tri training

did i tell you that i've been training again for the danskin triathlon in july? i'd actually almost decided not to do it - too many projects on my plate, especially gifts to knit! - but then my friend katherine called me up to tell me that she had signed up and that she was flying in from out of state to do it with me! nothing like a little peer pressure to get one back into shape.

so i've been reading a book by sally edwards, the amazing woman who started the danskin triathlons and completed more than a dozen ironmans. she talks about using buzzwords to motivate you throughout training and through the race. i've heard this before from her - she stands at the starting line at the danskin and gives every wave a different word to think about throughout the swim/bike/run. it's usually motivational words like "power" "strength" etc. in her book she talks about two different words: allez and faito. the french shouted "allez" at the top of their lungs as they cheered her through the triathlon in nice. the japanese shouted "faito" as she ran the ironman in japan. here's her description of their definition:

"Allez means "let's go." And "go," for the French, is a single word that combines two powerful English words, that all athletes ... instinctively use - "go" and "power."
Faito ... means "to fight." "To fight" to a Japanese means to fight against that inner part of yourself that prevents you from doing your best.
Now I use allez whenever I need a boost and faito whenever I'm working against myself."

i really like that description of "faito." i feel like my worst enemy during training is my own mental block. i chant that a lot while doing the slow uphill bike, or trying to get going the first few hundred yards of the run after the bike.

this morning adam and i drove up to wisconsin and biked the danskin course. not too bad - it felt a lot better this time, since the last time i did it i was trying to save energy for the run since i wasn't sure i'd be able to finish. we then ran around the lake, which is probably a touch under 2 miles. it was really tough to get going, but around halfway around, i got that fabled "second wind." it truly was an endorphin surge. wow, i thought, this is what it's all about. this is why people get addicted to triathlons.