Just before I went for surgery, I went for a walk that morning in our local village to get some fresh air and gather my thoughts. It was crisp, clear and cold (watch the video). I took some pics along the way and was meditative in the process.
One of the foremost things on my mind was around the idea that I wouldn’t be able to exercise for a while because of the nature of the surgery. It would take a while before being able to get active and mobile again. Any athlete knows that there is little as frustrating as not being able to move…
And then I remembered. I should be grateful for this walk.
When I began training at the beginning of the year, one of the first videos I watched was of an Italian triathlete Patrick Delorenzi. In his own words he’s an “average age group athlete” who documented his training process from start to finish. His story is one where he battled with health problems, such that by the time he got into racing he was just so grateful to be participating.
Turns out he absolutely smashed his first 70.3 triathlon, with insane splits and segments on the bike and the run. I remember seeing that for the first time and thinking, “Wow, this guy obviously just discovered his talent.”
But on the walk that morning, I found myself reflecting on the things I had heard all the top professionals say. They echoed a key sentiment in Patrick’s reflection:
“This experience had taught me so much about the full value of health and fitness, and something which I had taken for granted.”
This mindset is the game changer. It’s what makes some of the best professionals operate the way they do. I would say it distinguishes the best from the almost-best, and my hypothesis is that it’s all to do with gratitude.
You can hear it in how they say things. Take Jan Frodeno, widely considered the modern-day G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) in triathlon. In a recent interview, he explained: “I can definitely tell you that pressure is a privilege. It’s something I’ve fought very hard for and something I love. I’ve always needed pressure.”
Note his choice of words: “privilege” and “it’s something I love”. That’s what it sounds like at the top of your game, when your alarm goes off at 4am and you know there’s a hard workout in the cold that’s waiting for you. The language is not “I have to do this”, but rather “I get to do this”.
“I’m pulled in by sport. It makes me feel alive. I’m at a point in my career where I do it for the challenge.”
Take Kristian Blummenfelt, who along with Gustav Iden, is causing a stir in the triathlon world with the Norwegian Hype train. In a YouTube video, the pair are filmed, unedited, burning up the track at altitude in brutal sets. “This is threshold!” Kristian enthuses, and he sounds like he genuinely loves it as he sets off again.
Lionel Sanders is a classic example of the difference in mindset, before and after. In a documentary called Beyond Human, Lionel is quoted ahead of the Collins Cup as wanting to race head-to-head with Jan Frodeno. “Give me Jan and I will give you the race of the tournament.” At the time, Jan was interviewed and casually remarked, “If he’s obsessed with beating me that’s probably why he’s not beating me.”
Fast forward to St George’s in Utah, and Lionel finished second, but ultimately was the champion of the day, according to world champion Sebastian Kienle.
“To me the hero of the day was Lionel, simply because he wasn’t bullsh****ng at the press conference.”
“I wanted to race the best race I possibly could,” Lionel said. And he stuck to his plan, demonstrated a maturity rather than a tough slamming performance (the kind he’s known for), and he finished stronger than most of us have seen him finish.
Kienle elaborates: “In the past he’s extracted exactly what he did wrong and would make the same mistakes. But this time he delivered schooling on patience. And he was patient. He deserved that second place.”
From the outside looking in, I think a big part of Lionel’s growth is that he simply just loves to exercise. He says it. Like Jan, and like Kristian.
It’s like they’re grateful that they get to compete at the highest level, to hurt themselves and put themselves through that pain.
As I’ve thought about this, I would say it’s probably one of the key indicators between the best and the “almost best”. And I think the idea applies not just to sport, but to many other fields of interest.
For anyone looking to improve in any area, I would say you can probably get better at whatever you do simply by being grateful that you’re able to do it. Yes, be competitive. But more importantly, be grateful.
