How to guarantee a Kona Finish?

Alec Riddle was weighing in at 230 Pounds (103,5kg) when his teenage stepson passed tragically in 2004. This was the catalyst to getting him back on the road and while it only took 7 years for him to win his Age Group at Ironman 70.3, it took him 27 years to achieve his goal of racing the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii only to discover he needed a Plan B, something he wasn’t prepared for

“Most Kona participants are so focussed on their preparation, that they don’t contemplate anything other than achieving their Goals. So when failure (or derailment) comes knocking on their door, they don’t now how to answer it”, said Alec Riddle, who won the 50-54 Age Group at Ironman 70.3 Worlds in as Vegas 2011.

You are probably double checking your math skills, but the former Mathematics teacher  assures me it was a 27 year goal and not a 7 year goal. So rewind and check the stats for the 27 year Kona Dream if you like, alternatively read on and glean some tips on how to adapt to a Plan B just in case it’s not your day.

David Smith came across ‘The Riddle of an Ironman’s Life’ Blog and thought that there were some important lessons for Ironman athletes on the eve of the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.  David asked former World Champion Alec Riddle about the challenges and obstacles he has faced and how he responded, ensuring he finished every race he started.

DS: When you finally made it to the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii what was your goal?

AR: Having done well in Las Vegas in 2011 I was fired up and I was in great shape, so I was aiming for the Podium.

DS: Did you ever stop to contemplate not making the Podium or Top 10 in your Age Group?

AR: I don’t think many of the world’s top Age Groupers contemplate failure and I certainly don’t. I think that most of us have an inherent belief that we can achieve our goals. We are prepared to make the huge sacrifices required to give us the best possible chance of success and sitting down thinking about things that could derail our plans are a no go area for many.

DS: Here is an overview of his Kona Race, but let’s focus on his Mental Challenges,

An Ironman Finish Line = An unbelieavable feeling!

 the Lessons Learnt and the Advice that he could offer to Age Groupers racing Kona 2015.

DS: Did you ever think of quitting?

AR: That word is not in the Riddle Dictionary, so no it never crossed my mind and besides I had waited 27 years to get to that Island so I wasn’t going to raise the white flag.

DS: Three years on what do you remember most about Kona 2012?

AR: Besides the build up and the start, it would have to be running that final mile. To run where I had only seen (on video or live tracker) the likes of Paula Newby Fraser, Mark Allen and Dave Scott run was amazing. To experience that final mile with the South African flag draped over my shoulders was one of my finest moments in sport and one I will treasure forever.

DS: Even though you finished close to 2 hours slower than targeted?

AR: Make no mistake there were disappointments and I had my own ‘pity party’ in the Lava Fields, in the Energy Lab and on the Queen K, but I built my bridge and got over my river of tears in time to embrace what Ironman is all about, which in my opinion is to finish what you started. I had dreamt of this race for 27 years and I wasn’t going to go home bitter, I was going to go home richer for the experience of having conquered my goal of participating in and finishing the Ironman World Championships.

DS: When you were walking and pushing your bike for almost an hour, what was going through your mind?

AR: Two things, firstly I was trying to come to terms with the fact that I was no longer in the ‘race’ and that my dream of a podium or top ten was over. Believe me I was mad, initially I was trying the blame game where it was everybody’s fault but mine, but eventually I had to start manning up and taking responsibility for not checking the spare that had been put on my bike. There were times I was shouting at the sky, the wind, the lava rocks and the cyclists passing me must have thought I was mad and heading for the Cuckoo’s Nest, it must have been quite an experience being a fly on the wall.

The second was worse than the first and that was when it dawned on me that I may not finish. I realised that if I continued to push my bike for 30 odd miles (50km), there was no way that i could do that plus complete a marathon before midnight. (I hadn’t even factored in a bike cut off as I am one of the fortunate folk who has never had to worry about being checked out on time and it cannot be pleasant for those that do). That is when panic set in and I started flagging down every official and referee pleading with them to summon bike support. Fortunately I eventually managed to get a makeshift rear wheel from bike support (they were out of spares) and rode into Kona with no rear brakes and a fixed gear, which was quite an experience in itself.

