Dana Marie Kennedy’s Post

Triathlon is a metaphor for life. The sport has reinforced many lessons that are applicable to our lives. Here are four. ⬇️⬇️ 1) There are no shortcuts. In some areas of life, you can take shortcuts and avoid the consequences for years. If you shortcut the work in triathlon, you get exposed immediately. 2) Community is everything. You won’t find a more supportive community than triathlon. I love having friends and family cheer for me. I’ve had races where a “you got this” or “keep going man!” from a fellow triathlete has picked me up. I try to do the same for others. We all need support, and others need support from us. 3) Your limits are beyond what you think. I’ve done 6 Ironman 70.3s (1.2 mi swim, 56 mi bike, 13.1 mi run). I’ve shaved off almost 2 hours since my first one in 2015. Here are my times in order of race: 7:19  (Las Vegas 2015) 6:35  (St George 2021) 5:55  (Oceanside 2022) 5:47  (St George 2023) 5:34  (Oceanside 2024) 5:25  (St George 2024) After Oceanside 2022, I thought I reached my physical limit. I trained a ton for that race and figured 5:55 would remain my personal best. Which leads to the fourth lesson… 4) Your gains compound. Consistency matters more than intensity. You don’t have to double your training volume to get faster. If you show up and put in the work, day in, day out, you’ll see gradual gains, and those gains will compound. Be consistent. That’s where the real magic happens.   ------- If these lessons resonate, please share this post and follow me 👉 Nathan Tanner. Check out my new book, The Unconquerable Leader.

I have been coaching triathletes to Ironman success since 2019. These athletes have ranged from experienced athletes on the one hand, to first time Ironman athletes on the other. We’ve had great success along the way, racing Ironman in the UK and many of the European Ironman races. This section is designed to equip you (and our athletes) with the best tools to have your best race. It is also designed to give you a good idea of what you’re letting yourself in for, what to expect and, if you want to be coached by us, what training might look like. https://lnkd.in/ehn4QrWQ

So this is an interesting story… Yesterday I was sitting on the couch and thinking about things and stuff. Then I decided to sign up to the Byron Bay Triathlon for a bit of fun to compliment my running training. It turned out to be the NSW Triathlon State Championships. I haven’t swam or cycled for over 6 months and was expecting to suffer. To add to all this, my bike tyres were flat, didn’t have any goggles available and a few more funny anomalies. Wake up this morning and it was hammering down with rain. Absolutely pelting! Thought “I’ll just wait to see if the rain will stop” haha! Turns out it didn’t and still hasn’t the whole day. Got to the race wet as. Waves were massive. Rip was super strong. Mud everywhere and the typical pot hole bumpy Byron roads. Made for an interesting race… My strategy was to cruise the swim and the bike and then smash the run. People were being ripped past the buoys, tripping over and HEAPS of bike stacks! So anyway, now I am now the NSW Triathlon State Age Champion 🏅🏅 But do you think I have done this by myself? No fucking way!! I found the best triathlon coach in the world, Tim Reed to train me. What makes him one of the best? Well he is a world champion Ironman. He has done it himself. Not only that, he now coaches some of the best athletes in the world. This means he intrinsically understands why something works or doesn’t work through personal experience, hard work and lost of mistakes which athletes can now learn from to streamline their progress by minimising mistakes. My point is, if you want to get good at something or achieve great results, trying your best just won’t cut it or it will just take a freaking long time for you get epic results. Also is you want incredible results don’t hire some pop up coach who hasn’t actually achieved what you want to achieve. They are mostly full of shit. In my space there are so many trade business coaches popping up and they haven’t actually created a successful trade business themselves. They’ve either worked at a trade business, had a sub par business and now coach, worked at a trade business coaching company, or is a marketer who saw an opportunity. So if you want to get good at something, find someone who has been the best at it and then you will get exceptional results in less time. It’s just a shame to hear of so many people being burnt and say that coaches aren’t worth it, when it was actually your choice in coach that resulted in poor outcomes. Just look at the best athletes in the world, Michael Phelps, Roger Fedderer, Christian Ronaldo - all have or had world class coaches who had achieve exceptional results themselves. The end. #triathlon #sprinttriathlon #running #tradie #construction #business #cycling #swimming #byronbay #tradesperson

