Perhaps these issues are keeping you up at night or, worse, preoccupying your mind during the day:
-
Inconsistent workouts.
-
Too much pain in your body.
-
You want to run, but life gets in your way.
-
Your family does not relate to what you want to achieve as a triathlete.
-
Getting in shape for the race is harder than I expected.
-
The weather sucks.
-
You experience more surprising barriers than surprising breakthroughs.
-
Your training partners became former training partners.
-
You are not as fast, strong, lean and determined as you want to be. And you don’t know how to close the gaps between your goals and your current reality.
-
The pressures of compromise between work, family, and play RIGHT NOW overshadowed the delayed gratification of completing a degree.
Read on to learn how to overcome these temptations to cross the finish line in your career next month instead of next season.
-
Schedule workouts on your calendar. There’s an application for that.
-
The human body is resistant but not immune to injury. If in doubt, have it checked. Don’t ignore your bread.
-
Designate a slice of your time pie for your tri. Your cake is the same size as everyone else’s cake in the 4th dimension. It’s 24 hours. It is a finite amount of time. The way you slice your cake is up to you.
-
Talk to all family members to solicit their input and participation. You must also reciprocate with a genuine interest in their interests. The alternative options of changing sports or family are neither emotionally nor financially an optimal result.
-
Reset expectations if getting mentally fit is more difficult than desired. If the problem is physical, focus on your swimming, biking, or running strengths. If you’re experiencing a time crunch, prioritize your respective priorities, qualify appropriately, and book training times.
-
Dress for success in today’s weather conditions.
-
Expect the unexpected. Be flexible. Stay positive.
-
You will run alone. Training will only strengthen your running tenacity.
-
If you’re not physically ready to race at the start of the season, and who is?, race to learn new mental tactics. Ask others how they prepare for the race early in the season. Also ask your coach.
-
Maximize fun daily activities and routines to reduce stress. This allows you to pursue long-term goals that bring you happiness and greater satisfaction in your life’s endeavors. Sacrifices are inevitable, unfulfilled goals are frustrating, and achieving happiness requires discipline to avoid the temptations of abandonment.
Running in cold weather, rainy or windy conditions always turned out to be easier than ever to run. I was greeted with a chill throughout my body one morning on race day when outdoor temperatures dropped to 41°F (3°C). A thick mist hung over the water, revealing only 100 meters of water to the first buoy in a 1.2-mile stretch of swim.
I froze wearing full sweatshirts plus a winter hat and gloves during the walk to transition. After checking the bike and numbering myself, I went back to the hotel room to warm up. As expected, pre-race doubts arose, which later turned into nervousness. Although I ran. I always ran. At this point, I realized that not competing would be pointless. The pain of not starting, not competing and not completing any race would be more painful than ever to show up.
I knew and wanted the great feeling that comes from competing in a race. Time and place race results were the objective metrics, but subjective mental rushes were key to pain and pleasure. A strange association of achievements. First for not wanting to race again due to too much pain and time commitment. Followed by not wanting the celebration and excitement of the current race to end. That included enjoying the camaraderie afterwards with other competitors, teammates, friends and family. Mix in some tears of joy, smirks, and accomplishment despite a limping gait. Then you buy race merchandise to show everyone at home that you participated in the race. And finally, before you leave, take the opportunity to enjoy the touristy stuff in any of the great racing destinations. The feeling of a hangover the next morning was easily erased from memory, his malaise supplanted by memories of a post-race celebration and well-deserved results.
I was already thinking about an open race record to start the next party for another delayed gratification of the next best race ever.
Assess if you are reluctant to compete due to cold feet, cold shoulders, cold sores, or cold weather. Accept that you have committed to competing in this triathlon. If you commit, complete your responsibility. Choose these three appropriate tactics to get to the starting line: Relax. Breed. Join.
Have you ever regretted walking away from a career commitment or any other commitment? Have you ever walked away from someone who didn’t follow through on a commitment they had been given? What approach did you use to avoid a temptation so as not to abandon a commitment?