Celebrate Your Wins
“Identify the moments when you should lift your head up for a minute, break focus and raise a glass.”
When I crossed the finish line in Rotterdam at ITU Age Group World Championships I encountered the usual flood of emotions:
- pride
- euphoria
- confusion
- shock
- disappointment
- doubt
- indifference
Did I lose you with the last three? Let me explain.
Having my family and friends there was amazing and I could not have been happier to be one of the top triathletes for my age group in the world. I came in 11th in the world for my age group, had the fastest bike, and the 4th fastest run, which was certainly nothing to be sad about. But that could not stop my competitive side from immediately wondering if I could have done better. How was my swim? What if my bag was where I put it in T1? How much time did I lose looking for my shoes in T2? Who wasn't at this race that could have beat me?
This is not a new series of thoughts to me. It happened in a similar fashion all season, and even when I was a runner, but I did something different this time. I stopped listening to my internal analysis and decided that I would celebrate this win. I worked all season in PT, in the pool, at the track, on my trainer for hours and weeks and months for this moment and I performed to my ability with the fitness and knowledge I had. And that is worth celebrating with the people I love.
Post-race with the family
It was an important moment for me. In every day life and as an athlete sometimes it's important to break from our inherent desire to constantly analyze, improve and downplay our performances. Instead, put that natural instinct aside, lift your head, and celebrate with those who support you. Before you know it, you'll be back to that grind, that analysis, that competition. It's those celebratory moments and senses of accomplishment that are rare. If you can't take the time to acknowledge them, what's the point of all the hard work?
