Go Confidently

I just discovered the blog of professional triathlete Elizabeth Waterstraat. Her post about Facebook groups is quite amusing, but her post Confidence Is Not A Naughty Word is brilliant! Her main point is that the mind sets us up for success or failure and the way to be successful is to think about being successful. All the hard work, all the training will leave us short of our goals if race day comes and you start telling yourself that you can't do it, you're not ready, you shouldn't be there, etc.

I'm not a gifted athlete but I trust in myself and I trust that my training will have me ready for the race. I set goals, ones that will push me hard but that are realistic, and then go for it. Sometimes I make it and sometimes I don't but if I've given it my best then I was successful. At Saturday's 5K I felt that I could do a 9 min/mile pace and figured this would give me a good shot at a top 3 place in my age group. I managed to run an 8:38 pace but ended up more than :30 off the podium. The effort was a personal best and was a huge success for me, even without placing where I thought I might.

I have my first tri of the season coming up in two weeks. Biking has always been my strongest event so I always figure that it will go well. In the past the swim was about nothing more than survival and the run was about using up whatever I have left to give. This year I am feeling so much more confident with my swimming that my focus will be on going at it with a great effort; no more mere survival. The main variable with this first race will be the water temperature. Last year the water temperature was in the low 60's for this race and it took my breathe away as soon as my face hit the water; my swim fell apart and I ended up doing a lot of side stroke and other survival swimming. This year my goal is to hold it together, free style the whole thing, and do a 2min/100m pace. Sure, I may miss these goals but if the effort is there it will be a success regardless. I am a shark among minnows!