All the Right Ingredients

I really do like to cook. Its true. My family probably doesn't realize this fact because it doesn't happen as often as it should or as much as it did before kids. I can make homemade spaghetti sauce from scratch, chocolate cheesecake from scratch, lasagna, chicken enchiladas and more! I admit I skimp on it usually because of lack of time or lack of ingredients in the house (again lack of time to go to the store, Peapod.....please come to Elburn!) I admit there have been times that in a rushed attempt to make due, I have skimped on ingredients or rushed the process of whatever I'm cooking just to get the job done. The result...a fair resemblance of a spectacular dinner. It ends up being just fair. Not a true picture of what I am capable of if I had taken the time and used all the right ingredients.

The same is true with athletes and race performances. Motivation and desire might be high, but lack of time is missing or time management is missing. Or...the time to train is there, but skill is not. Or, time and skill is there, but motivation is not. To succeed in high level performance such as.... qualify for Kona, World Championships, Boston, or even just PR huge and beat the local rival it takes all the right ingredients. That means, all of it mixed and stirred to complete the perfect recipe for success.

All the right ingredients for a successful performance are:
1. completing workouts as written
2. not fudging or skimping
3. resting only when its called for
4. believing in your coach/ training plan and sticking to it
5. believing in yourself
6. learning from mistakes, and moving on
7. going out and getting the job done come wind, or heat, or cold, or power meter dying, or training partners bailing.....or insert any excuse
8. proper nutrition to get you through the day, the workout, and help recovery after. (what really are you putting in your mouth. does it help your performance?)

So my homemade recipe for successful performance is:
1. one mega doses of plain old hard work,
2. multiple cups of motivation and determination,
3. 100s of tablespoons of not giving in to fear or failure
4. 1000s of teaspoons of patience and sticking to the plan

Go on a shopping spree before your next big race. Take the time to invest in all the right ingredients to experience a spectacular finish vs. thrown together concoction of what you are truly capable of.