State Management & Managing Your States

No, this is not an essay on how to run a country.

By ‘states’, I am referring to ‘bodily states’. How your body feels and senses at any one time, can be described as your ‘state’. You may be familiar with the song ‘New York State of Mind’, and the term ‘mind over matter’. In cases of legality, one may have to prove ‘the state of mind’.

I learnt about ‘managing my states’ in 1995. I attended a workshop on ‘An Introduction to NLP’, and my mind became aware of what my five senses afforded me at that time. I learnt to play with the voices in my head, feelings, memories, imagination, and other sensations. Certainly, these were all private, internal, processes that I had no working manual to refer to. So, I wrote an operating-manual for it, which has since undergone multiple revisions and versions.

Two-and-half decades later, I am still raising my bar in my sporting aspirations. I began with competitive bodybuilding, and then shifted to racing in marathons and triathlons. Every year, I attempt to complete successfully at least one marathon (42.2km) and Ironman triathlon (3.8km swim, 180km cycling, 42.2km run). For each event, I have to be as well-prepared and mentally-conditioned to face the race-day, whatever the weather and terrain conditions would be.

For each of my fellow participant, their goals can be vary from completion to competition. My hopeful results are based on living and demonstrating the credo of the Olympic Games, namely, ‘Faster, Stronger and Higher’.

My 18-years of tacit experience and wisdom in racing in endurance, multi-sports, events has taught me to manage my physiological (bodily) states on several levels. These include:

1)   Manage my level and tolerance of pain (braving extreme cold and heat, cramps, injuries, painful stings, gut disorders)

2)   Manage my sensory level of discomfort (conditions of water, waves, currents, taste of the water I swim in, sweatiness, dirt, windiness, heat, cold, flies, and much more)

3)   Doing ‘damage control’, especially when my results start to slip away, as my fatigue level increases (deciding to stop and rest, feeding my body, and walking when I have to)

4)   Dealing with disappointments, especially when the results were expected/unexpected

5)   Dealing with distractions, confusion, uncertainty and changes to my plan (consider this: The race distance was modified for safety reasons; or cancelled due to extreme weather)

Managing my states is one of my motivations to racing. Sometimes, it hurts even more when you want something badly enough. In competitive racing, we call this ‘digging deep’. That is, we harness on our resources (limited) and our RESOURCELFULNESS (a useful value to tap on in times of crises). I am sue many entrepreneurs can relate strongly to the string of challenges that may be laid out in their quest for their business dreams. The successful ones keep rising incessantly when they fall. Even skillful cyclists still fall off their bicycles.

When I earned my qualification spots in the Boston Marathon, or the Ironman world championships, they were ‘painful joyfulness’. In managing my states to get there, I had to learn to stay focused, patient and calm (on the inside).

With the current global pandemic, millions of people are affected physically and psychologically by the stress(ors) of a personal viral threat: its impending infection, spread, fear, concern, anxiety, and other equally virulent impact from it (economic, financial, self-esteem, well-being). How can we strengthen our mental and physiological resolve (physical and emotional) to deal with it? How do we manage our responses and reactions to these stressors? What can we do to alter our attitude and behaviors, in managing ourselves and those we are entrusted with?

Only when we actively manage how we think and feel (internal factors) in the face of external factors, can we then sensibly and sensitively manage our people. We won’t be effective in leading others if we are ‘headless chickens’. Meanwhile, stay focused while re-building our teams, and encourage and embolden them for future discomforts and distractions.

Excesses & Excessiveness

Training for triathlons and endurance sports can be deemed excessive for those around us. Perspectives differ, as we choose to wear a diversity of lenses that focus and filter our images. We are constantly comparing both our internal pictures, with those on our outside. These comparisons are relative in strength, so preparing for a double-Ironman triathlon may be seen as more hardcore than a single, or an ultra-marathon is more intense than a standard (?) 42.195K run. Enough versus excessive: how do you assess that? Who determines the yardstick of enough and inadequate?

In anything that requires endurance (a long-term project, lifelong commitment, It can be excessive, however you look at it. If it exceeds the norm, then it can be interpreted as too much. The benchmarks for normalcy have shifted positions and gears, so we tend to be more adventurous in our life and lifestyle. Nearly everyone wants a chance to play ‘hero’ or ‘heroine’ for a day. The event may have passed, yet the memories remain as a strong part of us. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger?

