62 | AustrAliAn triAthlete“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson.
The Art
of Suffering
text by SIMon joHnSonY
our heart is thumping, jumping
out of your chest. Your legs
are burning, full of fatigue.
Your body is aching - mind
wondering. You are suffering. You know
you can end this discomfort by slowing
down, but in doing so will sacrifice your
performance. How do you work through
the pain and suffering to get the very best
from yourself?
The ability to perform under the duress
of suffering - the state of undergoing pain,
distress, or hardship - is a key characteristic
of many of the most celebrated humanWhat does suffering mean to you?
Mirinda Carfrae - Willingly or unwillingly
putting yourself through pain. Although,
the suffering that I endure is done willingly
and has a specific goal or favourable
outcome attached to it.
Annabel Luxford - Continuing when you
don’t think you can or don’t want to.
Sometimes suffering can teach people
that they are stronger than they thought
they are. Setbacks and suffering with
delayed gratification can build our
resilience, but I also believe that too much
suffering can break people’s spirit, so it’s
important to have a strong team to
support you, a healthy dose of
perspective, and knowing when it’s time to
take a different course of action.physical feats - conquering Everest, the
four-minute mile, the greatest Olympic
achievements, and so on. The same is true
for triathlon. There is an intrinsic link with
one’s threshold to suffer and triathlon
performance. Without discounting one’s
talent and preparation, the athlete who
takes the victory and spoils is often the
one who can hang toughest the longest -
who can suffer that little more.
So, how do the best triathletes in the
business manage their suffering to
optimise performance? We caught up
with a few to find out.