Monthly Archives: August 2012

Athlete-Mom Interview: Ginny Sellars

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I met Ginny, and her husband Andrew a few years ago when we stayed together at the Xterra Mountain Championship. I enjoyed their company right away and every time we have run into each other since. They truly embrace the athletic lifestyle with tons of passion and infectious positivity as a family with their now six-year-old daughter Maddi. Home base for this family is in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in Vernon, British Columbia. Ginny has competed in many triathlons including Ironmans, bike races, and ultrarunning. Her next event is Ironman Wisconsin coming up on September 9th. Read on to hear more about how for Ginny family life, work, training and racing can all fit together synergistically, keeping everyone happy and fit! Ginny also has a blog where you can read about her adventures here.

Ginny with husband, Andrew and six year old daughter Maddi

1. Can you describe your athletic/competitive background before and after becoming a mom?

My involvement in sport has truly not changed pre and post bringing a child into this world. If anything, I’ve branched out a little more, and beyond Ironman, have taken a stab at bike racing and ultra-running. This is massively due to my husband’s encouragement. We had not planned to have a child. I felt somewhat fragile with my mood, and was terrified that I would fall in my mother’s footsteps, and experience post-partum depression. Given my work as a Speech-Language Pathologist, I’m highly aware of how that can affect the emotional development of a child. When I got pregnant, my husband immediately booked us for a bike tour through the Rocky Mountains, which would happen 6 months after she was born. He also signed me up for an Ironman 7.5 months after her birth. I fumed at him, thinking he had no idea what having a baby would entail. He knew me better than I knew myself, and it kept me active during the pregnancy, and the future events gave me the excitement and regime of exercise to balance my mood. As it turns out, the IM race when my baby was 7.5 months old was a PB. I completed it in 10hr29, and it gave me confidence that as a family we could do great things.

Ginny getting in some IM training

2. Since you and your husband both work, train/compete and coach how do you balance your family, work, and training/racing?

The way that we fit in exercise and training is constantly changing as our little girl grows up and work demands change. In general, we find a mix of being active together, and finding time to ourselves. In the early days, it was a matter of getting everything set up, so that the minute the baby was asleep I could jump on the trainer and spin. Our baby got used to feeding from a sweaty Mama. I would walk or run pushing the baby stroller. As she got older, I found a great daycare, and had to get over the baseless guilt of sneaking in a workout after work before picking her up. She’s now in school, which gives time for training. She’s finally strong enough on the paddle board that I can swim in the lake without a babysitter, and she can keep up on the her bike for my short jogs. My husband has also been very flexible, and we find ways to include our daughter instead of doing it all while she’s absent. It’s not uncommon for one of us to set off for a workout in the park, while the other one brings a picnic and hikes with our daughter to a meeting spot. Most of the time it requires tag-teaming though, and it’s easier when both parents are seeking training time, so it’s more balanced in the marriage.

3. What does Maddi think of her athletic mom?

Until this year, I don’t think it ever crossed her mind. Our active life is all she has known. Just this year she has made some comments about being excited for me at an event, or sometimes being scared for me when she knows I’m nervous. At times when I’m injured, she has written me cards “I hope you get better soon Mama. I’m proud of you.” She has her own first triathlon this coming weekend, and it will be such a pleasure to watch her experiencing the joy of participating herself.

Maddi catching the triathlon bug?

4. What have been/are your 2012 training/competition goals?

After an exceptionally busy year in 2011, with a 7 day bike stage race in Europe, some local bike racing, and two Ironman events, I was ready for a year with fewer planned events. I decided to go with the flow, and join in events as they emerged. This year began with an ultra-run in Mallorca Spain. I ran 64km over stunning mountainous terrain. My initial goal was completion of something new and exciting. I got the competitive bug out there, and ran myself into second place in the women.  I then got the Ironman bug again, and registered for Ironman Wisconsin that will take place in two weeks. To get my feet wet, I did two 1/2 Iron events this summer. The first one was done on very little training, and my only goal was to be in the moment and enjoy it. The second had the same goal, but I had an additional 5 weeks of training. I ran myself into 3rd place woman, and loved every minute of it. I’m now 10 days out from Ironman, and recovering from an injury. At this point my goal is completion, soaking up the joys of the event, and making good decisions along the way to bow out if I’m getting hurt. I will then cheer on my husband in his race.

5. Any advice you have for other mom’s trying to balance it all, while following a consistent training program every week?