DS: How did you motivate yourself for the run?

AR: On my Ironman Journey there have been many obstacles along the way and it’s as if I was groomed for these challenges. I had learnt to persevere so I was very motivated going out onto the run. The highlight of my day was seeing my 12 year old son Jamie shortly after the turn on Alii Drive…. he had run all the way (8km) in slops to support me.

Conrad Stoltz giving Jamie Riddle a few tips n the Energy Lab, with Liesel in the background.

Then I encountered Conrad Stoltz and his wife Liesel on their bikes, who had heard of my troubles and had ridden out to come and offer some support. The Stoltz’s then very kindly offered Jamie Liesel’s bike so that he could support me on the run (yes they do allow this in Hawaii which is quite unique) and that led to one of the most amazing running experiences of my life.

There I was running along and listening to my son’s comments and I knew that he had been listening all those years I had been encouraging him. The comments ranged from “Pain is your best friend” to “You Can, You Will, You Want To”, but the best was when he said “Okay Dad I want you to imagine you have a fishing rod, cast and see the hook landing on that guy in the red. Now reel him in nice and steady.” It was classic and as much as I wanted to cry all I could do was smile as Jamie kept me motivated.

DS: Where there any difficult patches on the run?

AR: Only one and it had nothing to do with fatigue or personal disappointment. It was when we were coming towards the end of the Queen K and it was getting dark (yes I was unable to finish before sunset) that I made one of the hardest decisions of my life. I told Jamie he had to go back (there was no lamp on the bike) as it could be dangerous once it got dark. I recall him saying “Dad you need your best friend with you to motivate you” and I recall saying to him Jamie I have to take my ‘friend’ cap off and put my ‘Dad’ cap on and send you back. As he was riding off I called for him to hand me the SA Flag and as he turned to hand it to me before riding into the sunset, I saw the tears streaming down his face…. that is when I broke down and all the bottled up emotions came to the fore. I had been averaging 5 min/km (8 min/mile) but now I had the wind taken out of my sails and I was virtually walking as I battled my emotions.

DS: Take us through your final mile?

AR: I knew that I had to conquer my emotions and rid myself of the tears before hitting the final mile, as this was going to be a celebration and I was going to enjoy and savour at least one mile of the 140 I had come to race. I think I enjoyed that final mile more than I had enjoyed any mile in any Ironman, even the ones where I had raced successfully. I was able to interact with some of the spectators, encourage fellow competitors who were still racing for time or position, while my ‘race’ lay in tatters somewhere near Hawi. It was simply amazing being able to pause and to reflect on my Journey, to think about my late Stepson Reece who had been the catalyst to me getting started in Ironman some 8 years earlier and to think about my late Dad who had passed the previous year and had been my biggest inspiration.

DS: What would your message be to the Age Groupers racing on Saturday?

AR: Don’t make the mistake of going into an Ironman without contemplating a Plan B. We have no control over what hand we are dealt in sport or in life, but we certainly can commit to make the best of the hand we are dealt. There is no disgrace in not achieving your goal (time/position) but your ultimate goal has to be finishing, especially on the Big Island at the World Championships. You will get over the disappointment of not making your goal, but you will forever treasure that medal and remember this, all the medals are the same colour, whether you win the race outright or finish just in time.

Also, remember to check everything. I had taken my bike for a service and asked them to put an extension on my spare ‘tubular’ and tape it under my front aero bottle. I never thought to check it and only when I punctured did I discover the extension was suitable for a Zipp 404 (my front wheel) but would not fit a Zipp 808 (my rear wheel). I had taken unpaid leave and spent 3 months in America and Hawaii, only to be taken out of the race because of an extension that was half an inch too short. They say sport is about seconds or inches and I discovered that the hard way.

Racing as though my life depended upon it

 

In pursuit of the ‘finish’ with a borrowed wheel, supplied by Bike Works.

 

 

 

 

 

DS: What if it all appears too much for them in the race?

