Quiet Confidence
Any major national or international triathlon always brings with it an excitement that is truly tangible, at the Ironman World Championship in Kona it is so thick you can drown in it. I remember my first Ironman in Florida in 2006 and I was blown away by the energy and enthusiasm, not to mention in aw of the ridiculous level of fitness of many of the competitors. I found myself feeling very overwhelmed and self-doubt began to creep in. Hours of time spent training preparing were put in jeopardy because I allowed my confidence to be rattled. My coach, Kurt Perham, has a great saying, and I paraphrase “Everyone at an Ironman expo is lying, they are lying about how much training they have done or how little training they have done.” This is really an issue of confidence and I can assure you the loudest athletes are the most insecure. All I can say is at Kona I will enjoy the energy and visit the expo for a short time and avoid boisterous triathletes as much as possible. Instead of being rattled or overwhelmed by pre-race and expo excitement and energy, I internalize it, and use it on race day. I use previous race experiences and results to build and exude quiet confidence. This is not to say I am one of those aloof, arrogant triathletes, as they are just as insecure as the loud ones. My advice; at major races visit the expo early, take in a little energy and then save it for later. Trust your training and your preparation; don’t do anything during race week that was not in the original taper plan. Confidence is a major factor on race day and it begins as soon as you get to the race venue.
Thanks for reading!
