How to become a champion...

I read this blog today and thought it was insightful, hilarious and oh so true.

How to become a Champion Endurance Athlete
By Chuckie V

1) Pick the right parents and be sure that they've picked the right parents and that their parents have picked the right parents, and so on. Inherent ability is, quite honestly, the Lottery of Life. (And to an extent we've all won it, though some more than others.)

2) Start young and dedicate yourself entirely. Failing this, dedicate yourself entirely, no matter your age. (Training) time is of the essence. Be in a hurry, but be patient. See #10 below.

3) Believe that anything is possible.

4) Be enthusiastic, motivated, willing to suffer and able to make sacrifices. Develop an immense work ethic and then take uncompromising action. Work relentlessly and outwork those you'll compete against. Train first; ask questions later.

5) Know your destination and how to reach it. Have complete clarity of purpose and use the SMART principles in choosing your targets. Are they…

* Specific?
* Measurable?
* Achievable?
* Realistic?
* Time-Sensitive?

Setting mileposts along your path to success is another key to achieving it, so choose some goals en route to the big one. Conversely, if you'd rather be a loser like me, you can always just wing it.

6) Stay focused through setbacks. Expect pitfalls but don't fall with them.

7) Speaking of falling, don't fall for the façade that is luck. If you're reading this you probably have the opportunity, now do something with it.

8) Know thyself. Be honest with thyself. Confront that which you do not like about you and what which needs to change in order to achieve your goals. If you're unsure ask a friend or a coach or better yet, someone honest.

9) Given this knowledge of yourself, train wisely. Training wisely is harder than training hard, which is hardly surprising. So don't just train for training sake; train for victory, not some arbitrary physiological or psychological response. Finally, remember that training is everything and everything is training. In other words, everything you do as a human being affects everything you do as an athlete. Understand your responses to training and all else.

10) Give it time. As per Gladwell's book, 10,000 hours of practice is about all it takes to shine! But time isn't enough. You must determine your future by doing things correctly NOW. In other words, practice doesn't make perfect…perfection does.

11) Never neglect the placebo effect. If you believe in what you do, whether it's right or wrong, the chances are it will work for you. Just be sure of this before believing in everything you do! Demand proof not from others but from yourself. See #3 above.

12) Avoid or ignore critics, cynics, pessimists, doubters, detractors, scoffers, skeptics, naysayers and negative people. Unfortunately, the world is full of these types, no more so than on the Internet (this, I believe, because they're trapped at a job they do not like), so you will need to hone your skills accordingly.

13) Eat as though your life depends upon it, because the truth is, it does. Today's dietary habits will likely not affect your immediate goals or health; the effect will be felt many tomorrows from now. See #10 above.

14) Get enough rest en route. Even champs need a break every so often.

15) Enjoy the journey (though this isn't always enough when becoming a champion is the objective).

16) As I've quoted in this book…

The bottom line…
Is the finish line.