One of the most critical lessons I learned as a kid was from the swim team. The first time that I ever raced the 50 meter butterfly was a very interesting experience for me. The butterfly or fly (for short) is probably the most grueling stroke to race in swimming (at least for me). It takes a lot more strength and more importantly endurance. So imagine this. I get up on the stand. Gun goes off. I launch off the stand into the water. By the time I hit the first wall and turn around I have a massive lead on everyone. I’m clearly winning this race. I’ve got this in the bag.
But then it happens. Three strokes from the end, I completely run out of gas. I’m so tired I can’t get my arms out of the water. I barely coast to the end.
I don’t think I finished last. Tell you the truth I can’t even remember how I placed in that race. All I know is that I had nothing left and couldn’t finish the race. Nothing. Empty. Big failure!
Let me tell you the worst part of that experience though. I wasn’t prepared for the race. I had never raced before and I hadn’t thought through what a butterfly race was. I didn’t know what I was in for. I didn’t realize how long it would last. I had no clue what it would take to swim all out for 50 meters! I was not prepared! I was not determined!
Well the story doesn’t end there (thank goodness or this would be a horrible story). That was the first race of the season. After that all I did was think about or swim the fly. I had the speed. But I didn’t have a strategy or the endurance to make it happen.
Long story short, here is how the State Swim meet went down at the end of the summer.(In between there were lots of other races, camping, early morning practices, more practices, swim meet dances, some good summer fun, even some kissing and even more swimming and practices, did I mention tons of fly?!?!?!) I now had a strategy. In the qualifier round I was going to go at a good pace and not burn myself out. I wanted to be strong for the next day after I qualified for finals. Not the best strategy in the world. I barely qualified. I was the second slowest and had one of the outside lanes for finals the next day.
Finals. New strategy. Go as fast as I can, the entire race and hit the wall. No matter what it takes. Hit the wall as hard as I could. The first time I raced I didn’t have that attitude. I didn’t think I had it in me to go all out for 50 meters. But I had now been training all summer long. I knew I had the endurance to go all out for 50 meters. So I had the preparation and the winning strategy.
What happened? Well I learned an important life lesson. Understand the game you are playing (or the project or business you are working on)! Train hard! Practice hard! Eat it! Breathe it! Sleep it! And make sure you go as hard as you can until you hit the final wall!
Oh yea, I got first place and also broke the Montana state record for the 50 Butterfly that summer!
Hit the Wall!