The Inner Game of Marathon, Triathlon, etc.
In my continued search for self-enlightenment and a more meaningful life, I began reading a plethora of “self-help” books…or, rather, as I prefer to call them “self-discovery” books starting with The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. My latest read has been the The Inner Game of Work by W. Timothy Gallwey (also the author of The Inner Game of Tennis). In his book, Gallwey challenges the reader (me) to re-examine how his definition of work and fundamental motivations for working. What does this book have to do with...
Read MoreThe Minimalist Approach to Triathlon Training (Or Anything Else for that Matter)
I consider myself a minimalist when it comes to triathlon training. I know this may sound strange and somewhat contradictory to anyone who knows me personally as my triathlon training volume is up in the 20+ hour range per week during peak weeks in the spring and summer, which, admittedly, is quite a lot of time. Yet, I still claim that I am a minimalist because I do the absolute minimum of what I have to do in order to meet my goals…and nothing more. If my coach tells me to run for 2 hours and 30 minutes, I run for 2 hours and 30 minutes. If my coach tells me to bike for 90 minutes...
Read MoreUnderstanding the “Why?”
“Why am I doing this?” I ask myself repeatedly every day. “What is the ‘why’ that drives me forward and provides the meaning for the ‘things’ I’m doing like racing Silverman in November?” I can’t answer the “Why?” question with a solid answer right now. Because I can’t answer the question, I don’t have a compelling reason to race Silverman. When I reflect back to watching Chesapeakeman and being inspired to race again, it was not so much watching Brady win but the feeling of total commitment that I observed...
Read MoreFinding Flow: A State of Optimal Experience
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” - Unknown author Greetings from Roth, Germany, the site of the Quelle Challenge! I arrived here on Friday morning with my bike case on the same flight so already a more positive experience this year. Why am I racing in the Quelle Challenge (Roth) versus another Ironman-distance race? “Those who want to go to Hawaii, take part in Frankfurt [Ironman Germany]. Those who want to enjoy a triathlon event with a lot of soul and a unique atmosphere, come to Franconia [region for the Quelle Challenge].” ...
Read MoreVisualization and Affirmation: One Key to Successful Racing
“Visualization and Affirmation” - these were the words that northern Virginia triathlete and Olympic hopeful Margie Shapiro shared with me a few weeks ago in an email. These two words are the key to my 8:29 race at the Quelle Challenge in Roth, German – 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run. Visualization: I think about Roth every day. I play through the race in my mind. I did the race in 2005 and 2006 so am familiar with the course and the experience. I know what to expect. Affirmation: I will swim under 54 minutes. I will bike under 4:40. I will run a 2:50...
Read MoreMeeting “The Man” – Dave Scott
On April 12, I had the opportunity and privilege to meet and talk with Dave Scott, who is [arguably] the most recognized athlete and coach in the sport of triathlon. Dave is a six-time Ironman World Champion and the first inductee into the Ironman Hall of Fame. In an event sponsored by Accelerade, Dave spoke to a group of triathletes at the Conte’s store in Arlington. He fielded all kinds of questions but most had to do with nutrition – how many calories, what kind of calories, replacing sodium loss from sweating, etc. He was an articulate speaker and provided several rules of...
Read MoreSubscribe to My Blog
Recent comments