Stacey Richardson’s Weekly Workout Tip:
Will 2012 be the year that you kick your BUTs butt???
“I’d like to lose weight coach, but…”
” I was on pace to run ___ but then…”
“I could have been top in my ____ but…”
” I would have made Kona but…”
“I wish I had more time to train but…”
We all love to explain away our shortcomings and are quite skilled at it. It’s how we protect our egos, recover from disappointment, and cover up what might be a lack of preparation for achieving our goals. It’s part of being human and we all do it.. BUT…
What if this is the year that you listen to yourself and define what are your limiters. Listen to yourself in conversation with other athletes and listen for the BUT. Once you do that, you have the beginnings of your 2012 training plan. If you need an ear, hire a coach to listen for an hour or get yourself a great journal and get started! ; )
Coach Stacey on the hand cycle: reconstructive surgery, 8 weeks on crutches, blah blah blah. Could have eaten bonbons but….
I
- 11 miles was my record. Don’t tell me what I can’t do
In 2012, be an athlete who is satisfied but motivated to do more. Motivate yourself to kick your BUTs butt in 2012. No more excuses.
I work out alot compared to other folks. And I don’t eat much food compared to other folks. My body is like a frickin Prius – i get great gas mileage. For a car, this is awesome. For a body, this sucks. I want to eat more food. But if I do, I gain weight super fast. And it’s sooooo hard to lose.
Something I have been wondering about for quite some time is whether endurance sports makes one’s metabolism more efficient? It’s probably an advantage during a long race if your body doesn’t require as many calories as the next guy to keep on going. Maybe this even helped me in my past races.
Or maybe it’s just my age making my body require less and less calories. I am almost 49 years old, and each year I need less and less food.
True, I have been working out less because I have been throwing myself into my career. Certainly that is a big factor. Still, I have to wonder – if I switched up my workout plan to do something like P90x instead of all the swimming and biking and running, maybe that would rev up my metabolism. My weight has been gradually creeping up this year and I am way beyond good racing weight. 
Here is my Loseit.com log for Christmas day (click to enlarge):
Stacey Richardson’s Weekly Workout Tip:
December parties, cocktails, and calories… What’s an athlete to do?? Well, split the difference!
One athlete I coach has a famous line , “Put the fork down!!” In her silly,wise words, Martha is absolutely right: We can have our treats, within reason, but we have to make cuts in other areas of our eating. Now I”m not saying trading cookies for bananas is a fair trade, but ultimately calories in and calories out make for one very simple equation.
My friend and sponsor Cid Cardoso Junior of Inside Out Sports has told me that he NEVER gains off -season weight and instead thinks it is easier just to be level-headed and level weighted year-round. No wonder he is a lean, mean, fighting machine year round!!
Tis the season to have fun with friends, drink, and eat. But it’s also the season to do so within reason and to be mindful. No need to party multiple days in a row, but once in a while is ok. Letting go and enjoying your life is a part of life balance, but no need to make it a habit! ; )
For me, little tricks include sparkling water, no seconds, and enjoying party food within reason.
It’s not to soon to think about next year and race weight. Have you made your goals yet?
elf cookie
check out:
http://holisticguru.blogspot.com/
Jason M sent me an email asking me this question:
Hello, and thanks for the tips and 1st hand information on your training blog. I love soaking up other people’s experiences and knowledge. I have question that nobody in my local triathlon club seems to know or want to answer. Because there are only 9 official IM (full length) events in the US, and they sell out in hours, if you are planning on doing one, it could potentially be 18 months from now before your race. But, there are other events, such as the Revolutions3 140.6 race in Sandusky Ohio. If you complete that, do you still consider yourself an Ironman, even though the sponsor is different? I would like to think so, but as much effort that goes into training, I would hate to think that I had a Barry Bonds-esque asterisk beside my name until I completed an IM branded event. These are the things that go through my mind on my long runs. I know you have more important things to do than answer stupid questions like this, but I believe I’ve run out of people locally to ask.
Here was my Answer to Jason:
Thanks for writing. I think that’s a great question! I did a non-branded Ironman race and I 100% consider myself to be an Ironman. I did the distance. I suffered through the pain. I’m an Ironman and damn proud of it.
However, I did not get the M-dot tatoo. I made my own tatoo design with a 140.6 on it. Mostly because I didn’t want folks asking me “Which Ironman did you do?” and then I’d say “Beach 2 Battleship”. To which they would probably say “Oh, never heard of it.” Unless you are from NC, you may not have heard of that particular race. But it is a full iron distance race, so I’m an Ironman!
Well, that’s my two cents worth! I’d be happy to post your question on my blog and ask readers to chime in.
So, what do you all think?
Stacey Richardson’s Weekly Workout Tip:
Kona. We dream of it. We idolize it. We hope for it. We work for it. But how on earth do we get to Ironman World Championships in Kona!??? As an age grouper, I got there on my first attempt by heeding my own advice and I got lucky…
Well, putting aside the bigger discussions of time, talent, money, more talent, and luck, here are a few thoughts and tips for Kona qualification:
First, pick your course wisely! Pick one that suits your strengths and not the one that is closest, has your buddies going, or looks like a nice destination. Be realistic in your selection and pick a course that will showcase your talent. Are you a climber, for example? Then sign up for Lanzarote or St. Croix 70.3 and get it done!
Second: In a land far, far away… Select a course that is harder to get to and perhaps even (gasp) more expensive. If you pick courses that are centrally located and easy travel (ie, Eagleman) you can bet that everybody else will be there too! Include travel in your Ironman budget and go for Ironman races that are a bit out of the way.
Three: Play the game. Look at past year’s race results of your chosen race and decide if the odds support you winning your age group at a half-Irondistance race or if you should do a full distance race and hope for one of 2 to 6 age group spots. Do your research!
Finally: It IS about the bike, but the Ironman and the Road to Kona is paved with great running. The race is won or lost on the run and so are the qualifying races. Train to run a great marathon off the bike and run your way to the big island in 2012!!!
- The big Island and its even bigger triathlon mystique
and don’t even HESITATE to hire a coach for such a huge event in your life!!
Stacey Richardson’s Weekly Workout Tips
©TriStacey Coaching
