Your best just got better

"But, how do you have time...?" they always ask

I enjoy sharing the different methods, techniques and ideas I have come across to juggle my interests, my company, my life, my relationship with my wife, my triathlon training, my family, my...well, you get it, the list goes on.

Let's take triathlon, for example. Even a quick review of this blog will demonstrate my commitment to growth and development in the fitness area of my life (click here).

For me, triathlon is not just something I do off to the side...it's a passion. It demands more of me than I ever knew existed. In order to compete in, not just complete, my races, I have to dedicate much of my most limited resources: Time, Energy, Focus and Systems/Tools.

Now, whether you're thinking of running through that finish line or not, you too have a goal in mind that might seem "a little bit bigger" than you. That's what I mean, that's what I talk about when I stand up to share ideas, techniques and tools to "have time to..." (fill in the blank).

Here is one thing I know: You MUST have something to fill in the blank...and, don't let it be nothing! That is, when I talk to someone and I ask them what they'd like more time for, I worry when they say, "Jason Womack - I want time to do more of nothing."

Don't take it personal, but it's not true. Quite honestly, no one wants to do nothing. I mean, even if you had free time, you'd do SOMEthing. Read a book, play ball with the kids, go for a walk around the block, watch that program you recorded on TV last week (or last month!).

So, after you finish reading this last paragraph, take out a note card or a small "sticky note" and write down 10-30 things you would like to do if you had a little more time. ("How much more time?" I hear you ask...start with 15 minutes.)

If you had an extra window of 15 minutes, what would you like to do? Write them down, make a list, make it a LONG list, and see if you can get to check a few things off over the next week or two!

Of course, please leave a comment below and share how this tip works for you!

New York City Triathlon, July 20th, 2008 - Race Report

Well, my official time of the New York City Triathlon was 2:27:20. With a decent swim, a super-fast T1, a great ride, a good T2, and a slower-than-normal run, I finished 18th in my age group (out of 474 finishers). Here is a link to my results...

(Finish line: 2:27:20 - feelin' good!)

The morning started early - up at 4am - as the race organizers wanted us out of transition by 5:45am. Since I left my bike in the transition area overnight (along with 3,000+ other athletes!), all I had to do was get in a cab and get over to the end of 72nd Street on the westside.

At 5am on a Sunday morning, a cab was hard to come by. As I was waiting, I looked three or so blocks down (I was staying at 92nd and 1st Avenue) and I saw a cab stop, and what appeared to be two athletes get in. Well, as I was standing there, the cab pulled up, and the passenger said, "You racing today? Get in!"

What a way to start the day!

I got to transition and met up with my friends from the City...set up my transition area (bike shoes clipped into the pedals, running shoes on top of my race belt, sunglasses inside of my helmet...resting on my handlebars).

Then, the one-mile walk to the swim start. And, here's where the waiting started. You see, because there are SO many athletes, they have us start in "waves." Even though the transition area closed by 5:45am, my wave (athletes aged 35-39...there were over 470 of us!) didn't start until 7:36. So, we had time to wait...and talk...and reflect...and think...and plan...

At 7:34, I was on the dock, staring at the slow-moving Hudson River. Last year, there was a current that actually pulled us downriver. This year, no such thing. So, I knew I was going to have to work harder! At 7:36, the horn blew and off we went. Ahead of me, to the side of me, behind me...swimmers of all abilities making their way toward the finish line.

I picked my line...the outermost line of buoys I could find...to take advantage of any current I could get. Not much, and I finished the swim in just over 27 minutes...faster than normal, but slower than the fast!

Then, it was off to T1. And, of the top 50 finishers of my age group, I had the fastest! (Yeah, that's one thing about triathlon, we'll all find SOMEthing we're the best at!) Check it out...click on the picture below and you'll see my T1 time was 3:01.

Then, it was off to the bike portion...and it was awesome - one of the most exciting bike legs of my triathlon career!

Out of transition, I don't even remember seeing anyone around me. I was on my bike and pedaling on top of my shoes for the first 1/2 mile. (I'm one of those guys who slips into his bike shoes while I'm riding. I learned from one of my coaches, the most important thing to a top placement in triathlon: Keep Moving.) It was a good start, I felt strong, and within the 3rd mile, had sipped on my water bottle, and taken in a gel.

We rode along the Hudson Highway, and I spent the majority of my minutes "on the left." I didn't get passed the whole way out, and continued to "reel them in" while riding for the U-turn. I made it, turned, and hammered my way "home," back for T2. But, the race wasn't close to over!

The way they set up the course (here's the link to the map) we actually PASS 72nd street (where we started), and ride through another U-turn. Well, on the way toward that second turn, I was on a slight downhill...oh, probably turning 25-26 miles per hour. Up ahead of me, a small cluster of 4 riders, and I thought, "I'll sweep around and pass them before the turn;" I still had about a mile.

