Prova: scarpe salomon XA Series
Il fiato grosso e la sua coltivazione
by Mauro Mongarli
– Mike–
– Jim?–
– Guess what? –
– You found a golden saddle in Kona's transition area – – Better! Got a sponsor –
– YOU?!?!? –
– Yeah, me… What's wrong?-
– Oh, nothing. I just figured out potential sponsors looked at the results starting from the top. You're proving that I was wrong…– –It's my girlfriend's boss. He needs visibility in a sporty environment, a healthy one, let's say pure, because he's investing a lot in personnel development… Imagine: he asked me to talk to the team he's forming in his staff!– –That's good! Everyone will think they're good at triathlon!!! Will you have a budget? – –Of course! For my expenses, and to travel where his biz have interests and do races there...– –Cool! Where are you going?–
– The first place is in Nevada, in the desert…– – Oh, I see. So, you're racing in the desert, like the Badwater?– – Yes, but I'll be alone…–
– Sorry?–
– It's easy: he couldn't stand a second place from us, so I have to organize events where me or my teammates are alone, stuff extreme enough to attract attention and where his logo is the only visible – –Got it. What this man biz?–
– Sand. He sell sand to builders–
–So, always in deserts... Where's the water?– –Ah-ha! Here's the genius! He thought: lots of people are attracted by extreme events in deserts, North or South Pole, forest or everything that's nasty. Maybe these people don't have enough problems, or they're genuinely attracted by difficulties, but what do they do? They go down, carrying with them stuff enough to live like in a Sheraton, and pretend they're Lawrence of Arabia, or Scott & Amundsen. This is PAST!
A triathlete going to the desert, moving and interpreting sand to find water enough to put up a swim leg, is far more beyond all the Marathon des Sables you can imagine! It's like the Golden Rush! It's anticipating what we all will do quite soon if we don't stop to impoverish our planet! It's business for my girlfriend's boss! It's sand in prime time on CNN every night!–
–Ok. You won. I'll let you draft next race–
–Thanks, Jim!–
IronDreams
by Mauro Mongarli
Ironman races have some hidden laws everyone should respect. One I think is very important is: You'll Try To Make Your Family Happy With An Ironman Race.
How can we spot competitors respecting this fundamental law? Let's start from the end, the awards ceremony: here you can spot them as the guys moving slowly, proudly wearing a finisher t-shirt but running behind their little kids. "No way I'm going to take care of YOUR little earthquake even on Monday, my dearest irondarling..." "Of course, ironwife: I don't want to loose the occasion to show carefully the baby what kind of smile its dad can have!"
This show how ironpeople are an extended family. S.O., kids, but there's always some particular relatives or friends that share something is often unsaid. That gives our motivation the final polish. That give a 360° sense to all that sweat. That makes us happy so deeply when under that bloody finish line, and that extend that arch in a dimension of mind and soul.
This is the part of the ironthing one can share most, even if it's absolutely personal, unique. It's known, too, but when the iron season is at its beginning I feel it deeply, when I read of IMNZ, or IMOZ... It's something I can smell. It's something I'd like the world would share but then I think: hey Mauro, that face can be read in TT but also in your face, so don't worry.
To think about it is enough to suggest me IronDreams, at night ;)
Friends
by Mauro Mongarli
Please, please, please consider your feet as your best tri friends. TV won't make any Emmy awarded tv series about them, but they are.
Who's in charge of a perfect, energy–saving kick while swimming? Who's compressed for miles and miles on a rigid sole in every weather condition? Who's forced to carry tons every running step you take?
If you're investing just a little in tris, feet are demanding a lot in economic terms: good cycling and running shoes are usually expensive. So why not to care more about their contents?
Talking about a part of our body including more than 1/4 of our bones, muscles and tendons among the most specific and complex but... not giving precise sensations when stiff and sore, very often.
To learn to massage your feet it's easy. Different is to learn to do it everyday. Use a tennis ball, your hands, some wooden specific objects to ease their stiffness – it's there even if you don't feel it! Consider the idea of orthotics to improve health and performance, not just to fix something.
