Excerpt from Book “Paddling out of your mind” by Mark Colino available from Distressed Mullet http://distressedmullet.com/
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Get over it, and get on with it! The catch phrase my sports psychology professor drilled into us to avoid wasting time and energy. It was now time to practice what I preached to the many athletes I worked with over the years.
I trained, ate right, and acquired the best board possible for the 28 mile NYC SEA Race. It was close to my home turf and I expected a lot from myself. I built up its importance and started to put a lot of pressure on myself. Some of the best paddlers from Hawaii , California & the East Coast were present.
I got schooled, spanked, slaughtered and left in the dust. 4 days later, I was still “beating myself up” over it.
Here are a few things to keep in mind to avoid falling into the abyss of self doubt:
1) Realize some things are out of your control, such as the weather, what other paddlers do, and if it’s a sup surf contest, the judges.
2) Ask yourself 3 questions; what did I do that I don’t want to do next time?, what did I not do that I want to do next time?, and what I do well and want to continue doing?
3) Learn from the past, set goals for the future, but live in the here and now. As Kung Fu Panda once said “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is the future, but today is a gift. That’s why they call it the present”.
4) Success is never final and failure is rarely fatal. Get over it and get on with it!
Stay wet & stand strong!
Northeast Mullet Head Starboard rep Stand Strong Paddle Fitness coach – Mark “el hammer” Colino
