Ironman World Championship Preview 2012:

As of next week I will be trying to keep my mind relaxed and off the competition and the magnitude of what lies before us as competitors, so this week I’ve decided to preview the World Champs (then put what I need into a mental file), looking at:

1. The Kona Ironman Course
2. The Top Professionals
3. Some of the top Age Groupers (50-54 category)
4. A few South African contenders

The Kona Ironman Course:

Well the distances are standard, so it is a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike and a 42,2km run but that is where any similarities end when comparing it to qualifying Ironman races. The swim is a one lap out and back swim and of course it is an ocean swim and as we swim fairly far out, it can be quite bumpy (swells), something I would relish as I have no fear of the Ocean (respect it I certainly do) and a bumpy sea could eliminate quite a few contenders in all divisions. It’s important to have prepared well for the swim, as you don’t want to swim 3,8km and exhaust energy reserves that will be required later in the day. It’s also a mass water start with the best in the world present, so we will have to swim water polo style for the first 400m or so.

This 180km bike has to be the most unique, yet the most different of any other Ironman bike and nobody knows what to expect, as on any given day it produces a different challenge with very extreme conditions. I have dreamt of this race, heard loads about it, read about it but absolutely nothing could have prepared me for what I have experienced to date. Raynard Tissink always warned me that this bike course could be a beast if the winds get up and I guess I experienced that on my 150km this week, witnessing training partner Kyle Buckingham being blown off the road (by the crosswinds) coming down the hill from the turnaround in Hawi. The hills, although not steep seem never ending, but the heat and humidity and of course, the winds gradually wear you down.  I will be treating this ride with loads of respect and trying to conserve energy for the run, by being as patient as possible.

The Marathon run is also a tough course, as it’s like a heat cauldron on Alii Drive, where we run about 10-12km and will be worse when it is lined with thousands of spectators. Then the run up the steep Palani Drive will sap loads of energy, before the run along the Queen K (gradual uphill most of the way) to the infamous Energy Lab, where we do about 8km in what feels like a heat furnace, before turning and returning along the Queen K to one of the best finish lines in world sport. Again, one will need to be patient if one hopes to run well when it really matters and I hope I am patient enough and have prepared well enough to be running strongly to the Finish. (As much as the Sunsets in Kona are amazing, this is one race that you want to be finished before the Sun sets)

Then of course one has to factor in the mental challenges and the heat and humidity, which not only impacts performance but also our ability to take in calories, as well as an increase in fluid loss. This can increase the chances of cramping and it will of course affect our core body temperature and ultimately the speed that we can race at. Getting here early will improve acclimatisation and lead to more efficiency in each of these departments on race day.

“The person who is afraid to risk failure seldom has to face success.” Coach John Wooden.

The Professionals:

In the men’s section both 2011 Champion Craig Alexander (the silent assassin) and 2010 Champ Chris Mc Cormack (the antagonist) are back to seek another title, pity though that Raynard Tissink has retired (thanks for inspiring so many Raynard), Lance Armstrong is serving a suspension while under investigation and Chris Lieto is recovering from an Achilles injury.

New world 70.3 champion Sebastian Kienle has thrown his name into the hat with that awesome bike performance in Las Vegas, followed by a solid enough run and the German obviously means business, as we’ve seen him on the Kona bike course a few times already. Other Pros already training in Kona (sighted) include Marino Van Hoenacker, Timo Bracht and Dirk Bokel. I guess the Raelert brothers will always be a factor while the Americans will be hoping Jordan Rapp may well be the dark horse.

Former IMSA winner Marino Van Hoenacker training on Alii Drive

The women’s race seems to be between Miranda Carfrae (another Aussie and 2010 winner), Caroline Steffen, 2012 70.3 World Champion Leanda Cave and Rachel Joyce, while America’s Kelly Williamson could be an outsider for the podium. I’m sure South Africans will be hoping for a good effort from 6 time winner Natasha Badmann, who won the Specsavers Ironman earlier this year.