Learn the basis of Asian plantar reflexogy: your health and you knowledge of yourself will thank you.
Your feet makes you remember your body share your life and triathlon: they patiently sustain all you do when not in bed: silly or wise, they don't ask you anything.
If they could speak, they would say a lot of you, so no matter the miles you swim, bike and run, give them specific relaxing cream, the kind used by the mountain men. Triathlon will be easier. Guarantee!
(Mauro has been introduced to the importance of his feet by a running friend, amputee under her right knee. Respect and love to her and to all those able togo over the limits of the mind!)
The Scheduling Gasp
by Mauro Mongarli
No, I'm not going to talk about the difference between a year round tri schedule and a "I train according the day" approach.
Won't do it because they could lead to the same gasping, that can be called "am I doing the right thing?"
But "am I doing the right thing" is just the first part of the rant: The question is usually more complex.
It goes often: "am I doing the right thing to develop my skills?"
"am I doing the right thing to pick the best from my natural abilities?"
"am I doing the right thing to reach my goal?"
"am I doing the right thing to win?"
"am I doing the right thing for my health?"
But almost never it goes: "am I doing the right thing for me?"
Put this question first, and every schedule will sing about its ability to fit you. In sport putting together workouts is fundamental, but for many people is a waste of time, for others it's the key of everything, for others it's another organizer to fill... For triathletes, can be a nightmare. In fact, lots of us do not consider everyday life as part of training. Do we consider ourselves a sort of dr. Normal and mr. Iron type?
Put like this it's easy to say no, but let's just consider how the word "rest" can often scare us.
Transition Times is one of the best resource for training tips, advice, tri-wisdom. Very often rest has the treatment it deserves, but IMO too much people still do not consider wise the famous motto: "better be 20% undertrained than 1% overtrained".
Coaching beginners it's easy to see enthusiasm overtake everything else. Then, when you realize what you can do, the rush to obtain it can make you blind. In the end, if you're lucky, you shared something of you in the sport. You put a deep part of you in circle. If you just listened to hormons and good endorphines, sport can reveal its dry side, leaving you with little self accomplishment inside: all you did is in that pic album and in your collections of medals.
So, when approaching your log and the doubts it carries with it, swallow tha gasp and ask yourself:
"am I doing the right thing for me?"
Are you a true tri fan?
by Mauro Mongarli
Are you following your SO during those tough weekends, taking pictures, giving time splits, keeping an eye to the wetsuit, insulting marshals and when your champ pass it's ok if he/she doesn't realize you're there? Well, it's not enough.
Here's few tips to be the Best Tri Fan In the World.
– Pretend you didn't sleep at all the night before the race. This will distract your SO to the sleep he/she could have missed (or will make him/her feel more guilty - that's good for performance!);
– do you have kids? If the race is an Ironman, offer to keep them the last three days before the race. Your champ will be glad, and will be absolutely aware of what you lived for the last three months, once he/she'll be forced to keep them the day after the race AND during the awards ceremony;
– do you think that when you're cheering him it could happen that he's too tired/concentrate to spot your effort? Well, his name is Paul? Hold high something with written "Go Brian!" on. Paul will see you;
– if unluckily he/she DNF, don't go "oooh, poor baby". Just tell: "I saw you under the changing tent. I'm calling my lawyer" with a bad, bad face. All the suffering for his/her failure will disappear in a moment.
But: If your SO is one of the enlightened person who doesn't make you suffer during training months, going with you to movies and good restaurants, well, remember this couple of things to make him/her happy when passing near you:
– make yourself visible in distance. If the one racing is the one who spot the fan first, the meeting will be good, but maybe too fast. If you (supporter) can be spotted from far (you choose how) the athlete will have time to collect strenght to build up a decent meeting;
– if this doesn't happen, and it seems the athlete don't nag at you, don't get angry, or upset. That athlete is taking the cheering where it's needed, deep inside. So, don't stop cheering – it will never get wasted!
