Thoughts from Cheryl Isberg Ironman Athlete and Coach for RTB

What DOES it take?

So you may have seen the documentary “What It Takes” that featured 4 world class triathletes on their “quest for greatness”. I have been wondering about what it DOES take lately on those long runs and rides. 2008 will be my 7^th year competing in triathlons and I am on my own quest this year to be a 4^th and 5^th time Ironman at CDA and Canada with a goal of a personal best time at the Ironman distance this year.

Seeking a personal best time has been on my mind for several years and even though I thought I was making progress and would achieve the goal, it hasn’t happened. Why not? Good question. I don’t know if I know the answer to that.

What have I changed this year to work toward my quest? I have embarked on a new training program that has involved a new coach with a more personal touch and someone who is vested in my goal. I don’t know if that will provide me with the full answer to “What DOES it take?” Yes, a coach is important to help you focus on your weaknesses and promote your strengths and to keep you on track, but the coach can only put the workouts down on paper. Someone still has to DO those workouts.

So, a new coach was Step 1. Step 2 was asking myself was I willing to give up more of my precious spare time and am I willing to give more to the workouts. Am I willing to push myself to the place where I feel uncomfortable and stay there for a while? The answer was yes so here I am four months later looking at being just one month away from the start line at Ironman CDA.

Has anything changed in four months? The answer is YES. Here are a few things that come to mind.

1) I have worked with some of the best swimmers in Maui and they have totally enjoyed kicking my butt on a weekly basis and in local open water swims. They were like sharks in the pool those first few weeks with a new meal and they loved watching me have a heart attack after each set. They laughed uncontrollably when the main set called for something other then Freestyle and I had to look up to the Masters coach and shyly admit that was the only stroke I knew. That was humbling. I thought I was dying several times in the pool but in fact I was just finding out how really hard I could work in the pool. When the Masters coach leaned over one day and said “you’re working hard Cheryl I see your dedication” it was a great moment.

2) A new coach was not just for triathlon in general but I also acquired a running coach in the form of Darren. I was extremely intimidated and yes embarrassed when I had to admit to my existing running pace. I felt like I had been “outed” some how to the rest of the world. Darren has given me a new perspective on running and somewhere along the lines I find myself allowing myself to perhaps enjoy some of those long runs. On my interval workouts he has become “Dr. Evil” because his workouts can be wicked but when I am finished and I have done something I have never done before, there is a sense of accomplishment. When the running days turned into disasters and believe me there were several, I was reminded by Darren that indeed that is ok to have bad days and more importantly that Rome wasn’t built in a day and to stick with it.

3) My triathlon coach in the form of Simon came with some credentials that were initially intimidating. I have a deep respect and admiration for his accomplishments and he is working hard to figure out a program that works for my crazy schedule but also help pull some of the missing triathlon puzzle pieces together for me. His approach is simple – let’s not worry about aero wheels, snazzy helmets, and carbon bikes. The words I hear over and over and my head are “work hard” and “stay consistent”. I hear them in my sleep. What has this new triathlon coach given me? New workouts that have tested me but also given me the opportunity to know that I can work harder then I thought I could.

Will I be faster? Wow, now there is an interesting question. The reality is I do think I will be faster and I am looking forward to the opportunity to prove that to myself. If that faster time is in CDA or later this year really isn’t the focus right now, the focus is that I believe in new thoughts like “work hard” and “have fun”. They seem to contradict but they really don’t – you can work hard and have fun at the same time.

So, I have a challenge for all RTB’ers. Ask yourself this question during your next race or your next swim/bike/run workout “can I give more” if the answer is yes then give more and see what your results are.

Second, think about this statement. “It’s a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you’re tired, you quit when the gorilla is tired”.

My coach sent me this the night before my first race this year as I was sipping a cocktail poolside. Now first off, let me state that RTB coaches do not approve or advocate drinking the night before a race unless of course you have pre-race approval for drinking from RTB Head Coach, Dr. Phil so please keep that in mind. But since I was drinking with some fellow racers, we almost fell out of chairs laughing trying to figure out what the “gorilla” statement meant. Others around the table were receiving their race notes from their coaches via the Blackberry underground and they all were along the lines of “For the bike work toward Zone 3 and check your Powertap for wattage while noting not to exceed Zone 4. Make sure to consume x calories on the bike and x on the run, etc, etc” and I got something about wrestling a gorilla? I was confused about the message.

I did figure it out during the race though. Thank god for those mindless miles up a hill to figure out a statement.

What DOES it mean? After asking yourself “can I give more” then imagine everyone around you in your next race as gorillas, you know sort of on the lines of thinking about your co-workers in their underwear during a stressful meeting – ok that maybe weird but it’s the same concept. Picture that person you’re chasing as a gorilla. Large, hairy, and slow on the run (and I don’t think they swim and they look ridiculous riding a bike).

I am betting you can beat that gorilla.

Livestrong,

Cheryl