There I was, lined up on the dock in the Toronto Harbor, waiting to jump in the water to start my race. This was my first big race, a qualifier for the amateur worlds. If I placed in the top 10, I could race as an amateur for Team Canada in 2014.
So there I stood, nervous beyond measure. The stakes were high, and I sucked at swimming. There were no swim warm-ups... just another aspect to amp up my anxiety.
The announcer's voice broke my thoughts. "Athletes, get in the water. 30 seconds until you start."
I jumped in the water, and despite it being July, it was ice cold. The temperature shock caused me to lose my breath, and panic kicked in.
The gun went off - time to race, but I couldn't even breathe!
The crowd swam past me. I was left behind, unable to calm my breathing enough to settle into a front crawl. I had two choices: backstroke or get out. I chose backstroke.
Ugh... talk about the slowest, most excruciating swim ever.
I got out of the water dead last, with my head so frozen I couldn't even run properly to transition.
When I got there, all the bikes were gone.
It meant one thing: "Michelle, you are dead last. You're not going to Worlds next year."
I could feel the lump in my throat forming as I fought back angry, frustrated tears of disappointment. I didn't even want to continue.
I just wanted to drop, put my head in my knees, and cry.
Despite feeling utterly defeated and embarrassed, my body kept moving as if giving up wasn't an option.
The beginning of this race was all uphill, but I didn't even notice. First, because hills are easy for me, and second, I was in such a victim-energy-infused trance I didn't even notice what was happening around me... not fully.
I passed a bunch of bikers but was thinking, "Why can't you just swim like everyone else?"
I passed a whack more but was thinking, "It's just a choice. Everyone is fighting the same conditions; choose differently."
I passed yet, another bunch and thought, "Damn, I think that guy is going to lose his balance and fall over"
That's what happens; you go so slow up a hill you literally fall over! Poor Guy.
Suddenly my mind switched, "Most racers suck at hills, but you're awesome on hills!"
Right, this bike course is literally uphill the first half and downhill the second half!
And bam, Strategy Michelle woke up.
You can pass a ton of racers on this hill, rest the whole way down, and because you recover so fast, you can be fresh for the run. You'll also pass loads of people down the hill because you have the guts to descend hills at 80+ km an hour.
And just like a horse out of the gate at the Kentucky Derby, "it was on."
When I entered the transition, my husband, full of encouragement, shouted, "I think you're about 18th!"
And bam, just like that, another boost of energy.
"8 to pass, make it 10 for good measure.... ok, redline this shit; it's just 5k."
In amateur triathlon, your age group is written on the back of your left calf, so as I came up on other female racers, I could see that they were in my age category.
I could feel the adrenaline boost every time I passed someone in my category.
"1.... 2.... 3...."
It took about an hour after crossing the finish line before the race organizers posted the results.
"If you're too busy looking at how everybody else is great at something you're not and then are judging or condemning yourself for it, you'll miss recognizing the opportunities that allow you to use your unique strength."
Eighth Place. Qualified.
And that's the thing about strategy - whether we're talking about personal, team, or company strategy. The foundations are the same.
You have something that makes you unique, something that you can leverage that is yours and yours alone.
If you're too busy looking at how everybody else is great at something you're not and then are judging or condemning yourself for it, you'll miss recognizing the opportunities that allow you to use your unique strength."
But to do that, you first need to know who you are, what you stand for, and what makes you unique.
Michelle Nicole Martin
Leadership Coach & Consultant
Top Small Business Voice on LinkedIn