Relax, just do it (when you wanna go)
by Mauro Mongarli
Triathlon is young, but there are already some traditions that athletes racing since the 80's can recall and say:"oh, it's no more like ten years ago..." with a sight. I'm not talking about crazy training habits of the beginning, or about the higher-number-of-charming-athlete-in-TA-when-I-begun. I'm talking about those tricks that made triathlon easier, more relaxed, and now seem to be disappeared to make room to faster and faster times, not looking for no other rewards but personal bests in the different legs of the event.
Here in Italy, to say one, in many beach races we find sand - it's normal. When I begun, almost everyone, in their own part of TA, had something wide filled with water, or a wet towel, or just spent few seconds to spit part of the water they drank to their feet, for a wise cleaning to prevent blisters or worse.
Now: all heroes!
Soo fast across TA, so fast during the bike leg, soooooo suffering while running, loosing much more than few seconds tha could have been spent wisely during T1.
Are we really aiming just to final results? Are we all pros, all of a sudden? We're supposed to do it for fun, aren't we?
If you have other little traditions you don't want to see faded away, just write to TT.
It's time for triathlon to have a future, so let's not forget those good things from the past (sounds strangely politics, but it's something I ask you to do in yourself!!!)
Think smart
by Mauro Mongarli
The athlete who raced the last Ironman USA with a banana seat on his junk yard bike and raced the whole day with some old cut off jeans tell us a lot. What? Lot of stuff like:
– it's the engine that counts!
– it can be not so expensive
– jeans will never be out of fashion
– I must be more regular in training, next year and so on.
These are good thoughts, indeed, but have something that make them almost useless: they're not precise, they're not tailored to us. Starting from these "intentions" and keep on thinking considering our truly personal needs can give dramatic results.
Let's take heart rate monitors (HRM):
– they can tell you if you're tired
– they can give you info about your shape – they can tell you if you're doing well
Ok, but do you think this is a good approach to take the best from a HRM? Don't you think it's a little similar to: well, my fav triathlete run in XY shoes: they should be good even for me?
So, the money we invest in HRM are all worthy? Part of the budget could go in making Conconi test two-three times per year, to determine your Anaerobic Threshold (AT). No bells and whistles on your wrist, but a good schedule tailored on your heart. You live in the mountains, know yourself deeply and prefer to have an altimeter on your HRM? Another good, pondered choice, another kind of HRM.
This kind of thinking is not a stranger for many of us but I think we don't use it at 360°. It can be lacking about the sport we handle best and take a little for granted, or where appearence and convenience rule more than efficiency and smartness.
Now: do you want to realize this when someone on a junk yard bike will finish an Ironman in a better time than yours, despite your 4,500 dollars bike-monster?
Start from little things. You'll take more fun from all of it!
Turns
by Mauro Mongarli
- Well, I don't think you're good for it- - Why?-
- You work as a clerk. An ironman race is an open air event- - -So what? It's a nice dream to try to make come true- - Indeed. But what about a chess course? You're such a clever guy...- - Mum, I'm 49 years old. If I'm still alive, I guess I can understand what's good for me!- - Mmh. It's twenty years I'm not sure what you're doing of your so-called life- - Mom, I got married twenty years ago! You simply don't have me under your eyes all day long!- - When you were a kid, your health was always bad- - Could be. You only let me out three days per week. I concentrated all my energy in those three days. For the other four I was ill. It's the same now, but with more balance: I work four days, and spend three days training, but my wife don't tell me anything: she respect the balance I earned- - It was a whole day out, son! You forced me to look after you every moment, in the whole town: I'm ready for an ironman!- - No, because you weren't having fun. I was, and it was not against you, mom- - Well, I had this impression-
- Go on! Kids just want to stay out and run!- - Kids. You're a 49 yo clerk, now. And want to do an ironman, a whole day out- - And you know what? There will be someone controlling me, like you did, dressed in black and white... Would you to come like this to see my race?- - Do they pay me?-
- Don't know. But you'll have hundreds of people to care...- - Mmh-
- Mom, I'm not asking your permission. I just want to share this with you...- - - Will you take with you my chicken soup?- - I'll put it in my special need bag-
- You're going to use a "special need bag"!?!?? What's special in swimming, riding and running like a stupid for a whole day?- - Sharing the breath of the woods, enjoying the sun together, laughing out loud at life and its beauty-
- You little bastard. This is...-
- ... the poetry I wrote for Mom's day. Remember when?- - How could I forget it? When you came out from coma, forty years ago- - It's your turn, ma'-
Bib 14
by Mauro Mongarli
Well, me and my wife are planning to have our first kid, for next year.
