I hesitated to post this as it was just a sprint tri and almost everyone involved in Purple Patch is ridiculously far above my fitness and experience level. But I had an awesome race (for me) yesterday, and in many ways I have the PP mentality to thank - so I wanted to give it a public nod.

The Devil's Challenge Triathon sprint in Devil's Lake State Park (Wisconsin) is an easy swim but a relatively hilly bike/run. It was my first tri ever, last year. This year, I had several factors sideline my training / tank my baseline endurance (e.g. I'd DNS'ed my "A race" sprint 4 weeks prior as I was both injured AND ill). And I live with some chronic conditions that can make being an athlete a little more challenging anyway. But I really liked what I'd heard and seen within the PP philosophy, so I made changes to the limited training I could do, which included things I'd never done before:

• using intervals, especially for running to work on speed and safe buildup after injury
• adding weight/strength sessions
• building good hydration and fueling habits
• adjusting my mindset and priorities
• teaching my body good form, especially for swim and run

I'm heavily involved in dog sports and training and there's a common phrase: "train the dog in front of you". AKA: not the one in your head or your dreams. Figure out what the dog is actually capable of in its current mental state, in the current environment, right this second, and maximize that. I mentally adapted that as "train the body in front of you". AKA: the one I have at the start line, or any other given point on the course. Maximize what I can get from my body in the current conditions. And Sunday it was time to "race the body in front of you", supported by:

• good hydration/fueling (in 10+ years of races from 5k's to 13.1's to tri's, I've literally never eaten or drank during a race - and i usually don't even bring water on training bike rides)
• good form: if i couldn't maintain it, i would slow down
• smart pacing and use of gears on the hilly bike
• safe HR that didn't compromise my effort output

Results were as expected, of course. I had probably 30% of the training volume vs. last year. But until July 2019, my training plan had basically been "go as hard as you can for as long as you can" which was counterproductive to say the least. Here's how Devils Challenge 2019 shook out:

• Decent swim time (slightly slower due to choppy and crowded water, two things I'm not used to, but still under my goal time)
• 2:18 faster on the bike vs 2018 AND lower perceived effort, and about the same avg mph I get on my local trails (which have around 1/4 the elevation change of the race course)
• 3:16 faster 5k run vs 2018 - this is what i'm most proud of. It was also 25 seconds faster than my june sprint tri, (dead-flat run course off a 25% shorter, near-flat bike). The run is where I've routinely gotten injured, burned out, etc. And previously I considered walk breaks a sign of weakness to be avoided at all costs. This year I saw them as tools for making my running better. I took three - one was the aid station to grab water - and made the most of the downhills and flatter portions. I got my fastest 5k race time ever, alone or within a tri.

Overall: 1:46:17 for a total 5:06 faster than 2018, which is great. But what's even better is that I felt good mentally and physically throughout the whole thing. I maximized my body's capabilities, I had a plan, and I came out with a performance I was really proud of - one that validated the power of PP's well-rounded, strategic, mindful approach.

Next stop: my first non-sprint tri, Chattanooga 70.3 2020!