---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One thing is having skated five of the…"
description: "\"One thing is having skated five of the best races I've probably could have skated. It was nice to peak at the right time and to do it in an important t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/eric-heiden-22924_best_one-thing-is-having-skated-five-of-the-b_2792192.jpg"
---

#  One thing is having skated five of the best races I've…

![“One thing is having skated five of the best races I've probably could have skated. It was nice to peak at the right time and to do it in an important time in somebody's career.” quote by Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/eric-heiden-22924_best_one-thing-is-having-skated-five-of-the-b_2792192.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/eric-heiden-22924_best_one-thing-is-having-skated-five-of-the-b_2792192.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/eric-heiden-22924_best_one-thing-is-having-skated-five-of-the-b_2792192.jpg)

> “One thing is having skated five of the best races I've probably could have skated. It was nice to peak at the right time and to do it in an important time in somebody's career.”

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Achieving peak performance at the right moment can define a career and legacy.

**In simple terms:** Timing and preparation lead to career-defining success.

Key Takeaway

Prepare for timely opportunities.

Themes

sports achievement timing career legacy

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- competition preparation
- career planning
- performance review

Key Concepts

peak performance goal setting mental focus

Questions to Reflect On

- What strategies ensure readiness for critical moments?
- How does timing affect long-term success?

A Different Perspective

Peak moments are rare and require sustained effort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Olympics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympics/) [Races](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/races/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [I have skated when I was a child, but it was just with our friends and our parents, no special technique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saara-aalto/i-have-skated-when-i-was-a-child-but-it-was-just-with-our-friends-and/)

[Saara Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saara-aalto/)

> [I am happy. I skated well. This is a competition and sometimes things don't go as you'd like them to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-slutskaya/i-am-happy-i-skated-well-this-is-a-competition-and-sometimes-things/)

[Irina Slutskaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-slutskaya/)

> [I'd ice-skated before, because I'm Canadian and that's what you do as a kid, but I'd never, ever been on quad skates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/i-d-ice-skated-before-because-i-m-canadian-and-that-s-what-you-do-as/)

[Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/)

> [My first love was hockey, but it seemed the more I skated and danced with Tessa, the more I fell in love with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-moir/my-first-love-was-hockey-but-it-seemed-the-more-i-skated-and-danced/)

[Scott Moir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-moir/)

> [I sort of always had an inkling towards some kind of an art form. I grew up in a very small town, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-mcadams/i-sort-of-always-had-an-inkling-towards-some-kind-of-an-art-form-i/)

[Rachel McAdams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-mcadams/)

> [Every time I watch a performance, I'm disgusted with how I've skated. It's very hurtful for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-aaron/every-time-i-watch-a-performance-i-m-disgusted-with-how-i-ve-skated/)

[Max Aaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-aaron/)

> [I just played football from an early age and didn't get involved in any other sports. We had tennis, cycling, ice skating - I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaap-stam/i-just-played-football-from-an-early-age-and-didn-t-get-involved-in/)

[Jaap Stam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaap-stam/)

> [I've skated after Yuzu a handful of times. The only thing I can take away from it is to be prepared for the Pooh-bears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-chen/i-ve-skated-after-yuzu-a-handful-of-times-the-only-thing-i-can-take/)

[Nathan Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-chen/)

> [I just skated for the fun of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hughes/i-just-skated-for-the-fun-of-it/)

[Sarah Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hughes/)

> [My proficiency with ballet was on a steep decline the more I skated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-virtue/my-proficiency-with-ballet-was-on-a-steep-decline-the-more-i-skated/)

[Tessa Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-virtue/)

> [If you take guys who have been off who have had very limited opportunity to work out and train and haven't skated in months,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-marchand/if-you-take-guys-who-have-been-off-who-have-had-very-limited/)

[Brad Marchand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-marchand/)

> [I could have skated by as an athlete, but the world is so much bigger and more interesting than any one thing. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-could-have-skated-by-as-an-athlete-but-the-world-is-so-much-bigger/)

[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/)

> [I've designed since I was 12. The first was when I skated to Carmen, in red and gold and black. I wanted so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-cohen/i-ve-designed-since-i-was-12-the-first-was-when-i-skated-to-carmen-in/)

[Sasha Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-cohen/)

> [I skated in ice shows all over Europe and South Africa for 20 years. I love to ice skate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-baker/i-skated-in-ice-shows-all-over-europe-and-south-africa-for-20-years-i/)