AR: I think there are only two reasons you stop, the first is if your health is at risk or if you are checked out time wise. Otherwise you should never raise the white flag, slow down by all means , try and not think too far ahead and focus on trying to push on one step at a time. I can recall racing Ironman South Africa in 2009 and in my mind I was one of the favourites for the AG win, but I blew both physically and mentally and ended up doing a 6hr 15 min marathon. I was close to quitting but my wife, my family and my friends kept me going. It was the hardest thing I ever did, but by far the most rewarding and I have used that experience to encourage so many others. Can you imagine if I had bailed? The preparation, the effort and the experience would have been worthless.

DS: It seems the Ironman is more a mental challenge than a physical one?

AR: I think it’s a blend. For the top Age Groupers you are pushing the envelope and if you stray over the red line you will pay for it at some stage in the race. Then it becomes a mental challenge, but one thing to bear in mind is that the mind can only hold onto one thought at a time. Think of it like this, your mind has two Supervisors Mr Be Good and Mr No Good and they are both competing for your thoughts. So if you think negative thoughts then Mr No Good goes to work and starts recruiting more workers (Mr Be Good is forced to lay off some of his team), but if Mr Be Good is hard at work then he recruits more workers and he becomes the dominant force. So force feed your mind positive thoughts as often as you can. I choose to express thanks for not getting kicked in the swim, for not losing my goggles, etc. It is amazing the positive momentum you can build simply by expressing thanks. (learnt from Heather Gollnick at Iron Prayer in Clearwater 2009)

DS: Any other thoughts?

AR: You probably never got there on your own, as great things are accomplished with the support of many (team). You may be living your Dream, but there are many (friends and family) who share your dream so if it is getting too much for you, think of the rest of the team before you raise the white flag. Believe me they will be proud of you finishing irrespective of time, but they won’t be too charmed if you walk off the course. Make sure you can say I have finished the race (2 Timothy 4:7).

DS: What were some of your highlights of the Kona experience?

At Living Stones Church with Conrad Stoltz, Chris Lieto and Kyle Buckingham

AR: The best was Manta Ray Night Diving; watching the kids jump off the cliffs at the “End of the World” was also a highlight and going to the Living Stones Church on Alii Drive was pretty awesome.

DS: I would like to thank Alec for his time and sharing his experiences and laying bear his innermost thoughts and emotions. I trust you may find some inspiration when the going gets tough, as that is when the tough need to get going. Even I feel I could march on, irrespective of the obstacles.

 

 

Kona, Hawaii

 

 

Manta Ray Night Diving-what an experience

Entering the Energy Lab with my children Camryn & Jamie

YES, you Can, you Will, you Want to!!

 

How I came close to Quitting 70.3

One would never normally talk about our own mental challenges or weaknesses, but truth be told we all have them, so I thought I would share mine in the hope it may help others facing similar demons in a race, enabling them to push onto the Finish Line. Most of us play down the negatives and openly talk about the positives, but I’ve decided to invite you into my mind, which shows that even very experienced Ironman athletes have to face up to the Fear of Failure, or the need to Surrender or Slow Down!

IronmanSA 70.3 in Buffalo City 2015 was one of the tougher races for many, due to the fairly extreme weather conditions, but for me that was just one contributing factor and I was having a terrible time overcoming my mental challenges too. The question was would I get to the Finish Line?

Feeling optimistic, taking in Nutrition as it is a long wait for the oldies to start

It all started in the final quarter of the 90km bike leg. I was starting to have doubts, doubts about many things…. Being able to catch the 5 guys in my AG who had passed me in the bike; Could I win or at worst still make the Podium; Could I still produce a respectable performance; But worst of all would I Finish?

Less than 5km to go and into the headwind up the final tough climb, I had compiled a whole Encyclopaedia of excuses and was on the verge of calling it a day. I had one of my best ever swims and had a 2 min lead in my AG, so the race started well, but the bike was simply not happening and I was passed by 5 guys before the turn point and losing time rapidly. I even wondered if my computer was lying to me as I was projecting a 3hr+ bike split and I knew my cycling had been strong coming into the race.

The morning started well….

