Shattering the Glass Ceiling - The Brain Rules!

A sure cure for post-Ironman aches and pains and the inevitable "letdown" of not needing to eat/sleep/train every minute of the day...

...Zip-Lining 200 feet above the ground in Alaska :) Steve took this as I was coming in from the longest of 10 runs - a quarter-mile length of line in the forests just outside Juneau.

Hey, Jen said to recover...this doesn't mean I was IDLE :)

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Wednesday I was in the pool as usual at o’dark-thirty – 5:15am. For some reason only about 10 athletes showed up to practice, which is funny, because Wednesday is Stroke Day – an “easier” day relatively speaking than Monday, which is Yardage Day. On a given Monday we’ll swim anywhere from 3,500 to 4,700 yards, many of them at “tempo” pace; some 25-30 athletes will show up for this grueling workout. It’s funny to see a mob on Monster Mondays and a scarce showing on “Walking” Wednesdays :).

I have several goals outlined for this season. I actually have them on cards that I either carry around with me or put on the fridge where I can see them. Like a persistent rash :), they are always with me.

Goals are meant to challenge and inspire discipline. It’s hard to adhere to any kind of endeavor without some specific “finish line.” A well-written goal will be one that is specific, measurable, and has a timeframe. The risk of not reaching the goal is a real possibility, but it is balanced by the prospect that it will be achieved. Sadly many people are ruled by fear and forever stay in their “recliners,” never taking a risk. There is a well-known story in the Bible about the apostle Peter who was a fisherman, out in his boat one day, and sees Jesus coming toward him walking on the water. Peter loves Jesus like a brother and because he is incredibly impulsive, he jumps out of his boat and also begins walking on the water toward Jesus. It was Peter’s faith that got him out of the boat regardless of the circumstances - he saw the “goal” which was to reach his Friend and took a risk to get there.

The point of the story is that you will never “walk on water” if you never get out of the boat.

One of my goals is to “meet or break 1:40 on the 100”, meaning consistently swim 100-yard intervals in 1 minute 40 seconds or less -- and to do this by May 1st, just a couple weeks before my first season-opener triathlon. It’s a short sprint-distance race but this only means the effort will be an extremely INTENSE anaerobic nearly-vomit-when-you’re-done kind of effort – the polar opposite of aerobic-effort endurance distances such as Ironman. One should not measure the ease of a race by the distance; there are pro’s who make serious money at either end of the spectrum and I have deep respect for anyone who makes a living as a professional athlete. The kind of mental focus required is as concentrated and demanding as any physical labor.

My swim times have come down appreciably from where I was 3 years ago. Though I took lessons when a kid, I’ve never swum competitively, so I’ve had to learn proper stroke technique as an adult. I won’t sugarcoat it – it’s been hard work and there has been more than one morning where I’ve been strongly tempted to stay under the blankets with Steve and bag the workout. However, I’ve never gotten out of the pool actually regretting swim practice – even on days when I was legitimately tired. It’s a fact I would regret blowing off practice. It’s also the proverbial slippery slope – missing a workout for selfish reasons opens the door and makes it easier to miss the next time. Ever tell a fib and suddenly find it easier to fib again the next time around? Human nature is like water – sometimes our natural tendency is to take the path of least resistance.

My current 100-yard time “best” is 1:52, which is not above-the-surface kind of fast, but it’s a long way from the 2:20 I was at 3 years ago. So we did 3,200 yards Wednesday morning. When I finished a short cooldown, Hap (my swim coach) told me to stay in the pool for a minute. Then…

Hap: “I want you to do a 100, but I want you to BREAK 1:40…”

Me (cross-eyed and wondering which of us is delusional): “HUH?? 1:40?? Now?? Okaaaay…I’ll do my berry best.”

Hap: “NO 'trying' - you should be able to do this, even tired. I want you to break 1:40, so get out and do what you gotta do to get there. We have a GOAL and if you can’t break it then we need to adjust the goal.”

Me (getting severely agitated over “adjusting”): “No WAY, I’m not adjusting the goal…”

I gave it everything I had and flip-turned all but the last 25, which I could’ve done but didn’t. I was at 98% and my lungs/arms/legs were screaming at me, but I kept thinking I can do ANYTHING for under 2:00. My brain was saying “You got more, C’MON!!”

I came in at 1:39…an astonishing 13 seconds faster than my “best” 1:52.

Afterward…

Hap: “How did you feel with that kind of intensity?”

Me: “Well, I was throwing up in my mouth a bit…”

Hap (laughing): “I want you to start pushing yourself more. Monday when Patty comes in I want you to not only catch her, but start passing her. You’re doing a great job swimming steady, but it’s time to push on.”

Me (high as a kite): “Alrighty then! I wasn’t really throwing up in my mouth – I was trying to be polite to other folks in the pool, you know, keep it in my throat.” :)

(Big laugh from Hap and everyone in the pool)

Hap: “Now you know 1:40 is doable and possible.”

Just like Roger Bannister breaking the 4:00/mile. Once he did it, 20 others followed him within 2 years. He showed it could be done and lifted the ceiling. The brain is an extraordinary “governor” on the collective engine of our hearts and muscle fibers. Once the brain “knows”, it can convince the body to do practically anything – which includes shattering the glass ceiling and once in a while walking on water.

Friends, get out of the boat!!