We’ve all heard the sayings: You only get one chance to make a first impression, One shot at fame, One chance at true love. There’s a reason these sayings exist—somewhere, at some time, someone felt the pangs of regret because they perceived they didn’t do their best when it counted.
Sometimes you only get one shot in life…so make it count. As cliché as the statement may seem, it’s true. And this is how I’m approaching the Open workouts—by taking just one shot.
After the 14.1 workout, the little voice in my head (the one we all have) whispered, “You could have done better.” Maybe so, but that’s something I have to live with. Competitive regret is something we’ve all experienced; the knowledge that, had we pushed a little harder, we could have done a little better. But isn’t that what competition is all about; the unknown consequences of laying it all on the line in the hope that we’re still standing when it’s all over?
So why not just redo the workout?
Of course I can improve my ranking with multiple attempts. But is that a true gauge of my athletic abilities? In a competition setting, I’d only get one chance, which is why I’m only allowing myself one attempt per workout. And if I’m lucky enough to qualify for the Regionals (fingers taped and crossed), I’ll have done so one attempt at a time. This approach helps me increase my confidence in my abilities. And to me, this is more important than simply increasing my numbers.
Some might argue that the opportunity to redo each workout gives them the chance to improve and thus increase their odds of qualifying for the Regionals. There’s no doubt the challenge is exciting. And as athletes, our desire to improve is great. So I say, “Go for it, and good luck!”
When the bell rings…when the gun sounds…these are the moments we train for. The chance to see if we can rise to the moment. All or nothing. Leave everything on the floor. Go for broke. No regrets.