Loss of confidence - help needed, please
pacrfish
Posts: 266
in General Chat
I'm racing on Sun at the Derby duathlon (6k, 40k, 4k), and I have completely lost confidence in my ability to do anything at all.
My head knows I've done many tri's before, although I've not raced since June. But right now I'm just having a complete wobbly about it. I had a chest infection for a couple of weeks recently so training has been a bit hit and miss. I'm never fast, but I ought to be able to get round on basic fitness levels.
Does anyone else ever feel like this? Any motivational tips? Confidence is not a strong point of mine at the best of times, but I've never felt like this before .....
HELP, PLEASE .......
My head knows I've done many tri's before, although I've not raced since June. But right now I'm just having a complete wobbly about it. I had a chest infection for a couple of weeks recently so training has been a bit hit and miss. I'm never fast, but I ought to be able to get round on basic fitness levels.
Does anyone else ever feel like this? Any motivational tips? Confidence is not a strong point of mine at the best of times, but I've never felt like this before .....
HELP, PLEASE .......
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Comments
All I do to motivate myself is to look around me every day at other people in their mid-30's at work or on the street, most with beer bellies, pale skin and no fitness levels to talk about and think that even if I were to crawl in over the line in last place, at least I'm giving it a go and doing myself some good.
So, even if this weekend's event doesn't work out as planned, it is only 1 event and given your recent illness, I would just treat it as a type of 'recovery event' to test your fitness and plan for the next one.
What was the race in June?
Ian
p.s.
I know the answer to the above question!!!...Remember the pain, joy and pride. Sun will be a walk in the park.
"It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena...who strives...who spends himself...and who, at worst , if he fails, at least he fails while daring, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who new neither victory nor defeat."
I hope you decide to take part in the event on Sunday.
You know you can run, we know you can run. You know you can cycle, we know you can cycle. Go do the Derby Duathlon & open a can of whuppass on it!!!!
phil [:D]
ps "if you show me your tattoo I will show you mine"
headhunter70 - thanks for reminding me how I would feel if I don't race on Sun
loon - thanks yet again - keep on telling me!
milnercraig - love the quote - I'm going to print it out and put it above my desk
Rob - thank you - Wimbleball seems like a dream but I'm hanging on to it
Mad - I'll keep T3 in mind - and I'm still going for that tattoo .....
Since I started this thread I've been stung by a wasp and now have a swollen and painful hand, plus a bug which put me in bed for a day.
HOWEVER, I AM going to RACE on Sunday. Race plan is to keep the first run steady, hammer the bike and survive the second run.
Bless you all - I'll let you know how it goes
Was waiting for the results to be published on the website because I'm not exactly sure of the times but they're not out yet so .....
Well, I started ........ and I finished. 2 hours 41 mins and 29 secs or thereabouts. I have never done so much exercise while feeling so dreadful!!
First run was 'undulating' (lovely phrase). Ran with someone I've met at local races who is faster than me, and blew out on one of the hills about 4 km into the run. Oh, the shame of having to walk - even tho it was only for a few metres. Felt sick, weak and awful from then on. Very slow T1 - even managed to hit my head on my tribars. On the first few miles of the bike (also 'undulating') I had the headache from hell, felt even more sick and had tree trunks full of pain instead of legs. So very nearly stopped and turned back, but thought of you lot, and of Mad halfway round Snowdon, and bribed myself with 'just another mile ... just to the next corner ..... just to the roundabout......'. Then I saw someone else on the bike course (everyone else was long gone!!) and managed to reel her in .... so I was no longer last!!! And then another ..... etc
Still feeling like I've a massive hangover I made it into T2 (the winners had finished by now, of course, and were merrily consuming sausage butties and coffee). The second run was indescribably awful. Cross-country, muddy, long grass and uphill in every direction. One part even went across the corner of a football pitch - with game in progress! Can vaguely remember shouting at the organiser that if I tried to enter next year he wasn't to let me.... Rather excitingly, the finish line was a brick wall in a churchyard - at least it would have been exciting if I'd been moving at anything other than a crawl by that stage! Couldn't even manage the butties and coffee at the end!
The good news was that I won the female vets category - even if there were only 2 of us! And I liked the £30 Skinfit voucher I got cos now I have some new kit. There were several finishers after me, including some men. (Sorry guys, love you all dearly but there is something very satisfying in beating men!!!). But the best news for me was that the timekeeper told me I was within 2 minutes of the finishing time of the female 40-49 winner.
So, thank you all. If you'd not replied to my thread I would have quit on Sunday morning, if I'd started at all.
Instead I've £30 of new kit, and I've learned that it is possible to keep going at a reasonable pace even when you do feel sick as a dog and someone has stolen your legs.
Cheers, guys, I appreciate it.
odd that cos on the last climb of snowdon I was thinking of you whooping ass and chasing shaven leg on your triathlon .... so perhaps I / we should be thanking you .. the prize is obviously your just reward for ALL your efforts ... and alledgedly I am the mad one. ...... (Shhh no one mention next season)
top effort PAt & never stop beating blokes
mad (phil) [:D]
Nice result and a good performance, [:)]
What was all the worrying about?[:D]
Congrats to madnurse too.
Smooth performance at the Snowdon ( I was behind him at the start and watched Him vanish in to the distance!)[:D]
One tough marathon!
sort it tommorrow x
I wont run cross country over broken bricks and cobble stones that are on are mud path and then down 800 meters of steep grass incline when one slip could put me right out of next years events!LMAO[:D]
I came in bang on 5 hrs but wasted a good 30 minutes walking and talking with marshals who could tell i was a 'bit' angry![8D]
Great learning curve and got lots from it without taking risks
That's sort of a serious comment - is there anything one can do to improve mental attitude, or is it just what we're born with?
Anyway, well done rich__c. Under 5 hours is very good, particularly considering the enforced walking. Better to be cautious than to risk an injury that might take you out.
Well done good time especially given your approach which has to be commended i am pretty sure I'd have got there and gone "it'll be okay" then promptly broke me leg...
Pat - Joe Friel recommends some mental training books I'll hunt the list down and let you know...