Practise and Repetition

Last October I took part in the London Fields aquathlon; a swim of 400m and a 5k run. It was the first time I had ever swum or run in a competition. Yet completing it, under wonderful blue skies and the warm Autumn sunshine, was not a problem. Besides, for someone who had only ever been even remotely active in the stressful environment of a big news event, it was a pleasure.
This weekend’s race was a completely different experience – but one with much more value.
I always find it is relatively easy to commit to a project, train and and achieve a single goal. It is much harder repeat the endeavour with the aim of consolidating and improving an earlier effort.
I think this is true for many people.
Last Sunday I was back in East London, only this time in freezing cold temperatures under leaden skies, wondering whether I had done enough to repeat (let alone better) my earlier time. Adrenaline and the support of friends and family can do a great deal to keep you focused on a goal. In my first race I had raised money for the charity of which I am an Ambassador, the Victoria Foundation www.thevictoriafoundation.org.uk so everyone knew about it.
This time I told very few people and it felt lonely and cold when I turned up at 7.00am. If my wonderful coach, Beate Vogt www.tri50.co.uk had not been there, I am not completely sure I would have had the heart for it.
But I know from my work as a presentation coach and media trainer that it is pointless believing that one session in front of the camera will get you over the line. Any successful performance – on air, in a pool or on a track – is the result of practise and repetition.
So I knew in order to move forward toward my goal of running in a triathlon I needed to keep practising at a steady level. Beate had done a great job in getting me to believe I was capable of participating in these events but I had lost a little faith…..and it was very, very cold.
I started the swim fast. Too fast. As I turned into my third length, I started to hyperventilate and had to change from front crawl to breast stroke which lost some valuable time. I knew I was slower in the swim than last October as I climbed out of the pool and headed for the transition area.
I was much quicker in transition. That would not have been difficult. Last October – to the consternation of a race steward – I put my hairbrush with my track shoes! This time, I had talcum powder to dry my feet and my laces already opened on my trainers. I had aimed to put on my zip-up jacket but left it off to shave off a bit more time.
As I went into the run, I thought of the time I recorded the links for an entire news programme in Tokyo during temperatures of minus 4 having left equatorial Jakarta 17 hours earlier. On that occasion my cameraman wrapped his jacket around me from the waist down. I don’t think I felt any colder then than I did at London Fields.
As I thumped around the course I tried to keep on top of the technique Beate had taught me. I may have remembered some of it but mostly I focused on maintaining momentum. When I started the final lap, I could see Beate (who had completed her race) on the final strait. I had enough to make a small sprint to the finish.
Beate told me, “You swam slower but you ran faster.”
She was right.
I knew I had made a strategic error by starting too quickly in the pool. Frankly, I didn’t think I had run any faster but all that practise and repetition running along the towpath near my home in West London had made a difference – it was just hard for me to see.
When I got the results I saw I had shaved five minutes off my time.
I was really surprised. Now I have resuscitated my motivation. No dramatic answer, I just sustained my practise and repetition.
The 10k is next month.
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Nicol Road
Hi Linda,
I am Beate’s fellow partner in the Tri50 business – I just wished to congratulate you on your huge success yesterday morning in the Aquathlon – 5 minutes off, very Well Done – now you have the motivation and determination to carry on shaving a few minutes here and there on future events.
Thank you very much for writing such an entertaining and honest account of your Aquathlon yesterday, which Tri50 would love to share with our followers all around the world.
Keep up the fantastic work in the pool and on your runs and, remember every training session is a Credit in the Bank of Health!!
Regards
Jo
Hi Linda,
I am Beate’s fellow partner in the Tri50 business – I just wished to congratulate you on your huge success yesterday morning in the Aquathlon – 5 minutes off, very Well Done – now you have the motivation and determination to carry on shaving a few minutes here and there on future events.
Thank you very much for writing such an entertaining and honest account of your Aquathlon yesterday, which Tri50 would love to share with our followers all around the world.
Keep up the fantastic work in the pool and on your runs and, remember every training session is a Credit in the Bank of Health!!
Regards
Jo
Go girl …..
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