So, here’s the deal. I did the Chicago triathlon this past weekend. Please hold your applause, I’m not a hero. I just want to be treated like a normal human being.
Ok but seriously, a triathlon is out of my wheelhouse and yet here we are. A lot of my preaching is centered around comfort zones and how they are a detriment to your existence. So with that in mind, I realized that I needed to refresh my perspective on my own personal comfort zone. So this is what I landed on: swim, bike, run, F*ck!.
But overall, it was a great experience that I will continue to build on. Here’s what I learned while training and completing the triathlon.
- Preparation is paramount.
Like anything else in this life, if you want to do your best you need to put the work in on the front end. The more confident you feel going in, the better your performance will be overall. That being said, part of most preparation must entail an element of dealing with the unknown. You have to realize that your preparation will only go so far, and there will be things that you encounter which you didn’t expect to be a problem.
For me that meant dealing with the transitions from the swim to the bike and the bike to the run. I didn’t realize that the position of my bike in the transition zone would make a difference. Or that the way I pack my clothes in my bag would matter either.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. If it’s an unknown element how can you train for it? You don’t know what it is. This is true, but preparing for the unknown is a mindset, not an awareness. It means the ability to stay calm in the face of unexpected adversity in order to make a sound decision. I made sure to concentrate on my breathing in order to maintain focus and a forward-moving mentality.
“Prepare! Prepare! Prepare!”
Sean Barrett, original quote
- The joy is in both the journey and the destination.
Easy to say. Difficult to practice. This one boils down to a perspective shift. And let me tell ya, I have struggled with this in numerous facets of my life. As human beings, most of us are wired to project problems of the past onto our future selves. It’s very hard to be completely present. We can find ourselves caught in thought loops that never allow us to truly appreciate what we have at the moment.
Each day of training I tried to keep my focus on the positive circumstances: I’m a healthy person who is able to compete in an endurance race. There are many out there who do not have that luxury.
There were times throughout my training that I made sure to be thankful for the run, swim or bike that I was able to complete. This thought process had a carryover, too. It kept my energy up for the next day of work.
Was it still hard? Yep!
Did I have to push myself? Uh huh!
Was there pain and discomfort involved? Oh yeah!
Can you still find value in all of the above? Sure can!
“Change your perspective, change the world”
Sean Barrett, original quote
- Give yourself credit when credit is due.
Like a lot of people, I am my own worst critic. I’m not going to turn this into a therapy session, but I have been known to berate myself over things that should not have elicited such a response. Being disappointed in oneself can become a reflex if you're not careful.
It’s definitely not easy, but you need to find that delicate balance of being honest with yourself yet also allowing your accomplishments to grow your confidence and contentment.
Did I finish the race in record time? Nope, not even close.
Did I win the race? Nah, wasn’t close on that one either.
But I signed up, trained and finished. That was good enough for me. I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish. I count this as a victory!
“When you count the people in your corner, you better be one of them.”
Sean Barrett, original quote