Let’s Admit We Have Limitations

Lance on balance on the three disciplines, and more in triathlons.

It is fun to think that, most times, we have few limitations (after we have climbed a mountain, or run the long race). It is so easy to allow ourselves to be misled by positive psychology (through self-help books and DVDs) to think that we can accomplish almost everything if we put our minds to it. It would be careless and irresponsible to run a marathon with little preparation. Sure you can finish it by walking fast, however you will not meet your goals, if you are purposeful about it.

It is easy to fall prey to the mindset and attitude that you can accomplish almost anything if you have made personal breakthroughs in your recreation and your profession. Completing a marathon or Ironman triathlon can place you in a place of perceived ‘most potential’, yet you can get hurt if you, suddenly, place unusual demands on your body. We can fall ill through extreme climate, tough terrain, poor nutritional assistance, and accident. Working through a serious injury or illness can be debilitating and destructive to your psyche and physical condition.

How do you know your limits? Sometimes, it is intuitive; other times, it is observed. I realize that if I train more than two days in a row, I may risk straining my vocal cords, and suffer a diminished speaking/teaching voice. Thus I now integrate a day of rest between two consecutive teaching days. The same goes for endurance training. I used to have one day off in a week, however I now have two days of rest for every 10-12 days of hard training. I am in my forties, and I learn that I will often take up to three days for full recovery after a hard race. On average, we need one day of rest for each decade of our adulthood if we indulge in endurance training and racing.

We place limits on ourselves so as to protect ourselves from injury, illness or death. Certain limitations are self-imposed, and training and preparation extends our reach for those limits. Train often, at specific intensities, recover fully, and you can challenge yourself to go faster, stronger or higher.

Congratulations, Clifford Lee of Singapore for qualifying for Kona in the Legacy Lottery! You will need to complete a minimum of 12 M-Dot series full Ironman triathlon races to be consider for this new entry. He will be the first Singaporean in years to have earned this choice drawing. We wish him well in his training and preparation.

The Difference Between Can and Cannot Is More Than Spelling

‘If you think you can or cannot – you’re right.’ ~ HENRY FORD

Can or cannot – those are self-limitation words. Will or won’t – choices of intention.

Self-imposed limitations are arrived at by our beliefs and experiences. Perception and attitude are also components of limiting beliefs. What we say to ourselves, and others, on a regular basis can have dire impact when others believe us. Tell a lie long enough and it becomes the truth!

What stops you from approaching something? Is it fear? Where does this fear stem from? Will you be able to get past this fear, by moving forwards?

We can move towards something, or away from it. These are parts and pathways of our motivations. Our motivation engages to move, and do something about a cause, or what matters to us. The force to move must be compelling enough to make us move, or else stasis leads to inactivity and nothing. You have to crank your pedals harder (at a high gear) if you are to get over the crest of the steep hill, or spin faster at a lower gear. Alternatively, you may have to push the bike up or be stalled by the roadside.

If you have a belief that people are stealing your jobs, then perhaps, you may have a belief that you are dispensable. ‘Nobody is indispensable’ is a belief that not everybody shares. Why is it that some of us continue to be sought after for our skill-sets and competencies? Is it due to an X-Factor? Is it due to appearance or connections? Is it due to luck, destiny or karma?

It is a mystery that some people put themselves in a strategically inferior position. They tend to live on tactics, yet fail to realize their strategy/strategies. Putting things in the hands of chance can be a risky proposition; a calculated risk may be more sound and sensible. Seek higher ground so that you can appraise and appreciate the situation from above. Go down to the ground when you want to connect with others, and their concerns.

Leadership Lessons: How do you know if you gave of your best? Was it based on fatigue? Pain? How did you know you dug deep inside you to create your results? If you fail in your results, can you still succeed on another level?

‘Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion.’ ~ MUHAMMAD ALI