating regardless of age, ability, gender, or even genetic aptitude.
All that stated, there are definitely approaches that can help optimize both training and performance for endurance sports. Unlike, body building - research on endurance training and their impact on human physiology is somewhat a new and growing field and I'll be the first to say that approaches to nutrition constitute a "moving target" most of the time. But, some areas of focus are gaining some solid ground.
1. Micro-nutrients DO matter in endurance training. All those precious vitamins and minerals that keep the motor humming and drumming at optimal speed for long periods of time need to be replenished. You can get away with getting your vitamins and minerals from cereal with strength and weights. But, the vitamins in cereal and donuts don't hold muster when one is ending their weeks with over 134 or more miles of physical movement.
2. All the macro-nutrients matter as well. But rule of thumb is - keep your Carbs high, protein moderate, and fats can still remain on the low end but still need to be consumed.
3. Sugar and Sodium are to an endurance athlete what insulin is to a diabetic. And, that is no joke. To little of either and organs literally start shutting down.
4. Though some consider this optional, it really needs to emphasized to the endurance community that strength training and weights can play a VERY critical role in optimizing and improving one's performance and actually help prevent injury.
5. Warm ups, cool-downs, Mobility and recovery sessions are not optional and if ignored - one not only increases the likelihood of a short endurance career or hobby, they are pretty much 100% guaranteed an injury of some sort that will force them into the arms of a physical therapist who will in turn, teach them first hand why warm-ups, mobility, and recovery sessions are not optional when training for an endurance event.
Does that mean every elite endurance athlete follows these 5 pillars?
Nope, they don't. Some still believe your hydrated enough if you just drink water and a goo packet or two with a granola bar will provide all the supplements and macro-nutrients needed to get them through the miles. Some still go by the premise that strength and weights do not have any business in endurance training and recovery constitutes a cold beer and pizza. And, it never fails after watching about 30 documentaries or so on marathon running or triathlete events - they learn the hard way or as hybrid athlete Nick Bare states
"They are occasionally great, but not consistently good"
On the other hand, it's been a bit of a learning curve for me as well. My progress is consistent and it's been a joy to see both my max walking speed and average watts on the bike increase with sincere dedication to expanding a solid aerobic foundation. However, there have been some hard lessons I've learned along the way like...
- the seat to pedal position on the recumbent bike matters a great deal on long rides and lack of attention to this detail can and did result in severe groin strain.
- With MS, more calf and quad muscle does not mean better mobility. If anything it entails even greater opportunity for torque, stiffness, and spasms.
-Myofascial release is a thing and just like sore arm muscles and leg muscles need TLC, foot care is critical and needs to be top priority in every recovery session because that tiny little itty bitty blister can undue a whole weekend's worth of training not to mention put a kabash on "game day"
And, of course there is more but one can see if they've made it this far - there are a lot of eggs in this basket to focus on in the midst of training the mind to do it with little to no complaint, LOL. Or, at the very least learning to cultivate enough fortitude in one's heart to withstand the complaints when they come...
Because, the bliss part of all of this my friends is off the charts, next level amazing, non-quantifiable, and expressed in words will always come up short. The closest I can come to touching upon is to state there are moments during my training blocks (especially, on the walks) where I look up and feel I'm in this surreal place. Everything falls away and reality feels fluid. My form feels formless. I know there is pain and fatigue but it feels far away - there, but not quite connected and in those moments I am just...
Pure. Energy. In motion.
Unencumbered, free, in the beyond.
Anyway, thank you all so much for your support in the last post. I do apologize for not posting more about this process, but as you can see it consumes a lot of space in my life. And, I haven't even incorporated the swimming. That will likely happen in late June. In the meantime, as Chris so aptly stated in the last post
Input=Output, and we continue to show up and do the work.
Have a beautiful blessed, day everyone!
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