Passion - Nobody sings a song just to get to the end of the song. The singing of the song itself is what is enjoyable. A person has to approach Ironman training with the same attitude. Ironman takes training. Lots, and lots, and lots of training. For the person who is just looking for the tattoo or just to be able to tell others that they've done Ironman, the training and the long race day are going to be miserable. Those things are part of why some might do Ironman, but you also have to have a passion for the training. I love what Ironman does to me. I get a focus that I don't seem to be able to achieve at any other time in my life like I can while I'm training for Ironman. I'm able to control my nutrition, sleep, weight, and time management with an intensity that is just lacking at any other time. I love the fact that my fitness level builds to the point of being able to ride 6 hours one day, and come back the next day and have a strong 3 hour run. And while the passion is usually not bubbling up in the 5th hour of a 6 hour ride, or swimming 4000 yards while the family is off doing something fun, it's what keeps me heading back out the door and on the road each day to get the work done.
Belief - Race day is tough. Ironman hurts. It hurts hour after hour. That's normal, and something we get conditioned to through hundreds of hours of training. We come up with mental tricks to ignore the pain as well as just developing a higher tolerance for the pain. But it's Ironman, and anything can happen that day, from sea-sickness on the swim, to locals throwing oil and nails on the bike course, to GI issues on the run. And so you get the perfect storm of fatigue, pain, the 17 hour time crunch, and whatever issue you're facing that begins to fuel the mind with doubt. But keep the belief alive. Unexpected trials are part of Ironman. While a race report that reads, "I hit all my targets and goals and everything went just as I had visualized it" would make a nice summary of your day, it's not likely to be what's going to actually happen. You've dealt with issues during training, you got through them, and you will again on race day. Keep moving forward and just expect the pain/cramp/upset stomach to pass. Control what you can, and don't dwell on what you can't control. Push any anger and doubt from your mind, you don't have time or energy to waste on those emotions on race day. You did all the stinking bricks, long rides, and two-a-day workouts, now is the time to trust the training and believe in your strength, endurance, and mental toughness.
Strategy
- Pre-race - The last few weeks of training is a time when the body is getting especially worn down, from lost sleep due to early morning workouts, months and months of long training hours, and the longer bike and run workouts leading up to the race. Have a nutrition strategy that helps keep you healthy and avoid illness. I like drinking 12 ounces of V8 juice a day and having a fruit smoothie daily to help get fruit and vegetable servings and get all the vitamins and minerals I need. We also need and eating strategy for the taper week and the last couple of days of training. Here's some info if you need help planning.
- Race Day - We'll all have different strategies planned for race day. What are you going to eat for breakfast? Where are you planning to line up for the swim start. Are you going to walk from the swim exit of the first loop to the start of the 2nd, or jog? What's you heart rate/power goal for the bike? What's you planned walk/run ratio going to be on the run. Have your strategy, practice it the last few weeks of training, and stick to it, until you can't stick to it anymore. Then be ready to adapt, and accept that it's okay to change it throughout the day as the need arises.