Today I watched a multi-part documentary about the Collins Cup triathlon that was held in 2021 - called ‘Beyond Human’ if you are interested in having a watch. Now in itself it was pretty inspirational; the 36 best triathletes in the world racing for their respective teams, representing a regional area rather than themselves or their nation. What I found more interesting, however, was the attitude from all the athletes. They all had different approaches to their training, all different strengths and weaknesses, but the one thing that remained constant was their willingness to accept a fight. Not a single one of them wanted to race anyone but their strongest competitors; they didn’t want to back down from the fight of their professional lives. I think this message is incredibly important and it transcends the sport. So often we choose the path of least resistance, we back away from challenges because we simply don’t have the emotional energy - and that’s fair enough. But, and hear me out here, what if we embraced the hardest path (where it made sense)? What if we found the energy to change the world around us for the better, regardless of how big the challenge is? I think that over time, we would find doing the ‘right’ thing would be synonymous with doing the ‘easy’ thing. Perhaps we could incrementally make some big changes, one tiny step at a time. I don’t know if it’s possible, but wow it’s a nice thought. In any case, the attitude of these athletes was pretty inspirational - tackling massive goals and never backing down; accepting failure as another brick in the road to success. I think we could all learn a thing or two from that. Just a thought. #inspiration #triathlete #motivation #lifeatredhat Red Hat #fitness #outdoors

🏃♀️🚴♀️ As a passionate runner and cyclist, I find that sport plays a crucial role in maintaining both my physical and mental well-being – providing the perfect balance to my professional life. One key lesson I’ve learned is that only 20% of your training should be at race intensity, while the rest should focus on Zone 2 training, which builds endurance and promotes long-term health. If you're interested in this topic, take a look at our new Roland Berger Think "Take your time – finding the perfect pace." We explore how finding the right balance is essential for sustained success and well-being, both in sports and in business. Link: https://lnkd.in/eCm2s3rx #TakeYourTime #MentalHealth #PhysicalHealth #Balance #RolandBerger #Running #Cycling #Leadership #Zone2Training

Triathletes possess several traits that are highly transferable to their careers. Some characteristics I recognize in fellow triathletes are: 1. **Will**: The determination to train consistently and push through challenges in a triathlon translates to the perseverance needed to overcome obstacles in one's career. 2. **Perseverance**: Enduring rigorous training regimens and completing races despite fatigue or setbacks builds resilience, a crucial trait in navigating the ups and downs of a career. 3. **Comfort with Discomfort**: Triathletes often push themselves outside their comfort zones during training and races, teaching them to adapt and thrive in uncomfortable situations, a valuable skill in the ever-changing workplace. 4. **Dedication**: The commitment required to balance training with work and personal life demonstrates a strong work ethic and dedication that can lead to success in a career. 5. **Commitment**: Triathletes commit significant time and effort to their sport, demonstrating the discipline and dedication needed to achieve long-term goals in their careers as well.

There are many lessons we can learn from sports, but what is it really like competing in a tough race? What goes on in the minds of an athlete? Furthermore, what qualities do we need? I found an old article I wrote about participating in the first long course triathlon in Nice, France, some years ago. Tough day, tough conditions and 30% of the field didn't finish. This is my story, my perspective and a few comments about our mindset. I hope it inspires you to remember, we are way tougher than we think we are. The link is in the comments below

This month's highlighted athlete is Jim! How long have you been running? 47 years What accomplishment in your running journey are you most proud of? It was early on in the journey, but it was probably lettering in cross country at the University of Maine my senior year. I had a stress fracture in my leg the summer before my freshman year so I didn't race my freshman year and was too busy with coursework my sophomore and junior years. During the summer before my senior year I figure I only have one more chance so I trained and ran cross country my senior year and slowly worked my way up the ranks on the team as the season progressed. The year after I graduated I happened to read the student newspaper and there was an article on the cross country team. In the article the coach stated that a certain runner was given the Jim Kelley Award for achieving unexpected results that year. What about running do you enjoy the most? I don't even know how to answer that. I've been doing it for so long it's just part of who I am. What are your goals for the upcoming year? I'll start summer race prep by doing the Chippewa 50k this spring. Then my 2 big goals for this year are to finish the Bighorn 100 miler and finish the Superior 100 miler before sunset on day 2. Bighorn was my first 100 mile attempt and we had rain, sleet, snow and incredibly difficult mud to deal with on the long climb to the turnaround. I missed the turnaround cutoff by 30 minutes, so I'm going back for redemption. What is your favorite pre-race meal? Cereal and toast with peanut butter and jelly If you could create a gel flavor, what would it be? Spaghetti and meatballs What is your favorite way to celebrate completing a race? Drinking chocolate milk....lots and lots of chocolate milk What piece of advice would you give other runners? Ignore what others are doing and do your own thing. Also, don't try to set a PR on every training run. How do you stay motivated when you don't want to run? I rarely if ever have to deal with that but I know that, without fail, once you get started you'll fall into a groove and afterwards you'll say to yourself, "yeah that was worth it" What lead you to wanting to work with a coach? I contacted Coach Jamie a couple of years ago to deal with some leg muscle strength imbalance that had caused an injury. I liked Jamie's approach to working with athletes so I decided to ask her to work with me on tackling 100 milers. My main reason for working with a coach is the accountability it demands. It's too easy to fool yourself that you're doing enough with your preparation on your own. What is one fun fact about you? I've qualified for the Boston Marathon 10 times but I have only run it once. What's up with that?

