Takeru Kobayashi

Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the Nathan's hot dog eating contest. In his first attempt at the famed contest in 2001 he ate 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes. The previous record was 25. Recently he was interviewed on the Freakonomics podcast sharing his tips on deliberate practice and creative ways to tackle obstacles. One of the most interesting comments was about how he handles defeat. He said, "Sometimes you win because the other person is having a bad day and sometimes you lose because you're having a bad day. Winning or losing doesn't mean you're the best. In the long run, you can't look at competing against others. All you can do is compare yourself to yourself and see how far you can go."

How PROFOUND!  You're really only competing against yourself.

All too often we compare ourselves to others and feel inadequate or develop a false sense of superiority. It reminds me of the banter between Richard Sherman & Michael Crabtree & Patrick Peterson. Who is better? Who is the best? Can we answer that? Does it matter? Some athletes talk trash to get in the heads of their opponents and throw them off their game. However, the athlete/person who stays focused on themselves will always succeed.

NFL legend Bill Walsh said the secret to his coaching success was staying focused on what mattered. Bill didn't worry about the other team or things outside his control. He focused on HIS job and what HE could do. He taught his athletes to live in the moment by moment processes that would lead to success. He won several games with this philosophy and even cherished some of the losses because he knew he did everything he could on that day.

If one can develop a similar attitude, there would be no limits. No more shame or doubt. No more distractors. Only Joy. 

IM Chattanooga Preview

This past weekend Tiffany I visited Chattanooga to scope out the city and ride the bike course for the upcoming September Ironman. From Cincinnati the trip is about 5 hours straight down 75.

Bike Course
The bike course is relatively flat with a few rollers and false flats going south. The return trip home has several fast downhill sections. Nowhere on the course are there technical turns. To compare it with other courses, I would rate the bike course as slightly easier than IM Louisville. During our training ride we saw several other riders and they said the course is very popular on Saturdays or Sundays with minimal car traffic. The roads were mostly smooth with a small 5 mile section of old cracked pavement when you first start the two loops. The course is also marked with orange paint to help with navigation, although in some spots it was faded.

The run course travels east along a pedestrian trail before transitioning to the road. From there it travels over a bridge then back over a wooden pedestrian bridge. The course is fairly flat with a small hill between mile 1 and 2 that zig zags up the pedestrian trail.

Adventures
Rock City - It is a beautiful natural trail through rock formations on the top of Lookout Mountain that leads to a waterfall. We would definitely go again. Plan 1.5 to 2 hr for your self guided tour.
Ruby Falls - It is a guided tour through a cave to an indoor waterfall. It takes about 1.5 hr with several unique stalagmite formations along the way. I really enjoyed it, but you have to be patient with the slow journey.

Incline - It is a train ride up the mountain. It's claim to fame is the fact that it is the steepest incline in the USA. A round trip takes about 1 hr. It was interesting, but not worth the money.
Hunter Museum - It is a museum that overlooks the Tennessee River with several historic works of art. It is on the run course and the area has several cute restaurants.
Cloudland Canyon State Park - This was our campsite. We rated it as our favorite campsite so far. It was on top of a mountain with breathtaking views, hikes, and two gorgeous waterfalls. They also have Yurts (wooden floors and walls with a canvas roof) and Cabins.
Hang Gliding - On our bucket list. Tandem trips cost $249 to $299. The instructor said it is the number one ranked hang gliding location in the world.
Train - There are several short train trips around the city. We plan to ride the train on our return trip during IM weekend.
Whitewater Rafting - It is advertised as the best whitewater rafting east of the Mississippi.

Food
Sugar's Ribs - Fabulous ribs at a local hole in the wall diner.
Terminal Brewhouse - This is where we watched the World Cup finale and enjoyed some homemade craft beers. They also have delightful pot roast nachos and a stout ice cream beer float.
Tremont Tavern - Huge beer selection and delicious sandwiches. It is located on the run course for potential spectators or thirsty athletes.
Cloudland Cavern - Near Cloudland Canyon State Park. It is supposedly the best steakhouse in Chattanooga, but only open Wed to Sunday.

Small Specific Steps to Greatness

Meredith Kessler completed 20 Ironmans before 2007 with a personal best of 11:28. She was training long hours, but not seeing any improvement. She went hard all of the time and was constantly fatigued. She made a few specific changes, is now training only 15-17 hr per week with more focus on recovery and posting low 9 hr finishes. If Meredith can do it, who else might be able to make such a huge transformation?

Mary Beth Ellis was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in 2005 and told she couldn't run marathons anymore. She made a few changes, switched to triathlon, and is now one of the top female triathletes.

Jack Welch showed no particular inclination towards business even into his mid twenties. He majored in chemical engineering and considered becoming a professor before he took a job at GE. He made a few specific changes and became the most influential business manager of his time.

John D Rockefeller grew up a poor, forgettable, and indistinguishable child. Classmates and tutors have no recollection of John excelling at anything. He made a few specific changes and became the business magnate we know today.

Steven Ballmer started at P&G where he played waste-bin basketball with wadded up memos and was voted least likely to succeed. He made a few specific changes and before the age of 50 became the CEO of Microsoft. He recently purchased the LA Clippers NBA basketball team for $2 billion.

Jerry Rice did not possess typical NFL speed and was not recruited by major universities. He focused on specific tasks to improve his game and became the greatest wide receiver in the history of the NFL.

Winston Churchill grew up with a lisp. He focused on specific tasks to improve his public speaking and became one of the greatest orators of the 20th century.

In 1978, a famous research participant with an average IQ went from struggling to repeat 9 digits spoken aloud to recalling 82 digits after 250 hr of deliberate training over 2 years.

Several chess grand masters have IQs that are below average.

Ben Hogan, one of the greatest golfers in the history of the sport, was uncoordinated and graceless as a child.

Darwin and Tolstoy were considered ordinary children. Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, and Lucille Ball were told they had little potential for their chosen fields.

Challenge: What's holding you back from making specific changes to unleash your potential? What one small step can you take today?