I was starting to doubt myself and I was inviting too many negative thoughts into my brain, so the bad news was escalating. Think of your Brain as having two Factory Supervisors, Mr Be Good and Mr No Good and they need to recruit workers. If you feed yourself positive thoughts, Mr Be Good goes to work & recruits workers, while Mr No Good has to lay off workers. That’s in an ideal word, but when we are under pressure or facing extreme challenges doubts start to creep in and we allow Mr No Good to go to work, recruiting more workers while Mr Be Good is now laying off his workers. This leads to a dominant negative mindset and once the momentum swings it is very hard to reverse.

Some Background: I’m not mentioning this as an excuse (in fact half of the top 10 in our AG would have been struggling with down time from injuries so its part and parcel of our racing), but as a contributing factor to my mental challenges. You see I had hardly run in 3 months, due to a running injury and had only recently (Wednesday pre-race) been able to run 4km pain free. So my running, normally my strength was a weakness but I had also been told by respected individuals that if I feel my leg (injury) I should not try and run through the pain; that I could be putting my Ironman participation in jeopardy; that I could ruin my whole year. Yes, they all had my best interests at heart, but these ‘thoughts’ were haunting me in the closing stages of the bike and they presented me with a respectable ‘Out’! In addition I had only recently signed up to be coached by #TeamTissink once more and Raynard had mentioned that perhaps it is a bike injury and not a running injury, so more food for thought.

So back to the bike, my mind and the Encyclopaedia of excuses. My mind was telling me, or perhaps it was Mr No Good and his team, that this year I couldn’t rely on my running to try and catch the leaders; that I may fall apart on the run (I was already disintegrating on the bike); that I may have to walk due to a lack of running fitness; or worse still that I may do damage to a nagging injury, ensuring that my year would be over before it starts.

So not an ideal situation as not only was my race going pear shaped, my mind was wilting and I had the ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card handy, as I had the injury as a back- up. This was my personal ‘Iron War’ as Mr Be Good and Mr No Good fought for supremacy and Mr No Good was winning hands down.
I was fighting Mr No Good all the time as I rode along the beachfront, with fried legs that would surely not respond on the run. My first thought was of my Mother, visiting from the UK supporting me and watching me race for the first time in 25 years. I thought of my late Stepson Reece, who passed tragically in 2004 and was the catalyst to me getting fit again (I weighed a little more than a Ton back then). I thought of my late Dad and could sense him saying don’t be soft, get stuck in. I tried reciting Phillipians 4:13. I thought of my young son Jamie supporting from the sidelines and daughter Camryn at home, what example would I be setting to them? I thought of my wife Michelle, who supports unconditionally but makes many sacrifices enabling me to do what I do. I thought of my sponsors Isuzu, who pride themselves on durability and perseverance, how could I let the team down?
It was like I was being bullied in the school playground, being softened up by the weather, taking a few blows from my fellow competitors and being knocked to my knees by my own self-doubts. The question was do I stay down (on the canvas) or do I force myself to get up one more time? Fortunately I forced myself to choose the latter option, to face another blow or two… But at least this choice had a chance of success, the other was condemning myself to failure.

I was saying you can’t quit before the run starts, you have to start the run and then, sore or not, you can always say your leg is sore. Acceptable excuse right? No, because at this stage you are pre-empting and almost forcing a poor hand. You see in life and in a race, the deck of cards is dealt and you have to play with the hand you are dealt, to the best of your ability. You can’t add an Ace and you certainly don’t want to force a Joker because you’re having a bad day, or a mental mount down.

Then it came to me, I recall reading a story in one of Bill Hybels’ books, where it said if you are in a boat in the middle of a storm it is terrifying but if you extricate yourself from the storm and look down on it from a distance, it’s nowhere near as bad. So as I entered T2 and the final dice was about to be thrown, I decided to extricate myself from the ‘race’ and asked myself if this wasn’t a race could I run one kilometer? You know the answer and my mind was made up, I was going to ‘Get Started’ and try.

