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August 9, 2008
The Olympics are Awesome!
Well as addicting as Facebook is, I'm finding the Olympics much more so. I can't get enough! And I'll watch anything! Fencing? Sure! Judo? Sure (although I have no idea how that sport works)! Beach volleyball? Sure! Cycling - well of course - DUH?! (that's what I'm watching now). Life is good. :)
Today I had some great training. My YMCA swimming pool is still closed for another 3 weeks and the Pitt pools another 2 weeks so today I knew we would have to drive up north to a different YMCA. Somewhere along the way I decided it would be fun to ride my bike up to that Y and then meet O there for a swim. Amazingly it worked beautifully! AND I found some great new places to ride. I seriously have hundreds of miles of rural country roads right outside my door step and today I discovered even more.
Of course not without getting a little lost.
O helped me map a course but after about 10 miles they were all roads I had never been on before. I missed two turns (on the first one, the road had no road sign but on the 2nd missed turn I had no excuse) so O got a couple calls. But in the end, all was good and I showed up at the YMCA about 90 minutes later! O had just arrived (in the car with our swim stuff!) and so I stashed my bike in the car and onto the pool we went!
And I had a GREAT swim. One thing about it - although my legs have needed some recovery time from Steelhead and the season thus far, my arms are rearing to go! (I guess we never did get to swim last Saturday... :) I didn't do anything too much - in fact only 2500 yds total but I was actually swimming faster than I have all season. Probably has something to do with the fact that I'm nice and fresh!
Anyway, one thing I noticed a couple days ago was that this new YMCA has a hot tub. Hmmm... I was having flashbacks to going to the hot tub after swimming with Elizabeth this summer and loving every second! But in the morning when we have to get to work afterwards we don't have time. So this was our morning. O and I found our way to the whirlpool and oh was it nice! I made sure I hit all my sore spots with the jets and stayed in as long as I could stand it before the hot water started making my heart race. I will be making good use of that thing over the next couple weeks for sure.
So my recovery continues. My body is slowly coming back to life although I know I'm going to have a struggle with my hamstring over the next couple months. My hamstring and I just don't get along. It bugged me last year towards the end of the season and it's been pretty marginal ever since. Lately it's been acting up even more, despite all my strenghtening exercises, icing and stretching, etc... Bugger. But the one good thing about injuries that you've had before is that you know how to handle them a little better. I'll be calling my PT on Monday to get back in a routine there. And I've already told my hamstring that it will NOT get the best of me. I think we've come to an understanding. :)
That's my story! Today when I was riding (and it was absolutely beautiful outside) I was just really enjoying my ride and so thankful to be out there doing what I love. I was also giving quite a bit of thought as to what makes athletes successful. I guess this topic was on my mind for several reasons - one, several other people have been blogging about it and two, the Olympics which showcase the world's best, are starting. But either way, I was thinking a lot about it. It's a complex topic for sure. Obviously good genes, talent and an amazing work ethic to get the physical work done is a must. Recovery, good nutrition, proper rest, etc... also very important. But I was also thinking about the mental side of it and how the most successful deal with disappointment, deal with injury, deal with being tired, deal with pressure, etc...all the things that are INEVITABLE in sports. I was trying to brainstorm ideas as to how it all relates to my own situation and my strengths and weaknesses as an athlete. I've always had a very strong committment to excellence on the physical side of things. And I have boat loads of desire. But what I can do better with is attitude, patience and seeing a bigger picture when my boat gets rocked a little.
I feel like I'm at a point in my season where I really need to focus and get it right. I've been given a golden opportunity to learn from a rough race, learn to listen to my body and to stay positive, patient and just as determined as ever through a bit of a nagging injury. It's taken me a long time to realize it, but a committment to *mental* excellence is just as important if not more so than the physical side. So as I start to ramp things back up physically I'll be working on my mental strength and stamina as well. I think I'll find it quite useful...in the long run... :)
Have a great weekend everyone!
Posted by beth at August 9, 2008 4:31 PM
Comments
Hey Beth, AWWW shucks. Hope your hammie feels better soon. And loved your points on mental excellence. Glad you had a great swim AND bike. WOW the weather has been gorgeous for August.
Posted by: kerri at August 9, 2008 7:32 PM
Beth- Sounds like you are learning so much in your recovery process. YES, the mental side of sport takes just as much discipline!
Keep up the great work (nice job with your swim pr's)!
Posted by: Cathy Y at August 10, 2008 4:21 PM