The indulgences we allow ourselves to immerse in may affect those around us. Be mindful of how our actions impact on them. Learn to hold back, decelerate, refocus, and re-align ourselves to our real sense of purpose. When our indulgences become hard to control, and we do not know when to hold back, then it may have morphed into an addiction. Addictions are mostly beyond our control, and when we are out of control we are inviting insanity, recklessness, and inconsideration.

Aerobic activity, and that includes endurance sports, have been linked with serious health disorders. Some scientific evidence points towards the stresses it places on our heart. Other sources indicate premature aging. However, if something that you enjoy provides you more benefits than risks, would you continue doing it? John Cooke writes an amusing piece about the lifestyle of an E-Lite athlete.

Leadership Lessons: When you are time-crunched, how do you integrate your priorities? When does a priority cease to be your priority? How often do you stop to show appreciation to those who indulge in you, and allow you to indulge in your excessiveness? When do you know when to reduce the risks?

Ten Trends in Endurance Sports

Although biathlons, aquathlons (swim and run) and running races are relatively affordable, triathlons are not for the meek of pocket. The initial outlay that stresses one’s finances is, probably, due to the purchase of a good road-bike or triathlon bike. One can be creative with the use of sports supplements, sourcing inexpensive or homemade alternatives. Running and cycling shoes can be stretched beyond their recommended retail shelf-life. Race-fees have risen through the years due to the commercial viability of key events. The good news is that new event companies are promoting their versions of tougher and more exclusive races; terrains and use of existing infrastructure are configured into the course design.

1)    Seeking the counsel of physiotherapists, chiropractors and alternative medicine specialists to recover from sports-related injury.

2)    Strengthening the core muscles through additional sessions of yoga, core-stability work, and Pilates.

3)    Seeking the expertise of 1-on-1 coaches or attending group clinics for swimming, riding and running.

4)    Enlisting the help of online coaches to design personalized programs.

5)    Facebook-based, Q&A from seasoned athletes.

6)    Getting your bike fitted (to your body) by a professional.

7)    Sold-out, overseas races. The M-Dot series sell within hours certain key Ironman triathlons.

8)    Minimalist shoes and barefoot running are growing in popularity.

9)    Ultra-marathons, adventure races and days-long-trail running expeditions are attracting a wider audience.

10) The increasing number of new runners using compression-wear during training and at races.

With such major movements within the Endurance Movement, it is no wonder that confusion prevails with neophytes. Costs can escalate if we are misguided or uneducated about the reasons for such interventions. Peer pressure to participate can be an expensive proposition. Pace yourself to one race per month, so that your body recovers between races. It also allows you to tweak your pre-race training sessions. Pick your A-race poison!

Gone Fishing (Well, Sort Of)!

I missed a few posts late last week, as I was ‘Gone fishing’. Actually, I was racing in the Gold Cost Airport Marathon 2011. The aforementioned phrase is used when one actually went on a fishing vacation. However, today we use it to indicate that we are on vacation. This is similar to the online version of a website ‘Under Construction’, which is pretty much akin to preparing for your next endurance race.

Participating in endurance sports require patience and tenacity and, obviously, physical and mental endurance. To endure is to persist and continue, until the deed is done. The real test begins when you had a tough day in the office – you hit the wall, experienced fatigue, and your body fails on you – guano happens! Thus, resilience is about how high you bounce back after you had a fall. Move on!

Courtesy of Australia’s premier Running Couple, Sue & Andrew O’Brien share a link on an inspirational endurance athlete. I trust that it helps us open our eyes wider, or view a new perspective on our limitations and perceived limitations.

I was onboard the SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore last night, and watched a new film inspired by true events. ‘Soul Surfer’ is about the real-life story of a teenage surfer, Bethany Hamilton who had her left arm ripped off by a Great White shark while surfing. She survives to resume surfing, and eventually becomes a national-ranked surfer, champion, and professional surfer! This new film stars Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid as her onscreen parents; there is a scene where Bethany gains perspective by teaching a young girl to surf in the aftermath of the tsunami-stricken shores of Phuket in 2004. American Idol winner, Carrie Underwood co-stars as her Sunday-School teacher; she describes the notion of perspective in one effective scene.

Give this film a go! Surf’s up!

