The Months Ahead

The great Breakthrough in your life comes when you realize it that you can learn anything you need to learn to accomplish any goal that you set for yourself. This means there are no limits on what you can be, have, or do.

Albert Einstein

“Now what?”
Recently a newbie asked me, “Now what?” I could not help but grin as I remembered the end of my first season and wondered how long I would have to wait until I could compete again.

For most triathletes this season is just ending. Many of you were out in early spring running a local 5K race, perhaps even racing the Menan Butte Trail Challenge. May offered the first triathlons of the season and from there the racing season was in full swing. For some your season ended successfully at Blacktail or the Rush while others went on to challenge the Grand Columbian Half or the Florida Ironman. You deserve a pat on the back and congratulations for sustaining a long season.

Now you deserve a break. Welcome to the off season! Every triathlete, regardless of their level of competition, requires an off season. The off season is a time of the year when an athlete becomes more flexible when it comes to training, nutrition and diet, rest, racing and recovery. The focus includes more cross-training, indulging in holiday fair, and enjoying the company of family and friends. It is a time to mentally and physically recover and recharge from the discipline of a long season. The off season is as important to training as the recovery weeks scheduled into a training plan. A successful off season will assure timely motivation and the potential for peak performance during the racing season.

Many of you have you seen or perhaps even been, the athlete that has trained very hard through the fall and winter months only to find yourself flat, injured, and/or disinterested in the spring and summer. It happens all the time. Such an athlete lacks the understanding of rest and recovery as a key element to performance. Don’t make the same mistake.

Might I suggest spending two to four weeks doing as little physical “training” as possible. Don’t swim, bike, run, strength train, take a Pilates, Spinning, or Yoga class. Allow yourself to be a couch potato for this period of time, guilt free.

Following a good rest you are bound to be bouncing off the walls driving yourself and your family crazy. You can take this as a hint that it is time for you to return to some physical activity. For the next one to four weeks restrict that activity to anything but swimming, cycling, running. Nothing sport discipline-related. Cross train. Play basketball or ski. Take long walks, hikes, or snowshoe but mentally and physically stay away from triathlon.

With these weeks behind you, you will find a new enthusiasm for the Prep and Base periods of training. You will wake up refreshed muscles, renew acquaintances with old friends and/or competitors, and you will entertain new thoughts regarding breakthrough training. You will begin looking forward to next season with a sense of purpose and ambition. The chance of burnout, apathy, and injury has been greatly reduced. You will be ready for 2010.

Enjoy the off-season and you will a stronger competitor!

To Greater Tomorrows

Live out of your imagination, not your history

Stephen R. Covey

This post is written for those who choose to become the creators of thier own destinies. To those who believe that whatever the mind can conceive, and believe, they will be able to achieve. They choose to make key decisions. . .in advance. They understand that if they make the vision real enough it will inevitably lead them to develop behaviors that will produce the desired results. They sense that there is immense power in developing a vision of who they want to be and what they want to achieve.

To Begin. . . Write Your Journal or Training Plan in Advance
Each day, give yourself permission to think, to imagine, and to envision what can be. As wondrous and impossible thoughts enter your mind, allow them to wander. Let these thoughts become your goals, your ambitions, your dreams. As you do so, you will begin to discover the power of the unquestionable ability of man. Think long enough, imagine real enough, and envision big enough and what seemed impossible will begin to take on the realm of possibility. Within time you will begin to believe.

Then. . . Discover the Unquestionable Ability of Man
There is no more encouraging fact than that of the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious effort. Learn to make key decisions that are consistent with your personal vision. With those decisions made, begin to employ the elements of personal management and personal leadership. As you do so, you will see your environment as an opportunity to fully and precisely achieve at the highest personal and professional levels.

Now. . . Pursue Excellence
Strive to “Not to be Good. . .to be Best.” Your vison will require you to pursue greater levels of achievement. In this pursuit you will need to move beyond being “good” and rise to new levels of excellence. Seek distinction in character wherever you go and in whatever you do.

