How would you answer the question, “What kind of an athlete are you?” Your answer might be, “Not a very good one.” Or, “Well, I’m learning and getting better.” Or, “I’ve been racing for 10 years and I’ve improved every year. I qualified for Nationals this year!”
A key component in choosing your goals for this upcoming
season is that very question, “What kind of athlete are you?” What do I mean?
Well, there are different “kinds” of athletes. As mentioned, fast, kind-a fast,
middle-of-the-packer or, “I pick up the orange cones coming down the finish
line shoot.” So there are many different kinds and levels of endurance athletes…newbies,
somewhat advanced, super-experienced…male/female…$10K bike athletes and Walmart
bike athletes.
But, we’re not talking about any of those kinds. We’re talking
about an athlete’s outlook. Your “why.” What’s your reason for getting up at
4:30am, driving for at least an hour, carrying 1,000 lbs. of gear to a fenced-in
corral, waiting in long lines to use a port-a-potty that might smell like a pig
farm, have someone write on your body with a thick magic marker and then jump
into a dark, cold lake amidst hundreds of others splashing all around you?? The
answer depends on the kind of athlete you are. Let’s consider three and their
goals. Can you find yourself?
ONE - The “Not-Without-My-Friend”
Athlete. This athlete loves to train and race…as long as it’s with
his/her friends. Almost every workout is with someone. The joy doesn’t come
from time spent pounding the pavement, in the saddle, 100m repeats or the
starter’s airhorn, but WHO is going along. Skip a workout? If it’s solo, sure.
No problem. If with friends, no way! Same for a race. If certain friends are
doing it, then this athlete is IN no matter what the registration fee or travel
distance. This athlete’s primary goal is simply - to enjoy others…to enjoy the
experience socially. The side benefits are increased fitness and health but
those things don’t drive them. Friendships, relationships and the social
component is the primary reason they’re an athlete.
If this is you…?
Good! Enjoy! Socialize! Your friends enlarge your heart and fill you up.
Awesome. Keep racing for that reason and you’ll stay in the game a long time!
(As long as, well, you’re not a jerk and have no friends.)
TWO – The “Fitness Freak” Athlete.
This person LOVES working out. They do endurance races, but the reason is because
they know they’ll be more fit after they race and recover. They race almost
solely for the fitness and respiratory/cardio improvement. BTW, they also do
CrossFit, Pilates, hot yoga, spin classes, weight lifting, group exercise
classes, have all aerobic torture contraptions known to man and anything else
that will get their heartrate up or build muscle. And, of course they have a
one-on-one personal trainer.
They monitor everything they do and eat, keeping track of
every aspect of life’s activities including total steps, time spent sitting,
caloric intake and their heart rate 20x/day. They are often techno-geeks owning
everything “smart” that’s been invented. Their goal? Well, they really don’t
care who else shows up on race day or how they place in their age group, they
just can’t wait to download every ounce of data when they home, analyze it and
then decide how to get, yes, more fit.
If this is you…? Lighten up for Pete sake! Ha. Just kidding.
Go for it. Enjoy the endless numbers, math and strategy. Get that next FTP test
done along with your new BMI test. Be encouraged when your power is up 2 watts
or you really nail that WOD! If improved fitness is your main “Why,” then go
for it. Just try to look up from your Garmin every now and then so you don’t
trip and fall on that next run!
THREE – The “Get-Outta-My-Way-Or-I’ll-Run-You-Over”
Athlete. This person…well, I really don’t need to tell you much
about THIS athlete. They arrive race morning and their game-face is ON, with that
killer, focused look in their eyes. They arrive at least 30 min. before
transition opens in the dark, first in line so they can get the best spot in
transition and have at least two hours to warm up.
If you try to engage this athlete in a pre-race conversation,
don’t expect much. One-word answers might be what you get. Why? Cause they’re
rude? Cause they’re unfriendly? Cause they don’t like you? No, not at all. It’s
because of the “kind” of athlete they are. They’re the I-will-kill-myself-to-win
kind. They race at 120%, not 100%. They hate, and I mean HATE losing…in
anything. Their will to win is immeasurable and unstoppable. IF they don’t win
or accomplish their race goal, they’ll pack up and be outta there because their
day is ruined. Out of anger, race-day afternoon, they’ll do a full workout (or
two) to let out their frustrations.
If this is you, I get it. I’ve always been very competitive,
though I do enjoy improved fitness and the endurance sports family. We need to
learn to take what our body gives us on race day. We need to smile more during
the race. We need to encourage others more before, during and after the race.
It IS possible to have a killer instinct and still be a nice guy. I think. Ha.
Enjoy your competitive nature and of course, go for it, but
enjoy the journey. I’ve had to learn to be satisfied with race outcomes even when
my very competitive goals fall short.
What “kind” of athlete are you? Did you easily find yourself
above? Yes, there are combinations of the above and yes, you can evolve from
one kind to another over time. Know your “Why.” Know the kind of athlete you
are. Know what drives you. Then, enjoy the journey towards reaching your
particular goals.
