Snowed in...

Who knew it snowed in November in Vancouver?

A rather shocking and disturbing occurrence considering we pride ourselves on our ability to avoid most elements that affect the rest of Canada in the winter and summer... We don't get 40 degrees with mosquitos the size of sparrows and we don't have snow in November...

I sound like I'm complaining. Really I am just making a statement that we are in an unusual weather situation here. This prompted the cancellation of my bike fitting on Sunday.

I was, however, able to complete my biomechanical assessment on Saturday in Squamish. Michael and I were both in line for a workout that I hadn't counted on. The physio's name was Marilyn Hellier. She works out of Whistler and Squamish.

I discovered a few things about my muscle structure... Number one, I have weak glutes. I never thought of myself as having weak glutes before. But I do. As a result, my hamstrings are quite tight all the time (not a shock) and I am also experiencing knee pain when I bike for long stretches of time (i.e. 3hrs plus). So she gave us some exercises and workouts to address these areas of concerns. This was Saturday, and I am still sore on Monday from just one of these sessions... And I'm supposed to do this 4 days per week!?!?

What does it take to get good? The real question is what will it take for ME to get good? To break through? I have hit a barrier in that I still cannot break the 3 hr marathon mark. I haven't been training hard enough to get there, mind you. So, I have both a mental and a physical block right now. It's a knowledge that I have, within me, the means to accomplish anything I set my mind to, but I hit these mental barriers that prevent me from taking those next, necessary steps required to break into that new level of performance.

Now I've really done it. I acknowledge that performance is largely a mental exercise, but not just on race day... It happens throughout the year. I read an article recently describing the difference between "JV and Varsity" level athletes. JV athletes, in an Ironman world, are those who seek to finish and, when they do so, are happy just to keep finishing, occasionally get a little faster, but just happy to continue. And this is an area I want to be in too, but I ALSO want to see what "Varsity" would be like....

What would it be like to be amongst the elite?

What would I need to do?

I can tell you, taking a year off every 2 years, or even 3 months off, isn't what it takes. One has to be willing to put the time in and, when putting the time in, to work hard. The secret really isn't a secret... It's just plain hard work. Sometimes it's painful, sometimes it is enjoyable. You always work to create the environment to make the work as pleasurable as possible, but really, it's still hard work that gets you to the top of your profession, or sport.

Which is why these exercises are so important. The discipline to spend the next 6 weeks working on this biomechanical aspect is all about reaching the next level. Trust the protocol of the professionals. If they require this dedication, I require no less...

Emma Snowsill, possibly the greatest triathlon story of the year out of Australia, has said that she respects and admires what her body is able to accomplish, and that's what drives her... to keep pushing and seeing how far her body will take her. She's done pretty well with this approach, having basically run the table on all the WTU triathlon circuit races this year.

I have noticed now that my swimming technique is improving. Having upped my swimming to a full 3x/week and focusing exclusively on technique rather than volume, I have really been working on creating a fluid and efficient stroke. And, for the first time on Saturday, the stroke actually felt fluid and not at all like I was "working" on it... It just seemed natural... Who knew that practice might start to pay off?