For Starters, Breathe.

I went down to watch the start of Ironman Arizona today.  

Here's a little glimpse as the cannon went off.

After positioning myself at the bike exit, I watched as swimmers became cyclists who screamed out of T1 with panic in their eyes.  Some of them didn't have their chin straps fastened.  Some struggled with their clipped in cycling shoes.  Some tried to pass in the small confines of a single file cycling shoot.  RARELY, did they come out of T1 with a calm, relaxed demeanor.

PANIC!  STRESS!  ANXIETY!  These can all be part of an Ironman day.  But none of these were helpful to today's competitors. It was very evident that most of these athletes were running on crisis mode instead of systematically and logically pacing themselves toward their goal.


I know this is a race, but unless you are a pro, a frantic sprint through the transition zones can only cause problems in this long, long day.  RELAX.  FOCUS.  BREATHE.  It applies to triathletes.  It can be applied to life.  We're all better when we are sure of ourselves.  Push the panic away.  Point yourself in the right direction.  Then "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!"