Be willing to die trying! This "Try or Die" mindset may sound a bit extreme at times, but sometimes this attitude must be adopted. For the salmon facing what appears to be an insurmountable obstacle, this is the appropriate mindset in order to reach the final destination. The wildebeest was born to run to race away from dying from the appetite of the predator; the salmon was born to be part of a salmon run, to spawn, preserve the species and then die. This is the goal; this it how the species is maintained from year to year.

The persistence of the salmon attacking a Goliath waterfall is one of the most profound events in nature. In Scotland, after swimming hundreds of miles, they face a 12 foot high waterfall. It appears to be impossible. Getting past this obstacle this is like a 3-4 foot tall person jumping up and dunking themself with room to spare. Most of their attempts fail. But failing does not constitute being a failure. In this case, failure is not an option and one success nullifies all previous failures. They try and fail! They try again and fail! They continue to try, trying harder each time - they usually fail! But failure is not an option, or at least not a deterrent to stop trying. It is instinctive to "Try or Die". Then they eventually succeed! Mission accomplished!

One of the secrets to their success is being willing to go to low depths at the base of the falls to catapult themselves upward. The deeper they go, the higher they can rebound. When the endurance athlete tears its body down in the ultimate workouts, it eventually bounces back up to get to the next level. This is where the "training smart" factor comes in after "training hard" - time, proper rest and good nutrition are essential to overcome the waterfalls of endurance athletics. But before you can get to that stage, the "Try or Die" attitude must set the stage - this is true for many aspects of life as well.

The lessons we learn from the salmon are first adopt the mindset to attempt the impossible with the "Try or Die" attitude. Next, tear your body down to its limits (on a controlled basis) and then implement smart strategies to build it back up. The deeper you go in workout, the higher the waterfall you can conquer. Lastly, remember that your ultimate victory erases all previous defeats.