Happy New Year! – Almost. A little premature? Perhaps,
but it’s never too early to think about that New Year's resolution. Given enough time, discipline and mental
preparation, there’s very little you can’t do. Last year, Hewlett Volkswagen
Service Dispatcher Matt Sidles had one big goal in mind.
“Don’t make this your first triathlon.” That’s
what a seasoned triathlete told Matt as he waited in line at the Ironman 70.3
Austin in October. The event consists of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a
13.1 mile run. It takes about a year of
hard training to prepare for any endurance sport, and even longer to
successfully complete an Ironman competition. “And this was my first one,” said
Matt.
The Ironman competition invites top athletes from
around the world to swim, bike and run their way to first place. But whether
you’re an Olympic competitor or a weekend warrior, the competition prides
itself on their slogan, “Anything is possible.”
With just his prior knowledge of fitness and the guidance
of a book about the competition, Matt relied on simple and practical forms of
cardio and distance training. His objective was to finish the one-day sporting
event in less than seven hours; six hours and 53 minutes later, he did just
that.
“One of the things I learned is the importance of
putting in real effort,” said Matt. “Even when I didn’t have a great day I
couldn’t just skip out on training. I couldn’t give up.”
Matt’s ambition to enter the competition stems
from his desire to say he did it. To someday look back and pride himself on
pushing through his fears, staying
mentally prepared and completing one of the most challenging sporting events in
the world.
“This was just a half triathlon, after I do the
full Ironman next April I’ll be in the top 10% of fit people.”
So as you think about what goals you want to set
for the coming year, no matter how ambitious, don’t fret. Go bigger and
remember that you’ve got this. You can do it. Anything is possible.
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