My Age Category (50-54):

2012 Las Vegas winner Patrick High is a very balanced competitor, with no visible weakness and he has shown he can compete at Kona, recording a 9h35 a few years back, which included a 5h05 bike followed by a 3h23 run. Another top and consistent contender is David Boyes, who like High moves up to the 50+ category this year. Boyes recorded a 9h39 in the 45-49 category last year and that included a 5h01 bike, followed by a 3h24 marathon. Boyes has never gone slower than 9h51 in Kona over the past 4 years and is obviously a strong runner having done a 3h05 marathon in Kona when he was 46.

However,the out right favourite is probably 2009 AG winner Kevin Fergusson, who also has two runner up spots in Kona behind his name. Before I get onto Fergusson, how would you like to be in the 50-54 age category and record a time of 9h11m12 secs, with a marathon split of 3hrs 03 minutes? Well that is exactly what Toby Somerville did in the Melbourne Ironman this year, BUT it was only good enough for 3rd place. The runner up, 13 seconds up the road, was the afore-mentioned David Boyes, while Kevin Fergusson was some 9 minutes ahead, recording what is believed to be a World Age Group record of 9hrs 02 min 02. Fergusson’s splits were a 52 swim, 4h45 bike and 3h18 marathon, so I guess these Aussies will be arriving in their Superman and Batman outfits, as those are performances of Super Heroes. (Fergusson and Boyes are featured on the Kona Ironman website, as two of the best Age Goupers in Kona over the years)

While they and American Patrick High are the favourites in the 50-54 age category, there are quite a few other contenders and probably a few unknowns (to me) that may creep out of the woodwork.

Belgian Stefaan Vervisch handed me a thrashing at IMSA and is obviously a contender, as is Bill Mc Cleod of the USA, who I managed to overhaul in the final few kilometres in Las Vegas last year. German Wolfgand Schwartz finished in 9h32 in the 45-49 year category a few years back, with a 3h10 marathon and he returns to challenge, as does countryman Rainier Breur (a sub 5 hour bike last year)together with  Americans Mark Ford and Barry Lewis and Canadian Peter Buehlow.

So making the Top 5, let alone the Top 10 (out of 142 participants in our AG) will require a solid race and something I am hoping for, but first and foremost my goal is to get the Finisher’s Medal that has eluded me for 27 years.

“You may be better than the rest, but you are not a success until you have made the effort to become the best you can be.” Coach John Wooden

“Hopefully I will be able to look in the mirror and say I gave it my best, in an effort to be the best I can be, both in terms of preparation and in the race and if I can do that, then I will consider my epic Journey to have been a success. To have turned back the clock somewhat and to have overcome a few obstacles along the way, in an effort to reach the start line has taught me so much about myself, about people and about life. Now I must focus on the Finish Line!” Alec Riddle

South African contenders:

I’m not sure if any South African has ever placed in the top 3 in Kona, let alone won an Age Group title, which illustrates just how tough this Championship is, but hopefully there are a few SA contenders in 2012.

It’s always difficult to say who could challenge in one of the world’s toughest races, as one is never sure how each individuals preparation has gone, but a few have realistic chances of doing something special on the day, so I’ve highlighted three to keep an eye on.

A young man with immense talent who has proved that he can race with the best is Kyle Buckingham (25-29 and race number #1879), sponsored by Velocity Sports Lab and coached by Raynard and Natalie Tissink. I’ve done a few training sessions with Kyle and although he is still very new to the sport, he has gone sub nine hours and could challenge the best in his category.

Ken Poole (70+ and # 194) produced an awesome performance at the Specsavers Ironman and should make the podium, but will probably have to up his game to challenge for the world title. (Bumped into Ken this morning and heard he broke his collar bone 6 weeks ago, brave warrior that he is, he will still be attempting to finish the Ironman next week… Respect, as I know the pain he will endure!!)

Andre Van Heerden (55-59 and # 393) has a great running pedigree and could certainly challenge for a podium placing and if I know Andre, he will be exceptionally well prepared.

