Dr. William Cherniak’s Post

This past weekend I completed my 7th triathlon. I didn't break any records, but crossing the finish line holding hands with my 7 year old son who ran with me for the last quarter mile made me feel like a champion 🏆 .  Transitioning between three activities in one race - typically swim, bike and run - can serve as a metaphor for life.  Here’s some of what I learned through the transition points in triathlons that can be applied to any of life’s many transitions.  1) Get quiet.  Tune out the noise around you.  There will always be someone faster than you, with what looks like more expensive gear or a fancier title.  Try to let go of what others are doing and run your own race.  2) No transition is ever the same.  Sometimes, they feel seamless, sometimes they feel oppressively long due to factors that may be out of your control, like the weather, or your placement in the transition area.  Focus on what you can control and let go of the rest. 3) Trust the process. Just like you can’t wear a wetsuit on the bike ride, you can’t meaningfully transition to one stage in life without shedding some of what helped you be successful in the last one.  It won’t always feel linear, but trusting the process will help you move in the right direction.    4) Go slow to go fast:   I’ve seen people rush through transitions only to attempt to exit the transition area the wrong way, or drop their chain because they were in the wrong gear.  Take a breath and get your bearings.  The extra time you spend in the transition phase may help you be that much faster later on. Sometimes it's during the transitions in life that we learn the most about ourselves and our capacity for change and growth. --- 🏊♀️ 🚵♂️ 🏃♀️ Twenty years ago I completed my first triathlon and nine years ago I completed what I thought might be my last one. The photos below are ones I cherish from all three. Rachel Burger, Elizabeth Coffey, Michael Simonson, Jeff Patton, Sara M., David Costain, Sean Coffey #LifeTransitions #TriathlonWisdom #onpurpose

Proud to come back to the triathlon scene! It’s been a while and although I didn’t finish first or last, I pushed myself beyond what I thought I was capable of and here’s what I learned: -When you think you’re exhausted you’re only at 40%. -Physically doing the thing you set out to do teaches you 100x move than any book or YouTube video will. Weather it’s 100 sales calls or 100kms on a bike, doing is always better than dreaming. -Learning from your previous mistakes moves mountains of progress. -Get help from someone who’s done what you want to do. It makes for a lot less bushwhacking on the way to your goal. -There is power in preparation. Often the difference between the good and the great is just 5-10 minutes of prep in advance. -Your mind is you most powerful muscle. It doesn’t matter how much you can lift or how far you can run if you’re not in control of your own mind. I repeated the same 3 things over and over in my head “1. Run your own race 2. Have fun 3. Be smart”. -Enjoy the process: The race was fun but working towards it was where I found the most joy. Swims in Meech lake, long bike rides and runs on the canal have been a hilight if my summer. I remember joking with a few colleagues that I was going to get back into racing in early April and going home that night to say “screw it, I’m booking this thing” and registering at 11:00 pm at night. It’s easier to be 100% committed than 90% and I couldn’t have made a better decision. #triathlon #growth

🏊🏼♂️🚴🏼🏃🏼Just finished my first sprint triathlon, and what an incredible journey it's been! 📚 A few months ago, I picked up a book called Built to Finish by Steven Pivnik, a successful entrepreneur and endurance athlete. His passion for triathlons made the sport seem not only fun but also doable. Inspired by his story, I decided to take the plunge and signed up for my first triathlon. Training for this event was a game-changer. The variety of disciplines—swimming, biking, and running—kept me engaged and motivated. I was never bored, always excited for the next workout. The race day atmosphere was electric, and I loved every moment of it. Crossing that finish line was a moment of pure joy and accomplishment. Books have the power to transform our lives in surprising and wonderful ways. Thanks to Built to Finish, I've discovered a new passion and set a new goal. I've already signed up for another triathlon in three months and have started training to set a new personal record. If you're looking for a spark of inspiration or a new adventure, pick up a book. You never know where it might lead you! 📖 Shoutout to Reid Tileston and James Lawrence for some additional inspiration. Your books have been great! #Triathlon #EnduranceTraining #BookRecommendations #PersonalGrowth #BuiltToFinish #StevenPivnik #LifelongLearning #NewGoals

