In the months leading up to the 10th anniversary of Ironman Coeur d'Alene on June 24, Derek Garcia will be writing a monthly column keeping the community updated on his adventures as well as what the hundreds of athletes from the Inland Northwest are doing in preparation for the race.

I recently completed my first race as a professional triathlete.

Here is the funny part, it turned out to be a duathlon. So instead of swim/bike/run, it ended up being run/bike/run.

Due to some pretty turbulent weather in New Orleans, the swim portion was cancelled and the race organizers had to come up with an alternate solution to start the race. Not exactly how I envisioned my start as a pro "triathlete."

WHEN THE athletes were informed of the changes, we all had a decision to make. It was either going to be a positive or negative reaction. Knowing that it was inevitable, I tried to do my best to roll with the new format.

It goes without saying that when plans abruptly change it is sometimes tough to not allow emotions to take control and cause frustration.

The saying that may come to mind is, "plan for the best, and prepare for the worst." The interesting part of this is that one can't always fathom what the possible worst scenario is.

So what it boils down to is mentally preparing oneself in a way that no matter what is encountered the attitude toward the situation does not change.

AS IRONMAN is now approaching quickly, it is extremely important to think through all of the scenarios that may present themselves on race day, or at least try to envision as many as possible.

First, what has to be defined is what the athlete can control. The rest cannot be worried about. Nutrition, pacing, preparation the week of the event, race morning preparation, should all be considered and planned for.

This way, when the race comes, things are more or less on autopilot. That is what training is for, correct?

So in these crucial weeks leading up to the race I advise athletes to begin to practice and prepare for the many things that they will confront on race day.

I have mentioned before that the major piece to this puzzle is mindset. I would rather have an athlete, or employee for instance, that was slightly undertrained/under qualified with a positive outlook than someone who was highly qualified/trained and an emotional wreck.

HERE IS the exciting part; it is never too late to take hold of the fact that you are always in control of the situation if you choose to be! Because all you can control is you. This is true in peace or chaos.

It takes time to develop this ability to have a steady approach in all circumstances, but it is crucial and will have a strong correlation to the level of success one can achieve. Why leave the outcome of something that you have trained and prepared for to chance?

Right now is the time for athletes to prepare mentally, and I hope that when confronted with the choice, you will choose to succeed even when things don’t go as planned.

Derek Garcia owns his own personal coaching business, Derek Garcia Multisports, and will be competing in his first year as a professional in 2012. Contact Derek at dg@derekgarcia.com.