Note: The top five in Kona make the Podium!

“We don’t have to be superstars or win championships….. All we have to do is learn to rise to every occasion, give our best effort, and make those around us better as we do it.”  Coach John Wooden

Thank YOU: Am really appreciating this opportunity and would like to thank my sponsor Isuzu, as well as my employers Consolidated Financial Planning for granting me the time off to chase this dream. Also big thanks to Cytosport (The Wright Stuff), Orca, Oakley, Online Innovations for their loyal support, as well as my amazing family.

Triathletes Conrad Stoltz, Chris Lieto, Alec Riddle and Kyle Buckingham at Living Stones Church, on Alii Drive.

The significance of the 27 year dream

When I started writing my weekly journal, prior to leaving Los Angeles for Kona, Hawaii I realised that it was exactly 27 days until the Ironman World Championships. I stopped to reflect about the upcoming 27 days, as well as the number 27 and I realised that it was quite a significant number in my life.

It isn’t significant because I was born on the 27^th, but because it was 27 years ago in 1985 that I first heard of triathlon and entered a triathlon. In 1985 I think there was only one Ironman, it was in Hawaii and I dreamt of racing it.  At the age of 27 I plucked up the courage to leave the comforts of the teaching profession and head to Europe to attempt some Triathlons, only to injure my knee and return 6 months later without having done a solitary race.

So it was 27 years ago (1985) that I saw a poster advertising Port Elizabeth’s first ever Triathlon, to be sponsored by Total Sports and it would comprise a 1500m swim, a 35km bike and a 15km run.

I can recall thinking, quite  naively, that this event was made for me…. I wasn’t the worst swimmer, I had ridden a bike when I was young and I could run. All I needed was a bike and I managed to get a Le Turbo at a cost of R450 (US$35). Race day dawned and I can’t remember if it was windy, but I do recall the sea being quite choppy, but I was hopeful I could compete against the likes of Jack De Kort, Mark Edge, Ian Walland and a few other lifesavers who had taken up the challenge.

When I saw about 6 or 7 strangers amongst the masses on race day I was worried and started enquiring who they were, only to hear they were the winners of races held in other cities, including the national champion Manfred Fuchs from Durban and Paddy Murphy from Cape Town. To say I was in over my head was an understatement, especially as my biking was woeful, but fortunately the 15km run was my saviour as I made up a 7 minute deficit off the bike to win that day and then I was hooked.

I then set myself a goal of trying to win the Durban Ultra Triathlon,  hoping to qualify for the SA team to the London to Paris Triathlon Relay and the Ironman in Hawaii.

I came close, but never did win the Durban Ultra in 1985, 1986 or 1987 and gave up Triathlon in 1988 to concentrate on the Comrades Marathon. I was lured back to Triathlon, via the Leppin Ultra-Man in 1990, a series incorporating 5 ultra- distance races, including the Durban Ultra Triathlon.  I managed to win the Durban Ultra Triathlon that year, overhauling Jaco Loots and Manfred Fuchs on the 32km run and I was going to go to the Ironman in Hawaii, or so I thought.

Little did I know how much sporting isolation would put paid to that, until I received a regret letter from the organisers and that was the beginning of the end of my sporting career.  Motivation started to wane and competing for SA coastal teams vs inland teams didn’t quite cut it, but as sporting isolation contributed to change and to Mandela’s release from prison I don’t hold any regrets about that.

When we emerged out of the darkness and back into world sport, I was trying to assist the athletes I was coaching to win races and make it to the Olympics. Focussing on the athletes and their needs and neglecting myself is hardly a worthwhile excuse for allowing myself to deteriate as badly as I did, but I ballooned to a Ton and am not proud of that fact.

