What to do when you get punched in the face

The open water triathlon start can be one of the best forms of pure honesty.

Let me explain.

You start the race. There’s a lot of excitement and nervousness. Thoughts are rushing through your head as you swim:

What’s going to happen at that first buoy?
Am I swimming to hard?
Will I run out of stamina?
What if I get lost on the course?
Why is that person swimming so close to me?

You sight as much as you can to make sure you are on track for that first buoy.

And then….

BAM!

A punch in the face.

This is the true test of who you are.

Your entire race comes down to how you react to this punch (assuming you didn’t get a bloody nose!)

It’s natural to feel a bit of anger, frustration, even resentment against whoever accidentally hit you.

But then, it’s up to you to recover- feel the emotion, and move forward.

This could “ruin” your race, or it could just be a normal bump in the road.

Just like the punches you may take in life, it’s important to not be derailed, and let it go.

Think of what dogs do after they fight. They literally “shake it off”. They put the fight behind them, and go on about their day.

This the mentality that works best in an open water race.

The punch in the face is on honest moment.

Everything slides. Everything is part of the process. Just moving forward is your goal.

Punches aren’t common in these races, but they do happen by accident. Same with ankle pulls and suit grabs. It’s a physical sport, and not realizing that going in can hurt.

But you can get mentally and physically prepared for all of this by starting now.

If it’s your first race, all of it will still be a bit of a surprise no matter how much preparation you may do.

However, getting thrown off an having a ruined race is all about lack of preparation, and setting up unrealistic expectations.

Join Tri Swim Success today and we’ll have you on the road to the smoothest triathlon of your life, even if there are punches and kicks and pulls along the way. 🙂

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