PASSIONATE ULTRA TRI-GUY (PART 1): Wayne Kurtz Interview

‘Wayne is a high-powered corporate achiever who has the rare ability to transfer his high-octave motivation to ultra triathlon. Come to think of it, to compete and complete an ultra, you need nothing less than the most powerful of motivation - the fire in the gut! Wayne's methodological race preparations, willingness to share, friendly disposition and humble nature make him an ideal ambassador of ultra triathlons.’ ~ KUA HARN WEI, SINGAPORE’S ONLY DECA-IRONMAN FINISHER

The notion of doing an Ironman triathlon astounds many. Co-founder of Ironman triathlons, John Collins explained: ‘Swim 2.4 miles, Cycle 112 miles, then run a full marathon – brag for life!’ Life’s biggest challenges are not for the foolish or the foolhardy, yet those who attempt and complete them emerge reassured and recognised for their achievements. Now, do the DECA and it positions you in the rarified stratosphere of insanity or unbridled adventurism.

A Deca-Ironman triathlon (DECA) is, essentially, an Ironman triathlon TIMES 10. That means, the participant of this race swims 38K first, then follows up with 1,800K of cycling, and caps it off with a 420K run. In the past, the format was to complete one Ironman triathlon a day for 10 days. Each race must be completed within 24 hours, failure to do so resulting in disqualification – a very painful situation to be in. The least, aggregate timing taken yields the eventual winner.

WAYNE KURTZ hails from Wexford, PA, USA. I first heard about him through Singapore’s only Deca-Ironman (DECA) finisher, Kua Harn Wei. I stumbled upon Wayne through his tweets, and that’s where I made the connection proper, with him, on Twitter.

An avid reader, Wayne’s favourite books focus more on positive thinking, relationships and leadership - traits necessary for his long endurance races, and its rich experiences and amazing but narrow field of athletes. Wayne is a leader in his field, and as an author his new book Beyond The Iron - A Training Guide to Ultra-Distance Triathlons will be launched this month. His passion being endurance racing, he competes and has completed specifically in ultra-distances including the Double, Triple, Quintuple and DECA.

Enrico Varella: Congratulations on your recent racing achievements! You did well on your DECA. Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed. You could not have been a formerly overweight, chain-smoking, workaholic. Tell us a bit about yourself before becoming a serious ultra-endurance athlete.

Wayne Kurtz: My passion for triathlons and endurance sports started in 1985 while in college. I was a swimmer by background and remember asking my mother when she came to visit me at college to drive out to a five-mile running course in the college town. I just decided to buy some New Balance running shoes (only ran with sports, not track or cross-country running) and that was the beginning. A few months later, I was home for a few days and was at the local golf course and saw an entry form for a Bud Light Triathlon in my hometown county park in Pittsburgh. So, after painting my grandmother’s house and doing some other odd jobs, I saved up enough money for my Centurion racing bike. I still recall the conversation with my parents where I said, 'Well now I have my bike, which is the major expense, and the majority of my costs are now gone.'

WK: Well, as we have seen over the last 25 years, new technology, time-trial bikes, mountain bikes, racing bikes, clip-less pedals, aero-bars, aero-wheels, wetsuits, so many pairs of running shoes, all the clothing for each season, etc. made my statement to my parents inaccurate to say the least! In my mind, however, spending the money, over the years, has been a worthwhile lifestyle investment — and triathlons have been my passion ever since. My parents, sister and my lovely bride, Jan has a few classic quotes about me, and among them are: ‘Wayne beats to his own drum.’ and, ‘Was Wayne dropped on his head when he was a baby?’ I hear this a lot now, especially with competing in Ultra-triathlons.

WK: Twenty-five years later and hundreds of endurance races in many different sports, traveling all over North America and Europe, and meeting lifelong friends has been an absolutely amazing experience. I still get nervous at the start of a marathon, ultra-running race, triathlon, snowshoe race, adventure race, cycling race, etc. — and that’s what keeps it so fresh and fun for me.

EV: What is your sporting background?

WK: I am a swimmer by background. 

EV: What got you started on endurance sports?

WK: Being competitive in sports for all my life, after college there was a void and I picked up the sport of triathlon.

EV: What was it like racing the DECA last year?