🌟🏅 I DID IT! 🏅🌟 On June 2nd, I completed my first Olympic triathlon, and WOW, what an incredible journey it has been! 🚴♀️🏊♀️🏃♀️ As I crossed the finish line, I couldn't help but think about how this experience parallels my journey in the voice-over world. 🎙️✨ 🏊♀️ SWIM: Just like diving into the open water, starting in voice-over was a plunge into the unknown. The initial splash can be overwhelming, but with every stroke (or spoken word), you find your rhythm and push through the waves of doubt. 🚴♀️ BIKE: The cycling leg reminded me of the hours spent honing my craft in the studio. It's about endurance, maintaining pace, and navigating the ups and downs. There are hills that seem insurmountable, but the thrill of coasting on the other side makes it all worth it. 🏃♀️ RUN: The final stretch is where mental grit truly shines. Just like in voice-over, it’s about perseverance and believing in your voice. Every step forward is a testament to the hard work and dedication poured into the journey. Crossing the finish line wasn’t just about completing a race. It was a reminder that with passion and persistence, we can achieve our dreams, whether on the racecourse or behind the mic. 🎤💪 This year has been tough and so many times I have just wanted to give up in my training and voice over journey, but you just have to keep showing up putting one foot in front of the other and before you know it, you are at the finish line! Here’s to many more finish lines, in triathlons and in life! 🥳💫 What's a goal you have (in life or VO)? - I'd love to hear them! Comment below so we can help each other achieve them! 🙌 #OlympicTriathlon #VoiceOverJourney #FinishLineFeels #NeverGiveUp #DreamBig

Over the summer I participated in my first triathlon.   I was mainly focused on three things:   Transition smoothness Staying calm in the water Adjustment to make me faster   Here is what I learned: 1) My T1 (Swim to bike transition) went better in my head Expectation: wetsuit off -> helmet -> nutrition -> bike -> take off. Reality: Wetsuit off -> ‘where’s my clothes?!?’ -> helmet -> bike, ‘wait why am I on my bike’ -> get off bike -> take off -> ‘oh no, I forgot my gels! it’s too late anyways.’ 2) Staying calm in water is easier in a lap pool There is no doubt swimming would be my weakest leg of the race, it was especially hard swimming alongside 100 other athletes. 3) Making last minute adjustments was not ideal Training is not just for building endurance and stronger muscles. It’s also a good time to dial in your diet and your gear for the big day. My triathlon journey was a mix of the planned and unexpected. It taught me that as much as you would love for your life to be predictable. You WILL be thrown curveballs. Having a strong financial foundation will help your course correct when needed. **** My name is Hunter Schertz and I help young professionals build and manage their wealth.

Not exactly a professional accomplishment, but here we go: This weekend I came back from Kona, Hawaii where I got to put a huge checkmark next to a huge dream — competing and completing IRONMAN World Championships (2.4 mile swim - 112 mile bike - 26.2 mile run) It was a journey to get there.  In 2020, I missed qualifying by one spot, coming up 4th in my age group at Ironman Mexico. In 2021, I finished 3rd at Ironman Coeur D'Alene claiming that last slot. And then, in 2021 due to another COVID wave the championships were cancelled. In October 2022 instead of being out there, I was 40 weeks pregnant, and my qualification slot was deferred to 2023, thanks to IRONMAN (finally) implementing its global pregnancy policy. So here we were in 2023, juggling being a new mom, a busy lawyer, and trying to get ready. It seemed crazy and impossible. But with absolutely meticulous planning and support of my family, friends, teammates and colleagues at Wiley Rein LLP. I did it. I reached for the stars, and I did it. Thank you to all of you.  It really would not have been possible without you. Over the course of this year, I've learned a lot of life lessons. As Mark Allen put it, racing comes with a price – the commitment and focus that can leave you with less to give to those who support you on your journey. This distance, not only on a race day, can demand you to go deep into the unknown corners of your character for qualities and strengths that can only be found in moments of intensity and challenge. With that price comes a prize that is priceless. That prize is a better version of you. Through the lessons learned in racing, you’ll find humility and surrender. You’ll learn that you don’t get to script race day, you can only respond to it. You’ll become adaptable and learn how to dig deep, even when faced with those demons that are trying to talk you into giving up or quitting. Big races are the pinnacle of both the price and the prize. They demand the most of you. They also give the most back. Now, it’s time to slow down and carry these lessons into other areas of life. MAHALO.

T-minus 6 days to the Ironman 70.3 Warsaw, but I already know it's going to be slow one… There's a saying in the military: "no plan survives first contact wit the enemy". Well, in triathlon it should say: "no plan survives contact with a 3-year-old". These past few months have been disappointing, training-wise. I've missed a lot of workouts, had to battle poor sleeping patterns, have been ill more than ever in the last 20 years and the last real progress I've made was in March… But this is my 8th triathlon season and I've seen it all: self-coaching, great preparation with a coach and poor race performance, injury-riddled preparation that ended in a great race, DNS-races, seasons when everything went spectacularly well… The key here is to manage expectations and have a backup plan. Like when at Endurance Translations we always build in buffers and contingencies into projects for when things go wrong. So while I was hoping to hit 4:40 or lower at this years Ironman 70.3 Warsaw, I've decided to just enjoy it. Easy swim, followed by a decent but not breakneck bike and then a fun run. No expectations on time, pace or wattage. ⁉️⁉️And what do you do when things don't go according to plan? Stick to it or pivot?⁉️⁉️ #triathlon #cycling #race #mentality

