“I (…pause for effect…) have a drinking problem….”
“Right now…(…pause for hick-up…)…that… is NOT my problem….”
“My problem is…I am out of money…”
Then he smiled and said - “Can you please buy me a drink :)”
To this day we laugh about that as one of the funniest things he said to me.
I bought him a drink – Hell – I probably bought him a bunch – for the shrinks in the crowd what does that make me –
(In unison please)
“HIS ENABLER”
Yes it does…
Point is – Jamie did not have a problem – ok – he did – it was a lack of green backs in his wallet that night… but other than that – his drinking was not a problem – money was and I was happy to be his enabler.
(by the way - this is really him :))
So what the hell does all this have to do with Triathlon, Ironman training or coaching?
Most of you are saying “get to the point – I am reading this on my 3 inch Blackberry screen drinking my coffee while I am knee driving Butler Blvd heading to the pool on my lunch hour :)”
The point is – we are all enablers and we surround ourselves with enablers.
Look at our training groups…our friends
What do you think your training partner (err enablers) would say if you told them you had a long ride and run on Saturday and it’s supposed to be rainy and windy?
Or would your group tell you…
“Dude – you got 6-8 hours workout on Saturday - I got 7 – looks like the hard stuff won’t be coming down until noon – if we start on the trainer at 4:30am we can get it all in before the rain. What time are you leaving – can I come?”
This is a seriously disturbed thought process AND we surround ourselves with people who think that this normal so we don’t have to explain…
A good friend of mine, (Bernadette – and definitely NOT my enabler :)), walked into my house the other day to find me on the trainer early in the morning in a pool of sweat watching movies – yes it was 6:45am – and yes – I was just finishing my 1:15 ride before heading off on my 30 min t-run and then going to work by 8:00am :)
She said, “What the F&*) do you do this for?”
I just laughed – what was I supposed to say?
But the more I thought about it – I couldn’t immediately answer it.
Being that she is a “non” enabler – I actually had to answer.
To all of you - I could just say I have IM Arizona in 3 weeks – enough said…
You would have done the quick enabler translation …(4 x8 w/ 2R zone 3+ - Tempo intervals and t-run – 3 weeks out – up at 4:30am on the trainer at 5:30 – off at 6:45 – T run for 30 – shower and leave for work at 7:30 and work from 8-5 and then dinner – play with the kids and then off to bed – sounds like a perfect day :))
Rich has a picture I love – it says “if you have to ask why – you'll never understand.”
I love that picture and the saying…but what it really says is…
“Don’t ask me :) - I don’t understand either”
So – during my 6-8 hour training session on Saturday (yes – I started on the trainer at 5:30 – 4:30 is just stupid) I thought about the answer and I here is what I cam up with…
Accountability.
That’s it - Accountability.
Accountability to myself…to my coach…to my friends…(errr enablers :))
Wiki says:
Accountability …is often used synonymously with such concepts as answerability, enforcement, responsibility, blameworthiness, liability and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving.
Accountability is defined as "A is accountable to B when A is obliged to inform B about A’s (past or future) actions and decisions, to justify them, and to suffer punishment in the case of eventual misconduct" [1].
I have a coach. He is a stickler for details and he checks up on me.
I am “A” and he is “B”.
If it says – build for 3 hours and hit these zones – I am going to build for 3 hours and try to hit those zones or I will be “ obliged to inform B” about my actions or lack thereof or puke on the floor trying :)
If I can’t hit my zones – I better have a good reason as I know I will have to explain why – see puke reference above.
I am accountable to “B”.
I was talking about this with a few guys I coach – really top notch cyclists - and I asked them what makes them do the interval work when it hurts like hell…
I expected they would say something like – I know that I need to do this to win…it will make me stronger…
There answer surprised me…
They said because they knew I would look at it.
I am their “B”.
So what if you don’t have a coach to check on you
What if you just have training partners…
There are a few guys I trained with over the years and together – we were collectively both each others “A’s” and the “B’s”.
We told each other what we were going to do and we backed it up.
If we blew it off – we had to face up…answer the mail…email smack kept us in line.
I used to swim 3 days a week with the UNF Masters program – ok – there is no such thing really.
No coach – no attendance – no fee – just accountability to your friends if you blew it off That was a good masters group - 100% accountability by guilt…be there or be talked about :)
I think this all goes back to same point…like Chris Lieto said a few weeks ago – tell someone what you are going to do…put it out there…now you are accountable. This not only works for goals but it training as well.
That is why I do it…
I am about one quart of milk short of being Howard Hughes and my Training Peaks log account has to be all green. (If you have never used this site – a completed workout is logged green – check it out – it is excellent – www.trainingpeaks.com – they offer free 7 or 10 day memberships.) Yellow means not complete and Red means you didn’t do it at all.
There are no deals – no Enron transactions – just simple – did you do it? Then it’s green.
(Is it just me? Enron – “en” ablers – problems with accounting – coincidence? I think not :))
Back to the point…
No yellow – no red…no deals
Green is good – green makes me train – green keeps “B” off my a$$
Accountability keeps my “A’s” training.
Accountability makes me train.
Accountability to family – to myself – my coach – my athletes - my friends – my goals.
That is why I do it – even though I know YOU...didn’t have to ask :)
Oh – yeah – almost forgot – my roommate...
Jamie – he is doing great…still in California and flying helicopters…
I think he is dating Lindsey Lohan and things are going really well...
They are talking about having kids...
So jackhammer – I guess that makes you his “Beeeee-acchhhhe”
Love and Kisses - Athlete "A" - Coach "B" and Paris Hilton of the Peloton :)
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