You are stronger than you think you are.

This is a quote that I often add into presentations to folk who are contemplating diving into a quest of self improvement, but have yet to take the next steps. It is simple, yet powerful, and at last week’s Napa Training Camp I saw this in action in a powerful way. It is important that I share this story, in hopes it can be a catalyst of daring for you, and inspire you to take on a personal challenge. 

At camp we welcomed a broad range of athletes for a few days of skills, education and challenging training. Once again, it was a magical experience, and we saw so many examples of individual growth across the camp. The prime example was from a newer athlete, Lauren. Lauren is new to the sport, and has successfully completed a couple of Olympic Distance races. She enjoys the three disciplines, but has yet to truly discover her potential, nor really been physically challenged with accumulated fatigue from training.  Her longest ride before camp was about 40 miles, and we knew that the experience was going to stretch her. I told all of the campers on the first day that our mission, as coaches, was to challenge everyone but ensure they were successful.

After the initial few days of camp Lauren had done exceptionally well, even knocking off a 50 mile ride amidst all the other swimming, running and strength.  She was tired. Really tired.  The problem was that our biggest ride was set for the following morning, with the faster group of athletes planning 85 miles, the rest of the riders going 60 miles or so. These miles would include plenty of hills and a nice dose of Napa heat. A tough day loomed. Lauren pinged me the evening prior with this message: ‘I have loved riding, but it has caught up with me. I am exhausted and plan to rest tomorrow’. As the head coach, how should I respond?  I let her know that I would plan to see her in the morning, dressed in full cycling gear and ready to ride. Not the answer she likely wanted to see.  In the morning Lauren was a little down, and very hesitant to get out and ride. Some might say I wasn’t her favorite person, and I knew she was in a dark place. I asked her to just start, with no expectations. Take her time, enjoy being outside and finish 10 miles, then assess. We had support and coaches, so it was a safe environment to at least try. To not back off. With gloom across her face, Lauren took off on the ride.

A couple of hours later I passed Lauren, who was riding with Purple Patch coach Morgan. I came alongside and checked in.  She was smiling. After a couple of words of encouragement I asked her to keep going as much of the route as she wished. It was already a success.

The end result of this story was at the wonderful dinner we had that evening, in a beautiful ranch setting in Napa. I stood to make a speech and give out the usual awards for camp performance. I got teary when I told Lauren’s story, and the whole group celebrated her efforts, which culminated in Lauren just keeping on going.  She decided to finish the ride. Not the 60 miler, but the 85 mile option! She rode, and rode, and rode. She felt better and better, and finished exhausted but exhilarated.

So why did I force Lauren to ride that day?  A couple of reasons:

• She hasn’t felt fatigue like this before in sport, so I believe there would be a difference between how she felt, and what she could do.
• I knew that later that day we would all be celebrating the big day at the evening dinner, and if she had missed the ride in entirety she would feel flat, upset and a mild failure (despite her great efforts already).
• If she backed off the challenge that day, it would only amplify future challenges and make backing down a habit.  This was a safe environment to really challenge herself.

The moral?  Yes, you are indeed stronger than you think you are. We can all do extraordinary things. Special personal triumphs that can build performance and confidence. More than this, we often say sports are a great metaphor for life, and the prime reason this story choked me up was the truth that Lauren’s experience can extend well beyond pushing through fatigue in sport. This can be a catalyst of confidence in life, and that makes it special.

I would call it a very Purple Patch experience, and a big part of the fabric of why we love to do what we do.

Cheers,

Matt