She often tell me:
- Mauro, I agree with you. Our kids will make some sport, for their health and mind, but please let's make them choose which one. Don't push triathlon!-
I agree with her, sincerely.
I've also hidden the mini-Syntace aerobars I built from my old ones I broke falling down during my last Ironman Austria.
But last night, something changed.
We visited a couple of friends, both triathletes, with a three years old son.
After an excellent dinner, the kid asked me my last race's bib number. -Sorry dear, I don't remember it! - I answered.
- Do you want to see mine? -He asked. I didn't have the time to say "sure!" and he was already wearing a belt with a big "14" appended (he drawn it personally). His parents put their hands on their face, whispering "oh, no..."
The kid had happiness on his face while carrying his tiny trycicle in the room, screaming: "T1 ready!"
Then he headed to the couch, jumped on it and started to swim, with his eyes well closed.
With the fastest transition I've ever seen he was on his bike, adding laps to laps around the table. We so-called grownups were screaming and supporting like crazy...
When he got tired, he left the bike, turn his precious # 14 on the front, and started to run around the table. Her mom was giving him a tiny sport bottle, and he pretended to drink and to pour water on his head!
His dad had to stop him, or he would be still running.
My friends were worried, the first time the kid put up his own private race, but then realized that there were no pressure from them: he was just repeating what mom and pa used to do to have fun and enjoy life.
My wife, she's worried now.
She was supporting the boy louder than the others, and she was the only no-triathlete of the bunch.
She's silent about it, but I guess she think now that if triathlon is seen as a play (things that I do), there will be no problem, with our kids to come.
From my side, no problem. The mini-aerobars are ready...
Did Not Start, and happy!
by Mauro Mongarli
As athletes we have lots of rights, but also some duties, like to pay for an entry, or fairplay. We also have a responsability: we owe respect to ourselves when it can be tough to have it. I'm not talking about when we're down, we miss our goal, we loose. I'm talking about when sport pleasure is near, it calls us with its best voices, and we tend to forget LOTS of things.
There's a moment in my sport year when I feel like a star: it's when I run the VeniceMarathon as a pacer. It's the occasion for me to give back all the support I had during the season, to help other athletes, to share my experience and see immediately a result from it: tons of warm hugs at the finish line, people that will tie you to the memory of the first marathon they finished.
Cutting it short, I felt ill the Wednesday before the race. Damn! Unluckily, I had just some coughing, very little temperature... I could start, surely not finish, but to become a kind of hero, the one who gave it all, a Phidippide...
Sound silly? It is. But I realized that after remembering I was part of a team (according to Amby Burfoot, Runner's World editor and Father of All Amateur Marathon Pacers: the best pacers in Europe!). I felt bad thinking that the two wonderful girls of my 4 hours bunch relied on my being an Ironman. What in looking at the wonderful t-shirt with PACER - 4:00 written on? Would feel like stolen. My glory during the race, talking to the other runners? Faultry, until pretending some problems and retire to avoid bad things to my throat and my lungs. Something harder than a DNS, to swallow, for one always crying looking at the opening ceremony of every Olympic Games...
So I had no rest until I found a substitute, a friend of mine, and until I didn't spot him with the other two 4:00 pacers near the finish line. In that moment, I felt good like every finisher, there, near S.Mark Square in Venice, Italy, under a beautiful Fall sun.
In my opinion, this kind of respect each athlete should owe to him/herself is the base for every single moment of joy sports can give. And if this joy can be reached even with a DNS, a Did Not Start...