Believing In You!
I was going to write this post after Ironman Florida, but I had some time and thought that I would write it prematurely. Triathlon (Ironman) is not only a sport and a lifestyle, but it is something that we use to teach us more about ourselves.
It is not about going fast for most athletes, but it is about setting off on a journey that we may or may not have thought we could complete. It is about showing ourselves that the so called "impossible," is truly possible. All we have to do is BELIEVE.
For many athletes, it is not just about the racing. It might be about losing weight, or it might be about feeling confident in who we are, our self image or maybe showing ourselves that we can live a healthy lifestyle, when we never have. When I think about all these things, I think about change and I think about empowering ourselves to live better lives and become happier people. Don't take a back seat to life, go get it..."We create our own lives and happiness." Work in a career that you are excited about every single day, surround yourself with positive influences that enhance your life, not inhibit it! Believe in yourself, always...now matter how absurd or rediculous it seems. If you don't try and you don't believe, it will never happen and you will never know.
We are constantly comparing ourselves to the rest of this world; other people, possessions, things we do, race times, our weight, our pant size, everything. We might think to ourselves, "I train that much, why can't I go that fast?" or " I eat this way and train that much, why can't I look like that or why am I not that size?" The reason is because all of us are different and need something that works for us, not someone else.
The best thing you can do is focus on you! Win those small battles one by one and stay in the moment, celebrate the victories along the way and believe that what you are doing is what is BEST for YOU. Take comfort in know that if something doesn't work, you can just change...it doesn't mean that you failed, as I hear all the time. Make modifications, go another direction, think outside the box, because there isnt just one shot at things, or a last shot...it is trial and error and learning and implimenting in the future.
To throw in some personal experience on this topic, I will offer this. I don't have the super-natural gift that many athletes have (yes I do realize I have some), but I have also trained around 10,000 hours in the last 8 years, that's alot! I rode 5:21 and finished in 10:35 in my 2nd Ironman Wisconsin. It took me 4 years to ride a faster bike split and finish with a faster time. To add more fuel to this fire, It took me 16, YES 16 Ironman races to NOT blow up on the bike...I had a LOT of people telling me that maybe I just couldnt go faster, that maybe I should focus on the shorter distance, but I believed...deep down, sometimes I forced myself to, but I knew I could.
This year I stepped back from the sport mentally and emotionally, I didn't look at what anyone else was doing and frankly I didn't really care. I focused on myself and what worked for me. I trained hard and recovered until I could go hard again. I focused on workouts that I enjoyed and believed in myself every step of the way.
At the end of the day (or the races:) I was the athlete that I wanted to be, I PR'd by 13minutes at the half ironman distance. I increased my threshold for the first time in 3 years and rode 30minutes faster on the bike in an Ironman, than I ever had before.
I got to where I wanted to be by doing everything that I had avoided in the past and thought didn't work. I let go, just listened to my body and I believed in myself. So whether you are trying to lose 15 lbs, qualify for Kona, love how you look, or just finish in a race. What seems impossible, is not! NEVER give up and keep on searching until you find the magic combination and balance that works for you!
Ok, that's all for today! 1 week of IMFL prep for me! I can't wait to see a temp above 60*!!!
Keep the faith,
Blake
It is not about going fast for most athletes, but it is about setting off on a journey that we may or may not have thought we could complete. It is about showing ourselves that the so called "impossible," is truly possible. All we have to do is BELIEVE.
For many athletes, it is not just about the racing. It might be about losing weight, or it might be about feeling confident in who we are, our self image or maybe showing ourselves that we can live a healthy lifestyle, when we never have. When I think about all these things, I think about change and I think about empowering ourselves to live better lives and become happier people. Don't take a back seat to life, go get it..."We create our own lives and happiness." Work in a career that you are excited about every single day, surround yourself with positive influences that enhance your life, not inhibit it! Believe in yourself, always...now matter how absurd or rediculous it seems. If you don't try and you don't believe, it will never happen and you will never know.
We are constantly comparing ourselves to the rest of this world; other people, possessions, things we do, race times, our weight, our pant size, everything. We might think to ourselves, "I train that much, why can't I go that fast?" or " I eat this way and train that much, why can't I look like that or why am I not that size?" The reason is because all of us are different and need something that works for us, not someone else.
The best thing you can do is focus on you! Win those small battles one by one and stay in the moment, celebrate the victories along the way and believe that what you are doing is what is BEST for YOU. Take comfort in know that if something doesn't work, you can just change...it doesn't mean that you failed, as I hear all the time. Make modifications, go another direction, think outside the box, because there isnt just one shot at things, or a last shot...it is trial and error and learning and implimenting in the future.
To throw in some personal experience on this topic, I will offer this. I don't have the super-natural gift that many athletes have (yes I do realize I have some), but I have also trained around 10,000 hours in the last 8 years, that's alot! I rode 5:21 and finished in 10:35 in my 2nd Ironman Wisconsin. It took me 4 years to ride a faster bike split and finish with a faster time. To add more fuel to this fire, It took me 16, YES 16 Ironman races to NOT blow up on the bike...I had a LOT of people telling me that maybe I just couldnt go faster, that maybe I should focus on the shorter distance, but I believed...deep down, sometimes I forced myself to, but I knew I could.
This year I stepped back from the sport mentally and emotionally, I didn't look at what anyone else was doing and frankly I didn't really care. I focused on myself and what worked for me. I trained hard and recovered until I could go hard again. I focused on workouts that I enjoyed and believed in myself every step of the way.
At the end of the day (or the races:) I was the athlete that I wanted to be, I PR'd by 13minutes at the half ironman distance. I increased my threshold for the first time in 3 years and rode 30minutes faster on the bike in an Ironman, than I ever had before.
I got to where I wanted to be by doing everything that I had avoided in the past and thought didn't work. I let go, just listened to my body and I believed in myself. So whether you are trying to lose 15 lbs, qualify for Kona, love how you look, or just finish in a race. What seems impossible, is not! NEVER give up and keep on searching until you find the magic combination and balance that works for you!
Ok, that's all for today! 1 week of IMFL prep for me! I can't wait to see a temp above 60*!!!
Keep the faith,
Blake
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