use FEAR as FUEL

I pose this question to everyone. What are your Fears?

Even as it is only about 20 degrees outside and snow is on the ground, I am already feeling some sense of Fear, some nerves if you will, for the upcoming 2010 Triathlon season. Funny thing is...this will be my first real season, with real training, a real coach, true team support, and legit triathlon equipment. It kind of freaks me out to tell you the truth. I guess the biggest Fear I seem to be facing is that I won't perform at a level that is reflective of the amount of effort I am putting into my training. I must not buy into this though. I have a coach who is looking out for me, I am putting in quality hours, I have the right mindset. I would assume that this Fear is a common one with triathletes considering the immense amount of time and effort that is put into training. Basically a Triathlete banks a few races on months and months of training. If something happens during those races and you come up short it can be devastating...well at least in my opinion it could. I guess that's where this sport really determines the people who are really in it and those who are just playing around. In my opinion it looks to me sort of like the CPA exam. In my experience with this test it was a test of endurance. Most people, including myself fail various parts of this test. In order to pass all the parts it means that when you fail by even 1 point, you have to get back in the saddle, study for 2 more months and try again. I persevered and passed all 4 parts..in a row...after coming up short on 2 straight. Even though this was test taking and not an athletic activity I believe it is the mental aspect that is what I am endowed with and which will make me a successful triathlete. I have big expectations for myself and I know I will achieve them. The question is...Will I let the Fear slow me down? Well I know for me and I hope that for everyone else that the best way to remedy this Fear is to use it as Fuel. Use this feeling to motivate you to get up at 5am and hit the roads for a run/bike, or to head to the pool. Use the Fear in a beneficial way that helps make a 4hr bike ride feel absolutely glorious. I have never done an Ironman but I fully expect to feel sick to my stomach on race day..however I also fully expect that as soon as I start fighting my way through the masses of people in the water that everything will disappear. I will go into survival mode. My hope is that I will stop thinking, stop "fearing" and just perform. Perform in a way that reflects my training. I will have put in the time and effort, once the gun goes off its just a matter of how I can put it all together. I am not going to think though...I'm just going to race. Once the race begins I will be at peace, I will have way to much happening around me to think about how freaked out I am. For the time being my overall time isn't really going to matter. I am going to just be racing as fast as reasonably possible....if that is fast enough to realize my goals...all the better. If not well then I will just get back on the saddle and re-group to do it again. So my biggest challenge over the next few months is to not only continue my great training regimen but to use my Fear as Fuel and if all goes well my Fear will transform into confidence. I want to come into race week raring to go and welcoming the challenge at hand. I feel that there is no reason for any of us to be scared of racing, as triathletes we train to race....so be I will be excited to get in the water come later April. I am going to be a joker, you will not find this kid stone faced. I am going to be high-fiving not cold shouldering. If there is one thing I have come to love about this sport in the short time I have participated in it..its that at every race I feel like I am in a community of people that are just like me. All the people racing feel like an extended family. I always like to chat with people that I saw on the race course that day. There is some kind of brotherly/sisterly bond that is created when two people run next to each other for 500 yards, or 5 miles even when no words are uttered. It's unique...it's respect...it's what really gets me going!

I hope this post helps people not feel alone in the fear's they might have. And if your ever racing in a race that I am in and your feeling crappy before the start..come find me, will find something to laugh about :)