12 days to go

Ok, it hard to believe but there are just twelve days to go before my first triathlon. I started down this road about four months ago. Then I weighed 128 kg, today I'm 114. I'm not at the weight I want to be but I'm almost half way there.

My first triathlon is a tiddler, just a 250m swim, 10k ride, 2.5 k run. Still, its a start. I'm actually more worried about the advice in my training guide to go easy on the training the week before my first event (or any event to be truthful). Training is a habit I've worked hard to develop and a habit I fear I might easily lose.

Still, I want to do well. But what is well? I've never done this before, I have no idea of a good time, so what is well?

John Friel - the tri training guru has a line in one of his books saying we should seek the Tao of a triathlon. I actually feel a little uneasy borrowing from eastern philosophies, especially ones I havent really studied. But, still I will borrow away to define my success in this, my first ever, triathlon. I want to run a 'good' race, I want to swim strong, I want to ride hard but maintaining form, I want to run with my head high, working hard but not staggering over the line. I want to run this race in a way that makes me want to do the next on 2 Oct.

Training tip. Getting up for a run.

I have always hated running.

Never been big fan of riding either to be honest but recently my riding has picked up as Ive begun riding to work. And it was this that got me thinking, why had my attitude to riding changed and what could I learn from that experience?

What I noticed is that riding became a lot easier when I stopped "going for a ride" and started riding somewhere I wanted or had to be. Whether it was work or the gym or the shops, I actually really enjoyed the experience (even though the ride home from work sometimes leaves me exhausted). So could I apply this to running? Well why not?. Anyway, the ride to my gym is just over three and a half kilometers. A little short for a ride but I thought, you know I could run that.

And I did. And I actually kind of enjoyed it, note that, it wasnt ok, it wasnt "not bad", it was good, I had a good time. I enjoyed it so much that I actually ran home faster (after a strength session) than I ran to the gym.

So, there's a tip. If you find yourself struggling to motivate yourself for that ride or run, try changing your routine so that instead of running or riding a circuit go somewhere (even work).

on the burst - the moral challenge of fitness

on the burst, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Many months ago a group of us went to a local over 40's football match to catch some of the action. First thing, props to the players, some of these guys are deep into their 60's and still going strong and gave us some great action to watch and capture.

Dont let the beard fool you, this guy covered the whole ground all day and had a surprising burst of speed. Here we see him 'on the burst' as they say, picking up the ball and breaking free of guys up to a decade younger than himself.

Which brings me back to my last post and the importance of having some sort of moral basis, or at least some aspect of a relationship to others, in aiding our will power or resolve. In a sense, these guys typify that. Chatting afterwards I was struck by the number of guys who reported something similar to me, that until they returned to competitive sport the idea of fitness was totally abstract and hard to keep hold of. The idea that this run, or this ride, or this swim will keep me alive longer simply wasnt enough. But the idea that this run/swim/ride will make me faster than THAT guy was tangible, real and shockingly important.

I'm finding the same, since deciding that I will participate in a triathlon, I've found my desire to train, to track my performance, to improve has increased 100 fold.

So if any of you want to change something (or just maintain something) dont try to do it totally alone. Find someone you either want to beat or keep up with and strive to do that - then the change will come.

Will power and moral choice

I have made little progress on a number of goals I set for myself this year. I havent blogged asI'd hoped, I havent saved as I hoped, read the books I'd hoped etc. However, there is one area of my desire to self improve that has gone well, my diet and exercise regime.

With a few slip ups here and there, by and large my weight and fitness is going in the right direction. I've lost around 16 kg, I'm running distances I used to struggle to walk, and all in all I'm confident I will make my end of year goal. But the question is why is this working but nothing else?

I feel and answer emerging in my mind.

Last week I heard something on the radio that really interested me. A study has been done into willpower. They found that people that had a moral dimension (good or bad) to there decision making displayed far greater 'will power' in achieving whatever it was they set out to do. This aligns with a on moral psychology (specifically moral identity) that found that in the lives of extraordinary achievers there was a link between their drive to succeed and the alignment of their moral and personal goals.

So, back to fitness and reading, blogging, photographing etc. I think this is the key. Fitness has become, for me, a moral choice. Not being fit and healthy has become a moral failing therefore my 'will power' to stay the course gets a massive boost. The other goals I set for myself dont have that support, so they founder.

So, looking ahead my plan is to review my goals to make them something I really care about, to forge that link between moral and personal. But its not just that, in many cases I feel there is a link between some of my goals and my morality already, I just forget it. So I also need to identify those areas where there is a hidden alignment and bring that into the open.