The Tri Town Times: 10/19/20

Hi all,

 

Here is your weekly Tri Town Times newsletter:

 

Weekend Race Report:

70.3 Arizona was held yesterday in Tempe. The race, which typically hosts more than 2,000 participants, saw 600 athletes toe the line. This was the first Ironman branded race of 2020 on US soil, and is a fair indicator of the slow return to full participation triathlon will experience. Like always, the best way to track results is through the excellent Ironman Tracker App.

 

Events I'm Looking Forward To:

Challenge arguably puts on the best triathlons in the world (i.e. Challenge Roth), and their only race in the United States takes place in Daytona on December 5th and 6th. Participants will compete on the famous race track, and the professional field at Challenge Daytona will be competing for a $1 million prize purse.

 

Training Thoughts and Updates:

I recently presented a big-picture overview on bicycle fitting to the Tri Town crew. This presentation was originally intended for internal (business) purposes, but I feel many of the points are applicable to anyone who enjoys riding and racing a bicycle. The main takeaway is that bicycle fitting is highly personal, and a dynamic all-body approach is often best.

 

Quote that Struck a Chord:

With racing back on the calendar, I've noticed an increase in anxiety in some of the athletes I coach and interact with. It's important to recognize the source of this anxiety, often it is focused toward factors outside our control: the weather, water temps, travel, a flat tire, etc. Sometimes this anxiety will cause us to do things that make our desires less likely to happen. For example: you want to hit a certain time at your next race so you train harder. But by training harder than you already were, you injure yourself and thus become slower. Philosopher Alan Watts called this the "Backwards Law", which essentially states the more you try to grab hold of something, the more likely it is to slip through your fingers.

 

This isn't to say that you should not desire to improve, to be faster, or to be more fit. The trick is to not let your desire to be a "good athlete" or have a "good result" interfere with the natural joy of exercise and living a healthy life. If you enjoy every step of the process, everything from the self-sacrifice to the joy of success, you will undoubtably grow as an athlete. And more importantly, you will grow as a person.

 

"This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play." -Alan Watts.

 

 

Have a great week!

 

Antonio Gonzalez

Tri Town Bicycles