WK: This past year was the continuous version of the DECA (each year switches from a 1 Ironman per day format to the continuous). The 24-mile swim, 1120-mile bike, 262-mile was the format this past year. The weather was hot during the day for the bike and run which switched my strategy and I did most of my sleeping during the day to get out of the heat.  The race was significantly harder in my opinion than the one-per-day Ironman format last year.  

EV: Why the DECA format?

WK: This race is my favorite mainly because of the mental challenge to keep on going.   Mentally, there is nothing like it in any of my 100's of races of I competed in over the last 25 years.

EV: What do you enjoy most about racing?

WK: The competitive nature of the event and, of course, being able to use my greatest strength - which is my mental strength come race day. I train my mind daily just like my body in my normal training.

EV: How long do you take to prepare for an Ironman, and DECA?

WK: For an Ironman I can get myself ready to race it hard in about 8-10 weeks. The DECA is a longer buildup with a series of Double-Iron, 100-mile and 24-hour running races throughout the race season to get prepared for the race. It is months of training and racing.

EV: Phew! I am tired after hearing all that. What is your preparation for the DECA like?

WK: A normal week for me consists of around 20 hours. This includes swimming, biking, running, functional/strength training. I spend about another 15 hours per week with my mental training process. My key workouts (all highlighted in the training plans within Beyond The Iron) include weekly 10-12 hour all night workouts to get my body, mind and sleep deprivation - ready for the DECA.

 Photo-Credits: Wayne Kurtz, Endurance RacingReport.com

Patience Pays Off Eventually

It has been said that Patience is a virtue. Wait long enough, do enough, and you may enjoy the results of your persistent work. Consider those documentary filmmakers on the National Geographic channel – they are the epitome of patience. The best photojournalist wait weeks or months just to get another shot of the same subject or scenery. The colleagues of the irritating and testing medical genius in the Emmy-winning television series, House, M.D. exhibit extreme patience with his neurotic, medication-infused behaviors.

My friend, Hui Koon did a PB in his swim tonight. He shaved off a significant amount of time in the swimming pool, after months of dedicated swim sessions and master-classes. I am sure that he will do much better than his recently, admirable 1:10 in his wetsuit. With the certain, inherent buoyancy afforded by the neoprene, second skin this means that swimmers can swim more effectively from the trade-off.

I, too, have experienced the outcomes of my patience. After my unfortunate and untimely bike accident, I had to heal completely before Ironman New Zealand (IMNZ). I recovered recently from a series of over-distance related running injuries. I can now run unshod (almost-barefoot) for more than 10K consistently. My core stability has improved after weeks on the wobble-board and lying in the challenging Plank position. I completed the grueling hot and humid 84K night ultra-marathon after weeks of senseless, high-mileage plodding after my dismal IMNZ.

Starting a business requires patience before you experience results. Patience is a subset value of Endurance. It is also related to Loyalty. Loyal friends are patient in their relationships. Activate your patience on a daily basis. Continue improving so that you rise above your standards. Continue exploring so you remain contemporary.

Leaders and Storytelling

‘Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a…and they lived happily ever after!’ The end.

That opening statement and closing statement of a fairy-tale is the formula for a trance-like journey into the child’s imagination. The world of myth, fantasy or make-believe is critical to our human thinking and its faculties. To be creative, we need to imagine possibilities and make connections to what is with what could be.

The diversity of blogs featured on this site reflects on the relevance of their stories. Without stories, our lives would be different and, perhaps, hollow. Stories give us an opportunity to shift mental and emotional gears. When we hear a story, we respond to it in ways that are certainly not ingrained in routine, the mundane, and mental tunnel vision. Consider the popularity of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Even lunch-hour chatter can be healthy. Having lunch and tea are rituals; we have to eat and drink. Having your nutrition on the ride and run is crucial to your success in completing the endurance race or training session. Post-training session with runners, cyclists and swimmers include food, and stories about races and racing experiences. Everybody has a story to tell. Listen to them. It warrants your attention and may yield insights. It also melds minds with its subtle influence. Think of how you help convert novice runners into more serious, and even elite runners; short-distance triathletes into long-distance triathletes.

Build a library of war stories. As a coach, compile stories of what went well, and went things went wrong. Collect stories about the history of your company. Recognise the founders and the pioneers. Nike was built about the stories about Coach Bill Bowerman and Steve Prefontaine. Sir Richard Branson’s exploits with BA paved the way for Virgin Airlines.