So onto the run I went and within a km or two Mr Be Good was becoming the dominant Supervisor once more, as I was relieved I was running, I was happy to be in the race, I was getting so much encouragement from the crowds and race announcers and I was chasing old foes Charles Naude, Manfred Reinhardt and Frank Smuts as best I could (leader James Welsh was way out front in a class of his own). I moved up from 6th or 7th to 4th but could make little, or no impression on Manfred and Frank. The legs slowed at about 15km, but the mind was still strong as I force fed my mind so many positives that Mr No Good was now redundant.

This was surely one of the toughest races of my life, physically yes but definitely mentally as going into a race with a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card plays games with your mind. I was very disappointed that I didn’t make the Podium, but happy for my good friend Frank who got 3rd after so many 4ths.

I was ecstatic that I had persevered and that I had overcome one of my biggest ‘Mental Battles’ ever and I hope that one or two of you reading this may win just such a battle one day. There was a silver lining to this battle within a battle, as a few hours later I went to the World Championship slot allocation and as the race winner elected not to go to Austria, I secured a roll down slot and have the opportunity to go and race in the World Championships in August.

Ironman World 70.3 Champs, Las Vegas 2011

More often than not we are all racing for the wrong things and I had never once given thought to the World 70.3 Championships during my ‘battle’, but what an incredible bonus. It will be an honor to race a World 70.3 Championship again and to be on the start line in the 55-59 AG with good friend Manfred Reinhardt in Austria.

One thing I am grateful for is that as a former Mathematics Teacher, I am able to count my Blessings.

YES, you Can, you Will, you Want to!!

The Big 5

When I used to hear ‘The Big 5’ I immediately thought of five of Africa’s greatest & most dangerous wild animals!

In future when I hear ‘The Big 5’ I will think of five of Knysna’s sporting events. None of these sporting events are overly challenging and none may qualify for ‘great’ status when done in isolation, but when they are all done within a week & combined into one competition, the Big 5 suddenly becomes a very challenging competition and one of the great events in South Africa.

Many travellers & tourists regard a visit to South Africa as incomplete without having spotted the Big Five and I would dare to suggest that if you are a South African sportsman wanting to call yourself a multi-sporter, your career would be incomplete without having tried a Big 5 Challenge, which comprises the following 5 events:
-80km Knysna MTB
-109km Knysna Road Bike (or a swim or canoe race)
-15km Featherbed Trail Run
-Totalsports XTerra
-Knysna Half or Full Marathon

I was fortunate to compete in the old “Voltaren Ultraman” a couple of Decades ago, but was the supporting cast to former Comrades winner & Ultraman Champion Nick Bester in 1990 and 1991, so had an idea what I was letting myself into.

Farmer Glen (Haw), Nick Bester and I renewing rivalries & making the Podium for the XTerra

The Knysna Big 5, spread over 8 days was a daunting challenge, especially as it takes place in the middle of winter and somebody like me is only just beginning to dust off the cobwebs, after a couple of months recovery from Ironman. I rolled into Knysna, not with a 6 pack like the major contenders, but with about 6 kilos too many and when combined with my limited MTB skills, I knew I was in for a very tough week.

Day 1 dawned (80km MTB) and it was icy cold, even with an 8am start and I set off intent on pacing myself, not taking too many risks and enjoying the scenery. I cruised in just under 5 hours and was a little shocked to find I was 2 hours off the winner of the MTB event, but I tried to re assure myself that I was here to train and this was my Boot Camp.

Day 2 dawned (109k Road) and again it was pretty cold and I know the importance of sticking with a bunch, so was intent on sucking as much wheel as possible. Guess I made a Primary School error, as I didn’t recce the course profile before hand and maybe it’s my imagination, but I don’t think I’ve ridden as many hills in so short a ride before. I was going quite well, but blew (lack of bike fitness) about 20km from the end and lost a few valuable minutes.

For the first time I looked at the leader board and discovered I had placed 69th and 9th Master in the MTB ride (eish) and had improved to 5th Master after the road bike. My thoughts starting teasing me, suggesting the 50+ Podium was a possibility…..so much for training & boot camp!

