Setting the Mood

I recently had a conversation with a co-worker about the lunch hour massage I have scheduled for today and she asked if I was going to listen to Kenny G during my massage, jokingly of course. That got me to thinking. Not about the smooth stylings of Kenny G, but about creating the right mood to do well. I think that everyone knows the Ironman, or any activity for that matter, requires the right mental state to be successful. Think about that for a minute. Preparing for a test, preparing for a big meeting, competing in a triathlon all require the right mental state. We train so hard for months and years to participate in some of these events so that on game day we have everything in place to be successful. Everything. How many people approach it like that though? Race day should not require some gargantuan effort well beyond anything you have experienced in your training. Race day should be about knocking it out just like you prepared to do. If everything goes well you might even have a breakthrough performance. In the very least you should not be surprised by the results. On race day, you should know that you can finish.