How to be Zen. Lesson from a Toad.

I was out running last night and caught a big toad just being himself out on the sidewalk.  I pass these guys a lot lately, and it's a good reminder that you are most genuine when you are being yourself.  You don't have to work so hard to be better, faster, leaner, or whatever.  Just try being more you and that's where you start.

Enjoy the vid!

The Number One Method to Triathlon Success - Get Out of Your Own Way

The biggest enemy to your triathlon success isn't the other guy or faulty gear; it's your own mind.

The human brain is an amazing machine.  It can do some outstanding stuff, but it can also sabotage your progress in some very spectacular ways.  How?  Well, your brain will tell you to do things when you're body is saying the opposite.  Here's some examples.

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Let's Dissect this Awesome Running Form Video

A reader forwarded this video to me last week.  I have to say, it is one of the best critiques on form I've ever seen.  Check out out and let's talk about what's inside.

Nearly everything they cover in this video has proven true to me in my experience.  I was a heel striker, ran barefoot for a while, and now I'm a converted forefoot runner.  Running barefoot also took a ton of bounce out of my stride, which makes running long distances much easier on the knees.

What was new to me, but very intuitive was the following:

• Twisting the upper torso makes your feet cross over, causing overpronation and other weird torque issues.
• Shin splints come from lifting your toes to heel strike.  Well, talk about a revelation we all needed to hear.  

I've run a few times after seeing the video and tried to put the proper leg angles into effect.  It definitely pulled in places that need some loosening.  I'm looking forward to continuing to improving my form and get faster.

Tell your friends about the video and ask what they think!

Four Ways to Train Effortlessly; All Gain with No Pain

Zen teaches about how to attain effortless movement throughout the day.  You must learn to stop fighting your mind and use it as a resource instead.  Write down your tasks and get them out of your head to turn your brain into an idea machine instead of a stressed-out task holder with no more room to keep up with all the work to be remembered.

In the same way, you can transform how you approach your workouts to turn them into a resource instead of work.  Here's a few methods that are proven to work:

• Bike and run to explore an area, not just to burn calories.  Exploring is tons of fun and you learn a lot at the same time.  Go down new streets and pay attention and you'll notice all kinds of information that can help you daily.
• Run as meditation.  Ditch the iPod and just run.  Bring a piece of paper and pen or a voice recorder and jot down all the tasks and ideas that come to you while you go.  After a while, they'll all be gone and you'll have a clear head.  Repeat often.
• Swim like a fish.  Personally, I like to imagine that I'm flying like a bird over the ground or I'm in zero gravity.  However you do it, just play.  Doing this is a fantastic way to get yourself into the pool and warmed up.
• Bike to work.  Do this and you'll save gas, arrive at work more energized, and also be putting in time towards training hours.  

A big question is, "How hard should I go when training effortlessly?"  The answer may be individual, but what works best for many is to go at an earnest effort, but not too hard.  Go like you have someplace to be and you don't want to be late, but you're not going to kill yourself over it.  Imagine you're trying to catch a TV show that is your favorite, but you've already seen it many times, so it's not the end of the world if you miss it.

The trick is to turn workouts into something you want to do instead of what you have to do.  Once you figure out these methods, you can train for something as big as Kona and not get stressed out about it.

How do you train effortlessly?

Podcast - Running Wild

Coach Brett with Will Laughlin in Boulder, CO.

Hey there, all you tri-studs and studettes! This episode has two great interviews to kick it off:  The first is with ultra runner Will Laughlin, where he details his adventures crewing at Badwater and his own run of 200 miles while we hang out at Whole Foods in Boulder.  Next up, we catch pro triathlete James Bonney in Austin at Jack and Adam's while he's getting fit to a new bike after being hit by a car.

After that, there's plenty of "roadside psychology" as I talk about Zen training tips and methods while training at the Ironman level of our great sport.  Join in and let's have some fun!

Hanging out with Jack at Jack & Adam's Tri Shop in Austin

Title sponsor of this show is FLUID recovery drink.  20% off with discount code "ZenTri".  Go ahead and try it!

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