Happy Camping

Monday, the start to another rollicking summer week of training, adventure, excitement and RACING. YES!!! It will be interesting to see how all my morning 60 minute high intensity sessions will play out over 70.3 miles in Chelan Saturday morning, BUT, judging by my RPE over 112 on Thursday, I think the eventual answer will fall somewhere between superb and exceptional. AND (I am gong to shout all articles from here on out) please allow me to remind the vast blogging audience, the group formerly known as the VBA, that what really matters is not the outcome but the effort. I will say, in other terms, IF I can orchestrate an effort that in my objective estimation nears my personal best, that commodity known as 110%, and honestly grade my performance as a 10, I don't care where I finish. The finish could be so far from the podium, say ten miles up Highway 97 (towards Pateros), or MOP, BUT, if my mind (ego), spirit (soul) and body (motor) unanimously agree to the quality of output, I will head for rest and recovery (pizza and beer) as one happy camper. 

The VBA that know me might take exception to this as some type of blasphemy or election year misdirect. Others might think it crazy, lazy or a outright falsification of everything we hold dear about sports and competition. It is not any of those I assure. AND here is why:

I know from twenty years of experience at doing this that one leads to the other. That if I can sustain an efficient wattage for five hours, properly fueled and cooled, focused and in the zone, I will end up, not in Pateros, but on that makeshift flat bed podium accepting a logged water bottle as reward for my five hundred hours of training and thousands of dollars of equipment and travel related expenditures. Meaning...

IT HAS TO BE ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE. 

And it is. I like to compete. To test. I like the drama. The challenge. I like going fast. And long. I like being out there all day doing battle, with the clock running, the sun relentless, the hills dusty and daunting. I like the smell of fear. I like having a bogey, something to chase, a time reflective of previous efforts, recorded when I was young, green and prone to errors of judgement. 

Which would be last year.

So here we go. A new week. The Genesis of Race Week. I wish that I could afford a "real taper", acclimatize, carbo-load, massage, lots of R&R, BUT that isn't the way that this one is going to play. There will be change, challenge, travel, racing on-the-fly. All fine by me.

Here are links to the stories I prefaced in the HoM. This first is a phenomenal story about Diane Van Deren. She is a world class ultra runner. How she got there is the story. If you are in need of any motivation for your next run, PLEASE give this one an ear. 

Second is a hilarious piece by Jimmy Fallon on spinning. Check it out and be advised that it is rated R. 

Lastly is a link to a time, speed, distance calculator that is useful for doing all kinds of mathematical projecting. The old, what if??????

The old what if?

Do your best, be prepared, train smart and race hard. That way the only what if you'll need to answer is where to pitch your tent. AS a happy camper.