A PR...The Hard Way

The accidental PR where you're just doing a sesh, feeling great, and oila, you set a PR, is easy. The preconceived PR, the one that you stare at on your training schedule, the one that you know you have to do next week or in a couple of days, is much more tough. It weighs heavy on your mind, and you know that you have to go out and make it happen, regardless if your body is on...or worst, off. But it is this PR that most simulates racing, it's this PR that trains us to be "Game Day'ers", and aren't we training to race, and not training to train?

All week last week, I knew I had to go out and make a PR happen come 5:30 AM on Friday. I do this run loop in the morning and in prep for my upcoming half mary in April, I needed to inject some speed and run a season PR for the loop. For whatever reason, my head was in the right space that morning, and I remember rolling out the door, taking my first couple of steps in the dark, and I immediately knew, I was going to will this PR. I can't say every planned PR on the schedule I've ever had went this smoothly, but on this morning, it was copacetic! And just like that, I trained my mind and my body to race, and not just to train.

The Sunday post run, I got a pleasant surprise with an accidental PR whilst chasing my friend Tyler on our bikes. It was a sufferfest and I found myself losing his wheel several times, but he would slow down and let me reel him back in, only to punch the pace again once I got on. And though it felt like survival riding, I somehow landed home with an accidental PR.

All this PR stuff meant a reward in the form of some good eatin'. In this case, some grilled cauliflower with pasta and a non-dairy, low sugar chocolate bread pudding.

PR's

We've all been out on a training ride, run, or swim, feeling surprisingly good, and thus we continue to increase the effort. Next thing we know, we establish a PR. This type of PR is always a pleasant surprise. I've had several season PR's go this way, in fact, I think the majority of my PR's this season are happenstance. The happenstance PR is win-win. If you get one, great! If not, you weren't supposed to get a PR so you didn't fall short of anything. Yesterday, I went out and earned a PR the hard way.

The schedule called for a strong effort ride with hard efforts on two climbs. Since I've been claiming how fit I feel of late, I knew I had to back up this statement. There is no reason why I should NOT believe that I should get a PR. I'm three weeks out of my A race for the season, and I feel well prepared and ready to rock and roll! I should be in the best of shape and well capable of a season PR. The PR where you plan and then must execute is much tougher psychologically. The difference is the element of failure. But I had no time to think about failure, I was too busy working on believing in my capabilities. As luck would have it, I had read the article on Lukas Verzbicas, the high-schooler who just set a national record for the 2-mile (8:29:46), just before my ride. In the article, he said, "Setting a goal time is the first step in a record assault. I knew in my mind I had it the whole time, belief in oneself is a very powerful tool in my opinion." And with this thought in my head, I set out to set some PR's.

The first climb went off without a hitch, and mentally, I was in it to win it. The result was a minute plus season PR and about 30 seconds off my lifetime PR. Approaching the second climb, I was in a tougher place mentally due to fatigue. I found myself beginning to cushion myself for possible failure. Kiet, it's okay if you don't get this, you ran 16+ miles two days ago. I started to come up with excuses as to why I would not set another PR. And all of a sudden, the word "BELIEVE" popped in my head. I BELIEVE I can do this! And I spoke this word over and over again, all the way to the top of the climb in a season PR. As I was rolling home, I also realized that it was great that I got that second PR, but even more important than earning the PR, was believing I could do it and going for it. Believing in yourself and putting yourself out there to succeed has nothing to do with the outcome. You've succeeded the instant you decided to believe in yourself and go for it! I love this type of reflection when I'm out swimming, biking, or running. And this story was for you Libster.