Spence Smith

After a few years of weekend training behind me, I’ve come to realize that a big weekend of training is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical challenge.

If you are training for a half marathon or a full marathon, each and every weekend, your long runs continue to increase in mileage. To the point that you know… these miles are going to take a while so I better be prepared.

As I got ready for Ironman, my Saturdays and Sundays were consumed with training. A 100 mile ride on a Saturday could take 6-7 hours for me then a 15 mile run the next day followed by an hour and half swim. Easily another 4-5 hours gone from my Sunday.

That’s a lot in anyone’s book for one weekend not to mention having to do this for weeks on end and if you aren’t prepared mentally, it’s going to be even harder than it sounds.

This weekend I’m headed into some heavy training to kick off my 2012 triathlon season and just like learning to pace myself on a run or on a bike ride, mentally pacing myself is just as important.

Here are a few things I do mentally to get ready.

1. I prepare my gear ahead of time. I get together every piece of clothing or gadget I’m going to need for my training ready. I clean my bike, check the tires, lube the chain, charge up the bike computer and get my on-the-bike nutrition ready to go. I also get my running clothes, shoes and swim gear laid out. The less I have to think about my gear being ready, the more I focus on the training ahead of me.

2. I plan out my weekend of time spent with friends or family so that I can get in bed at a decent hour. Training for most of us takes place at an early hour and we need all the sleep we can get. I’ve been guilty of over doing it to the point that you would think I wasn’t training for anything and find myself worn out from a late night out.

3. Before I go out for dinner I get an idea of what i want to eat before I get there. What I eat today, fuels my body for tomorrow. It’s hard eating healthy when you aren’t eating at home. I usually look at the soups and a salad first then see if there is anything on the menu with fish and veggies. That’s my go-to. Yours might be different.

4. Plan Your Training Routes. Whether it’s running or cycling. Know where you are going and if at all possible plan some stops along the way in case you run out of liquids of food or need to go to the bathroom. There’s nothing more frustrating than running out of nutrition or needing to go have a little alone time in a clean bathroom.

5. Take your phone and a little extra cash. If you get stranded from exhaustion (hopefully not) or you get a flat and forgot your spare tube. It never hurts to be able to call someone to come pick you up. I’ve had to do it and it’s no fun. But sometimes it’s needed. Also… you never know when you need to buy an extra bottle of go juice or a snack. Take some cash. When I’m on my bike, I put my phone and cash in a zip-lock bag in case it rains or I spill liquid on it.

6. I think through the mileage I’m about to do. The miles might seem overwhelming but the more I break them down in my head to smaller chunks of miles, the easier it is for me mentally. Remember, training is a process.

When I think about this process, I find myself applying this to basic parts of my life. Traveling, Focused time with my wife, A weekend with the family.

In short, I think it pays to be prepared and ready and it’s honestly more of a load off my brain when I know I’m going into something more prepared.

Knowing what’s ahead of you and knowing how you will get there is half the battle.

The other half is just doing it.

If you aren’t new to this, how do you prepare for a weekend of training? Anything to add?

I’ve been living in Colorado since June 1. The transition process has been fun, exciting and completely exhausting all at the same time.

But it’s what I’ve expected. My schedule is out of whack, time is a commodity and there’s always something else to work on.

In order to keep a little sanity in my head I’ve been trying to figure out a new training schedule so I signed up for my only triathlon of the summer, The Denver Triathlon on July 24, 2011 and the Denver Rock N Roll Half Marathon on October 9, 2011 to give me a goal to keep in my sights. With the move and a wedding just around the corner, I decided maybe this summer shouldn’t be so focused on triathlon like it has been in the past. (20 triathlon races in the past 3 years including Ironman)
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Every year I make a plan for what’s next in the year ahead. Most people do this in January, but I seem to keep my life calender in a fall to fall rotation. Mostly because when triathlon season is over in September then it’s time to figure out what happens between September and May when Triathlon season starts up again for us in the Nashville area.

Since finishing Ironman Louisville, I’ve been able to take much need rest and travel to get a couple of tours started for Compassion. It’s been refreshing, energizing and focused. So… I have a plan for the athlete side of me. This plan is in no way a reflection of anything else going on in my life like work, family, friends, travel, etc… this plan is just one part of my life.

So here it is… This next year will be my 4th year training for triathlons and every year I have focused on one of the three sports more than others so I can learn that sport and get a little faster in it. First it was just doing a sprint. Get in the water, hop on a bike and hope I can run after all of that. The 2nd year I had caught the triathlon fever so I focused on the swimming. I biked and ran when I could. This past year, I signed up for Ironman Louisville and focused more on the bike. This next year… it’s all about the run and improving my times over all for all three sports.

Running has probably brought me through the toughest times in my life but is also my toughest sport. I really enjoy it and most days I love it, but I don’t exactly float on air when I’m in my full stride.

Knowing what I need to do to meet my goals, I’m going to run a half marathon in early December but possibly one in November or January.

This plan will take me through the holidays as they are a rough time to train with all the Christmas parties and eating going on, not to mention training in cold weather isn’t something I’m very eager to do. It’s ok though. I’m determined to see it through.

That brings us into January. January starts 5 months of more intensive training to be ready for the summer.

Summer of 2010, I will probably do at least 3 maybe 4 olympic distance triathlons a couple of sprints and one half Ironman. I was supposed to do two half ironman races this past summer but my travel schedule didn’t allow for it. So I’m going to go back this summer and tackle one. The one Half Ironman I’ve decided on is Vineman Half Ironman. It’s in wine country…. Need I say more?

For those of you following along, A half Ironman is…wait for it… half the distance if an ironman. 1.2 mile swim, 56 miles on the bike and 13.1 run. Sound fun? Come on…

I like having a plan. It helps me meet my goals and allows me to stay focused.
So… there you have it.

Do you have goals for yourself? Wanna tri with me?