To The Start Line
Crossing the finish line of an Ironman 70.3 for the first time was comfortably the most physically uncomfortable experience of my life (yet).
You don’t get to doing these things without training. There are three things that need training in endurance sport. First and foremost, the body. If the muscles are not physically primed then you physically can not finish an event.
Second, the gut. I’ve said it time and time again, without the appropriate hydration and fueling even the best of the best will DNF. Consuming anything while moving is difficult. It is truly an art to retain any kind of grace while downing a 45g gel at race pace; 3 hours into a marathon.
Third is the mind. While I speak and write extensively on the above, this is about the third. Consequently, this is more about what I have learned through endurance sport and less of a professional opinion.
Endurance training will make you mentally sturdier. Completing a “hard” event will give you the confidence to do just about anything in life. Problem is, that mental toughness comes in extremely small increments and is only truly built over harder and harder training sessions and races.
One Step Away
There is lots to be said about pushing barriers by training in a group or with a coach or being in lock step with another athlete on race day. However, the largest block of mental toughness is created alone. Endurance athletes need to get comfortable “Enduring”. All those moments when your body is aching and the heart just wants a break and you still have 30 minutes left before you can leave the frigid water. That is the stuff that counts.
“The real run starts when you want to stop.”
You have to learn to like your own company, else the self talk gets boring really fast. What your mental state is and which thoughts play ping pong between your ears during that 5 am bike is what makes all the difference. This is the only real battleground. No reinforcements allowed.
Detrimental thoughts of stopping or slowing down are commonplace. This is the monkey in your brain working against you. You try to bargain with it, but it's a monkey! You’d be better placed trying to lock it up and hope it can’t find the keys later.
Some people are fortunate enough to detach completely and be able to think about everything under the sun besides their breathing. Others, like me, prefer to drown out the mental noise with key phrases. On good days mine have been “this is the way”, “just keep swimming”, and my personal crutch is visualizing the finish line and corresponding announcement at my full ironman race. On bad days, it ranges from “Shut up, Legs!” to the choicest of swears. It's a strange sort of meditation.
With that said, musings that may help pass the long hours and dreadful physio visits:
Just to make sure I don’t forget about it
A little pain is usually a good thing; a lot of pain is not. Know when to stop.
If it scares you, it's worth doing.
It never gets easier, you just get faster.
The journey to the start line is what makes you. The finish line photo is only the cherry on top.
Good things take time and not every session is going to be a Personal Best.
As with most things in life, the game boils down to one word: Consistency!
Sacrifices will be asked of you. You need to ask yourself, “How badly do you want this?”
It also helps to remind yourself that the entire pursuit is wholly voluntary and is best done with a smile!