Well, in triathlon, according to USAT rules, we have :15 seconds to overtake and pass another rider. As I looked up and around, I noticed that my line was to the left of the riders ahead, and just to the right of an orange traffic cone. "Ok, I thought, smooth pass here, watch the riders...watch the cone."

I was in the middle of my pass of the rider closest to me on the right, when suddenly he leaned into my line. We didn't bump (that's happened before), but I moved - maybe a foot or so - to my left, and directly in line with the cone!

Without time to spare, and moving too fast to swerve anywhere, I did what I knew I had to do...

See Where I Want To Be!

Quickly, I looked down at my front wheel, leaned back a bit on my seat, took one more look at the cone, and then looked about 5 yards out beyond the cone...that's where I wanted to be!

"THUMP," my front wheel hit the cone, I yelled out loud [not to be printed here!] and "WHAM," my back wheel hit. My bike rocked, my body lurched toward my handlebars, and the next thing I knew...I was through!

I'd done it! My heart racing (I mean it was ALREADY racing!) I looked ahead and caught sight of the 4 guys I was trying to pass...and, I caught them before the U-turn.

I turned, and turned it on...I wanted to get back for T2, and the run...

With 20 yards to the dismount line, I was out of my shoes, with 5 to go, my right foot was over the bar, and at the line, I hit the ground running. I dropped my bike on the rack (I counted 6 other bikes on the rack, which meant most of the 35-39ers were still out there, behind me, riding!), and slipped on my running shoes and hat, and grabbed my race-number belt. I was out, and ready for the run through Central Park.

The writing was on the wall, however, as I passed mile-marker number one...my first mile was an 8:36. If I was going to come in anywhere NEAR the time I had hoped for, I was going to have to do the next 5.2 miles in less than 7:20 apiece. I'd done that before, but I just didn't have it this July day...and, it didn't happen. In fact, in over 7 years of racing, I had my slowest 10K run EVER! more than 11 minutes off my own fastest pace...

I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face, and joy in my heart. For the guy who just 8 years ago weighed in at 172 pounds, wore size 36" waist jeans, and stood just 5' 3", I've come a long, long way. I met up with my friends who'd finished the race with me, and we shared stories for a while as we walked through the athlete recovery zone... here are some pictures...

My race at the Admiral's Cup Triathlon (Pt. Mugu, CA)

What a great race day! Saturday's triathlon at Pt. Mugu, California was absolutely amazing. The weather was great, the competition strong, and the event a success!

Click on the "picture" above (or here) for race results.

A few of the things I learned before, during and after yesterday's race:

BEFORE-the-race: There is a reason checklists are popular in industries where efficiency is important (hotels, airline carriers, etc)...using a checklist reduces the chances of forgetting something! I've RE-done my own checklist, printed out 5 copies, and placed them in my tickler file the week before each of my next races.

DURING-the-race: Go...go...go. A sprint distance triathlon is quite unforgiving. It's long enough to hurt, long enough to get tired, long enough to be tempted to daydream...but so short that if anything OTHER than racing gets our attention, we slow down. I was able to refocus on the task at hand, and follow my few mantras: "Swim, swim like a dolphin." "Bike faster, bike faster." "Turn over, turn over the legs...catch the next guy."

AFTER-the-race: Water, recovery drink, and food...are all really important; but, the most significant part of this whole thing is spending time with good friends, sharing great stories, and building ourselves up for the next event!

(Pictures on the way...)

Race morning: Admiral's Cup Triathlon

Lucky me!

I'm up, my tri bag is packed, my bike is ready, and I'm "almost" there mentally...it's RACE MORNING!

The Admiral's Cup Triathlon is a fast race (last year, I finished in just over 57 minutes) made up of:

400 Meter Swim
11 Mile Bike
3.1 Mile Run

I won my age group in this race last year...I had a lot of factors in my favor:

The race was later in the season (the end of July); I had just raced in New York (where my "bike split" was 12th fastest overall, I finished 218th out of just under 3,000 athletes!); I had ridden 850 miles through Colorado (I had been training "at altitude" for 15 days); and, I had a really, REALLY good day!

Of course, I'm looking to repeat the performance today...so, at 0800 hours, from the beach of the Pt. Mugu Naval Base, in Ventura County, California, I'll run, bike and swim with the best of them!

Attempt number two: Garrett Lemire Memorial Race... 04/13/2008

Well, it's been a year (and a few days) since my first attempt at a Grand Prix bike race. Here's the link to the  Garrett Lemire Memorial Race. Those of you who saw the video last year know I didn't finish the race...the hardest competition I've participated in to date!

