I was sitting in the hot tub after this morning's swim when another swimmer joined me. The first thing she did was thank me for keeping her going during her workout. She mentioned that she wasn't overly motivated when she started her swim, but kept going to keep pace with me. Oddly enough, I focused on keeping pace with her during the last few hundred of my workout. I was tiring out and she was keeping a good pace.
It's pretty amazing how participants in a specifically individual sport share such a strong sense of comaraderie. Whether in training or racing, we support each other, often just by being there. Even in the pool, where interaction is a bit challenging (and dangerous), other people can motivate us. Faster swimmers push us to improve. Swimmers "going long" often encourage us to go a few more yards when we are ready to call it quits.
The bike is similar. While I generally ride alone, the sight of other bikers can be just the boost needed to get through some difficult miles. I recall one Saturday prior to Louisville when I was out doing a particularly tough set of LT thresh hold intervals. After completing the final set, I was ready to lay down at the side of the road and die. Until I saw a group of riders from my triathlon club. They were a ways ahead of me, and the desire to catch up to them pushed me to maintain the pace called out in the training plan.
We all know about race day magic. It is amazing how well we perform when we have others around us. The excitement and adrenaline surrounding a race have that impact. With the proper frame of mind, we can get a bit of that magic during any workout just by interacting with others around us. Often, that will turn a "blah" day into a great training day.
 This post could have a lot of different titles. "Old School," "We're Not Worthy," "Double Tough," and "It Takes All Kinds" are some of the options I considered. They all apply, and the reasons why will become quite apparent.
This past week, the video of IM Louisville highlights arrived. My kids love it, and we've watched it several times. One remarkable portion of the video shows the man pictured here. His name is Joe. And he is one double tough, old school Ironman.
He is a 42-year old laborer from Memphis, Tennessee. He finished IMKY in just over 16 hours. Many would say those are some fairly common characteristics, far from remarkable. Then again, I've seen the video and searched out a few pictures for further consideration.
Consider Joe on the bike...
 There are a couple of notable items about Joe on the bike. First, note that he is on an old school road bike. No aero bars. No aero fork. One water bottle cage. For that matter, a close look at the pedals will reveal that not only aren't they clipless, they appear to be cageless.
Many of us talk about going low tech when we leave our heart rate monitors at home. Joe seems to have taken a step back toward the original Ironman competitors, completing the event using very basic equipment.
If you still question whether that makes him "double tough," look at his "bike kit." Yes, those are jean shorts. And a standard cotton t-shirt. I don't know about you, but I sometimes find spandex tri-shorts a bit course for my liking over the course of 112 miles. I cannot imagine completing long rides wearing cotton.
 Joe didn't change much for the run. He traded his cycling helmet in for the Ironman hat, and may have switched shirts. He wore the same jean shorts from the bike onto the run. And he kept moving.
It was very apparent from the video that Joe impressed and motivated the people who saw him on the course. On the bike course, the video crew started filming one lady, and she pointed out Joe saying they should film him, instead. They did.
Later, the film crew caught up with Joe on the run. They asked if he had heard many comments about his shorts. Joe did what many of us would have done on the run. He kept going and may not have even heard the cameraman.
Another competitor on the run commented that Joe showed just how tough he is because in addition to completing the Ironman, he put up with the constant questions about his attire. I don't know how many questions Joe might have faced, but I am sure everyone who saw him was amazed he would go into an Ironman using such basic equipment.
The variety of competitors is part of what makes triathlon so popular. Participants cross the spectrum of training, equipment, background, and ability. And in Ironman, the pinnacle of the sport, everyday laborers such as Joe can compete with superstars such as Chris McDonald and Heather Gollnick. The winners demonstrated their toughness by finishing first. Joe showed his toughness by kickin' it, OLD SCHOOL.
 There are a couple people I've "met" through blogging that I look forward to meeting in person. Tri-Daddy many of you are familiar with, as he was the guest blogger who kept things so professionally updated during Ironman Kentucky. So many people have already met Iron Benny and Nytro that I almost feel obligated to buy a plane ticket just to go visit them. ALMOST. I could never keep up with Nytro at the bar. Or Benny on the bike.
Commodore is a man with whom I believe I have lots in common. Pun intended. I keep harassing him and Tri-Daddy with the concept of finding an event where the three of us can race and our families can hang out. And I keep stealing pictures from Comm's site, so I have to stay on his good side.
If you haven't stopped by Common Man Syndrome, today, take a swing by and lend some moral support and comment love. Commodore has been showing just how uncommon he is by posting about some of the challenges he's been facing, keeping things light as he does so. He has to be one of the few people who could put himself into the ER, and then go through the painstaking efforts to post about what is happening. He may blog about the common man. His refusal to be boxed in by his situation and his willingness to share his experiences make him anything but common.
The next time you lack motivation to train, think of those who are unable to get into the water, onto their bike, or out on the road for whatever reason. Sometimes, it's a temporary setback such as Comms is facing. Other times, it is more serious. Many overcome amazing challenges to compete in triathlon and other events. Perhaps the lack of sleep or that minor muscle ache isn't such a big deal, after all.
 I have never really considered myself a "runner." Sure, I'm a marathoner. But there's a difference. Runners LOVE to run, and would do it without a race on the horizon. And in many cases, marathoners ARE runners. Me, not so much. I run marathons because that is what keeps me running.
