http://howieenduranceproject.com/craig-howie Ironman Athlete & Coach Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:09:04 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en   Have you ever associated two things that in reality have absolutely nothing to do with each other?  Maybe it's a certain saying you use that makes you feel more confident, or maybe it's gesture you use to make yourself feel better.  Ever knocked on wood?  When I was a kid ... http://howieenduranceproject.com/craig-howie/2008/08/13/triathletes-and-anchors.htm Before every race I sit down the night before and right down my goals for the next day.  I always start with the most important and work my way down.  I draw a little box by each goal and then after the race go back and put in a check ... http://howieenduranceproject.com/craig-howie/2008/07/15/ironman-switzerland-angels-and-demons.htm "Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing ... http://howieenduranceproject.com/craig-howie/2008/06/09/a-tribute-to-the-good-guys-in-our-sport.htm In your time as an endurance athlete, have you had an experience that is uniquely unusual, funny or unbelievable?  I have had a few of these stories myself over the years.  I have been wanting to put together a compilation of stories of these experiences for years now. Here's one of ... http://howieenduranceproject.com/craig-howie/2008/06/04/whats-your-story.htm EPO, Nandrolone, Testosterone, and all of the other new super drugs that they can't test for yet all have one thing in common...They all help you recover faster than humanly possible.  But I believe we can recover almost as well without cheating if we do it perfectly.  The catch is ... http://howieenduranceproject.com/craig-howie/2008/05/27/ironman-recovery.htm Since last weeks posting on mental training I have had a ton of comments, conversations, and e-mails on the topic.  My knowledge has definitely grown on the topic.  Thanks everybody!  I thought I would summarize what I have learned from everyone so far and also share an amazing experience I ... http://howieenduranceproject.com/craig-howie/2008/05/20/mental-training-for-ironman-part-2.htm  I've always been very apprehensive about diving into the mental aspect of endurance athletics.  Every time I think about it I picture myself lying on a couch in a psychologists' office delving deeper and deeper into my mind and trying to find out what draws me towards Ironman.  Frankly, the ... http://howieenduranceproject.com/craig-howie/2008/05/13/mental-training-for-ironman.htm When I did my first big triathlon back in the summer of 1997 I think only 6 people close to me knew about it, including my parents.  This was the beginning of my amazing support system in the sport of triathlon.  This past weekend as I competed in the Half Ironman in St ... http://howieenduranceproject.com/craig-howie/2008/05/06/ironman-st-croix-703.htm I spent the morning at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine today to be with a new athlete joining the team as she did her running lactate threshold test.  She did a great job and reminded me of a very important strategy on pacing for endurance athletes.  I call it ... http://howieenduranceproject.com/craig-howie/2008/04/29/ironman-pacingthe-boiling-frog-approach.htm The Trap:I just finished another bike LT test at the center this AM and once again I have been reminded of a lesson I swore I wouldn’t have to learn again……GRRRR!  The lesson goes like this:  Make your easy training easy and make your hard training hard!  Avoid gravitation to ... http://howieenduranceproject.com/craig-howie/2008/04/22/zone-training-for-endurance-athletesthe-trap.htm