Prez Corner:
Thoughtful notes from a fearless LVTC leader.
Perspective
We are in the last portion of the 2019 triathlon season –
This is an exciting time because many of you are shooting to reach those final goals.
I do hope you had that ‘perfect’ race this year (or will have if you still have some races coming up). It is such a great feeling when we toe the start line and have that perfect race … that race that everything just comes together. The swim seems easy, the bike feels like a tail wind the whole way, and the run seems downhill. What a great feeling when that happens!
But … that’s not how all races go.
Your goggles fog up, you get a flat, or you lose a shoe in transition … any number of things can go wrong during a race. In long distance races, I always breathe a sigh of relief when I get off the bike with no mechanical problems! Sometimes, the problems we encounter can be solved – you clear your goggles and get back on track, you fix that flat, you find that shoe!
There are plenty of races I have had where success meant that I solved some problem … I overcame some challenge. That can often feel just as satisfying as having that perfect race.
But … there are times where the race just unfolds in a bad way … things just don’t come together … it’s a struggle to find that finish line. This is the reality of racing – there is always the risk of not finishing due to some physical limitation (e.g., fitness or injury) or mechanical / logistic issue. Or, maybe there was nothing specific that happened, but you just did not have a great race.
What is your perspective when this happens?
Can you still see how amazing it is that you put in many hours to prepare to get to the start line? Can you see the dedication it takes to prep for a race? Can you think back to where you were before you started training?
I often think back to when I started getting back into triathlon after a long time away from the sport. I was amazed to hear that people biked to Boulder City … that seemed so far away! But now, that’s just an easy ride … perspective.
I hope as you close out the 2019 season, you have great perspective of how amazing your accomplishments are.
Whether you reached the podium or just barely reached the finish line … you have accomplished so much.
Reflect positively on 2019 and start making plans for 2020!
~John Mercer