Kenny Baker

> [I don't remember the first time I skated on ice, I was too young. I do remember falling in love with that wind-in-my-face feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-blair/i-don-t-remember-the-first-time-i-skated-on-ice-i-was-too-young-i-do/)

[Bonnie Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-blair/)

## More by Eric Heiden

> [We never did a lot of weights, but a lot of repetitions. The most I would use doing squats was 300 pounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/we-never-did-a-lot-of-weights-but-a-lot-of-repetitions-the-most-i/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [I really liked it best when I was a nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/i-really-liked-it-best-when-i-was-a-nobody/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [When I was skating you had to participate in every thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/when-i-was-skating-you-had-to-participate-in-every-thing/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [It is not the events in our life that define our character, but how we deal with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/it-is-not-the-events-in-our-life-that-define-our-character-but-how-we/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [I mean you got to thank your parents for giving you the right genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/i-mean-you-got-to-thank-your-parents-for-giving-you-the-right-genes/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [You don't really want to load up a whole lot, probably anything more than four hours before the race. I needed something to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/you-don-t-really-want-to-load-up-a-whole-lot-probably-anything-more/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [I'd rather get a nice warmup suit. That's something I can use. Gold medals just sit there. When I get old, maybe I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/i-d-rather-get-a-nice-warmup-suit-that-s-something-i-can-use-gold/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [On today's athletes: I wish I could turn back the clock a little bit so I'd have a chance to cut it up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/on-today-s-athletes-i-wish-i-could-turn-back-the-clock-a-little-bit/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [I had the drive to pursue speedskating and I found a sport that I was good at. If I'd got into cycling, I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/i-had-the-drive-to-pursue-speedskating-and-i-found-a-sport-that-i-was/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [In general, I enjoy athletes who have a strong character who let their abilities speak for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/in-general-i-enjoy-athletes-who-have-a-strong-character-who-let-their/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [Heck, gold medals, what can you do with them?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/heck-gold-medals-what-can-you-do-with-them/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [It's not a sport you get famous at. If I wanted to be famous, I would have stuck with hockey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/it-s-not-a-sport-you-get-famous-at-if-i-wanted-to-be-famous-i-would/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [They're just big in the eyes of the American public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/they-re-just-big-in-the-eyes-of-the-american-public/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [Cyclists, I work with a number of cyclists. They are great athletes; they are great aerobic athletes. If you ask them to hit a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/cyclists-i-work-with-a-number-of-cyclists-they-are-great-athletes/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

> [Immediately after the Olympics, I was pretty fatigued.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/immediately-after-the-olympics-i-was-pretty-fatigued/)

[Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

[Explore all 26 Eric Heiden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/)

## More Best quotes

> [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/)

[Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/)

> [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/)

[Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/)

[Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/)

> [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/)

[Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/)

> [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/)

[Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/)

> [Life is where you love people and use things not use people and love things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/life-is-where-you-love-people-and-use-things-not-use-people-and-love/)

[Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/)

> [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/)

[Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/)

> [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/)

Gene Scott

> [I'm looking to fight the best guys in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-rodriguez/i-m-looking-to-fight-the-best-guys-in-the-world/)

[Yair Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-rodriguez/)

> [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-no-secret-that-i-have-read-the-da-vinci-code-several-times-i/)

[Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/)

> [Any position I was going to be in, I was going to make the best of it. I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/)

[Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/)

Browse all 21,674 Best quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "One thing is having skated five of the best races I've probably could have skated. It was nice to peak at the right time and to do it in an important time in somebody's career.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Eric Heiden"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/one-thing-is-having-skated-five-of-the-best-races-i-ve-probably-could/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Best"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/one-thing-is-having-skated-five-of-the-best-races-i-ve-probably-could/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/eric-heiden-22924_best_one-thing-is-having-skated-five-of-the-b_2792192.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/eric-heiden-22924_best_one-thing-is-having-skated-five-of-the-b_2792192.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d0/eric-heiden-22924_best_one-thing-is-having-skated-five-of-the-b_2792192.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“One thing is having skated five of the best races I've probably could have skated. It was nice to peak at…” — Eric Heiden",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Eric Heiden",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "One thing is having skated five...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/one-thing-is-having-skated-five-of-the-best-races-i-ve-probably-could/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/one-thing-is-having-skated-five-of-the-best-races-i-ve-probably-could/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
