Winning The Middle

When You Win The Middle, You Win The Race.

The start and the finish get over-publicized as people talk about “first” and “last” impressions. Despite being often overlooked, the middle is where the real work gets done. The middle is the glue that connects a great start to a strong finish to create a HUGE win.

I used to race crew, and in crew, we split up a 2000 meter race into 500 / 1000 / 500. The middle 1000 meters is called the “settle.” After the fast start, the middle is where you slow the cadence a touch and open up your length with powerful precision on each stroke. The middle is where reps, persistence, patience, focus and mindset pay off. This is when you “feel” the swing in the boat, and that swing is the momentum of a collective team rowing together in unison.

There will be wind gusts and currents that attempt to divert the race plan, but with focus and alignment the next stroke keeps you on track.

With swing momentum, you can cut through all conditions as a team.

Sometimes, during the middle 1000 of a crew race, the power 10 or the power 20 get called. These are known levers that are pulled to “make a move” on the field. They create spark and help get a jump on your pace. 

In the middle is when you make your move to win the race.