meditation and ironman

August 14, 2014

I Just Got Called "A Yankee"

I made small talk with a nice man at the coffee shop. He was waiting for his first dose of thunder, I was poised for round two.

He wore a bright white v-neck t-shirt and even brighter white pants. I assumed he was a painter.

“I’m guessing your outfit will be a lot dirtier by the end of the day,” I said with a hint of apprehension.

“Well, now, actually it’s gonna be a clean day,” he replied with a calculated drawl.

“Where ya from?,” I asked.

“Originally Texas. Spent a lot of years in Virginia, but there’re a lot of Yankees there, so it don’t really count,” he said with a tinge of remorse.

“Not a big fan of Yankees?”

“Well, they just weren’t nice.”

“I’m from Wisconsin and we are some of the nicest people around,” I said trying to win him over.

“Well, I was born in Iowa, so I guess I’m a Yankee on some level.”

Ha! So, that was a real conversation. And it proves my point about life and humanity. If you dig deep enough, we’re all the same.

———–

With that in mind, about 2,500 friends of mine will be tackling Ironman Louisville next Sunday in 90 degree heat. We’ll come from a melting pot of backgrounds, geography, and philosophies. But we’ll all be focused on one thing . . . ascending to a higher plane.

Of those 2,500 people, every one will have a different training philosophy. Some will chase miles, some will race for fun, others will be energized by fear.

But we are all the same.

We all want to become better, stronger, and more consistent people. It would take a while, maybe a lifetime, but I would love to sit with each one and drill down to our connective center. Find our common fears, battles and dreams. Feel the relief as hypocrisy falls from our bones.

Yankees, Southerners, Texans, Blacks, Whites, Asians, Jews, old, young, men, women. All seeking the truth. All not settling for a pre-definined place in life . . . or a label.

People from the SEC, the Big 10, Pac 10, ACC, and Big East. All releasing their differences for a cause. A cause that rises higher than logos and exists in a place we can’t define.

There will be an endless list of pretense, but for one day, 2,500 of us will dispose of trivial beliefs and focus on the real meaning of faith. Faith in a higher and more meaningful quest. A direct apprehension of something bigger than our collective selves. We will experience the ultimate meditation. Up to 17 hours of being in the moment. And when we are in the moment there are no Yankees, Southerners, Texans, Blacks, Whites, Asians, Jews, old, young, men, or women.

There just is.

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October 6, 2013

Thanks God it's Swim, Bike, then Run

Whoever invented triathlons did me a huge favor, but if someone ever gets a bright idea to reverse the order to run, bike, swim, they will be on my short list of enemies. I was rudely reminded of just how painful starting with the run can be.

Wasky ran over to the house (he was two miles in when we started) and we just took off in true Wasky fashion.* I woke up exactly 21 minutes before he showed up and we galloped along at a 8:15 pace right from the start. I knew it was a mistake, but I actually felt good . . . for a while.

We hit the greenway, then made an awesome discovery (which I have sworn to secrecy) that lifted my spirits in sort of a paradise meets the burning fires of hell sort of way. A new training spot that will be a game changer.

Then more greenway and more 8:15 pace. Six miles later we’re climbing out of Shelby Park and my legs start screaming like a raging bear that’s been jostled from hibernation.

A fierce run that is my longest since Ironman. Up and down Riverside until we exchanged a very low five and went our own ways. He ran close to 13 and I probably got in around 10. Ten miles and I literally feel worse than I did after 140.6 in Madison.

The point here is that swimming first is a godsend. Tired or not, it always wakes and warms me up in just the right ways and this whole thing reminds me to remind myself of the goals I set for the off season:

1. Get to sleep earlier. (Challenge of a lifetime)
2. Wake up earlier. (Mainly so I don’t go from the bed to the pool, bike, or road . . . oh and just so you know, this morning’s run started at 9 am)
3. Strengthen and balance mind, body, and life. (meditation, weights, writing, a social existence)
4. Hit the pool hard. (Now is the time to build swim confidence, which I really think translates into overall race confidence for me)
5. Hit the trainer hard. (Biking is my strength, but I am far from a strong biker in these races)
6. Increase flexibility and pliability (long, strong muscles that recover faster).
7. Increase (regain) running speed. (explosive muscle training)

* Wasky truly knows one speed, “all out.” Not many know this, but he was so fired up at Ironman Louisville he swam the entire length of the upstream channel underwater. And coach Robbie has acknowledged more than once that Wasky’s walk is a sub-8 pace.

July 3, 2013

The Power of Isolation

Occasionally I try to figure out why I’m putting so many hours into training, most in isolation. Even the group rides are replete with time for contemplation. I think the simple answer is . . . I like it that way.

My dad was a very social guy when I was growing up. We lived in a small town and he seemed to know everyone. There was always a party in progress or about to happen when my dad showed up.

I loved it when he would take me along to the cookout. The kids would run around or play baseball in the back, while the parents got drunk in the kitchen. Everyone was relaxed and free.

But the sun always sets on a party and it’s tough to see in the dark.

I’d go down to my bedroom in the basement and stare at a ceiling that wasn’t there. I’ve always had trouble falling asleep and think it’s largely because I can’t get out of my head. Eventually I figured out there’s no better place to fuel this addiction than long hours in the pool, on a bike, or a run.

When I’m at my best, I embrace the art of meditation in motion. I am completely in the moment. Focused on the next stroke, pedal, or step. I’m at one with my breath and let that take over. There is no watch, no conversation, and no finish line. I just am.

I have always been a fascinated by the power of meditation. The ability to look inward for peace is extremely powerful and the key to staying centered. But, it’s difficult to stay on course with an endless flow of distraction.

Phones fill voids like a crack pipe. We cling and hope the next message delivers the perfect high. If we’re not looking at the phone it’s the television or the tablet. We’re always “looking” . . . but for what?

I think that’s the irony of endurance training.

We go to extreme lengths to find something we can’t describe. A consistent, manageable, and peaceful state. But what we do when we find it is the real challenge. Do we accept it or climb higher for another level of stimulation? How high is high enough?

On the most elemental level, I think humans are searching for ways to feel better, but how we do that is baffling.

What part of staying inside an office for 10 hours a day while staring at numbers on a computer screen resembles natural behavior? It’s a real challenge because we have crafted a world that is driven by “more is better.” More money, more power, more fame, more sex, more highs, more stuff.

So this all comes back to basics. What do we need to be satisfied? For me, it’s typically nothing.

The most serene moments of my life are those times when I’m focused on my breath. I don’t “need” anything when I’m “awake.” Life gets more complicated when I am forced to squeeze into a box created by humans who think they’re doing what’s best for me, for us. We get dragged around the block when all we really want is to chill in the backyard.

I love to immerse myself in other people’s quest for genuine satisfaction. What does it take to be content? Where do we go off the rails?

I spend a lot of time listening and observing. I think it’s because I truly have no clue what life is all about. Then, sometimes, I genuinely think THAT is what it’s all about. Listening, learning, loving.

So many of us are tripped up by the lure of the next high. The first thought after I make a million dollars is, how can I make two million? And the list goes on. It’s never enough. But all we really want is to be comfortable, content, and free. More often than not, I find that space on long swims, bikes, and runs. The challenge is handling the rest of the day.