Renewing friendships with Raynard Tissink at the Featherbed Trail

Day 3 and I was in the mid day slot for the Featherbed Trail. Talk about tough, well this was a tough first 4-5km and I recall seeing a sign “Stairway to Heaven”, but that km took me 8 minutes + and it felt more like Hell. My legs were shattered from the two tough bike rides and I was also lugging half a bag of cement in surplus weight up those climbs which added to the searing pain. Received some support from fellow competitor David Black and I tried to pace off him over the 2nd half of the course and over the railway lines. A heck of an effort to make marginal gains on new Masters leader Farmer Glen (Haw), of Sani 2 C , who who showed good running skills to add to his exceptional MTB skills!

Jamie at X Terra

The next morning I could hardly get out of bed to go watch Jamie do his first Xterra and also got sucked into doing the Puma Nightcat Dash. I was invited to join the Celebrity Race and race alongisde Nick Bester, Arnold Geerdts, Raynard Tissink, Dave Bellairs & Altus Schreuder but it was straight uphill, turn around and down. It was fun making up the field and somebody had to come last, but when the cramps attacked me that night I wished I hadn’t lined up.

Night Cat Dash

A highlight for our family was Camryn running in the ladies race (Nightcat Dash) and grabbing the second prize of R1,000 being encouraged & cheered on by Natalie Tissink, Caroline Wyatt & Alexa Cunningham who was shouting ‘shopping’ to my daughter every step of the way.

Camryn in X Terra Lite Relay

Day 4 was my first XTerra, which comprised a 3k trail run, a 25km MTB and a 7km Trail Run. I’ve always admired the XTerra guys, especially Conrad Stoltz, Dan Hugo & Stuart Marais so it was good to get a taste of what they do and now I can say I have even more respect as XTerra is tough. Was grateful I’d been taking my Muscle Milk after each race to aid recovery, so I was still able to push hard (with tree stumps for legs) chasing my good friend Nick Davidson around the course and catching Nick & Farmer Glen in the final km. My son Jamie had warned me that the bike course was tough, well now I know what he was trying to say!

Day 5 was the Half Marathon…. up bright and early, taxi ride into the Forest, huddle at the start line under a blanket (which would be donated to somebody in need), lots of chit chatter with friends & my training partners Mike, Liza, Martin & Craig for what seemed like eternity before the 8 am start. I was now up to 2nd in the Big 5 and hoping to challenge Farmer Glen for line honours for the ‘ballies’ race but even though I ran a reasonable 96 minutes, came up a little short. Glen, it was great to meet you and well done on a fine week of racing!

Stuart Marais with Jamie after the Laggon Swim

Well done to Stuart Marais on a great result and well done to a few of the EC guys Richard Laurie, Warren Dickson, Mike Cannon, Nick Davidson, Nick Chapman, Johan Botha, Johan Britz and Stephen Marais, it was great catching up and thanks for the encouragement along the way.

Relaxing with Michelle

To my best supporter Michelle, thanks for allowing the kids and I to pretend we were on holiday when we were actually at a training camp 🙂

Thanks to all the organisers and sponsors of the individual events, thanks to Mark Collins and Magnetic South organisers of the Big 5, as well as Greg Vogt from Knysna Tourism for the Oyster Festival, it was great fun and very well organised. Thanks to the Big 5 Challenge & Stillwater Sports for the XTerra After Party. Last, but by no means least a sincere thanks to Isuzu who have supported me over the past few years and I look forward to building to a great 2015!

Enjoy the View!

7 tips for Running: Tip #3 (Base Training)

The Riddle of an Ironman's Life

Base,Base, Base!!! You have to develop your aerobic engine and the bigger the base, the more solid the foundation, the higher the peak. Build gradually, steadily
and frequently, interspersed with regular recovery sessions.

Putting in the hard yards!

The more consistent the pressure you put on your plumbing system(cardiovascular)  the better and the best way to do that is to train at a more consistent ‘effort’ level in base training, so be careful of taking the hard/easy methodology of training too literally.

I am a great believer in what I call steady state running. In an ideal world, discovering your  aerobic threshold, lactate turnpoints and key heart rate zones would be great,
but it is not absolutely necessary. Steady state running is running just beyond
conversational pace and upwards and there are two ways to judge when you have
‘maximised’ this form of training. (In other words just below the red line…

View original post 539 more words

The Bigger the Base, The Higher the Peak!

