Farce of Feeling Ready

Prior Preparedness Prevents Piss Poor Performance

We hear how you prepare will impact how you perform. I think of that often, I love it actually, and I talked to my kids about the importance of practice and training to improve at the things you want to be better at in life (sports, school, work, etc.). 

Lately I have heard more about feeling ready, to reduce anxiety, that your preparedness and that feeling ready to take on a task is important. I think that's wrong, if you have a truly focused goal, a first for you, that stretches you, that will be challenging... you should never feel ready. Why? 

First off, the thought of being ready means you have all details controlled (internal and external). In something new, something hard, that is generally not the case. 

Secondly, the notion that you can plan for everything is not possible. So you have to go in knowing that something that was unplanned for happened and that you just hope to react as best possible. I might cramp on the swim, my bike might break down, I could twist my ankle as I start the run... 

So why do I think feeling ready is a farce? I think that because if you really have a big goal... you shouldn't feel ready. Am I ready to get the mail? Yeah, I do it daily and get it done. I think all things in life that will feel like a major accomplishment, should make you never feel perfectly ready. 

Can I complete the 70.3 miles?
I don't know, and I won't know until I cross that finish line. 

What do I know?
I know that I followed a plan, I listened to expert advice, I asked for help for the things I don't do well, I sharpened up the skills I am good at, and I prepared to tackle things I am not good at. 

What do I know?
I know that I can't control external factors, bike issue, muscle injury, other competitors (kicked in face, crash into my bike, etc.), the weather, etc. 

What do I know?
I know I am going to face this 70.3 miles. I am respecting it, I prepared for it, I am anxious about it, and I am fine tuning goals for the day, and hopeful that I end the day with a medal around my neck. 

What do I know?
With or without a medal, I'll walk away, knowing I shot my shot. I tell my kids, I don't care if you win, I care that you give it your best. 

Here goes my best...

Still not an Ironman

In mid 2020, I wrote a reflection on not being ready, able, or focused enough to do an Ironman (No Ironman). That it was okay, and I reflected that some of it was on everything in pandemic being canceled, but honestly that I lost my drive to do it... made me feel less guilty but still something I thought to myself, "later". 

2021 Blog: Dead Last Winner

Well in early 2021 I thought... I was back in school, I was starting to look for my next position, and that I should get back on try at least maybe a half Ironman. My first triathlon of the year I was slow but improving . I thought this was my year, let's go! Unfortunately those plans were short lived, maybe a month or so after serious training started I hurt my knee working at La Casa. I nursed it, took it easy, but ultimately it needed medical intervention and have arthroscopic knee surgery. It was a meniscus repair on my right knee, which had full ACL replacement in 1997. I was worried it would be a major repair, but luckily the work I had done then held up well and it just need a scope. 

I had the scope done in November of 2021 (One More Scar). I was told I would be back at it in a couple months... the training and while rehab and training was hard, I was diligent about it and got back in the saddle quickly, swimming, biking, and running and getting my distance back. In April 2022 I registered for an indoor Triathlon at the Beacon Aquatic Center in Elkhart, IN. It was a sprint triathlon (400 yard swim, 12 mile bike, 5k run)... and as much I didn't feel ready, I pushed it hard, and I WON! 

So I was BACK and it felt good. Summer 2022 I ran well, ran a lot and was running a 22 minute 5k (goal was 21 minutes) and I remember a 10k I ran in Reno, NV with a fraternity brother in July where my pace was stellar despite the altitude. I then was looking for some longer triathlons, maybe even a half Ironman... 

Then, about a month later a pain started in my left foot. I slowed down the running and shortened distances, even went back to PT a little to work through that, and then it spread to my right foot, and then was causing some tendonitis in my knee. So not only did I cancel plans to race, but by September I paused running completely. Went back to doctor, back to PT, and luckily no surgery, but more rest, and to slow down. 

At the end of 2022, work was stressful, my new job was more work than I thought, and I was not running much, and I gained like 10-12 pounds. I was so overwhelmed, I blogged about it (Overwhelmed). So then I made a plan, I started working with a podiatrist, and knew that 2023 would be better...

Well new shoes, orthotic inserts, and now I am back... well slowly. For the first three months of the year I hit all my move goals and in March I signed up for the IronKroc (did it in 2019 and caught the trithlon bug)... you set a monthly goal to hit all the ironman distances (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run). So I capped off the end of the first quarter of the year and pushed it hard, ate well, worked out daily and slowly increased running distances. I actually finished the run distance first and then the swim distance (what I hate the most) and finished the bike on the final day. It was the IronKroc in 2019 that actually got me to start swimming and thinking about triathlons. 

So I am an IronKroc, but still not an Ironman... and I am still cool with it. I shed the 10-12 pounds I gained in in 2022, and have hope that maybe I can keep increasing distances and 

Is there a lesson here, or is this just a blog about how life has been lately? I mean there are lots of lessons, and one is, that writing and blogging is a nice release for me. So I am trying to blog more and document things I am up to... I also thinking writing this will remind to try and take things slow, to be happy with progress, and that pushing too hard can make things break... 

So here is to slowing down, to setting goals and hitting targets, and maybe having some long term dreams that might never happen, but to keep them as options. 

Dead Last Winner

A couple weeks ago I did a triathlon. I didn't feel like it was an achievement so I didn't post, and then I got busy. I mean it was an indoor one, a short sprint one, I had the date wrong so it was a week earlier than my training plan was set up for, and I came in dead last. 

I immediately was grinding on all the excuses. I mean there were only 11 male competitors, and all experienced (well it looked like it), and people kept coming over to talk to me during the biking part, and yes I had trouble getting the treadmill at my pace, and like I mentioned I never got my trial run (I planned to do the triathlon as a test run the weekend before). Plus I always have the "I hate swimming" triathlon excuse about why I didn't do well. 

Well I am here to say, I am proud of my times. Last or first, it was an accomplishment. Yeah I hate swimming will always be my excuse, but honestly, I should of celebrated more. It was a big deal, I did something I hate (swimming), I did something I love (running), and I didn't care how I looked or how it turned out. 

No matter what, I won, I am a winner. I beat the pandemic, I beat my fear of the swim portion, and I continue to beat the desire to sit on the couch and do nothing. So maybe you are out there feeling like you can't, but hey, you can, you might come in last, but you will finish... and be a winner.

Covid has made the world weird, and one thing we need to do is celebrate the wins, even when they were a loss. Yeah I came in dead last, but hey, I completed another triathlon! So that is something I should celebrate, and something I will brag about... now if only i can get my butt in gear and work on some Ironman training then I can really celebrate, even if I come in dead last.