Most of you know that for me there was a Before and an After moment in my life. Before my Stepson’s tragedy in 2004 I was in a rut and I can assure you it was not a ‘comfort zone’ and since then it has been the After! I started out trying to run 20 minutes three times a week with Richard Sharwood and gradually progressed to running a marathon and then the Ironman. At first it was a case of trying to get fit and then that spark that was ignited by Reece’s passing, became a flame within and as I fuelled that flame with more training and progress it became a burning desire to fulfil a lifelong dream.

In 2005 at the SA Ironman awards evening I wrote on a serviette the words “in 2010 the year you turn 50, you WILL qualify for Kona!” I chased that dream with all my might and even though I did my Achilles and missed the 2006 race, I tried in 2007, missing Kona by one place. Then I had the DVT scare after the 2007 IM and missed the 2008 race. In 2009 I was fit and ready, but self-destructed and ran a 6hr 15 marathon. I recall vividly friends suggesting I give up on my Dream, as they obviously saw that I was trying too hard and I was becoming a little despondent, but I had to keep on trying.

I don’t regret much in life, because the only time the rear view mirror is of value is when you are prepared to learn from your mistakes or experiences, so I prefer to look forward. However, although I didn’t regret the sporting isolation I did regret giving up on my sporting goals a year or two too early, as the opportunities for South Africans in 1992 and beyond were bountiful and I missed every single one, because I had not persevered. So close, yet so far and 2009 was another of those watershed years…. Do I quit or do I push on?

Life is a 10 speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use…. Charles Schultz

Choosing the latter wasn’t easy, as Money Talk had just merged with Consolidated

Financial Planning with new leadership and structures and it also required the support of my family, never mind the fact that I needed to up my motivation and my training. At Ironman SA 2010 I had the race I had been dreaming of and finally qualified for Kona and the Ironman World Championships. This was it, or was it? Due to the generosity of so many friends and triathletes, I was able to go to Boulder, Colorado to prepare and I had worked hard to get myself into shape where I believed I would be a genuine contender in Hawaii. Unfortunately a bike accident (clavicle shattered into 5 pieces)  2 weeks before Kona led to me flying back to SA for a collar bone operation on my 50^th birthday, instead of to Kona to fulfil my dream.

Today is the 2^nd anniversary of that dreadful accident and it’s been two long years since that fateful day, two years of sacrificing, two years of hard training and two years of personal growth. But it’s also been two years of immense sacrifice by my family and I thank them for their support and encouragement; it’s been two years of patience by my employers, my work colleagues and my clients.

So last night we touched down in Hawaii, what a relief to finally arrive on the Big Island as I’ve followed Paula Newby Fraser’s 8  victories, Dave Scott and Mark Allen’s 6 victories and the late Keith Anderson’s effort in those earlier years. More recently I’ve followed Raynard Tissink’s epic efforts and watched Craig Alexander and Chris Mc Cormack win 5 races between the two of them.

The next 3 weeks will be crucial to what happens on the 13^th October, but I’ve learnt to focus on the process, on the journey and not so much the outcome. For me I believe I’m victorious in having finally made it to the Big Island, the next goal is to stand on the start line and take it all in. Thereafter the first goal of any Ironman athlete is to get that sought after finisher’s medal,  although believe me when I say I will give this race my absolute all in an effort to let the world’s best in my age group know that I was present.

Kulia I ka nu’u – Strive for Excellence!

The Sun setting in Kona, Hawaii

Thank You Isuzu

Las Vegas race report 2012

Sport is a great leveller and teaches us so many important lessons about Life!

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength,” according to ArnoldSchwarzenegger. 

I think one has to acknowledge that this is quite an appropriate quote and particularly apt for Ironmen athletes. Sometimes we get the outcome we desire and train so very hard for, but more often than not we struggle, we persevere, we suffer hardships, but very importantly we decide not to surrender.

One of the most significant races in my Ironman career to date was arguably the 2009 Specsavers Ironman, where I endured a 6hour 15 min marathon run to finish one of my hardest days in sport. But, it was days like that where I persevered, although I contemplated quitting, that have made all of my races since that day a little bit easier.

