There is only one thing you can control....

And that is your attitude.  On the beach of Coeur d'Alene in 2008, my first Ironman, this is what Mike Reilly said to the crowd, and I have never forgotten those wise words. 

From my personal experience in racing Kona to watching the Men's WC in Kona, Ironman Sacramento, and St. George 70.3 World Championships on the group, I have seen a lot of racing.

Each race brings its own challenges: heat, wind, cold wind, and extreme cold... you name it.   We can do our best to prepare for what we think may happen, but ultimately you are faced with what Mother Nature orchestrates on the day of your race.

What can you control?  Of course, leading up to the race, you can do the best you can to train, practice nutrition, simulate the weather, etc., but once you are on the ground race week, you have to leave that behind.   You can control your energy expenditure that week, both physical and mental.

Running all over town, socializing, doing last-minute shopping and final race prep at the 11th hour takes a physical toll.  But what takes a bigger toll is your attitude.  Freaking out, near panic attacks, scrolling the FB group to "crowdsource," and allowing Social Media to pull you down is exhausting, and YOU can control all of that.

For many, this goes back to training.  We train the swim. bike, run, and hopefully, nutrition regularly.  But how do we train our "attitude."  How do you respond when a workout goes South, the weather does not cooperate, technology fails, and you get 4 flat tires?   Looking back at those times can help you prepare for challenges/adversity on race day.  

Great listen on positive vs negative.  https://www.ted.com/talks/alison_ledgerwood_a_simple_trick_to_improve_positive_thinking    

 For many, it is the end of the season, so it's the off-season/pre-season.  Before you put the TT bike into hibernation, take the time to reflect on 2022.

Here is how I look at my year and ask the same of my athletes- this is the beginning, but it starts the reflection process; once that is done, we move to look forward. Setting goals and intentions or 2023 comes after we reflect on 2022. 

• Overall feeling about your year?   This is an emotional, first-reaction response, 
• What goals did you hit? Why
• What did you miss?  Why
• What did you not do that you should have done?
• What did you do that you should not have done? 
• What did you learn this year?
• What needs to change for next season?
• What needs to stay the same?