Day 10.198 Practice, Produce and Perfect

PRACTICE IT (P1). Practice the things we do in all phases of our game. Practice the things we do not do well more than the things that we do. Shouldn't come as a huge surprise that I do TEN TIMES more cycling than swimming. Which would you suppose I am better at? Which do I enjoy more? What is my limiter? This is part scheduling, part structure and part discipline. This has to be done - assuming you want to see improvement, and especially if you want to move towards the pointy part of your age group in multi-sport events. Practice it disclaimer: Some folks have a 'just finish'  strategy. They are not interested in competing for fame and fortune. They possess neither the DNA to qualify for Kona nor the time or money it takes. They want to burn calories, improve their fitness and stay healthy. We do not all race and we are all not obsessed with going faster or longer. Even if you will most likely never compete for an age group win in an Ironman event, the physical activity you choose for health and fitness can be improved upon by putting the P1 principal into play.

PRODUCE IT (P2). Manufacture the energy necessary to physically place yourself at the start line. It has been suggested that showing up is half the battle. We have been cycling indoors as a group for over ten years. We do it at 0530. Not so much because we like that time of day, are morning people or our biorhythms are optimal then, but because we are all busy and find this hour 'available'. We produce the energy to get to the dojo. Once there we produce some serious wattage and group bonding. We get it done. One of my favorite bromides from year's past is a terrific campaign from the US Army. You remember the one: We get more things done by 9am than most folks do in a day. Produce results. P2 in the game.

PERFECT IT (P3). Practice makes perfect right? No. You can practice wrong, sloppily, lackadaisically, inattentively, incorrectly and ambivalently. These all reinforce the already unbalanced commitments you call practice. If you are not going to practice with 100% focus, 100% commitment and 100% awareness and willingness to improve, you are going through, what we call, the motions. There has to be heart and there has to be soul involved. Or go home, think about it, make a decision and come back tomorrow ready to change. Or not. Maybe you should be a sales clerk or a janitor. Nothing wrong with that. If that is your case this is probably not the place you want to be. Come back if and when you have made your decision. And good luck, seriously, we all hope to see you again working with us. We'll be here, working towards P3.

Practicing, producing and perfecting.