So, I'm gonna line up with the "boys" at about 7:30 this morning. Wish me luck!

PS: The video from last year's race:

No New Things on Race Day!

Any athletes out there NOT taken this advice?

It seems that every event I attend, there is someone I hear say, “I am so excited, I just got this/these new ____________ yesterday. I hope they help me during the race!”

There is advice I have read in every book, every magazine, and have heard from every coach I work with: No new things on race day.

Here is the thinking: I spend hours (literally) preparing for a multi-sport event. One year I tracked my exercise to race ratio, and it was about 20:1. For every 20 hours of training, I raced about one. Now, during those 20 hours of training, I used certain training tools, ate and drank certain nutritional items, and practiced certain affirmations thoughts and self-beliefs.

So, the coaching goes, whatever you do during those 20 hours, do during the race. And, if there is something you DO NOT do during those 20 hours, DO NOT do it during the race!

When we stopped at Starbucks on the way to the City of Angels Half Marathon earlier this month, I had the opportunity to “taste test” the peppermint mocha samples the barista had made up for all the customers. (*Note, I do not drink coffee before a workout, therefore I do not drink coffee before a race. We stopped for a Starbucks so Jodi could get her morning latte!)

I was waiting off to the side of the bar, when Jodi came over with one of the mocha samples. “I just wanted to try the something new,” she said. “I knew you would not want one, remember, no new things on race day!”

What follows is a special note to anyone reading this who is thinking, “But I do not race!”

You are a professional, a knowledge worker, an executive, a entrepreneur, an employee or a leader. Every day, you have routines you adhere to. There are the first few things you do when you sit at your desk. The meetings you regularly attend. The one of three places you go to for lunch, etc.

When you think about YOUR preparation to production ration, what would it look like? Do you work for 5, 10, or even 20 hours to every one hour of being “on?” I’m thinking about the training executive who presents information to a group of people every few days. Her or his one hour presentation comes in the midst of meetings they must attend, functions they must plan, emails they respond to, phone calls the have to take. So, when they “stand and deliver,” how ready are they?

When you stand and deliver, how ready are you?

In my coaching programs (as a high school teacher, I coached varsity baseball and mock trial), I always reminded my students:

How you practice is how you play.

So, today, what do you need to practice? And, how can you replicate that on “game day?” (Oh, and any advice I could share: No new things on race day!)

Debrief: City of Angels Half Marathon (2 December 2007)

The difference between "early bird" registration and "day before" registration was $20. As I paid my entry fee, I noticed the beneficiary of the proceeds of the event. I smiled, and gladly handed over the entry fees:

This philanthropic community event is proudly organized by Grove of Hope a 501(C)(3), nonprofit organization.  The net proceeds raised from the 2007 City of Angels Half Marathon will be distributed in support of science education programs that promote science education for children in the USA and abroad.

According to their website:

Grove of Hope is a 501(C)(3) organization dedicated to providing science education to children around the world.

In celebration of the International Year of Planet Earth, Grove of Hope has assembled a team of dynamic scientists experienced in educational outreach to conduct science         workshops in Africa from November 7th – 12th.

So, what follows is a "race report" as I ran in the 13.1 mile event yesterday...
 

City of Angels, Los Angeles Half Marathon: A Success

I'm just ending a GREAT Sunday here on the west coast. I'll write up a longer story tomorrow, outlining some of my observations/thoughts during the race today.

I know I set a new Personal Record for the 1/2 marathon distance. (I came in somewhere under 1 hour 33 minutes...results posted later tonight here.)

Thanks coach (what would we do without mentors?)

I met my running coach back in 1996. In fact, we've known each other since then, but I just started running under his tutelage this year! So, in preparing for my race this weekend, I mailed him this question:

I'm planning to race on Sunday [Ventura-14th Annual Salmon Run], will you be there? I'd love to hear your "race-day" strategy for the 5K distance. I've just gone out there in the past, and done it without a lot of coaching/advice!

His response surprised me - though I know it should not have. Here's a guy who is dedicated to making his best...better! Check out what he wrote me today...

My only take on racing is if you race, you race. It's not a workout, you compete. Now, on the other hand, since it's not THE race we're preparing for, we do run "thru" it to the extent that we don't taper, but day of, it's game on. Get a good warm-up. I'll see you there.

My own best just got better!

Last week, I called one of my running coaches (thanks Dan!) for some advice on running my first 1/2 marathon since last May. (I had a terrible running portion of a 1/2 Ironman last spring, and am starting up my training methodology and program for a "do-over" at the Wildflower Triathlon, May '08.)

We talked about pacing, relaxation and focus...and that conversation paid off! Click on the picture below to see my "best pacing ever!"