By Lance Watson
Oct. 11, 2007 -- Have you ever noticed on race week how hypersensitive you become to your body? It's an interesting dynamic. In training often you will expect to be tired or just "take what you get" as far as body performance. You will usually expect feel somewhere between good and average, and sometimes not-so-good. On race week though, it's easy to wonder each time out "I hope I will feel good today", and look for confidence each time out. It's actually common to feel sluggish during your taper sessions. As you rest, your body refuels and muscles store glycogen. Glycogen absorbs water and that can leave you feeling a little heavy. You may even notice it if you step on the scale. The good thing is that you are fuelled up and hydrated, and come race day you will be ready to go! Once you start racing you'll feel like your normal, fit self again. So try and be easy going during your taper sessions and don't read to deep into it. And for sure, don't feel like you need to go and test yourself by doing something hard.
Athletes on race week are a funny bunch. Honestly, sometimes it sounds like they actually want to have a bad race.
Some comments I have heard this week-
"The heat is going to kill me".
"I probably don't deserve to be here"
"I hate the swim here"
"The Queen K (highway) is boring"
"The (Energy) Lab sucks it out of you"
If you are racing here in Kona, or in your next big race, I challenge you to turn a negative into a positive. The chances are if you are thinking and area will be tough, it is tough, and many others will be processing it that way to. I actually like it when my athletes race at harder races. I think more of their competitors will pre-DNF themselves or underperform simply because they are mentally defeated before the gun even goes off.
So, if others are fearing a section of the race course, isn't that an area where you might be able to have an advantage? Create some positive cues or look for reasons why you might do well in the harder areas of the course.
Local top age grouper Bree Wee trains on the Kona course all the time. While many talk of the energy sapping heat in the "Lab", Bree says she actually relishes that area of the run course and draws energy for the ocean there. Peter Reid actually wore black one year to absorb heat and absorb energy (in a spiritual sense) in the Lab. These athletes mentally rehearsed to be energized in the Lab.
The Energizer Lab - I like it!
Check out Lance's previous installment
HERE.
LifeSport coach Lance Watson is in Kona as the Official Coach of Ironman. He has coached 16 Ironman wins. To learn more about LifeSport or to start on a great coaching journey, contact Coach@LifeSport.ca, or visit www.LifeSport.ca