Triathlons threw a whole new group of things into the mix. I'm no more a swimmer than I am a runner. I'm not really a biker, either, though I do like biking a lot more than running or swimming. And despite not really being a swimmer, a biker, or a runner, I became an Ironman.
And I think I like being an Ironman more than being a marathoner. For the same reason I like being a triathlete more than being "just a runner." It has to do with variety. Having the choice of training disciplines combined with getting to do all three sports in a single race makes training for and racing triathlons more bearable. "Fun" might be a stretch, but I do enjoy myself more in triathlons than marathons.
 Getting to know George Schweitzer over the past year, I've seen a similar attitude. Anyone who keeps up with George's blog knows that he is more than just an Ironman. He qualified for the Boston Marathon and had an amazing run despite the horrid conditions, this year. He has completed triathlons all over the country (including a half-dozen Ironman events). This past year, he started breaking out the mountain bike to participate in various off-road events.
He takes all of his experiences in these disciplines, combines it with his ever increasing base of academic knowledge, and shares it with others. Some of his best posts are from his series about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. If you haven't read them, trust me, they aren't the "lower heart rate and improved blood pressure" variety. They're worth reading.
It is this variety that is leading me to consider the "next big challenge." It is what motivates me to see if I can complete a 50-mile ultramarathon. It is what generates interest in endurance level adventure racing. It does not, however, lead me to consider 10K swimming events. After all, everyone needs some kind of boundaries.
Do you find yourself in a rut? Is the "same old" training starting to stagnate? Perhaps it's time to consider shaking things up a bit. I'll be doing that in November with my 30-day swim challenge. If swimming has become mundane, Coach Mike's suggestion about 30 days of running (or biking) might apply to you. Don't be afraid to mix it up and focus on a weakness.
Another option is to find a new event to run. Last winter, Rural Girl got involved in snowshoe racing. If that's not crazy enough, Tri-Mama (and others) completed a mid-winter triathlon, complete with swimming in a frozen lake. Take a season off from endurance triathlons and push yourself in shorter races. Or participate in other multisport events.
One of the huge benefits of triathlon is the variety. Three disciplines. A variety of distances. The gamut of race environments. Even so, we should remain open to other opportunities and continue to expand our horizons in the world of fitness.
 It seems I need to find something in the near future to provide greater motivation. A long race, a big event, something. It has been too easy to pass on early morning workouts given the lack of a key race in the near future.
This morning's scheduled workout was a run of 6-7 miles. Everything was set for the run. My cold(er) weather gear was laid out as the temperature was expected to be somewhere around 40F. (Anything under 45 degrees and I break out a long sleeve shirt. Under 40 degrees and I go with running tights.) My shoes, MP3 player, fuel belt, and hat were all strategically placed for a fast transition from sleeping to running. And the alarm was set for 4:45 a.m.
My backup alarm went off at 3:30 a.m. For the record, I don't own a backup alarm. My daughter has that covered. When I went in to check on her, she started grabbing things out of the crib, a not-so-subtle hint she wants to sleep in mommy and daddy's bed. Given the hour left until the real alarm, I didn't argue.
No sooner did I set her down than she started saying, "Pah ee." That translates to "potty." Which translates to "Daddy isn't getting back to sleep anytime soon, because I want you to read me a book and/or play a game." And the state of her pull-up confirmed that her need to actually use the potty was perhaps a bit overstated.
Still, potty training is potty training, so we headed off to the bathroom. About 10 minutes later, I got her back to bed, only to have her wake me up 10 minutes after that with another refrain of "Pah ee." Ummmm, didn't we just go through this. At least for round two, the new pull-up was still dry.
By the time we got out of the bathroom the second time, I was looking at about 15 minutes before my alarm went off. I caved, reset the alarm to 6 a.m., and decided to play the training day be ear. If I can, I'll squeeze the run in when I get home. Since Mrs. Pol has Bible study, tonight, odds of that happening are greatly reduced.
When late nights, middle-of-the-night wakeups, and colds start interfering with training, it is time to find something with greater motivational power. I have to find a race with sufficient impact and get registered. As Boomer would say, "Stay tuned..."
 Rural Girl's latest post is full of interesting pieces of information. First, her husband is going to tackle his first half-marathon at that race. It is always awesome to see people challenging themselves. Who knows, in the future, it might be Rural Girl playing sherpa at a big race. Having spent quite a bit of time with her family, I know she would jump right into it, and I know she will support her husband as he trains for and completes this race.
She also indicated she will attempt to set a new PR for the marathon. In the process, she will try to break the 4-hour mark. That is a huge personal challenge, and I know she is up to the task.
How do I know that? Because I've raced with her in a couple different events, and I've seen her abilities. I know how she stacks up against me, and I know what I'm capable of doing.
While it might be challenging for us to schedule training runs together, I will do all I can to help motivate her in her quest. And there is one thing to which I KNOW she responds. So...
 Here's a little picture of me from my the 2006 Fox Cities Marathon, where I set my PR at that distance. I believe my chip time was something like 3:54, but the clock shows enough to paint the picture. So, I'm POSITIVE Rural Girl has a sub-4 hour marathon in those legs of hers. All she has to do is find out if Las Vegas is where she runs that race.
Go get it, Rural Girl!
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