Most successful people in life achieve because they consciously cultivate good habits and finishing, like winning, becomes a habit. Appreciating each and every opportunity becomes a habit and there were quite a number of South Africans who were afforded the opportunity of testing themselves at the World Ironman 70.3 Championships in Las Vegas on Sunday.

There were no medals or titles for the South Africans (although ex South African Darren De Reuck now a US Citizen won Gold in the 45-49 AG) but there were lessons learnt, experiences gained and friendships forged.

The upside down flag!! L to R: Darren De Reuck (new World Champ 45-49), Alec Riddle, Abel Esterhuysen and Paul Wolff

I was up bright and early to get to the Swim start, as T1 closed at 06h00 and you could feel the excitement and tension as the American National Anthem was sung and the Pros were cut loose at 06h30. I was in wave 4 with all males 50 and older at 06h45, so it was quite a large group, but I got a reasonable start and felt I was swimming well, but was a tad disappointed with my time (same as last year).

Swim start

I had a much better Transition and got going on the bike and immediately one could feel the temperature climbing.  The conditions were certainly a little tougher on the bike this year, but I also had to work much, much harder to try and stay in touch with the leaders in my Age Group and wasn’t climbing as well as I did last year.

Biking into T2

Still managed a 2h38 bike split and dismounted 5-6 minutes off the lead going into the run, so was still quite hopeful I could make a run at the leaders, as I really think my running is better than this time last year (although it’s not showing just yet).

The run was like a furnace with the temperature climbing to 103 Degrees F by mid-day, but I set off on the first lap trying to run conservatively. By the end of the first lap, try as I might to get into a decent rhythm I could not and it was as if my engine was mis-firing. It was kind of surreal as here you are in a World Championship race and there is no petrol and you are running on empty.

Starting the run

So mid way through the half marathon I knew I wasn’t going to defend my title successfully, so now it was a case of can I get onto the Podium? Well we all know now that I could not and as hard as I tried there were far better prepared athletes on the day than me who were worthy winners of the medals in my category, but I struggled on and persevered, finishing ninth in 5 hours and some change.

Disappointing? Most definitely, as you want to do your best, you train very hard, you sacrifice so much, as do many others close to you, but it is these tough days that make the good days more enjoyable. So I’m still coming to terms with my disappointment, I’m still trying to digest the events of the day and to work out what I could have done differently, as we can learn a great deal from our mistakes.

I’m sure that many other South Africans who participated in Las Vegas will have similar stories to tell, but rest assured everyone prepares as best they can, everyone strives to perform to the best of their ability, but there are very often 100 of the best age groupers in each division. This year it wasn’t to be for me personally, but I will be back for more and I salute the winners on the day for preparing and performing brilliantly in extreme conditions.

Man down in the Massage Tent!

I was very grateful to once more have an opportunity to learn more about life and sport, on this incredible journey. Next stop Kona!

Ironman Kona Preview 2012

Here is a great preview of Ironman Kona, taking a look at the top European contenders and voiced by South Africa’s very own Paul Kaye. I’m supposed to be resting for Sunday but after watching that I feel like riding 5 hours… guess I’ll just have to wait. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyZFfyBqjrw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

How would you define Success?

In a world where people are often measured in terms of wealth, material possessions or status, how would you define being the Best or being Successful?

A dictionary may define best as “of the most excellent, effective, outstanding or desirable type or quality!” That is a pretty good definition, although it is very broad.

Remember, there is nothing noble about being superior to someone else, the true nobility lies in being superior to your previous self.

So in a material world where far too often we are judged in terms of worldly standards, I thoroughly enjoyed the book entitled ‘The Training Camp” by Jon Gordon.

The book is a Fable about excellence and talks about what the Best do better than others.  There are 11 key lessons and I thought they may be worth sharing, as these are things we can all strive towards in an effort to become better, or more successful. For more on this, follow the link….. http://ironmansa.com/2012/09/04/eleven-traits-of-the-best-of-the-best/

The past week and my final week in Boulder:

As mentioned previously the highlight was the arrival of my Family and it has been wonderful to be able to show them where I have prepared, to introduce them to new friends and show them some of the beauty of Boulder.