I had a motto after my daughter was born…”any exercise is good exercise. 20 minutes is worth it.” After doing longer distances, I had gotten into the mindset that it wasn’t really worth training for less than an hour. This is virtually impossible with children at times, so I realized that a hard 20 minute run gets you strong. I also tried to just move where ever I was. At the playground I would pull myself up on the bars, or do split squats, or play a hard game of chase. Being flexible with your thinking around how and when you will exercise is critical. Sometimes consistency is important too, such as team sessions, so you’ll need a support system organized. I did some ‘trading’ of babysitting to alternate swim mornings with a friend. I’ve certainly had a few 5am mornings on the trainer just to squeak it in. I think the biggest hurdle for me was getting over the guilt that exercise was selfishly taking time from my daughter. Someone shared with me the wisdom that allowing your child to spend time with others, learn from others, and feel confident without you is a gift to them. The demands of parenthood are constantly changing, and sleep and social time are as important as exercise. Hopefully a balance can be found.

An Ironmindset?

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In Western Canada it is Ironman week!! Many of many training buddies with CSR and elsewhere are headed to Penticton this week to race in Ironman Canada next Sunday, August 26th. I wish I could go watch with so many people to cheer for! But you know what they say, if I was to go I would likely catch the Ironman bug and get in line to sign up for next year, but I don’t think I’m quite ready for that yet, ha! However, a few weeks ago, I facilitated a fun discussion on mental preparation for an Ironman for my training group. So for everyone who was there (and those who missed it) this blog is a reminder for you!

1. State your dream performance goal. Given your current fitness, the training you’ve done, your motivation, and current capabilities, if everything comes together what is most realistic race day performance goal for you? Is your goal simply to finish? To enjoy your race day? To set a personal best time in one or all three disciplines? To finish at the top end of your age group? To qualify for Kona? Once you’ve got your performance goal(s) clear, file it/them away and focus on the next three points as race day nears.

2. Focus on your reasons to stay confident! For some reason, especially when taper time begins, extra energy starts to mount and some feel compelled to start doubting. With the normal amount of added anxiousness it is not the time to make last minute changes such as to equipment or nutrition. Enjoy the countdown and extra time to put your feet up! Trust in what you know works for you, and in what you’ve already tried and tested especially in the nutrition and equipment departments. The physical training is in the bank, race day will be a celebration of all your hard work! Reflect on your preparation and reasons to be confident without comparing yourself to others. What improvements have you made? What training limitations have you pushed? Reflect on all the hard work you’ve put in to be ready for the day with the time and commitment you’ve had to do so? What have others said about you that encourages you? What specific things have you done to be race ready? Who or what inspires you to do an Ironman?

3. Be ready for anything and everything! In a race as long as an Ironman there are going to be uncomfortable and painful moments. It is important to anticipate as well as you can what will be YOUR biggest challenges of the day and prepare for how you will respond and ultimately stay positive. Things may go way better than expected. Or way worse than expected or anywhere in between. Visualize how you will react and respond with calm to any number or scenarios that could happen….losing your goggles in the swim, getting knocked in the head in the water, a flat tire, cramps, walking on the run, blisters, equipment malfunction such as heart rate monitor….the more you can mentally prepare for any race day scenario, the less it will take you by surprise, and the more you will be able to remain calm, respond positively and keep your energy focused on getting the best out of yourself for the race! What will be your overall guiding mantra for the day (or each race segment if you prefer to have an overall mantra for swim, bike and run)? Some examples I’ve heard are “just keep smiling”, “one step at a time”, “stay in the moment”, “the more I run, the sooner I’ll be done”, “keep calm and carry on”, “this too will pass” (if going through a tough part of the race), “whatever will be will be”  to name a few!

4. Write your post-race obituary. How do you want to feel when you cross that finish line at the end of the day? What do you want to be able to say about yourself? Make a list of all the things you want to be able to say about yourself at the end of the day no matter what your end result is! In other words, focus on everything that you will have control over: your effort, your attitude, your perseverance, your composure, your grit!! You are choosing to get on the start line! You can choose the mindset with which you want to race!

Good luck to everyone I know toeing the line on Sunday! I’ll be cheering and tracking you all!!

Me, myself and I riding for Africabike

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After one of my biggest weeks of training in a long time, with my mother in law in town for a visit, we headed to Canmore for the day on Saturday. It was a perfect day to spend in the mountains, but slightly on the hot side to be starting a mountain bike race at 1:00pm! It was an Alberta Cup race, as well as a fund raiser for the Africa Bike Project whose goal is:

“…to change the lives of the students and staff at Kipgrengwe Primary School in Kericho, Kenya.  Providing these students with bicycles will mean shorter days, which will directly increase productivity, increase safety and decrease drop-out rates.”

It is a great cause and with just one week to ask around for a few donations, I was overwhelmed with the generosity of pledges! Thank you all – and you know who you are!!! With your help I was able to contribute 510$ in pledges!