Disqualified, But Not Defeated: A Lesson in Resilience In life, much like in endurance races, we face moments where we miss the mark, fall short, or get disqualified from what we thought was our path to success. The key is to adjust the sails as needed and keep going! I experienced this firsthand during the 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon, Florida, involving a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a half marathon. I came out of the swim having missed the cutoff by five minutes, which meant I was officially disqualified, a.k.a. "DNF" The swim to bike transition area was just about closing, which meant I could either stop there and let the disqualification define my day or quickly hop on my bike and move forward, even though I would not receive an official result. I chose to complete the entire course, finishing well under the overall cutoff time. This experience taught me to: 1. Keep Moving Forward Setbacks will happen—sometimes we miss a deadline, lose an opportunity, or fall short of a goal. But that doesn’t mean the journey has to end. 2. Celebrate the Journey, Not Just the Outcome Achieving a goal is great, but the process of striving, enduring, and pushing through challenges is where real growth happens. Or as Tony Robbins would say, It's not about achieving the goal, It's who we become in the process. 3. Have a Strong Mindset Even though I was disqualified, I didn’t feel defeated. I walked away from that race knowing I had succeeded because I didn’t give up, even when the odds were against me. 4. Setbacks Are Not the End, They Are Moments of Redirection Missing the swim cutoff didn’t mean the race was over for me. It was just a different kind of race now—one that tested my perseverance and mindset. Setbacks, whether in races or life, are opportunities to pivot and refocus. 5. Joy Comes From the Act of Completing, Not Just Winning There’s a unique kind of joy in seeing something through to the end, regardless of the result. For me, that race was an internal victory, one where I learned to find joy in my resilience and in the effort of completing what I started, even when the official story didn’t go as planned. . . Reflect and Act! Where in your life or work are you currently experiencing a setback and need to continue moving forward? What will you do right now to move forward? Go do it! And if that next step involves hiring a Coach, Let's talk! https://lnkd.in/erx6mrue . . . #KeepMovingForward #ResilienceInAction #CelebrateTheJourney #PerseverancePaysOff #MindsetMatters #FinishStrong #InnerVictory #JoyInTheJourney #NeverGiveUp #ITri #DamilareAdeyeri #PeakPerformanceAndMindsetCoach #MotivationalSpeaker #PersonalGrowth #SuccessRedefined #Determination #GrowthMindset #EnduranceAndResilience

Thought For Thursday – getting out of your comfort zone At the start of March, I spent the weekend watching the World Indoor Athletics Champs, hosted at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. It was a fantastic event with some incredible performances, with my personal highlight being home favourite Josh Kerr storming to 3000 metres gold. During the competition, one of the athletes that I follow on Instagram posted an AMA (ask me anything) story and was asked ‘What advice would you give to aspiring 800-metre runners?’. Those of you that follow athletics will know that the 800 metres is widely regarded as the toughest track event, and it also happens to be the one I’ve competed in the most over the years, so I was obviously interested to read the answer. This was the response: ‘Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.’ The rationale behind this statement is simple – you need to consistently train at such a high intensity that the pain, stress and fatigue that your body experiences during these sessions is normalised, and you thereby raise your tolerance threshold. A past coach of mine used to always say that racing should be the easy part; the blood, sweat and tears come during the training sessions. By getting used to the feeling of lactic acid build-up, and the feeling of your calves and glutes screaming for mercy, you’re ensuring your body is fully prepared for the races ahead. The theory is that you’ve experienced discomfort so often during training, that everything feels normal and relaxed during a race. And this is actually a great lesson for life in general. The people that are prepared to identify and address their weaknesses, push themselves hardest, and not shy away from adversity or difficulties have a much better chance of being successful. The more you operate outside your comfort zone, the more resilient you’ll become and the more adept you’ll get at handling stress. If you ‘train’ yourself to cope with situations that most others struggle with, you’ll give yourself a valuable edge that can make all the difference when competing for business, jobs, clients or promotions. Because ultimately, in a race where every competitor is a high-performing, finely-tuned running machine, and the margins between winning and losing might be hundredths of a second, it’s the athlete that can handle the pain the best that will come out on top. Such is the case in everyday life. Be prepared to go the extra mile. Be prepared to test the boundaries. Be prepared to push beyond your limits. Maximise your chance of success by getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. esmos Recruitment #eventprofs #eventprofsuk #eventsprofs #eventsprofsuk #eventsrecruitment #recruitment #eventsindustry #success #hiring