If you are keen to explore corporate stories, you can read more about Anecdote.

These guys [L-R: Aristol, me, Mervyn, Reeves & Roger] have - between them - numerous war stories on being corporate leaders, and participants in international long-distance races. You are welcome to shoot the breeze with us and find out how to embark on YOUR JOURNEY!

Does Patience Pay?

Is patience really a virtue? Patience is taught in the fable of the tortoise and the hare. Does it pay to wait? How about pausing for a cause? Last Sunday, I watched twice-Ironman triathlon world champion Craig Alexander defend his title in the Aviva Singapore Ironman 70.3. He, gradually, narrowed his lead from a slower swim and bike, and eventually overtook the leaders in the half-marathon leg.

Sometimes, it can be useful not to take premature plunges into the opportunity pool. Your intuition can signal you, enough for you to take note. Fantasy genre author, Nicola describes her unnerving experience turning down two publishers.

Endurance races tests our patience. So does starting a new business. Having been in business for a decade, being patient can be a decadent act. Passive waiting is wasteful of one’s time; actively awaiting results and client’s decisions is different. If you were waiting for results of a medical test, you would have to wait. If you were waiting for your new bike to arrive, it can be time filled with anticipation and excitement. Those of us waiting for a surprise win at a slot for Kona in the Ironman lottery experience different emotions as the announcement of results draws near. After submitting your manuscript for approval from a potential publisher can be a harrowing experience if you are not prepared to receive useful feedback or disappointing news.

I am convinced that building a customised bicycle takes time. It takes just as much time to have that same bike properly fitted to your unique body structure and habits. Building a fit body to race actively and regularly requires patience to train correctly and recover fully.

Time will tell. However, idleness and fear can foretell a future that is fraught with fear. Pace yourself. Slow can be fast. Fast can be slow. Make haste. Have a sense of urgency, but never rush people through their decisions.

Business Lessons Learnt From Road Trips

The past week was a mini-adventure, of sorts, for me. My journey (as a rusty navigator) with my partner-driver, Melina took us from Auckland to Taupo, and back up. There is so much about leadership you can glean from working as a partnership/team when tensions can mount and tax your mind and body. I so appreciate the relevance of a GPS device, yet it may have reduced the moments of engaging and energetic arguments ('I am right - you are wrong!' and 'You are too slow!').

Knowledge Management expert, Keith De Larue wrote a very good piece on his 5,000-kilometre bike-ride in the 1980's. There are, interestingly, many parallels about riding and managing your own business. Although I do not ride a motorbike nor drive a car (in the legal sense), I can relate to the lessons that can be extracted from such endurance activities. Fitness is factored into long-distance drives or rides; not just in the 180km leg of the Ironman triathlon.

Is Generation Y the Sporty Generation?

I ran at the Nike Human Race on Saturday (24 October 2009); Singapore was the only Southeast Asian country to host this event amongst 23 others worldwide. There were about 7,877 participants (of the registered 10,000 for this sold-out event) who ran the 10km route. What was significant about the profile of the group was, there were many women and about 80 percent of the population was Generation Y. Both emcees were MTV hosts and fit the Gen Y profile and preferences.

Generation Y are those who are about 15-30 years old. So, is Generation Y a more sporty generation than Generation X and the Baby Boomer?

In this fast-paced, iPod-connected, rollerblading era I have observed that many sports events sell out fast. There is almost one sporting event every weekend. The combinations of multi-sport events are also getting creative. The recent Quadrathlon, organised by SAFRA was a triathlon that included a rollerblading leg. For those of us rollerblade-challenged athletes, that curbed our interest to participate.

Whether triathlons, marathons, cycling or road-runs the participation numbers and rates are increasing. This contrasts with community-level activities that are highly subsidized and deliberately integrates all social levels and age.

By the way, Generation Y included seasoned and elite runners who did the North Face 100, an ultra-marathon event that routed harsh and hilly terrain. Hey, those over-35-year-olds did very well, and survived a longer and hotter day! More mature athletes seem attracted by the longer formats, instead of the faster-paced, shorter format events. Due to an upcoming A-race, I ran the 10km as a tune-up and, gratefully, earned a personal record (PR) and an overall 97th placing. I can't help being a slow-twitch sort of runner.

So, who do you think is the more sporty generation: X or Y? Let us know your opinion and reason.