It’s been a busy week, with the kids running in the East End 2km, the Boulder Creek 5km and enjoying a tough 3km swim session with Flatirons Swim Coach Wolfgang Dittrich. This afternoon both Camryn and Jamie will be having a personal swim session with 5 times World Champion Simon Lessing and tomorrow they both spend a day at school in Boulder.

Camryn, Dad and Jamie pre the Boulder Creek 5km

This past week was a good week from a training point of view, as I seemed to come out of my little ‘training slump’, the highlight of the week being a 40km bike time trail, with a 10km run off the bike and for me, the numbers were very positive. You see I’m one of those people who are not the best of trainers, in the sense that I generally need and thrive on competition to dig deep and work at a higher level. I’ve always struggled to produce good training sessions (unless somebody irks me), so very often I’m going into races never knowing my true form, but simply putting in the hard yards and believing in my ability to dig deep and fight to the bitter end.

Yesterday (Sunday) I concluded my Boulder training ‘block’ with a 4 hour bike ride up to Raymond and Ward (9,000+ feet) and it’s great to be able to climb for almost 2 hours at an average heart rate of 118, when 3-4 weeks ago the average HR was 30 beats higher. To me that is progress, not sure if it is the acclimatization to the  altitude, fitness improvement or simply taking it easier, but I do know that my brain is able to turn those numbers into a positive. So now it’s time to back off, idle and look forward to a great game of Chess in Las Vegas at the World 70.3 Championships.

I mention Chess, as these races require an inordinate amount of patience and you very often have to react to your opponent’s moves, before striving to knock the Pawns off one by one and seeking that elusive check mate. Also treating the race as a game of Chess certainly helps to take the mind off the real pain that our body and mind has to endure, in order to be able to persevere and  produce our best.

Perseverance is not about talents, nor time…. It is about Finishing!!

Perseverance does not demand more than we have, but all that we have.

Perseverance recognizes life is not a long race, but many short ones in succession.

So while I thought I knew a lot about Sport, I have realized that every day, every training session and in particular every competition presents another opportunity for me to learn more about Life, about persevering, about trying to be the best that I can be. This has been an incredible Journey where I am able to learn more about Him and who I am.

Pastor Bob Richards, an Olympic Pole Vaulter says “people are inspired when they see themselves as they can become and not as they are. It’s when they see themselves, not in terms of their weaknesses and shortcomings or failures….But in terms of what they can be, when they begin to believe they can be what their vision tells them…. That’s when they’re inspired.”

In this sporting Journey of mine I have tried to focus on seeing myself as I could become and no longer as I was and I certainly hope that I have learnt from my experiences along the way and that I could in some small way aspire to the Lessons learnt in the Training Camp.

Incidentally, the Journey has been more rewarding to me than any medals or accolades achieved along the way. In the Training Camp they talk about the Journey being more important than the Destination and that the Moment is more important than any success or failure and I would have to agree with this, as it is the opportunity that is the success and the reward.

“Success is like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you’re tired,

you quit when the gorilla is tired.” –unknown.

 

Eleven Traits of the Best of the Best

Eleven Traits of the Best of the Best 

 (Extracts from the book The Training Camp by Jon Gordon together with thoughts of my own)

‘Coach Ken knew that Greatness was a Life Mission and that being the best really wasn’t about being better than anyone else, but about striving to be the best you could be and bringing out the best in others.”….. Jon Gordon 

1.       The Best know what they truly want.

-You have to know what you are working toward. It’s very often in the distance, but you need to have a clear vision or picture of it. Bill Hybels in his book Courageous Leadership defines Vision as “A picture of the future that produces passion.”

2.       The Best want it more.

-How do you compare two people and decide who wants it more? Truth be told we cannot measure desire in terms of thoughts and wishes, as virtually everybody has a desire to be better, to be successful. If you are not taking initiative, what is the point of all the ‘wishing’, so you can see who wants it more by a person’s actions.

