Friday Tri: Strengths and Weaknesses

There are two theories on how to improve in almost any sport. Theory #1 is that you should figure out what your weaknesses are and work on them until they aren't weaknesses anymore. Theory #2 is to figure out what your strengths are and to make them so strong that no one can touch you there and don't worry about your weaknesses because you'll compensate for them in other ways. I think there are probably lots of ways in which these two ways of thinking can be pressed beyond triathlon into almost any part of life.

My weaknesses in triathlon are:
1. swim stroke--I was always a windmill swimmer and that is supposed to be "bad."
2. running--either I'm a bad runner naturally or I end up dying at the end of a race.
3. nutrition--I'm constantly fighting nausea, before, during, and after every race.
4. sleep issues--nerves makes me lose sleep which makes me do worse.
5. needing more recovery--this has gotten worse as I get older.

My strengths in triathlon are:
1. the bike--I can keep up with pros on the bike
2. transitions--I am efficient and know what steps to leave out
3. focus--I am not distracted during training or racing
4. setting goals and meeting them--I can hardly stop myself from doing this
5. ability to deal with pain--I have to really work hard to notice pain

I've done a few things in the last 8 years (has it been that long?) since I started triathlon to deal with my weaknesses. Some have been successful and some haven't been. I have changed my swim stroke dramatically, working on high elbow recovery. I've forced myself to do some long running races to get more mileage in. I've found food that I can eat that never makes me sick (bananas, which I actually hate) and I know how much to drink directly after a race to prevent a migraine. But there hasn't been a real cure. I've learned to deal with the weaknesses better, but I'm not sure I've really made them into strengths.

In fact, as I've dealt in particular with the problem of sleep issues and needing more recovery, I have realized that my so-called "strengths" are actually causing my weaknesses. In order to deal with these two weaknesses, I have had to give up certain parts of my strengths. For example, last year was the year of no goals. I did not set goals for any races. In addition, I refused to allow myself to set up any race training plans for myself. I can do race training plans in my sleep and I do them for other people who need them. I'm not saying I'm beyond them. It's just that setting up a plan and writing it down makes it hard for me to sleep at night. So I've had to give that up and let myself train by what feels right and what seems to make sense based on previous training.

I'm convinced that there are things that a triathlon coach would be able to teach me, about my swim stroke, about my nutrition, and other things. But to sign up with a coach would put enormous pressure on me. And while I rise up to meet such pressure, there are consequences for it that end up hurting the rest of my life and ultimately triathlon, as well. It turns out that what I thought were my strengths actually turn out to be weaknesses. Or maybe put another way, my weaknesses are just the flip side of my strengths. I can't really have the one without the other.

I have found this to be so true of everything in life. When I see my kids doing something that annoys me, I remind myself all the time that this is just the flip side of one of their strengths. 14 drives me insane with his need to have nothing interrupt his schedule. But it is because of his schedule that he is able to be so successful at getting things done right and on time. 17 is so sweet that she can never assume the worst of anyone. She doesn't anticipate and is often blind-sided by other people who are not like her. But would I want her to change that sweetness? 16 is musically brilliant and insanely self-critical, emotionally needy and impatient with those who are slow. If she were not like that, she would not be able to do what she does.

I can certainly choose to put weight on one side of the scale, so that there's a different balance of strengths and weaknesses, but I can't really take weaknesses off the scale. They're attached to strengths on the other side. Touch one side and you touch both sides. Sometimes, it's really just a matter of looking at the scale differently. Why is it that one side has to be called "weaknesses" at all? Or the other side "strengths"? It really just depends on what you want to get done.