On the other hand it was disappointing to see so few riders on the start line. I think I heard there were only 37 racers total! A huge bummer of a turn out! I lined up as the only elite female with one other expert female, and four guys, three of whom were racing elite. With Crazy Larry announcing and keeping it loud and exciting, the six of us headed off into the 30 degree heat straight uphill.

A great day for a race! Where are all the riders??

It was fun, but I was also happy to cross the Finish! Wish more were out to do so!

Right away I knew my legs were feeling pretty punched and there was no chance to stay with any of the guys. So I just found my own rhythm and decided to put in whatever felt like a hard effort for the day, and to enjoy the trails. And what a fun course it was! I got to ride some of my favorite single track including FYI, EKG, and Baby Beluga along with some new trails I hadn’t ridden yet – so fun! And luckily most of it was in the shade. As I was all by myself the whole time it was hard to remember I was in a race! Luckily the orange taping, arrows, and volunteers at various locations were some good reminders 🙂

Post-race smiles after water hose down!

I raced two laps in 1h33, and two bottles, and two gels later I still came across the line thirsty! Whew, no snap in the legs but still had fun and it was motivating to be riding for such a good cause!

The view from a much-anticipated dip in the Bow River before heading back home!

A Dreamy Long Weekend, Enduro Style!

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They are rare, but a few times per race season I get to enjoy some lower key, casual races, and that is precisely what this beautiful August long weekend was all about. A time to have as much fun as possible with family and friends, while throwing in some “fun” racing. A great chance to get the kind of quality intensity training in that would be impossible to do on my own while also avoiding going too deep into the pain cave that is needed for the more important “A” type races!

Saturday and Sunday in Canmore was the second annual Xterra Enduro. Here is how it unfolded…

Event 1: 3000m swim at Quarry Lake (47:50, 10th overall). With a 10:00am start time, it was tough getting my family organized in time to leave Calgary but we arrived with about 20 minutes to spare until the start time. Quarry lake was the perfect temperature to swim with a wetsuit. It is so clear and gorgeous you feel like you could just drink it up while swimming. We did 6 x 500m laps, with a short beach run each lap. I missed a small pack ahead of me, and the first lap probably felt the toughest as I didn’t get time for a warm-up, but settled in and one of the guys I was swimming with said we picked it up each lap so that was cool! Check out the incredible conditions that made for a very enjoyable swim!

Event 2: 40km mountain bike at the Canmore Nordic Centre (2:43:46, 4th overall). After some time for a lakeside picnic it was time to head up to the Nordic Centre for a 2pm start for the 40km mountain bike race and it was hot!! I went through 3 bottles and three gels and was definitely feeling thirsty most of the race, but actually felt a bit stronger and more technically on by the 3rd and 4th final lap. On pretty much the identical course to last year I was 6 minutes faster so that was encouraging. This demanding course involves pretty much all the climbing at the Nordic Centre but of course it is mixed with fun descents like laundry chutes, the Albertan and the coal chutes.

Start line for the 40km mountain bike race

Heading off and up and up and up to start!

After the bike race, it was off to Kyle, Carrie, Fin and Will’s house for an awesome BBQ. Zoe and Nico had a blast chilling in the backyard and you can see why!

Event 3: 20km trail run at the Canmore Nordic Centre (1:50:30, 5th overall? still waiting for run results). Sunday morning, it was back to the Nordic centre with beat up arms and legs to line up and run 20km on the trails on the same course we rode the day before meaning major climbing and lots of rooty descending. After a wee bit of “yogging” around the stadium to warm up we were off. Like a delayed brick, the legs were feeling pretty heavy the first bit. I actually started to feel better on the second lap and got my downhill root running coordination working a little better! After one lap, the second woman was about 10 seconds behind me, so I decided to pick up the pace up the climbing to the laundry chutes. I didn’t see her again but had some good back and forth running with some of the guys out there. And I managed to take a good seven minutes off my time from last year, so another good sign of hopefully improved fitness, or maybe just a willingess to go a little harder in this challenging race, ha!

Post-run podium time with the kids

After some food, socializing, and awards, we ended our super fun Canmore weekend with an icy dip for the legs in the glacial Bow River while the kids did some rock throwing. J-F was icing his ankle which he sprained almost two weeks ago, it has been hard for him to be so laid up, but he finally got out for a ride again today! Thanks to him and the kids for their weekend race support – they had some fun trail walks while I was racing. Congrats to all everyone I know who did the race – it was tough! Coach Cal proves again why he is a great coach AND training partner for me – he is faster in all three disciplines – as he won the overall this year! And a big thanks to Tony Smith who always puts on fantastic events. Come on out to his next event, a road triathlon in Canmore on August 19th, for more info go to: www.smithevents.ca

Post-race pic with CSR training group

A Little on Perspective on Sport…

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Poise. Positive Perspective and Attitude. Centered. Sport-Life Balance. In my opinion athletes who demonstrate such attributes have my utmost respect. As the saying goes, sport can bring out the best and worst in all of us. In sport, like in life, “Circumstances do not make a man (or woman!), they reveal him (or her!).” (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer). In my experience and observations athletes at any level in sport can learn and develop a great sport-life perspective. My current Olympic favorite is Missy Franklin, who at 17 has already won gold in the 100m & 200m backstroke (a world record) and a bronze in the 4 x 100m freestyle in London and shows incredible composure, maturity and perspective on sport for her age.

On the other hand, for those who are still lacking poise and a positive perspective, here’s what I believe might be getting in the way…

1. You’re a sore loser. When you don’t win or perform to your (or perceived other’s) expectations, you’re good at coming up with lots of reasons and excuses as to why you didn’t perform as well as you believe you should have. Sometimes you even rattle off your excuses before the competition starts as insurance to protect your ego. Bottom line: It’s okay to admit that your best just wasn’t good enough to win or achieve your goal result that day! And that’s precisely what Clara Hughes said about her 5th place finish in the time trial event on Day 5 at the Olympics, “Yes I am disappointed…I have everything, it was not enough, but ultimately, they were better than me. That’s it.”

2. You’re even a sore winner! Even on the days you win, you’re quick to publicly proclaim all the reasons it wasn’t a good day for you, and all the things you could have still done better! While a true competitor is always looking for ways to improve, it may be best to keep such reflections to oneself on such days in respect for your competitors.

3. You believe effort guarantees results. You are sure that if you put X amount of dedication, time, energy, and resources in to achieving your athletic dreams, then you should deserve to get the results you want. Nothing is guaranteed in sport. Nor in life! Accept that fact and you can truly enjoy the journey and results! Furthermore, this type of thinking also translates in to the belief that the one who wants it the most should win. Consider this excerpt from a blog post by Maxime Boilard: (the entire blog is written in context of the the Canadian men’s 8 rowing team’s silver medal and can be found here in French)

“Many people think that the athlete who wants it the most on game day is the one who wins the Olympic medal, as if belief alone will make it happen. We need to change that way of thinking. An athlete has to be in touch with reality as well as the level of competition. The desire to win makes no difference at this level. Each athlete wants it every bit as bad as the next. The difference maker here is, to be able to free yourself from the self-imposed obstacles we have a habit of nurturing, for all kinds of reasons. Each athlete wants to have the race of a lifetime. For some, that translates into a gold medal. It becomes problematic when an athlete wants the gold medal, believing it will translate into the best race of their lives. The difference between the two cases is subtle. In the first case we end up valuing that which we control whereas in the second case we are valuing a result that we are not able to totally control.”

4. You truly buy in to the cliché: “I’m only as good as my last performance!” While competition results are by far one of the best indicators of how you stack up to the competition in your given sport, if you chose to base your self-esteem and confidence solely on how your latest performance went (in training or competition), then you’re in for a very rocky ride!

5. You put too much importance on your performance. People don’t care as much as you think. And you shouldn’t either! Even as we are in the middle of the Olympic Summer Games, during which the whole world is watching, even these performances will be fleeting memories for most of us as soon as a few months from now! This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care about preparing and giving it your best shot, it just means you keep it in perspective with the rest of life and your (hopefully many) identities outside of sport. And never take yourself too seriously! Fun and peak performance often go together! 🙂

6. The most obvious of all: you’d do anything to win, even if it means cheating.  Chris McCormack sums up the reason people cheat nicely in his book, “You can’t deal with the fact that you’re not good enough, or you can’t get past the fear that you’re not good enough, so you cheat instead of finding a solution. To me, that is a direct outgrowth of our sport’s (triathlon’s) obsession with results.” (p. 222)

So what defines a positive perspective on performance results. Again, I will quote some thoughts from Chris McCormack, arguably one of the most successful triathletes ever:

“I’ve said I love the entire process of being a triathlete and of breaking down races. That would be true even if I didn’t win the races, because I enjoy the process of becoming the best triathlete I can be – the best person I can be. I love the process of finding the secret to winning a particular race as much as the win itself.”

“Our sport should be about more than winning races. It should be about overcoming limitations, conquering fears, and inspiring other people.”

“If all that matters to you is the result, what kind of person does that make you?”

The above quotes come from Chris McCormack’s book, “I’m here to WIN: A World Champion’s Advice for Peak Performance.” Read it and learn about how this amazing athlete has developed and learned over his long career, and ultimately has the mind of a true competitor balanced with a great perspective on life!