TriAptitude Coaching

Connor, our oldest son just asked me what “taper thoughts” means. I told him it means anything that comes into my mind leading into a big race as my body is getting ready for the challenge ahead. Some of these thoughts can be crazy and irrational. Some are poignant and enlightening. I had a terrible dream last night which was more of the former. I hope my post below is more of the latter!

I have been in this triathlon game for a decade now and one might think that with age, experience and numerous coaching certifications, I would feel like it all comes together easily during my taper for a big race. In many ways, it does. In other ways, I still struggle with the same sense of uncertainty, excitement and chaos of thought as do most of my peers. Welcome to my “taper thoughts”. I am now twelve days out from Ironman World Championship St. George 2022 and officially scaling down my training volume, picking up the intensity, and preparing my mind and body for race day. Am I thrilled to race in this iconic event?  Of course, I am!  What an experience it will be. Did I qualify for this event as is traditional for an Ironman World Championship? I did not. I was already registered for Ironman St. George after an injury forced me out of Ironman Couer d’Alene last summer. Ironman allowed me to transfer my race entry into St. George for 2022. I originally thought I would be racing a good old, every day, “normal” Ironman on a very hard Utah course. Nope. Ironman announced not long after that they would be moving the 2021 delayed Ironman World Championship to the St. George course on May 7. Everyone previously registered then rolled right into the World Championship. Ironman also changed the course to make it harder.

I had mixed feelings about this at first. I felt a little bit like an imposter racing an IMWC without actually qualifying for the experience. But, heck, what a fun chance to race in a huge event like this!  Bring it!  I am now refocused on what this race means to me and why I signed up for it to begin with. My largest goal, although not a specific one, is to do the best I can on a course which is by far the most challenging one I have tackled to date. I intend to race with gratitude! GRATITUDE. That is my mantra. My special word for the moment.  I am arriving at the start line healthy and strong. My foot has healed to the point that I can compete once again on the race course. That in and of itself, is a big win for me after last year’s injury. I have a fantastic group of friends coming to support me on race day. These are my closest friends and my coach- they have been here with me before. They understand what an Ironman race day means and are willing to go through the good, the bad and the ugly. That is no small feat and I am truly appreciative of all which that means for them and for me. I could not get through a major event such as this without a support team which is fun, uplifting and knowledgeable of what I need and when I need it.  The knowledge that I have these amazing women coming to St. George to be with me is not only reassuring for me but truly touches my heart in ways which I can not describe.  I know that when I get to the dark moments- which we all do in an Ironman event- I have some smiling, laughing faces on the sidelines which will help me refocus and push through. That means a lot. More than almost anything else.

My other recent “taper thoughts” have revolved around ORGANIZATION. I feel best and least stressed when my life is organized- physically and emotionally.  That is hard to do living in a household of four men who are not always organized or clean or tidy. In fact, our washing machine just flooded yesterday. It was a huge disaster and certainly did not encourage my feeling of calmness and organization. What that experience did do was to force me to adapt to worse case scenarios, solve the problem, fix the damage and make the best of things.  The day started as an absolute mess but ended with a very clean and organized house- mopped, sanitized, furniture moved and dusted, baseboards scrubbed. Yep. Lemons into lemonade yesterday.  Sounds like a great lesson for race day, right? Not everything is going to go to plan- expect the best but prepare for the worst. Something may not go as expected in the beginning of the day and it is a long day out there on course.  I know that if I can adapt and solve issues as they occur, my day will come together.  The better prepared I am emotionally and physically going into the race, the more efficient I am in the hard moments. There are a lot of logistics which need to come together before, during and after a race of this magnitude. My free time during the taper weeks is used to reduce possible stress I might feel in the immediate days before the race.  By packing all of my gear early and making sure that anything which I might need for race day is accounted for before I leave home, I allow myself more down time once I get to the race venue.  My husband used to make fun of me for packing a week in advance for family trips. I am always the best prepared because of this forethought. Yay for me. Missing your toothpaste- Mom has it. Forgot your underwear- Mom stuck a few extra pairs in your bag’s zipper pocket. What? I have no swimsuit. Mom threw a few extras into her duffle bag. It works for me and that’s all that matters. Forethought- an important key to success. It works for family trips, and it certainly works for my race trips! So, yes, my race bag is all packed with my gear. Everything is organized in bags by race discipline so that I can easily transfer what I need into my specific Ironman event bags- bike, run, bike special needs, run special needs, morning/swim.  Lucky me, more time with my friends leading into the race and less stress about details. #winning

I also want to talk about the power of POSITIVITY and the impact it has on me emotionally and physically leading into big events both on and off the race course. My bit of wisdom for you all is this- you can only control the controllable so let go of the rest! Seems obvious, right? I make the most of what I can change for the better and focus on that. Anything else?  Well, I try hard to let go of the frustration and negative energy.  That just makes me feel overwhelmed and stressed. This is true for events and for people, right?  I can not change the weather, the water temperature for the swim, the worry and stress of other athlete’s around me.  I can prepare by packing the correct gear and heat acclimatizing as necessary. I can focus on myself and my performance in the moment rather than being overly distracted by others. Water temp? Well, we all know that Sand Hollow Reservoir is very cold in May.  I am coming prepared with my long sleeved wetsuit, thermal swim cap and swim socks in case I need extra warm gear. I surround myself with positive people and I avoid negativity in talk and action as much as I can in the days leading into a race.  Negativity is a physical and emotional drain. I need all of my energy for the tasks at hand and prefer to fill my life cup with enthusiasm, humor, light and inspiration.  There will always be stressful moments and down times, but if I can wrap an uplifting thought around those moments, it helps me a lot.

Alright, well now I have used some of my free time this morning putting my thoughts down on paper. This is another way I help myself prepare emotionally. Sharing my thoughts in writing allows me the freedom to express myself and reflect on my ideas in the present and in the future. Journaling is a great means to focus my intentions, redefine my goals and remind myself of my priorities in life. I encourage all of my friends to do the same!  Jot those ideas down and see where they take you! Have a great day and thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog!