Success

“Success is peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of being.” – Coach Wooden

Saturday May 24, 2008, 5:45 AM. I open the door to my apartment, bike in hand, helmet securely on, ready to roll. And I see dark clouds, drizzly rain, and puddled streets. And I feel a cold wind against my cheek.

Not what I am looking for on a day when I’ve planned to cycle 112 miles and run 4 more. A day that is intended to be the peak of my training plan for Ironman Coeur D’Alene; the race rehearsal performance. Now I face a choice.

I close the door and return upstairs.

And I grab another warm layer, pull it on, and head out into the rain. For the next 6 and a half hours, I ride through the slick, soaking streets, battle the stifling fatigue spreading through my body, and turn back constant thoughts of retreat. I suffer; there’s nothing fun in this. But I persevere and complete the long, tough day, capping off a demanding three week build during which I averaged over 160 miles on the bike, 30 miles of running, and 10,000 swimming yards each week.

Now I have finished the meatiest parts of my training plan for the Ironman race. I have worked as hard as I ever have, beating on my muscles, exhausting my heart and lungs, and frying my mind beyond its usual patterns of comfort.

To be certain, there’s plenty of work to do before I toe the line in Coeur D’Alene: I must continue to work at the right intensity over the next few weeks, I must make certain I give my body the quality rest it craves, and I must fuel my body properly with good nutrition. But the heavy lifting is done and the framing is built. The job now is to add the finishing touches, and complete the perfect structure.

But this moment provides a good spot to reflect on what I have done, where I am going, and what to expect.

So far this year, I have cycled over 2,200 miles, ran over 550 miles, and swam over 150,000 yards. I have raced two half ironman triathlons (setting personal best times in both) and two half marathons (also two personal bests). I have been smarter about my nutrition, and I am down about 15 pounds. I have been smarter about my rest and recovery, and I am stronger because of that.

With my “A” race coming up in Coeur D’Alene, it is easy to fall into the trap of predicting a successful event and anticipating fast times through all three disciplines. But the 140.6 miles of Ironman doesn’t work that way. It’s too long and too unforgiving to be predictable. There are too many potential calamities out there, too many mistakes waiting to happen, and far, far too much ground to cover before the finish line.

But, luckily, I don’t need the results of my race to measure my success. Coach Wooden has defined success in perfect terms for me:

“Success is peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of being.” – Coach Wooden

Using Coach’s definition, I don’t need to finish the race in a certain time to measure my success. While a goal time is important, it depends on too many factors that I cannot control. What if I get a flat tire? What if it rains all day during the race?

Instead of focusing on these potential outcomes, Coach’s definition asks me to look at my process: how well did I maximize my potential? How much have I done to improve my capabilities?

And, at this point, with the bulk of my training done, I am able assess the success of my training. And I am happy to say that, given the balance in my life, I have succeeded. I have truly increased my potential and improved my capabilities. I have done my best to become the best I am capable of becoming. And there’s definite self-satisfaction in that. That’s success.

So, with much important work left to do before my race in Coeur D’Alene, I am already feeling successful. I have trained hard and trained smartly. And I have truly increased my potential my capabilities for racing the Ironman.

Now I just need to execute well on race day, which Coach calls competitive greatness:

“Competitive Greatness is being at your best when your best is needed. It’s enjoying the challenge when things become difficult, even very difficult.”