3.       The Best are always striving to get better.

Almost anybody who wanted to be great will have been striving for or pursuing perfection, with passion. It requires time and effort, but more importantly it requires a willingness to move beyond your comfort zone. If you are striving to be better, then you are growing and if you are growing it is not always comfortable. To be the best, you have to be prepared to be uncomfortable and you have to embrace it.

4.       The Best do ordinary things better than everyone else.

You need to become a master of the ordinary, the basics. Ever read the ‘Outiers’ by Malcolm Gladwell? They talk about practising, focussing and improving the little things every day. They found that what separated the best violinists from the good or average was not talent, but the amount of time spent practising. By the age of 20, the best had practised 10,000 hours, the good 8,000 and the average 4,000 hours. It’s not rocket science, there is no substitute for practice and hard work.

5.       The Best zoom-focus.

To be the best, it’s not just about striving to be better, it’s about getting better by focussing on the right things. It’s not simply about practice, it’s about focussed practice. It’s not just about taking action, but taking zoom-focussed action. When you zoom-focus on the process, the outcome very often takes care of itself.

6.       The Best are mentally stronger.

The good news is that if you are mentally strong, you can become stronger and if you are not mentally strong now, you can develop mental and emotional muscle over time. I think I know this better than most, as I was mentally very weak at school and as a young adult, but I learnt how to deal with my fears and trained myself to become mentally strong. It’s about trying to remain positive when adversity strikes. It’s about being resilient when facing pressures, challenges and change.

7.       The Best overcome their fear.

One has to confront the issue of fear if we are to achieve greatness, it’s the ultimate battle. Far too many withdraw and lose this battle, instead of embracing their fears and going on to achieve their dreams. The good news is you don’t have to do it alone, your friends, your family, your coach are all in the trenches with you.

8.       The Best seize the moment.

They do this because they do not allow their fear to define them. I’ve often quoted Dawson Trotman, who says that the greatest time wasted is the time getting started and the reason for this is because many people have a fear of failure and they are not prepared to try, to understand that every journey starts with a single step. You have to seize the moment and tomorrow never comes, so why not start today? Even if you lose or fail at first, you are one or more steps closer to being better than you previously were.

9.       The Best tap into a greater power than themselves.

John Ortberg talks about the game of Monopoloy where the aim of the game is to Acquire and to be Ruthless, but at the end of the Game, as in Life all the Material possessions go back in the Box and there comes a time when you have to ask yourself what really matters? 

Very often Pride creeps into our lives and we believe we can do it alone. This can lead to us trying too hard, as we try and seek acceptance or love based upon our accomplishments and success. The problem is that there comes a time in your life when you realise that all the material success and accomplishments in the world count for very little and cannot fill the void. It’s a little ironic how Pride can push you to be your best, but often keeps you from it.

But there comes a time when you realize that you cannot achieve, you cannot do it alone and you start to tap into a power greater than you imagined. It’s the hardest thing in the world to do, to hand over control but when we do, it allows us to become more than we wanted to be. It inspires us and moves us to maximise our potential.

10.   The Best leave a legacy.

How does one leave a Legacy? Nelson Mandela left a Legacy by aspiring to a bigger purpose, by making your life about more than yourself. In ‘the training camp’ they talk about moving from success to significance and our Fellowship leader once said life is about striving to move from prominence to significance.

11.   The Best make everyone around them better.

They do this through their own pursuit of excellence and in the excellence they inspire others. One person in pursuit of excellence raises the standards of everyone around them. It’s in the striving where you find greatness, not in the outcome. Being the best doesn’t last. But the person you become and the impact you may have on others are timeless. 

“My spirit and beliefs had never been locked in that Prison. My body could be contained but the story of my dreams could not. He didn’t understand that the only Prison that takes away a man’s freedom is one that doesn’t allow that man to dream.” – Nelson Mandela, who was held captive for 27 years on Robben Island.