Delayed Gratification

"Finishing strong is a very satisfying form of delayed gratification." --Gordo

I love reading Gordo Byrn's website and blog, since he is very good at putting into words many concepts and observations about sports and triathlon that I could not. The March 27th posting talks about descending sets in the pool specifically (but I think it may apply to all 3 sports), and how the inability to do that may be due to the practice of training in a higher zone than most athletes realize. It shows up when people fade toward the end of a workout and are unable to really conquer the tough sets.

I find this to be very interesting, since I feel like I am so slow to warm up in group rides and runs (maybe swims too?). I often feel pushed at the beginning with the starting paces, only to find that after 30 miles on the bike or a few repeats on the track, the group starts slowing down just as I feel start feeling good. This used to bother me, since as Gordo says, "most athletes cannot wait to show their strength." I wanted to get out in front and show everyone how fast I am (yeah, ha ha, I know). But it certainly hurt my pride when I was falling behind. Then I started noticing that I was stronger at the end, and I want to be strong at the end of my races, too.

It really is about delayed gratification. In training, you don't need to prove yourself to your training partners and friends; they'll know how fast you are on race day. In the race, it's not who can do the first 5k of the marathon fastest, it's who can hold on and not spend it all before they get to the finish line. Why is this so hard for me to remember? If I can just remember this simple concept, it'll be so worth it in the end!