2024: Look Where You Go, Go Where You Look 👀 🙏🏻 With a potential hurricane forecasted for the race day weather, combined with winding, 50mph speed limit, open-to-traffic, and hilly NH roads, my nerves and anxiety were all over the place. It was August 2021: races had begun their “post-COVID” return and I had embarked on an intense plan to race Timberman 70.3, the Berlin marathon, and Ironman California in less than a 90-day span. Chris and I had looked forward to the return of Timberman 70.3 Half-Ironman in the Lake Regions of NH, but this was far from the ideal race conditions of our first big triathlon together back in 2013. Fortunately, as part of celebrating the return of the race, we invited several triathlon friends to join us. During a race prep dinner, a friend shared this incredibly helpful mantra from one of her athlete/coaching inspirations, Hilary Biscay: “Look where you go, go where you look.” (Her full speech is linked in the comments, it is excellent). If you are racing down a curved hill, but all you can do is look and think about going over the guardrail and down the ravine, guess where you are going? Likewise, if you focus on maintaining your line and looking where you want to go, you are likely going to find yourself there. The first time you think about it, it feels like magic or some kind of cheat code. I’ve found this thinking to be helpful in other parts of life - rather than focusing on what I don’t have or worrying about not getting the things I want, I say, “I’ll have it one day or I will be X someday.” Making the “what” clear but understanding that the time frame is often out of my direct control. How many times have you found yourself staring into the doom thoughts of the things you don’t want to go wrong or are afraid of happening? The “what-ifs” can be paralyzing. Maybe, if you stare at it long enough, you can will it away. But aren’t you just looking, waiting, and expecting bad things to happen? What if all your energy went towards looking and planning for the things you want to happen? What would that look like? You know that staying on the road is preferable to smashing into a guardrail or going off the side of a hill, so why not focus your energy and preparation on whether are you on track to stay on the road? As we go into 2024 with goals and resolutions aplenty, it's easy to fall into the trap of hyper-fixation - getting caught up in all the negative things that could get in the way of your journey. Instead, let it serve as an opportunity to take Hilary up on her advice - "Look where you go, go where you look. And keep showing up.” 👀 🙏🏻

The 3 biggest things I learned from doing a Triathlon with minimal preparation: 1) You can't win a Formula 1 race in a Ford Fiesta ↳ Riding a single-speed city bike, I was easily overtaken by people twice my age and half my cycling ability riding better bikes. 2) Suffering is relative ↳ Thought I was suffering on the swim. ↳ Then thought I was REALLY suffering on the bike. ↳ Then the suffering on the run put those two to shame. 3) We are capable of so much more than we think ↳ On an ordinary day I would do any of these 3 distances on their own and it would feel close to my limit. ↳ Only by exploring our limits do we realise that they're so much further than we can imagine. I was so far out of my comfort zone with this one that I learned so so much about myself. The biggest learning: I bloody love doing Triathlons

Discover the rhythm that belongs to you and embrace your way into the fascinating universe of ironman! Be inspired, but never allow others to dictate your pace. It’s your race, your moment, and your rhythm is just yours. The ironman is not a 100 meter race. You will overtake and be overtaken by tens or hundreds of other athletes, but don’t be distracted. Stay focused on your pace and your race. The key to success is not only physical preparation, but also the ability to approach your race with intelligence. If you are looking for advice from someone who has successfully gone through numerous ironman challenges, you are in the right place. I have completed several ironman races, achieving extraordinary results, and I am here to share my experience with you. For me, motivation goes beyond words, lies in tangible action. Targeted training is the cornerstone of success, but the real difference is when you turn what you’ve built during training into a race. The mind plays a crucial role, but it is the race strategy that separates the winners from the others. I firmly believe that a solid strategy, based on tested rhythms during training, is the key to lasting success. Avoid being dragged by other athletes or the temptation to chase nonsense. In the ironman, your race is a challenge against yourself, driven by your own preparation. If you want to further deepen your preparation and perfect your strategy, an ironman Coach like me can make a difference. I would be thrilled to share my experience with you, discuss personalized strategies and help you reach your maximum potential. Write to me in private, and we plan a video all together to start this extraordinary journey. Get ready to push your limits and conquer new heights! 🚀🏊♂️🚴♂️🏃♂️ #swimbikerun #ironmantraining #3athlonlife #swimming #swimmer #tritraining #halfironman #triathlongirl #thetrihood #swimrun #worldoftri #triathlon #triathlete #triathlons #trilife #triathlontraining #triathlonlife #triathlon_in_the_world #tri365 #ironmantri #ironman703