Thursday, August 19, 2010

daydreamers anonymous

I think you can break endurance athletes into 2 groups: those who focus inward when they train, and those who focus outward (or "zone out" as I like to say).

I am definitely, DEFINITELY #2.

Sometimes when I am running long, I will look down at my garmin and realize that I am 5 more miles into my run and it felt like only 10 minutes passed.

I am going to give my opinion here, and note that this is based on absolutely zero research. I think probably most pros and elite level triathletes (and other endurance athletes) utilize method one during training (and racing). They WANT to think about their pace, and their form, and their heart rate, and concentrating on how badly they feel over a period of time helps them train better AND more intelligently.

I want to think about all that stuff too, but it's easier and more fun to just ignore it and daydream. Workouts go by more quickly, albeit they are probably more shittily executed (sometimes I cannot always hit my tempo sections in long rides and I wonder if this is part of the reason).

Honestly I think that's what it comes down to. I am a MAJOR daydreamer. Not just in training.. all the freaking time! When I was in college and I would go to the library to study for exams, my ratio of study time : daydream time was probably 70:30. That is a LOT of wasted time! However I think it also saved my sanity at the time.

So if you see me on a training ride and I don't acknowledge you, I am probably daydreaming about Kona, competing in the Olympics, climbing Mt. Everest, marrying George Clooney anyone rich and/or famous, or something that is not rated PG-13. :)

Someday I will have to make the switch. I think it will help me improve. However, I think that switch will happen about when I give up eating chocolate every freaking day, which is going to be never.

5 comments:

  1. you just tagged this post with "george clooney." ridiculous. do you plan on having more george clooney tagged posts?!!? ;)

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  2. you never know when you will have the urge to blog about George Clooney, so I tagged him just in case :)

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  3. I like to think that I didn't space out, but actually just ran 5 miles at a 2 minute pace. It just seems much more likely to me.

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  4. cool blog...I read like 4 posts and I felt like I could leave 9 comments.

    Like the child size p2c. I ride a tiny little Felt B12 that is nicknamed my little pony. And had orange bar tape until last week when my bf deemed my orange phase over and changed it to silver ;(

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  5. I often daydream about crossing the finish line and running between all my friedns who said it couldn't be done

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