Mind Control

February 7, 2009 -

Today is my day off from training and as excited as I was to just chill, I do still feel a little anxious like maybe I could just to a quick run or something. Instead, I decided to embark on one of my toughest training days to date. This training wouldn't be a physical battle testing the limits of my strength however. This training would require mental toughness. This was a battle of mind control, temperament and constraint. This....was a battle against....IKEA!

I hate hate hate going to Ikea, but wifey wanted to go and I must oblige. It is about 22 miles away from our house on freeways that are usually busy or jammed. Then, you get there and park about four miles away along with a non-stop flow of cars that just can't park in an open spot a few extra feet away...no no....they wait for that spot where the mom is still loading her stuff, packing in the kids and the stroller and then taking the cart back. And you are paralyzed. Blocked by cars everywhere and non-stop parking lot traffic. Once you park you hoof it in and fall into the moderately organized total chaos that is Ikea. It is hundreds of thousands of square feet of furniture and knick-knacks.. Everything you need (and don't need) for your house.

My issue is the other shoppers. As you are corralled into this one-way maze through the seemingly never ending mega-store people are everywhere. The problem is, they don't know what they want. The just go and stop and go and stop, right in the middle of the isle staring around at nothing, transfixed like on some kind of Ikea roofie. Kids are running around everywhere and the people have absolutely no sense of anyone else around them or any kind of general direction.

This trip to Ikea today may just have made the difference in my Ironman race. Now I own the mental part of it. I made it all the way through Ikea and didn't give a glare, sneer, finger or any other gesture indicating that I was not in total mind control.

Who is the big winner now Ikea? I own you!

Day 38 Training Log - Nada! With my mental toughness battle test complete I will rest, eat poorly, and not do anything for the rest of the day.