In the World of IRONMAN Racing, competing, and everyday life
Sam Long, a current IRONMAN Competitor, has an incredible story on race results that parallels this theory.
RACE RESULTS
There are thousands of great stories about racers having their best day ever and achieving their best race results to end in never returning to compete again. Some racers have their worst day and return to the field better than ever the next time with better race results. Others can experience a one-time triumph and struggle to ever recapture the same race result experience. I’ve been there, you’ve been there, we’ve all been there and sometimes it takes a completely different set of circumstances for you to be your best and receive your desired race results. Let’s take a look at a current race result example of having a “worst race day” and then “best race day”.
SAM LONG’S WORST & BEST
Sam Long, Boulder resident and professional Triathlete, had a similar race result experience last month. He went from the worst (race) day ever, to the absolute best (race) day ever! Sam bears his best and worst race results complete with colorful expressions on his YouTube page, Go Long With Sam Long. Like many athletes broadcasting on the internet, he is honest about his race results, expectations, and how it all goes from the top and to the bottom of his racing career.
Tulsa
A month ago Sam Long competed in IRONMAN Tulsa claims to have been more prepared than any other race. Sam did his best training prior and had a perfect prerace protocol but claimed to have made many errors while racing that placed him at the bottom of the field, way below his race result expectations. Sam expressed this to be one of his worst days ever and dissatisfied with his race results. He showed up prepared and things just didn’t come together. Let’s see what happened just about a month later at Coeur d’Alene.
Coeur d’Alene
Preparation for IRONMAN Coeur D’Alene began after IRONMAN TULSA. Sam trained well and was on his way to the race when the delays started. His flight was canceled, he arrived with a missing registration, the weather was unseasonably hot, and his pre-race protocol was anything but structured. On race day Sam came out slightly behind his target on his swim but made his way confidently onto the bike where he knew he had an advantage. His tire became punctured on the first leg of the course, and he decided to continue racing with very low tire pressure. The temperature climbed to over 100 degrees at the onset of the run, but Sam pressed in and held on for the marathon achieving his best time and breaking the course record while winning the race. Sam would say this was his best day and best race results.
THE LESSON ON RACING
This is an example of when it all comes together on a given day – the hard work and preparation pay resulting in desired race results! These events help us remember those days when we did the same level of preparation, and it didn’t work out so well. So, what is the lesson here? In my decade of consistent racing, I’ve learned to always be prepared for the best that life will allow and continue to give my best. I try to stay consistent each day and look at life from year to year, not day-by-day. One can experience a great race result one day and have poor race results the next. That’s life! Many have said it’s not about how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up!
NEXT STEPS for RACE PREP
Many great racers will say you should always race your own race, but the tendency is to race against competitors and gauge your best effort against theirs. When training and hard work come together at the same time on a race day you will feel accomplished, motivated, and know you have one of the best days ever! With these great highs may also come humbling lows, which, as you will learn, is part of the process. Enjoy it, embrace it and keep showing up to fight another day!
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