Adverse Conditions
The way to learn to react positively to adversity in races is to train and respond positively to those challenging conditions. Quoted from The Triathlete's Guide to Mental Training.
Saturday morning weather along the North Coast of Ohio:
Temperature: 30 degrees
Wind: NNE 15-20 MPH gusting to 29MPH
Skies: Partly cloudy
Roads: Dry
The plan was to ride my bike to the start of the Spring Classic Half Marathon. I needed to get in 3 hours of riding and this was a good way to do it. Ride to the race, run my leg, ride back home. I was recruited to run a co-ed relay with some friends. Despite the cold weather I was bound and determined to ride outside, challenging conditions and all. I bundled up and hit the street with toe warmers in my booties and hand warmers in my gloves.
I was heading east before I could head south and the wind was stiff. Overall the bike ride was great. I anticipated the ride for 1:30 but it turned out to be 1:50 for 30 miles. I missed the start of the race but I was running second half anyways. I found Aimee's car, put away my bike and changed into new clothes for running. I found Dale and Aimee at the relay exchange and didn't have to wait too long for my relay partner Deb to come in. She was running with Gina, Dales relay partner, and Dale and I started off for our 6.55 mile run.
I was treating this as a good, fun run with Dale and an easy pace to see how the hip would respond. I felt very comfortable. After the first full mile we were holding an 8:15 pace. I was surprised since I was originally planning on a 9:00/mile pace. I decided to just go with how I felt and see what happens. I was pleasantly surprised that we kept that pace the entire time.
After the run I was going to ride my bike back home for the last hour of my planned training ride. Aimee was concerned that I would get too cold on the bike since I had already expended over 2.5 hours of energy already. Our group wanted to get some breakfast so I decided to join them.
I'm glad I went to breakfast. I hadn't seen Gina and Deb in a long time and I enjoy their company. The social aspect of my training day was just as important as the final hour on the bike, only warmer and it put food in my belly.
I did get my final hour in after dinner. Tomorrow I am part of a relay at the first duathlon of the year. Alot of friends and teammates will be there. I am only doing the bike to see how my race level is. Still looking to have some fun.
Spring is here and all I can say is.....Game On!
5 comments:
Game on! It's gonna be a cold one-see you there!
Great job in the cold stuff! It's so sunny, that when I look out my window it looks like it should be 80 degrees....ha ha! Hey, is Dale DS Racer who used to run w/Second Sole? If so tell him hi for me! I sent him an email a while back but never heard back--maybe I screwed up his address. Have fun at the Du!
ARgh..now i have no excuse not to ride :) good stuff.
I called off yesterday ride b/c it was too cold. Afterwards, I wetn to walmart and bought more protective stuff. Keeping warm is essential.
you will never have to prove your courage to me again.
well done.
p.s. as always, i have a suggestion, and am here to help. i think you should have gone to breakfast, and then had Aimee follow you home in the car just behind you like the coaches car in the TdF. You would have felt like Lance for at least a week.
p.p.s. i've posted before about wind, for some reason it is my fear, and only fear because we have gusts around 70mph. i think i just need to ride more in that type of wind. just not ride my P3C.
Judging by attire of some nuts at today's race, I am not the only wacko that would still ride in shorts with those conditions, although I only went 15 miles yesterday and 15 today.
Post a Comment