Remember. . . With Every Challenge There Comes A Promise
Each day presents us with a variety of challenging situations. The difference between those who will find success in this life and those who will remain mired in a life of mediocrity is how they meet those challenges. Those with vision will see that every challenge comes with a promise. The key is to realize that each specific promise is directly linked to its corresponding challenge.
Your personal achievement will be a direct result of the challenges you are willing to accept. It has been said that an individual’s courage is not found in what they have overcome, but in the challenges they are now willing to face.

Perhaps you run with the grace of an antelope or the power of an elk. Maybe you lumber more like a moose. In either case these visual images allow you to sense and feel the perfect mix of body, mind and spirit that is trail running. No other running event offers divinely unique presence of forest, lake, meadow, or mountain. Each trail has its own magic and reaches into your soul as you glide along a single-track trail, dance across a babbling brook, or light through a field of breathtaking flowers.

Trails welcome those of varying abilities and make equal demand of all. Breathing it all in is a greater task than catching one’s breath, and nature allows each participant to bask in the fountain of their future as they move through the beauty of nature. Others may be running the same trail, but this moment is truly your personal experience.

When is running not merely a physical exercise? When it lifts your heart, enlightens your mind, and expands your soul. Trail running is the “more” that every runner is looking for.

The Road Less Traveled

As athletes we must travel the road to personal victory before we ever hope to arrive at the point of public achievement. We must develop the habits of personal discipline, personal vision, and master the principles of personal leadership.

Habits Of Personal Discipline
Personal discipline requires us to live by true principles. We must be willing to do what is required if we are to pursue personal success. Every day we must find the strength to overcome excuse and convenience if we are to maintain our training regimen. As we learn to make key decisions in advance we develop a deep sense of athletic integrity. We become courageous enough to demand more of ourselves.

Develop A Personal Vision
Many athletes believe that setting a goal is the key to their success. While setting a goal will help an athlete stay focused, it is the vision of that goal becoming a reality that will make difference during training and competition.
The athlete that can create a mental picture of each step leading up to the accomplishment of their goal is the athlete that will see training objectives reached and goals realized.
Develop a vision that it is real enough to lead to the development of personal behaviors that will produce the desired outcomes. Successful athletes know that there is immense power in developing a vision of want they want and how they will achieve it.

Master The Principles Of Personal Leadership
If we are to position ourselves to rise above the expectations of others we need to master the habits of personal leadership and rise above an environment of mediocrity. Develop a personal vision that creates the freedom to excel. See life as an opportunity to fully and precisely achieve at the highest personal levels.

Remember
With every challenge there comes a promise.
Each day presents us with a variety of challenging situations. The difference between those who will find success in this life and those who remain mired in a life of mediocrity is how those challenges are met. Athletes with vision will see that every challenge comes with a promise. The key is realizing that each specific promise is directly linked to its corresponding challenge.
Your personal achievement will be a direct result of the challenges you are willing to accept. It has been said that an individual’s courage is not found in what they have overcome, but in the challenges they are now willing to face.

Friendships

For more than four decades I have been involved in sports. This last weekend I had a moment when I realized that whether I was a competitor, a coach, or an event director, I had always enjoyed the friendships that accompanied my participation in sports.
I still remember many of the names and faces from those early years. I smile as I think of the times we laughed, cried, and sweated our way through workouts. I even have good memories of those who were “bitter rivals” and fierce competitors.
Over the last 20 years I have coached, mentored, and encouraged more than 20,000 athletes. Some I have accompanied as they have reached great public victory. Others I have cheered as they enjoyed the great satisfaction of personal victory. All I have admired as they have overcome challenges to reach such achievements.
I believe the years ahead will hold more of the same experiences. And with those experiences will come new friends.

Personal Victory

Think for a moment. . . What if you just finished the fastest race of your life and you were sixth in your age group? Question: Are you a loser?

Answer: No.

