You have one obligation - to follow your personal legend.
What separates those that are at the top of their craft from the rest is their ability to bring and give their best effort to every given situation. The best get the best because they DO their best. They are compelled to apply themselves in the best possible way, no exceptions. They don’t look for shorts cuts, instead they seek all the things required to achieve what they want. They seek to fulfil the one obligation that we have in life, to follow their personal legend. “People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”- Paulo Coelho
I’ve been fortunate in meeting and working with some incredible people who were following their personal legend. Ryan Bourke was one of those people. He was a guy who gave his all in the pursuit of making himself and the athletes he worked with, the best they could be. I stood next to Ryan on deck at the pool on a Monday for the last 18months and saw this first hand as our squads swam next to each other. He never wavered in his commitment to his athletes to ensure they all got the best he could give. He was also in my eyes a guy who put himself out there in the pursuit of living his own personal legend and getting the most out of life.
Much focus is put on the end outcomes and results in triathlon. Athletes look to set goals, bench marks, thresholds ect that when achieved in their mind will mean they are ‘ready’. Often the day to day training leading to that point is trivial in their mind and something that needs to be done away with as quickly as possible so they can achieve the ‘next level’. Overlooked is the process to achieve great outcomes, giving your best to every task. Don’t mistake giving your best as always high effort and intensity. The best also know how to do easy and relaxed best. Athletes can become fixated on what is ahead rather than looking after first things first, the here and now.
Doing things well doesn’t start and end when training starts and finishes. I’ve found I get a far better indicator of an athletes long term results by watching how they conduct themselves on and off the track. Are they on time? Do they run to the bottom of the hill after each hill rep or swim all the way to the wall? How they react and respond to feedback or when something doesn’t go to plan.
It’s important to remember what you want to get out of your time in sport. Following your personal legend is rarely a straight line and will have its twists and turns. It’s individual and it is important to remember that. It doesn’t matter if you are the mum of 3 or the single working professional, holding true to your ‘legend’ despite setbacks and deviations is key while giving your best with your available time and resources. This will without a doubt deliver your best outcomes. What shouldn’t be individual is how we react when we are given opportunities. With opportunity comes obligation, an obligation to be and do our best.