Triathlon training is much like traveling.

Let me explain.

I’m currently in Bali, Indonesia, on a business trip (with a little pleasure mixed in!)

It’s allegedly NOT rainy season right now. It’s supposed to be nice. Besides the work stuff, I planned on 4 days near the beach and to surf as much as possible.

But this has not happened. It’s been raining so hard that I don’t even want to leave my place!

So I shifted gears, and started making other plans.

The positives are, I’m getting more work done than I thought I would.

And I’ve found some amazing cafes with great food.

And I did yoga last night in a big thatched-roof room, with the rain pounding, but not getting through.

It’s not the “Bali vacation” that most would think of, but I’m thrilled with how it’s worked out so far.

And who knows, the sun may appear one day this week!

So in training, everything can appear to be going wrong. Injury, illness, or even just a day where you feel like crap!

Let’s think about your race for a second.

Have you ever had a “100% smooth” swim portion of your triathlon?

Not many have.

It’s nearly impossible with all those people in the water- and the other factors like waves, swallowing water, mis-judging a buoy, going out too hard…there’s lots that can go wrong!

But you can react to it in a positive way, and not only take things in stride, but actually let them fuel you.

At the most extreme, a few years back I interviewed Barbara Mockford on the Tri Swim Coach podcast , a triathlete who overcame cancer. At the time of the recording, she was back to training, and had an amazing story of overcoming adversity.

But it doesn’t have to be life and death.

It can even be a car breaking down on the way to the pool. Who’s to say you didn’t need a day off anyway?

Or simply getting rained out. Maybe this is a good time to catch up on reading, or connect with a friend.

The perfect plan is only “perfect” if it accounts for all the obstacles that will inevitably get in your way.

How will you deal with the obstacles?

How can you allow them to make you stronger?

Are there ways that your life or performance will actually be better because of these obstacles?

Usually, there are.

So let’s embrace the challenges, obstacles, and even annoying people that may be standing in our way this week… let’s praise them for helping us become better, faster, and stronger… and maybe end up with a good story. 🙂

Befriend the water this week!