In time all of you will compete in a race where you swim faster, bike faster, and run stronger and faster than you ever have before. On that day the exhilaration of the accomplishment will leave you brimming with confidence and offer you a quiet sense of pride. Winning is about racing your best.
So, what does it mean when someone says, “I will give it my best.”? Time has taught me that these words are either a commitment to excellence and are representative of determination and resolve or they are words that lack substance and offer no promise of performance or effort.
To those who would be a part of the first group the word “BEST” is tangible. It is something they see in their mind’s eye. During a training workout they feel it as they break new barriers of doubt, distance, or pain. In moments of decision they reach for something deeper and refuse to quit. . . on themselves. They understand what it means to run with heart, because they have reached the point where everything physical seems to have quit. Those who belong to this group find victory long before race day.
Over the years I have watched athletes who have crawled out of the water at the brink of exhaustion, and yet cross the finish line to the cheers of family, friends, and strangers, only to be emotionally overwhelmed by their accomplishment. I have watch athletes wobble, stumble, and even fall at the finish line only to find the strength to stand as the finishers’ award was hung around their neck and raised their arms in victory. I have cheered for these athletes. For a few I have been emotionally touched by their personal achievement. In my mind and heart they will ever stand as champions. I have no doubt they truly gave their best.
I have been fortunate to associate with athletes that do not take their physical skills for granted. To them their “Best” is clearly defined. They have specific goals with measurable outcomes. They set precise objectives and strive to achieve them. Each training day has a focus, a purpose, even if it is to rest and recover. They understand success is in overcoming the obstacles, disappointments and even failures, and rising to new challenges and achievements. When, not if, they fall short of a target they see it as a learning experience and become a better competitor because of it. They understand that to reach their goal of doing their best they will need to develop a stronger character and persist where others might relent. They know and accept that it won’t be easy.
Now, think for a moment. . . What if you just finished a race where you failed to do your best and you won your age group because of little or no competition? Question: Would you feel like a winner?
Answer:

Triathon at Rigby Lake Reports

Wow! What a way to begin the season.

Today we want to share with you some of the comments and pictures from last Saturday's Triathlon at Rigby Lake.

“I am just so happy. I am so proud of myself. There were times when I wanted to quit but I didn’t. I am just so happy.”

Susan Smith - Layton, UT

"I thought it was a super day. Great venue, and a good community feel. The raffle was large and impressive. There were enough water stops for the running. The transition zone was spacious and I liked the separate entrance and exit. The run path around the lake was great."

Doug Connelly - Kelly, WY

"I had a blast and it was a first class event that went smoothly I'd say. Weather gods were on our side and the race went off without a hitch! Good job."

Chris Martin - Bozeman, MT

"What a great day to race. This was my third triathlon and I had a super day. The weather was perfect except maybe a little warm on the run. When I was tired there was always a volunteer to cheer me on and I won a great raffle prize."

John Barlow - Corvallis, OR

"This was my first triathlon and until the Friday night meeting I was pretty sure I might not finish, but everyone kept encouraging me. Saturday morning the volunteers helped me with all my questions and the race officials were really personable. My family came to watch me and they were impressed by how well I did. I think I am hooked."

Tom Senter - Carbondale, CO

"I am so excited. This is going to be fun!"

Shaylee Liddle (8 years old) - Idaho Falls, ID

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. I wasn't last."

Joyce Tyler - Tallahassee, Florida

"Over the last few months there were days when I wanted to quit training. To finish a triathlon seemed like an impossible goal. I had never been athletic in school and had just started running last year, but you guys said it was possible. Now I am a triathlete. It didn't matter that I wasn't first, or that I wasn't fast. Like you said, it mattered that I finished. Thank you!"

Heather Munson - Boise, ID

"When I thought I couldn't swim anymore, I never gave up. When I thought I couldn't bike anymore, I never gave up. When my legs said to stop I never gave up. Do you know what it like to not give up when everything physical about you wants to? I guess you do, that is why you believe in us."

Mary Jensen - Salt Lake City, UT

"It is two days later and I am still jazzed about finishing my first triathlon."

Marvin Benson - Lake Tahoe, CA

We could have reported on the details of the race but we thought these comments said a whole lot more.

Remember: Each day presents us with a variety of challenging situations. The difference between those who will find success in this life and those who will remain mired in a life of mediocrity is how they meet those challenges. Those with vision will see that every challenge comes with a promise. The key is to realize that each specific promise is directly linked to its corresponding challenge.
Your personal achievement will be a direct result of the challenges you are willing to accept. It has been said that an individual’s courage is not found in what they have overcome, but in the challenges they are now willing to face.