With less than two weeks until the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship, there's a lot of nervous energy going around. This 70.3 "World" Championship event is a bit unique in that the majority of the participants will not be international athletes but instead, representing USA. Certainly this is understandable as we are still in a global pandemic and each country has different guidelines, rules and regulations for travel and quarantine. When an event is in your home country, it makes it a bit easier to travel to.
Although there was still a qualification process for every participant in this event, I've encountered many athletes who feel less deserving of qualifying because of the greater number of slots available at North America 70.3 events.
At Trimarni, we will have over 20 athletes participating in this event (including me, Karel and our assistant coach Joe). We ordered team shirts and tanks, we have team events planned and we are super excited to share this experience with our athletes. When several of our athletes received a "roll down" slot or a Women for Tri slot, it was as if they felt they didn't belong at the event because they didn't "earn" it outright - let's say by placing in the top 5 of their respective age group. Some athletes received a slot after what they would describe as a "horrible" race whereas others received a slot several months later, and felt too embarrassed to take the slot. But for each reason to not take the slot, we encouraged our athletes to accept their slot to the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah on September 18th.
If you are an athlete who feels as if you don't belong at a World Championship event or any other event, especially due to unique circumstances, it's important to know that you belong.
You worked hard to get to a higher level in your sport.
You made the time to improve your skills and technique.
You put in the many hours of training.
And you were in the right place at the right time. Sure, it could be a bit from a bit of luck or based on chance but being in the right place at the right time is not just a matter of proximity. If you aren't prepared, it doesn't matter what situation you find yourself in.
You belong and don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
As an athlete, believing in yourself is important. Without confidence, it's easy to look for reasons why you don't belong or excuses as to why you will fail.
You belong. To perform to your full abilities on race day, list the reasons why you belong. For example, you hired a sport dietitian to work on your nutrition. You put in extra time to work on your skills. You are mentally strong. You have worked really hard to get to where you are today.
Remind yourself that you may make mistakes, things may not go as planned, you will have obstacles to overcome and you may struggle. These things don't happen to athletes because they don't belong. Ever athlete has setbacks and struggles before and on race day.
Although there was still a qualification process for every participant in this event, I've encountered many athletes who feel less deserving of qualifying because of the greater number of slots available at North America 70.3 events.
At Trimarni, we will have over 20 athletes participating in this event (including me, Karel and our assistant coach Joe). We ordered team shirts and tanks, we have team events planned and we are super excited to share this experience with our athletes. When several of our athletes received a "roll down" slot or a Women for Tri slot, it was as if they felt they didn't belong at the event because they didn't "earn" it outright - let's say by placing in the top 5 of their respective age group. Some athletes received a slot after what they would describe as a "horrible" race whereas others received a slot several months later, and felt too embarrassed to take the slot. But for each reason to not take the slot, we encouraged our athletes to accept their slot to the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah on September 18th.
If you are an athlete who feels as if you don't belong at a World Championship event or any other event, especially due to unique circumstances, it's important to know that you belong.
You worked hard to get to a higher level in your sport.
You made the time to improve your skills and technique.
You put in the many hours of training.
And you were in the right place at the right time. Sure, it could be a bit from a bit of luck or based on chance but being in the right place at the right time is not just a matter of proximity. If you aren't prepared, it doesn't matter what situation you find yourself in.
You belong and don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
As an athlete, believing in yourself is important. Without confidence, it's easy to look for reasons why you don't belong or excuses as to why you will fail.
You belong. To perform to your full abilities on race day, list the reasons why you belong. For example, you hired a sport dietitian to work on your nutrition. You put in extra time to work on your skills. You are mentally strong. You have worked really hard to get to where you are today.
Remind yourself that you may make mistakes, things may not go as planned, you will have obstacles to overcome and you may struggle. These things don't happen to athletes because they don't belong. Ever athlete has setbacks and struggles before and on race day.
Rise up to the level of your nearest competition instead of feeling intimated by others. Don't waste your precious energy by making comparisons, worrying about how you think others will think of/about you or doubting your abilities because you feel you don't belong.
Don't feel the need to seek social approval from others. Avoid the tendency to throw out excuses before you give yourself an opportunity to test your abilities. Believe in yourself. Trust your training. Race for yourself. Celebrate this special opportunity.
Don't feel the need to seek social approval from others. Avoid the tendency to throw out excuses before you give yourself an opportunity to test your abilities. Believe in yourself. Trust your training. Race for yourself. Celebrate this special opportunity.
You belong.