7 Tips for Ironman Running-by Alec Riddle

http://ironmansa.com/2014/04/13/7-tips-to-ironman-running-tip-1-rest-and-recovery/

http://ironmansa.com/2014/04/14/7-tips-to-ironman-running-tip-2-easy-running-2/

7 tips to Ironman running Tip #2 (Easy Running)

Small choices and Little steps lead to GIANT consequences over time.
Successful people take little steps each day, embracing the small windows of opportunity that are presented to them. They march towards their goals, one step at a time and the days become weeks, the weeks become months and the months become years. And before you know it they have reached a place called Extraordinary.

Your running could improve beyond recognition; it is about making small choices and taking little steps over time BUT it requires immense patience and belief in what you are going to do, or have signed up for! The problem in this modern world that we live in, is that we expect instant results and we think that by going faster, harder, longer & more often we can accelerate our improvement. Unfortunately the opposite is true, so set aside the instant gratification mindset and be prepared to build slowly.

When you start out, or get going after a break (Rest & Recovery) it is important to start with easy running. This is the tedious part of the programme, as you can’t see quickfire results, but this is about laying a foundation. It is about preparing the body (and the mind) for the base training; the long runs and quality sessions which will be added in months to come BUT first up you have to allow the body to adapt to the low intensity stress that any form of running will subject it to (even easy running).

I call this Training to Train (T2T)! IT entails many conversational type runs and just allowing the body to feel comfortable with running. In preparing for Ironman, our group would run a 20km run on a Tuesday at a comfortable/conversational pace, nothing hard just Time on Legs for 1hr40-50. For most folk training for Ironman (and it was for our group), this would be a key session in the months leading up to Ironman as we are often time limited in our build up.

Imagine if you decided you wanted to be a better runner and you started 8-10 months prior to your IM or 70.3 and one of the first things you worked on was ‘easy running’ and within 2 months you were running an easy 20km mid week run every fortnight? Picture the foundation you are building and what can be built upon that Foundation, it is actually quite mind blowing to say the least!

I have utilised an example of a 20km run, but don’t go leaping into 20k runs, as I could and perhaps should have utilised an example of a 5 or 10km run. It should not be taken out of context.

Another important thing to realise is that ‘stress’ occurs when we exercise and it is about the time spent doing, so I would rather advocate time as opposed to distance. The reason for that is that a top IM runner may take 80 minutes for 20km and another athlete may take 2 hours, same distance but more stress for the slower runner, assuming both are running at the same effort.

I would advocate 3-4 weeks of easy running, before moving on to a more focussed Base Training Phase, which will be discussed under Tip #3.

Ironman- The Greatest Teacher of All!

A Tough day for most, including myself but if you focus on the positives-what an Amazing Day!

How many of you saw the Dolphins, with the Baby at the front of the pack just like Kyle Buckingham? AT Maitlands too? Great pic Stan Blumberg

Ironman 2014 was special in so many ways, it was the 10th Anniversary of this incredible event and it was definitely the toughest. Race Director Paul Wolf designed a magnificent new course that would have been enjoyed by all if the prevailing Westerly had blown, but IMSA chose this day to serve up its first Beasterly Easterly and did we suffer?

Ironman over the past 10 years has been a very special Journey for me, it arguably saved my life as I had fallen asleep at the wheel of life, was overweight, unfit, in a rut and heading nowhere fast. In 2004 my teenage Stepson passed tragically and Reece was the catalyst to me turning my life around and I used Ironman as the conduit to do so and it has been the most remarkable Journey.

That was oh so Tough!

