Absorb, Process, Persevere

By Coach Matt Russ

One of the key ingredients to being a successful athlete is not motivation, or talent, or mental focus, it is the ability to learn from your mistakes. Bad races happen to everyone and they will likely happen to you at some point. A race is only "bad," however, if you do not walk away some knowledge that will help you in the future.

Having worked with many elite athletes, I can tell you one of their key charactoristics is the ability to absorb an injury, bad race, equipment failure, or other setback, learn from it, and move on. I have observed talented athletes that did not have this ability fall by the wayside, victims to their own discouragement.

It is ok to be disappointed, but then you must look for answers. If it was something out of your control such as a mechanical, weather, or illness then you must simply shrug it off. There are numerous accounts of unlucky athletes that stuck with their sport and came back to achieve their goals. If it is a factor within your control, break it down, come up with a plan over come it, and keep moving forward. A successful athlete is like Teflon; they do not let negativity stick to them.

Matt Russ has coached and trained elite athletes from around the country and internationally for over ten years. He currently holds expert licenses from USA Triathlon, USA Cycling (Elite), and is a licensed USA Track and Field Coach. Matt is head coach and owner of The Sport Factory, and works with athletes of all levels full time. He is a free lance author and his articles are regularly featured in a variety of magazines such as Inside Triathlon, and Triathlete. Visit www.thesportfactory.com for more information or email him at coachmatt@thesportfactory.com