Dedication

It seems every year I write about the topic of dedication, commitment or perseverance.  It is usually triggered after reviewing my clients logs and noticing a pattern between those who succeed in accomplishing their goals and those who can never seem to get "there".  Perhaps I'm different, but I've always thought that if I put money out there and set a goal, that the motivation naturally follows.  Everyone has different goals, talent levels, genetic make up but the effort to reach individual goals  isn't much different from the podium finishers to back of the packer.

During my initial interview with athletes we have a long conversation about triathlon goals in relation to life goals. This interview sets the tone for how I will monitor progress and the level of feedback provided.  You coach someone differently who tells you that sport is a hobby and balance is important in their life versus the person who tells you that "Kona" is the ultimate goal and they have time to train. After the initial meeting I watch closely to see if the actions of the athlete meet the goals and work ethics they have outlined for me during our introductory meeting.

What separates those who succeed and those who don't?  I found an article I wrote for Triathlon Life magazine in 2009.  In reading the article, there are  very few changes I would make today.  I've updated a few references and added a new section but the message remains the same.

                                                                WHAT IT TAKES

Being a multisport athlete requires dedication, perseverance, commitment and an attitude of doing WHAT EVER IT TAKES to accomplish ones goals, what ever they may be.  The athletes who reach their dreams are those that are consistent in the approach they bring to training and life.  It means making sacrifices that others aren’t willing to make.  It means preparing both physically and mentally.  It means taking a business like approach to reaching goals.

 As a coach, I see many different approaches to racing and training.  Obviously not everyone has the talent to be the first person across the line. Winning is defined by accomplishing what you set out to do, NOT being first.   The working parent who finishes an Ironman is more of a winner in my eyes than the pro who “wins” the race. 

In the late 80’s when I first started racing, the sport was filled with former jocks, the ex high school football player, volley ball player looking to fill a void in life.  The sport remains the same but the faces have changed.  It is now vogue to be a triathlete and more people than ever are participating in the sport.  USAT reports (2009) that 75,000 people are card carrying members.  The computer geek, the guy down the street who used to weigh 300 pounds and more women than ever now toe the line with the ex jocks. In 1992 when I completed my first Ironman I filled out an application and held on to it until February ( I didn’t have $175), today Ironman races fill within 15 minutes.  Ironman is becoming the marathon of the 80’s. Tri for the Cure, Danskins and your local sprint triathlons fill to capacity year after year.    

But I’m seeing a pattern of athletes who don’t understand “what it takes” to set goals and make the sacrifices both physically and mentally to attain what they set out to accomplish.   People who sign up for an Ironman but they have never done another multisport event.  People sign up for a sprint tri and don't go to the pool before the race.

I have a good friend who is infamous for saying “SHUT THE HECK UP AND RIDE!! QUIT TALKING ABOUT RIDING, QUIT TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO, QUIT TALKING AND PUT YOUR BOTTOM TO THE LEATHER AND RIDE!!”.  People just laugh at him, but as simplistic as the approach may seem, there is a lot of truth to what he says. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have a plan and follow it.  It means that as athletes we need to stop talking about doing what it takes, and do the things necessary to achieve what you set out to accomplish.  The time to talk is after the gun goes off and before you cross the finish line.

I find that when I call athletes out for lack of commitment I get a lot of push back.  The goal remains the same but the commitment level doesn't live up to the pre season promise.   My wife is a three time Kona qualifier (podium finisher in 2010) and will enter her 30th year of racing in 2012.  Twenty years ago, she stepped on a broken beer bottle exiting the swim portion of a triathlon.  She was told she would never run again and spent six months in a cast. She has very little feeling in her right foot. People ask her all the time, how a working mother (she is a sales representative who travels a three state territory) of two teen age children does “it”.  We are often taken back by the question because we have done this for so long it has become natural.  The answer is a bit complicated but in short she/we “does what it takes to succeed”.  We follow some very simple guidelines.

• Manage Your Time:  Set up a training schedule which is realistic and manageable.  Don’t try to do 25 hours when realistically you have 15 open hours a week.
• Be Consistent:  Designate certain days and times to swim, bike, run and lift. 
• Be Creative: Drop the kids off at practice and go for a run as opposed to sitting in the stands talking to the other parents.  Wake up at 5 am and ride the trainer.  Hire a baby sitter and go for a ride.  Work out at lunch. Ride your bike to and from work.
• Work out in the morning:  Most busy people don’t have time after work. Become an early riser and get your workouts out of the way before your real job.
• Plan Ahead: Prepare meals in advance.  Review the weekly family/work activities in advance and then enter in your workouts. 
• Make exercise a priority: You don’t find time, you make it.  There is plenty of time in a week to get in 8-15 hours of exercise.  Do you really need to watch all that reality TV?
• Make it a priority to accomplish your goal. Don't let life distractions throw you off course. 

“That’s what it takes” has different meanings for different people.  Only you have the ability to look at a situation and truly know if you are capable of achieving your dreams. Your dream may be to finish the Danskin triathlon or complete an Ironman.  However, when you commit to your goal, do what ever it takes to succeed.  Sacrifice, determination, commitment, dedication, perseverance, attitude… “That’s what it takes”