Triathlete Motivation - Day 1

Triathlete Motivation – Day 1

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Endurance is patience concentrated.

Thomas Carlyle

Motivation to be patient and endure – I hear the word endurance quite often in conversations with fellow cyclist, runners and triathletes.  I use the word endurance to convey a sense of being able to withstand a given task for longer than what one would imagine their peers normally do.  Endurance carries a connotation of toughness and durability. It is a good thing. But, it seems to have the same clear definition as love. What is love exactly?  Each person experiences it in a different way, with varying intensities, and with different types of relationships. In turn, what really is endurance.

Thomas Carlyle sums up a definition that triathletes can relate to.  With races lasting anywhere from 2 hours to 15 hours, we have to endure the physical pain and discomfort that the average person does not.  We have to patiently concentrate on each stroke, each step of our run, and each circular rotation of our pedal. Patience is a virtue. If we act in a patient way when we train or race, we will generally enjoy the experience more.  If we push too hard too soon, we could cause more pain or injury.

I have certainly been impatient a great deal of my life.  From almost getting hit by cars because I didn’t want to stop pedaling during a bike session, to trying to keep up the with guy in the next lane, I have pushed myself too hard at times because of my ego.  I have tried to push myself to a level that I hadn’t trained for during a race and have ended up injuring myself. On the other side of this coin, I have felt too tired after a hard day’s work and decided to skip a workout. I could have done some cross-training or stretching so that I could have counted it as an active recovery day.

As you go out and train or race today.  Remember these words, “Endurance is patience concentrated.”  Be patient my fellow triathletes and good things will come our way.  And even if difficulty shall befall us, we will have the right mental fortitude to be patient and endure.      

If you are interested in learning about mediation for triathletes, please check out my article here.