Gritty Training Log - Swim Across America, July 18 2009

Swim Across America (http://www.swimacrossamerica.org/) came to Chicago again this summer (after apparently being rained out last year) and raised a record breaking $130K for cancer research. All funds raised through the event here in Chicago are donated to the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center (CBCC) at Loyola University Medical Center (http://www.luhs.org/svcline/cancer/index.cfm). This year marks the 16th anniversary and to date, they have raised close to one million dollars for the CBCC! The physician in charge of the center is accepting the check (to the left) with the Executive Director of Swim Across America and a host of volunteers.

I swam the 1.5 mile swim. The lake was initially choppy, then rolling, and then very cold with waves coming at us from behind. It eventually settled. I was glad to have a wetsuit; other swimmers, who perhaps hadn't been swimming in the lake this year very often, literally turned blue. The faster ones were okay; the slower ones seemed quite frozen when they popped out of the lake. No matter; it was all for a great cause. And they had towels!

The day was full of firsts. It was my first time fundraising, and I realized that I was probably a lower end fundraiser; I asked friends and family via an email for the minimum amount, expecting to have to pay it all. It was my first time swimming off Ohio Beach in Chicago; what a view to swim around the harbor and then turn in to see the city.

The day had other meaning for me. My grandmother died from colon cancer. I was very close to her. My parents and maternal aunt have had cancer, and survived quite well. I had originally approached the event as another opportunity to get a lake swim, and then realized it was a fundraiser. So, I figured I could pay the minimum amount, if no one gave me any money. With some trepidation, I emailed friends and family...to ask.

Within 24 hours, I had met the fundraising goal with a handful of friends and close colleagues, and people still gave even after that.

The juxtaposition of how terrible a swimmer I actually am, with the pride and generosity of my friends, really astonished me. It reminded me again that even as a psychologist, I learn all the time about people and their goodness; how nice to be surprised, and to give my friends and family a chance to express their support.

If you haven't tried fundraising, you may want to try it. If you haven't tried open water swimming, you may want to try it. And both together? You'd be surprised how much easier each reach-pull motion is, when you're pulling for more people than just yourself.

Food for Thought - Fit Soul, Fit Body, 9 Keys to A Healthier You

Lisa Rainsberger (see right, my coach), recommended Fit Soul, Fit Body. One of the authors is Shaman Brant Secunda, and the other is Mark Allen. Brant, she didn't comment on. Mark, she did. She said she knew Mark personally, and liked other things that the 6-time Iron Man world champion said a few years back.

I was eager to read the book, recommended by someone I respect, and ready in part to be transformed.

How strange, then, to find that the message of the book was directed at personal wellness, and aimed at eliminating performance anxiety. The two authors weave a message of personal wellness, complete again with a guide to nutrition, that gently encourages even the most competitive athlete to, well, chill.

We don't learn of brutal workouts, although Mark admits to overdoing it at times. We don't learn about intense spirituality, tho Brant credits his transformation from an East Coast, clueless guy into a spiritual leader with a few more-than-significant experiences. Instead, we read a lot in this book about moderation. Go easy. Take it easy. Appreciate life. Be well.

And, yes, there are the steps that go along with this. And if you don't believe in steps, well, you're sunk, because Steven Covey (a step-guy himself regarding highly effective people, for those of you who don't know his work) has written the intro and endorsed their 9 steps. In fact, Covey writes that this book complements his, and so I suppose in sum we actually have 17 steps (if we include Covey's 7).

Executives who have read this book found it hard to get past the shamanistic teachings or leanings, and were looking for more fitness advice. People looking for transformative insights around athletics and how a man achieved a 6-time success rate in Iron Man don't get any great insights or tricks (he credits focusing on being peaceful and present). In essence, workout, if you can, and while working out, chill.

"Greater power than me - power that created the earth and life itself -
please give me the strength to get through this - hard and fearful
workout/race/tough thing I am facing- because the pain will eventually end and I must face my fear."

This statement pretty much sums up the first half of the book.

The nutrition chapter, despite its drift into the symbolism of food and the occasional incantation, is simple and elegant. This chapter on nutrition is one area of the book where the simplification method that the authors employ actually works. I would pull this chapter and recommend it to any client, new to athletics or otherwise divvying up their energy with better nutritional awareness.

The problem is that the nutrition chapter is located way back in the book, and I am not sure how many readers stick with the entire book to get there.

I assume these two men use the book as a foundation for their public appearances, and that their presence, in essence, sells the message. For me and for the readers who've attempted to read the book, it's a quick "glimpse, peruse and file," and I've actually seen a snicker's bar wrapper atop a copy on an exec's shelf.

Mark Allen seems like he was a pretty fast guy, in any case, so we should probably listen to him. Brant, well, he seems wise and humble, and a good resource for Mark.

Here's the thing, tho. Mark found Brant while he was on a losing streak and seeking something, some inspiration, to take him forward. (Brant admits he has become more fit while working with Mark, although notes often through the book that connection through walking, being and living on the earth in a connected way brings inherent fitness). The point is...Mark was seeking, and he found Brant.

I wasn't seeking in the same way, and so the book itself is a harder well. For those in some kind of spiritual triathlon/athletic crisis, and I would say this does NOT describe most of the people I coach whatsoever, this book may be a better fit.

The book is full of symbolism and metaphors, with some actual evidence that chilling out and getting in touch with your motivation and external world leads to better performance or better health. But they language is just not compelling enough for the general reader, who may perhaps be seeking something more generic or more factual.

The empty candy bar wrapper in the exec office atop their book added one more metaphor for me:

People regularly find meaning in chocolate.

Gritty Training Log - July Schedule

To see this training log in larger detail, just click on the image. Please do not attempt to replicate these workouts; these are customized for me. They give you some idea of the build up for an IM. If you're interested in a similar event, please consider hiring a coach with certification to train you properly. As always, seek the assessment of a physician before engaging in any vigorous physical activity.

Gritty Training Log - Big Foot Race, Lake Geneva, WI

Well, who can complain at ALL about a Sprint distance triathlon? Unless you choke in the lake, get a flat, or stub your toe, it's over in just over an hour and you might even get near the top of your age group ranking!

All of which happened, and with about 2 months to go before the IronMan, a good boost.

Keep racing, race a lot, and every so often, you'll enjoy it. The point is to race.

Peace.