I had a dream about the road rash the other night; I kept leaving the course to go do stuff - I went and ate some lunch, went shopping, went to the bathroom; it took me three hours to complete the race and I finished dead last. I obviously have some serious clutter in my head...
It's no secret that I am completely obsessed with skating. I can think of worse things to be obsessed with - at least my addiction has some really amazing side effects (like a thinner waist and endorphine highs) and it has given me a new level of confidence that has carried over into all other aspects of my life. I intend to skate until I can't skate anymore because it is the ONE thing in my life that I actually feel good at.
So lets get back to the clutter. I know that the road rash is the first race of the season and it's early in the season for most skaters, so I've been hearing that a lot of them treat it as a training skate. It was implied that I too, treat it as a training skate. Problem is, I feel like I've been training FOR this skate. I want to skate hard. I want to skate fast. I want to WIN. That doesn't feel like a training skate to me, it feels like a competition. Am I approaching it the wrong way? Or is it okay to want to go balls out and kick some ass?? I know I'm not at my peak yet; and I've got a long way to go to hit the goals I have for NSIM - but I am also not at the rusty, carrying 10 extra pounds of winter blubber beginning of the season either. I've already got over 300 miles under my belt for 2012. And a few of those were some pretty hard miles. I feel strong considering that it's only April. On the flip side of that is the ever present whisper of doubt. When I'm skating with my friends at Wash Park and I feel super winded while they seem fine; I feel doubt. When I'm clipping along at what I think is a reasonable pace then look at my GPS to see that I've 'only' gone 14 miles and I'm already almost an hour out; I feel doubt. When my feet don't do what I want them to do because I'm still learning how to skate on the Bonts; I feel doubt. It can be a struggle at times to ignore the doubt and focus on feeling confident.
I know overall I am probably at a disadvantage. I don't have a skate coach. I'm not part of a team. I don't do drills, or go to practice; I don't time my intervals, and I don't have a skate-specific workout regime. I'm a trail skater. I skate when the weather lets me. I sometimes skate sloppy. I bob my shoulders. I toe push. I cry when the wind is gusting in my face. But I also love skating, love being outside, and love going fast. I feel like I have something to prove - I want to get out there and show everyone exactly what this sloppy trail skater is capable of!
Chris,
ReplyDeleteTrain for NSIM, set a long term goal, and use the races before NSIM as benchmarks. My goal was to do the Metrodome in less than 1:40:00 because my personal best and race result at NSIM last year was 1:36:56. My goal for NSIM this year is sub-1:30:00. My Metrodome time was 1:38:30, and I had a lot of gas left at the end. These are metrics for where I want to be come London in May, a 1:35:00 or better. I am training for the last race of the year based on my goals, I race the mid season races hard, but know that they aren't the end goal. I have no doubt you are going to be great. I am looking forward to reading all about it.
Great post and very thoughtful of you to share. I would interpret your dream as an inspiration to go ahead and let it rip. As we recently noted, you're no longer a newb or even a wannabe. You are a speedskater by every measure. Training race? Sure, okay, lot's of folks say that, but for some it's a way to pre-rationalize not having a great result. Maybe they will, maybe they won't but hedging from the gate is not the best idea in my book. Every race is a training race. I say get out there and go for the kill! You already know that you're in your best spring shape. You've already knocked out some serious mileage. YOU"RE READY. GO FOR IT! No one ever regretted trying their hardest. It's okay to have doubt. You will always have that no matter how good you get so learn to embrace it and use it to motivate you. Having doubt means you are at least keeping it real and looking at things from all sides. Embrace the good things that you know you've done, while understanding that this will always be a journey with highs and lows.
DeleteI have a different view on a couple points. Maybe you don't have a formal team, but in the bigger picture, having a network of friends and skaters to talk to and work with is like having a team. Maybe you don't have a coach present, but you have resources that you can tap into, just don't hesitate to ask. Don't worry about not having a formal training plan right now. What you have is a great attitude and genuine desire. Believe me, we all skate sloppy sometimes. As long as you hold in your mind the image of perfection and always seek to achieve that, you will continue to get better and better.
You've worked for this, now reward yourself with a valiant effort and don't hold back. This doesn't mean just go skate like a maniac out of the gate with no regard for the finish of the race, but stretch your legs and let 'er rip. If you don't give it your all and expose your weaknesses, you won't learn where to put extra focus in your training for the future. That's why every race is a training race. Savor the things that go well and note the things you need to work on. View your season the same way.
Thanks guys! I love the idea of using the races prior to NSIM as benchmarks. And Speedy - I couldn't have gotten this far without the inline skater community; I've gotten so much advice and mentoring; I never feel like I'm alone. I just wish I would've discovered all of this ages ago... :)
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