Lessons Learned From The Middle Of The Pack

Lessons Learned From The Middle Of The Pack

An ultra is not a competition. It is much more. When you finish a race having won it, it happens many times that you are not satisfied. You're happy, but that's it. And the next day, you see people arriving at the square and you see they are crying with joy and happiness. Then you think: Look at them, man, they really won. ~ Kilian Jornet

Athletics have always been a part of my life. As a youth I participated and competed in solo and team sports until the end of high school often with great success and many victories.

After high school I remained active, occasionally playing in various teams sports but never really competing again until in my twenty’s when like many, I wanted to run a marathon. Leading up to the race, I trained with a friend following a simple program running alone or together until race day.

Following my successful marathon endeavor I continued with triathlons, running and cycling events with the highlight being three Ironman finishes in five years. In all of my adult pack sport pursuits, I competed with all my heart. I have never won or medaled, however the life lessons I have learned from the middle of the pack lead my life today.

1. Controlling the uncontrollable. Competition brings out the demons inside especially when we have no control over the outcome. Have you ever participated in a sport with someone and found yourself staring at them like you had no clue who that other person was?

I once went golfing with a boyfriend who off the course was the most polite, mild mannered gentleman…however on the course became a cursing, club throwing, bag tossing circus act. I immediately wondered, where does that come from and when will that come out again!!

Sportsmanship defines the person you are, not the athlete you want to be.

2. Be a graceful champion. I train with some amazing athletes. Some in fact are at the top of their sport. What impresses me the most is not how many times they win a race or crush their competition but rather how they handle their success. To many competitive athletes there is no such thing as the thrill of the sport. If you are a competitor that has achieved a certain level of success in your athletic endeavors, just having a social activity can be near impossible. A hike to the top of a hill becomes an anaerobic sprint, the social ride becomes a mini Tour de France climbing exhibition, and who knew that you could start a race walk to the front of a restaurant?

As someone who will never see the front of a race, the times when elite athletes participate and downshift to my pace speaks volumes of the person they are. Not every ride or run is a training event and recognizing that fitness will not be lost on a “social” activity says a lot about the character of the individual.

Champions are defined by how graceful they are in life not just how they win races.

3. Keep things simple. As athletes many times things are overcomplicated. The equipment that is used, the diets that are followed, the training programs, the monitoring of every heartbeat, and calorie burned. The pureness of sport, the simple thrill of cycling down a road or running in the woods ignites the competitor in all of us. In our pursuit of excellence we often lost sight of why we are doing the particular sport or activity and what it means to us outside of victories or accolades.

When we keep things simple, focus on the journey and the experiences along the way it far exceeds any accomplishments we achieve.

4. Patience in sport and in life. Often we hear of athletes cutting corners, cheating or being less than honorable in competition. They trade a minute of glory for a lifetime of shame. All levels of sport have been affected by drugs and scandals. In the pursuit of glory, athletes sacrifice themselves for the success they seek. Life lessons come in small doses, when we least expect it or as a result of experiences we have had. There is no short cut, no magical solution and even if we do try to take the easy way out, it usually comes back to teach us another lesson in the future.

Patience, hard work and a positive attitude are the only true ingredients leading to success.

Whether you are at the front, middle or back of the pack in life or in sports, events are often uncontrollable and unpredictable. The roll of a putt in golf, the flat tire on a bike ride, or the stomach upset when running are all things that just happen.

In life we have varying degrees of control. I may not be able to control outcomes or situations, but I can control my response to these situations and show grace and character in my actions and words. What defines the person we are is how we respond in these situations.

Giving your best in life is just as important as in sport. I may not be first, I might even be closer to last, however I often do it with more grace, dignity and class than many of the champions and leaders I compete and work alongside.

If you are prepared to win at all costs, what is left?