My Why
In my last post I mentioned a book I have been reading by Addie Bracy, Mental Training for Ultrarunning. Chapter two, Find Your Why for Running, goes into great depth about what she means by “why” and includes a number of practical exercises to help the reader bring their thoughts into focus. I have yet to do the exercises, but I plan to. Meanwhile, I have already drafted my why:
Age is just a number.
My first attempt was a bit wordy:
I do triathlon to teach others that age is just a number.
Too much to hold onto when I am hot, tired, and feeling miserable. At Honu that happens to me passing Kawaihae on the way back. A good why should be something you can pull out and hold onto when you feel the bottom dropping out.
By “do” I mean train and race, and also coach. Ok, maybe coaching should be a separate thing, but I have enjoyed teaching ever since college. I was not so interested in doing scholarly research or presenting papers at conferences. What made me consider getting a PhD was the idea of introducing students to new experiences, and helping them find their potential.
“Age is just a number” is deceptively simple. In the past, people were told that aging was all about slowing down, taking it easy. Sitting on the porch in a rocking chair. Your body will become weak and there is nothing you can do about it.
My two favorite authors who debunk this myth are Joe Friel and Dr. Stacy Sims, both of whom I have mentioned before. Friel covers the subject in great detail in Fast After 50, and Dr. Sims focuses on the special challenges women face in Roar. Another good resource, again targeting women, is the podcast Hit Play Not Pause hosted by Selene Yeager.
My goal as a coach is to implement the concepts Friel presents in the context of triathlon training. In his book, he keeps sports specific details to a minimum, but I hear the cyclist in his words. Having to train in three distinctly different activities is hard enough for young athletes. Add in the additional recovery time required by senior athletes and striking a balance turns into a seemingly insurmountable task.
If I am going to say that age is just a number, can I say as much about the numbers? By that I mean my love of data. Last year I was genuinely shocked to hear my cardiologist, a runner himself, tell me not to pay so much attention to my heart rate while running. He told me to go by feel, and that as long as I felt good and my legs had the strength to run, my heart was fine.
Something to think about. But not too much. Doing is better.
Hmm. "Doing is better." Sounds like a good why.