Monthly Archives: March 2015

marathon, motivation, triathlon

Monday Motivation – Full Effort

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Have a Marvelous Monday! Let’s do this! We all could use a bit of motivation to get rolling on Monday. On Mondays, I like to share a Mantra or short inspirational message. If the message resonates with you, use to motivate yourself in training or life. Do you have your own awesome Mantra? Please share it below in the comments.

“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.” – Gandhi

For the past mile and half my legs were on the verge of seizing. My quads screamed from the previous 23 mile effort. I was a mile from my 6th marathon finish, and my goal time was in sight. All I needed to do was run the last mile without slowing down. My body was screaming at me to slow down and walk. My face was a picture of pain, and it felt like someone was punching me in the gut. I made the final turn, and could see the finish. I picked up the pace slightly, and my legs protested. Now my body and my mind were telling me to quit, just walk, it will ok. I would not relent. This was not just the finish of the race, but a finish of four months of training and sacrifice. As I crossed the line, I raised my hands in gratitude for being able to run such a distance.

I finished one minute over my original goal. It was still a huge PR, but most importantly, I knew I had given full effort. There is nothing worse than the feeling of doubt, knowing you could have done more. I know from experience. That voice in my head telling me to slow down has a won on some occasions. I only have my self to blame for my lack of effort.

When you fight through the resistance and push through the pain, there is no sweeter feeling. You are in full control of your life and actions. Instead of comparing your times and efforts to others, your only measure should be your own full effort. If you are giving all you have it is a victory, no matter what the result.

first triathlon, Fitness, training plan, triathlon

FTT 8 Week Sprint Training Plan is Here!

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FTT Sprint Training Plan face book banner

FTT Sprint Training Plan

Are you ready take on a new life changing challenge, and race your first sprint triathlon? Or, have you signed up for a sprint triathlon and you are looking for the perfect plan? Check out the FTT 8 Week Sprint Training plan. In 8 weeks with about 5 hours a week you will arrive to the start line of your first sprint triathlon ready to go. Continue reading FTT 8 Week Sprint Training Plan is Here! →

first triathlon, motivation, triathlon

Monday Mantra – What’s the Purpose?

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Have a Marvelous Monday! Let’s do this! We all could use a bit of motivation to get rolling on Monday. On Mondays, I like to share a Mantra or short inspirational message. If the message resonates with you, use to motivate yourself in training or life. Do you have your own awesome Mantra? Please share it below in the comments.

Purpose Road Sign

“The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will the help others.” Albert Schweitzer

My local YMCA this weekend, hosted an Indoor Triathlon. I wasn’t able to participate, but on the way out from my workout, I was able to see the first participants. I was truly inspired by what I saw. People of all different abilities, body types, and experience having fun and competing. 40% of the participants were first time triathletes. It truly moved me to see people being active, and trying new something new.

How does this tie into the quote above about purpose? Watching the inspiring people compete in that event, reminded me why I started this blog. The purpose of this blog is to support and inspire others who want to become triathletes. My purpose is to provide any support I can to get new triathletes to the finish line. One of the best feelings in my life is crossing the finish of a race I wasn’t sure I could finish before started training. Finishing your first triathlon or a new distance is making the impossible, possible. That’s the feeling I want to help others achieve.

For the last couple of months, I have been considering whether to keep this blog going. The traffic and stats aren’t growing as I would like. It’s difficult to come up with quality relevant content. As of this weekend, I decided all of that stuff doesn’t matter. What matters is being a service to others. If I can help 100,000 people or only 5, it’s worth it. I feel it is my purpose to help others improve their life, by completing their first triathlon.

Fitness, motivation, running, triathlon

Motivation Monday – Hardest part of a workout

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Have a Marvelous Monday! Let’s do this! We all could use a bit of motivation to get rolling on Monday. On Mondays, I like to share a Mantra or short inspirational message. If the message resonates with you, use to motivate yourself in training or life. Do you have your own awesome Mantra? Please share it below in the comments.

Opened door

Last Sunday I had my last long run before the marathon. The schedule called for a 20 mile run with the last 10 miles at race pace. It’s a long workout, and I wanted to get done early, so I set my alarm for 5:00. I get up and dressed no problem. Then, as I am getting ready to leave my mind starts making excuses not to do the workout. I’m thinking, its too cold 22F, maybe I should only do 16, I could go later. After 15 minutes of whining and stalling, I finally get out the door. Once I am running I feel great. It was one of my best runs in this training cycle.

I know it sounds cliche, but getting out the door or showing up is the hardest part of working out. It’s a constant battle with your inner laziness to get moving. When you win the battle you feel great. The more times you don’t give in to the voice telling you to stay home, the more power you have to make progress.

Here a couple of tips to making showing up easier:

1. If you doing an early morning workout, lay out your clothes the night before.

2. Find a workout friend. You are way less likely to skip the workout, if someone else is counting on you to show up.

3. If you don’t feel like running, just go and run one mile. After a mile, if you still feel like stopping, quit. If not, finish out your workout.

4. Have a plan B. If you plan to run in the morning, but you wake up  to a monsoon. Have an alternate plan to run on a treadmill, or do some cross training.

Do you have any tips that make getting out the door easier? Please share in the comments.

mantra, motivation, triathlon

Monday Mantra – All Day Pace

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Have a Marvelous Monday! Let’s do this! We all could use a bit of motivation to get rolling on Monday. On Mondays, I like to share a Mantra or short inspirational message. If the message resonates with you, use to motivate yourself in training or life. Do you have your own awesome Mantra? Girl runningPlease share it below in the comments.

This week’s Mantra: All Day

Next time you are out for a long workout, and you doubt you can hold your pace, repeat to yourself, “I can do this all day”. My pace is my all day pace. When you start to feel tired, and want to slow down, you are at 50% of your true capacity. It’s your mind telling you to slow down, and not your body. Tell you mind to get comfortable, being uncomfortable, and I am holding this pace all day.

The All Day mantra brings you into the present. Instead on focusing on how much longer you have to go, you concentrate on the now. I use this mantra often. When I’m out for a 15 mile run, and at 10 miles, I start to doubt if I can finish those last five mile. I tell myself that I can go at this pace all day. My mind quiets down, and I stop obsessing over the remaining miles, and just keep working.