Progress!

• On: 02/14/2010 16:32:30

ProgressI feel like I am home whenever the Olympics are on…I feel giddy and fired up at the same time.  We have every TV in the house blaring the stories of these fantastic athletes, their struggles and their physical excellence. I am drawn in regardless of the sport.  While I might be far from an Olympic athlete, I get it.  These athletes suffer and sacrifice and live their lives in search of excellence – excellence in sport.  The odds are against them – I mean look at the weather and courses for these ski events in Vancouver – SUB par at best.  And, what do the best athletes in the world do?  The best ones?  They adapt.  They figure out what wax to use, what different angles to skate or ski..and make it happen.  They have been taught –time and time again – that winners adapt, make the best of each race and figure out a way to win.

No matter what level the athlete is I think the fundamentals are the same.  I think each athlete wants to see progress.  In any shape or form.  The catch is that many don’t have the patience for greatness.  Think about your friends who try to lose weight…few remain with the program, right?  It is all too commonplace.  And, I have become jaded in this area in my life and I try HARD to regain my empathy in this arena, but I will admit, it is not easy for me.  As an athlete myself and one that thrives on progress and amazing patience, I do not get the “silver bullet answer.”  But, I find myself being a hypocrite too.  While I am very patient and pragmatic in sport, I found myself 8 years ago NOT being like that when we were trying to get pregnant.  We decided we wanted a baby…but it did not come easily and while the thought of giving up did not enter my mind, the “speed this whole process up NOW” sure did.  So, while I am patient and meticulous in sport, I am not necessary the most patient person around in other areas of my life.

This past week I had my re-assessment testing with Kate, my personal trainer.  I was a good athlete and did NOT do anything silly the day before.  While I was doing planks, side planks, flexibility tests, BMI measurements…I did not want to go into the testing totally trashed.  I even moved my tempo run around to ensure I was as “fresh” as I could be.   I would be lying if I said I was not excited.  Why?  Because I was going to see HUGE progress and I knew it.  And, I just do not see HUGE improvement anymore in Triathlon.  Of course, I see progress from winter to spring to summer and then to off season…of course…but it is not like I am going to take 30” off my mile time or anything.  And, quite frankly, while I feel like I am getting fitter and faster, I was salivating at the thoughts of HUGE improvements on paper!

It reminded me of a long time ago…it must have been mid 90s and I told Coach Dave when we first started working together that my goal was to break 20 minutes in the 5k. I was new to Triathlon and I was doing crap training.  I had no structure, no plan and was thinking I could wing it.  I mean, how hard can this be?  I was an athlete, right?  WRONG.  But, a few years out of college and living la vida loca…..I was naïve.  Anyway, of course the story plays out wonderfully – thanks to his great suggestions and belief in me – but also because week after week I saw huge progress.  I wanted more.  I wanted to be faster, to be quicker, to PR every race I entered.  Yep, that happens for a select period of time and then the door shuts VERY quickly on you and unless you challenge yourself differently and do different things that roller coaster of greatness and improvement hits a brick wall.  It took me many years.  MANY MANY years to fine tune my efficiency and drive and ability to race.  To race a good 5k is like something stabbing you in the eyeballs. It has no room for error.  It is not easy and to run as fast as I eventually did is a great testament to coach Dave – of course I did the hard work, but he kept telling me “you can run this time xx:xx, Jen.” 

Progress.  Day in and day out :  Progress.  It kept my fires burning and it kept me charging when the time was right.  That 20 min goal did not last long…and I eventually knocked that time down nearly 2 minutes of my initial goal time.  That is a hell of a lot of time in the 5k.  But, I saw the progress and it fueled my passion for this X time I had in my head.  I knew that I could do more…and I wanted more.  I celebrated each success and did NOT think I deserved or would PR in every race…but it sure is addicting when the results start happening!

I have applied this progress to all of the 3 disciplines in Triathlon.  While some are definitely not “time related” – they may be X place at a race, or whatever…but the goals were aligned with my progress year to year.  I think that is why the open marathon is appealing to me this year.  I have accomplished all the “times” I want to at open run races…even at some of the bike TTs (like the 40k TT), and even most of my swim races (except the 1650y, I will get there!), but the marathon time eludes me.  It is only fair that I have run very few – ok, 2 – open marathons.  And, the first one was a joke b/c I just thought I was cool enough to run a marathon right out of college and it would be easy!  Ha.  Joke.  How arrogant and complacent of me.  Anyway, I am excited, because I actually have a TIME goal….and that time goal is aggressive…AND that is keeping me alive and keeping the fire going this season.

Ok, back to my Personal Training re-assessment. My first assessment was on day #1.  This was in December sometime.  I was coming off no cycling, no swimming and just la la la running – in other words, my much deserved break.  I was a little out of shape, but let’s be honest…how out of shape are you only 30 days after the ½ Ironman World Championships?  Not too bad, but body wise – I was about 5 lbs heavier than my race weight.  Well, let’s be frank.  I raced Clearwater 5 lbs heavier than my race weight.  Just didn’t have that “umph” to get my weight down for that race.  That was my fault.  Shame on me…but it was nobody’s fault but my own.

ANYWAY, I was short of pathetic. I am sure Kate Trainer was like, “um, is this really you on your blog and website?”  HA…I could not hold a GOOD solid plank for 1 minute – now remember, form is everything so I had to be PERFECT.  My back naturally sways, so I am always having to pull in my navel in everything I do…I could NOT even do the flexibility test.  The sheet said, “N/A, could not be tested at this time.”  DUH!  This was new to me. I have always been able to grit my way thru anything.  Muscle my way through pain and get through it all through my mental toughness and focus…but here, in this Performance Center, I had to slow down, BE patient and let the process unfold.  My limiters were blinding.  It was hard for me. In the beginning I used my shoulder strength FOR everything….my planks were all in my shoulders (bad!)….While I could muster through pull ups and anything in the frontal plane (that is the plane we, as triathletes, work in the best!) I really did suck at anything sideways, anything core and the lovely TRX.  Power.  FORCE…all the things that I knew I needed.

A lot of athletes ask me about BMI.  Race weight…and those are normal questions and I address them all very differently with each athlete.  SOME do need to lose weight.  Some do not…etc…but for me, I have never had my BMI done – unless you count when I was in college and well…that was a long time ago. So, as an adult, I do not own a Tanita scale, I do not get too worked up about all of this.  But, Kate Trainer keeps track of this – just to show progress and to make sure we are doing the right things to improve.  She measured me in December.  She re-measured me in February.  I almost crapped my pants!  While I am still 5lbs heavier than I will race at this summer, I was pleasantly surprised that I dropped my BMI by 2%.  That is a lot when you are already fit.   I have gotten much leaner but have not lost any weight – that is good – I do not need to be “race weight” in February!  It will come. 

I improved my plank to over 3 minutes!  Trainer Kate holds the record @ 6 minutes.  She knows I am gunning for her.  (ha, I have to make everything a competition).  I improved in everything – pull ups – 12 from 9…side planks, BMI, I could even get tested in flexibility this time!  I was excited.  Kate sent me my results via email and I was like a new little athlete – seeing it all unfold. 

At the Performance Center there is a white board – all the records for planks, TRX challenges, wall sits, etc.  AND then the timed mile.  I think the best time for the timed mile is 5.43.  Giggle. I am coming for them.  It may take me over a year to get closer, but I will get there and I love the new challenge.  And, Kate asked me to help her with her run .... giggle.  Poor thing.  Hey, it is all fair, right?