I recently finished reading Chris McCormack's "I'm Here to Win: A Champion's Advice for Peak Performance." What a great read! I thought I would share a few of his insights that I found incredibly useful.
- A triathlon is not a sprint, especially at Ironman or half-ironman distance. Don't try to finish the race on the bike when you still have the run in front of you. Know the conditions, know your fitness level, and be patient. Take advantage of easier downhill areas of the course to rest and conserve your energy for the later stages.
- You don't play triathlon. You play soccer; it's fun. You play baseball. Triathlon is work that can leave you crumpled in a heap, puking by the roadside. It's the physical brutality of climbing Mount Everest without the great view from the top of the world. What kind of person keeps coming back for more of that?
- The pain is a slow process. You feel it coming from a long way off. When the gun goes off, you think, I feel good. Then the fatigue starts to come, and then the body rebels. It's a raw reality: your will against the agony that's setting in. When that happens, your mind can go to some crazy places. But I've always found it blissful. I hate the pain, but I love it, too.
- I wish more triathletes would honor their passion for getting better, doing bigger races, and setting loftier goals. Your dreams are no less important than mine. So what if you're younger or older than I was when I started, or have a career and can't commit as much time to training, or are an average athlete who won't ever finish an Ironman in less than fifteen hours? Your dreams matter.
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