Thursday, June 30, 2005

Modest Not

I am a modest person. So this post is going to be hard for me to write.

When starting to write this blog I thought I would post regularly with stories of my disasters and screw-ups on the race course, all spiced with self-deprecating humor. And there's been some of that.

But I also decided that one of the main reasons I screw up so often is to do with my mental attitude. And I resolved to work on these mind problems this year using the methods in The Mental Edge by Kenneth Baum.

So here's the problem. The next step in Baum's method is for me to write down five positive beliefs I have about myself. Ouch. It hurts my head to even think of doing that. I'm not a bragger. I'm uncomfortable telling even myself how wonderful I am. I've been putting off this step for weeks.

But it's all in a good cause. Me. (Only joking.) So here goes....

1. I sail fast. Hey, it even says that in the title of my blog. Live slow, sail fast. Do I really believe it? Not enough, I suppose. But this year two very good sailors have both told me, after racing with me, that I am "fast". So I need to believe that more. My strategy may be nonexistent, my starts may be pathetic -- but I can always use good boat speed to recover from my mistakes. To an extent.

2. I am the perfect height and weight for sailing a Laser. True. No excuses there.

3. I have great light air skills. Having spent almost all my sailing career sailing on inland lakes, some of them very small lakes, I ought to have some experience in how to make a boat move when there is hardly any wind. I may not like those conditions. I may whine about light airs. But I can't deny that I have spent endless hours, sitting still in excruciating positions, trying to coax a fraction of a knot of movement out of a sailing dinghy.

4. I love heavy air sailing. More true now than it was a year ago. I started the season with a couple of months of heavy air sailing, got better at it and learned to love it. Keep repeating this often enough and I might actually believe it.

5. I have good stamina and strength and can outlast the competition. Hey - I run marathons don't I? Well, to be more precise I have completed one marathon and am in training for another. I work out with weights don't I? Well, actually no -- not for a few months. If I do tire in a day of hard racing it's my arms that are the first to go, so I definitely need to do more work there.

Ouch. That did hurt. Even more than I thought it would. Hope nobody reads this nonsense. Have to write a few posts putting myself down to pay for this one.

8 comments:

Moonie said...

I really enjoyed your blog. I am on the west coast and don't sail unless I go for a ride with someone, but it is wonderful when I do. Nice read.

EVK4 said...

You're really punishing yourself about this lack of modesty....you won't let yourself write any more? What's going on, I'm getting ready to get my daughter involved in dinghy sailing and my favorite dinghy blog stops posting?

Tillerman said...

Thanks to Moonie and EVK4 for your kind words. It's not that I won't let myself write any more. Indeed this should be the time of year when I have the most to write about.

Because I'm doing regattas, sailing in our fast growing Laser fleet, editing our club newsletter, working 4 days a week as a sailing instructor, running a junior Sunfish series, planning fall and winter sailing adventures and doing my marathon training.

Truth is I'm so exhausted with all that stuff - not to mention long days on the water in 95 degree heat - that I have no energy left to write.

But i promise to try.

EVK4 said...

For some reason, I thought you said you were retired?!? You need to schedule some vacation time. Enjoy the sailing, I'll read your archives in the meantime.

Tillerman said...

EVK4 is right - I am retired - at least from conventional work. But July and August are real busy as I explained in the earlier comment. The other 10 months are vacation or "real" retirement.

Anonymous said...

Nice blog - gonna link to you off of www.regattadiaries.blogspot.com

EVK4 said...

Tillerman, I think you were my 2000th visitor! Or at least someone visiting from your blog-links. Thanks.

EVK4 said...

Wow...comment spam, do you think there's a chance on earth that it works. Who would buy something they saw in the comment section of a sailing blog?

More importantly, how's the sailing been going?

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