We have all had some great Teachers in life, but Ironman has possibly been the Greatest Teacher of all for me. Yesterday was my 10th Ironman (8 x IMSA and 2 Internationally) and every single race has its own unique lessons. I’m sure you will recognise some of the 10 teachings mentioned below within yourself:

1. Perseverance- almost anything can be achieved by persevering.
2. Belief Ceiling-Ironman raises our belief ceiling and we see challenges differently now.
3. Journey-Life is not all about the Destination, it’s about the Journey.
4. Adversity-Can make you stronger.
5. Bounce Back (ability)- We need to be like Palm Trees, they can be bent all the way over in heavy winds (hurricanes) till its top touches the ground. You would think they would snap, break or buckle but they are resilient and bounce right back after the storm has passed.
6. Vision- “a picture of the future that inspires Passion.”-Bill Hybels
7. The Fog of Fear – Fear is like a Fog, it obscures your Vision, making things worse than they really are.
8. Choose friends who lift you up-Friends and their beliefs can make or break you, stay clear of the doom and gloom crowd, they will drag you down.
9. Great expectations make for great lives-Your Attitude determines your Altitude, it’s your choice nose up or nose down.
10. Choose faith over fear
11. Dare to Dream

Now many of the above are intertwined, example Dare to Dream and choosing Faith over Fear, as so many people are held back by Fear. When you buy into fears, you draw in the negative. None of us are immune to Fear and Fear will try to dominate your Thoughts. If you allow it, Fear will keep you awake at night, it will steal your Joy and your Enthusiasm. Fear is simply a bad habit, so make a decision to choose Faith over Fear and Dare to Dream.
I want to raise up all the Ironman entrants who didn’t Finish or achieve their Goals yesterday and want to highlight two amazing families, who will always be triumphant in life, even though they weren’t able to achieve their Goal & get that Finisher’s Medal yesterday.

The epitomy of an Ironman-Team Garwood!

Team Garwood- this is an incredibly inspirational family and they have taught me (us) a great deal about all of the above and life. Mom Cheryl is the glue that keeps the family unit together, supporting Father and Son. Nicky is the teenager who is challenged and would normally be unable to do what we all take for granted and Dad Kevin (like Dick Hoyt before him) swims, bikes and runs to see the Joy on his sons face and help Nicky to realize his Dream of being an Ironman, which they achieved last year-what an incredible achievement. Team Garwood have had many, many setbacks and yesterday’s hills and headwind counted them out but they Dare to Dream, they choose Faith over Fear and they have Bounce Back-ability and we look forward to seeing them back. Team Garwood, I feel for you, I know that you prepared incredibly well, I know you were so very fit and that life seems unfair at times, but you inspire so, so many and I thank you for that!

Team Boshoff-one of the bravest and compassionate woman I know Elzabe Boshoff co-wrote the amazing book “The Heart of an Ironman” and was inspired by the stories of folk who contributed to the book and this led to a Dream of her doing Ironman. Elzabe is supported by her Husband Leslie and her lovely children and by many, many friends including another aspirant Ironman Tove Kane.

A friend of Elzabe’s posted this for her, how amazing!

Elzabe has some serious health challenges, but what a spirit she displays. Elzabe has Dared to Dream, she has Chosen Faith over Fear, she has tried to wade through the Fog of Fear, she has Friends who lift her up. Perseverance, Adversity, Bounce-backabilty…. She has them all in abundance, but Elzabe is one of many who did not make it yesterday. Elzabe’s heart was beating alarmingly high and she had promised her family not to risk her health so made the wise choice and pulled out.

Elzabe’s story is one of immense courage and I want to say “Elzabe, you chose being a Participant of Life over being a Spectator of Life and Life is all about the Journey. You have Journeyed with all of the other Ironman, you are one of the Ironman family, you have put in months and months of preparation, you pushed Fear aside and you tried and I am proud of you and you have my Respect!”

I’m sure there are countless other stories of people who didn’t make it yesterday, for whatever reason but I salute you all for trying, for daring to dream, for challenging yourself and in time, when the disappointment dissipates you will see the positives, you will appreciate having tried. You are brave souls, who will see the world through different eyes in the future and I trust you will Bounce Back, wishing you all the best.

When my race (for the Podium) was run and I was struggling to put one foot in front of the other in pursuit of finishing Ironman 2014, there were many things that kept me going (which I will cover in my race report to follow). One was the amazing Port Elizabeth crowd, talk about choosing friends who lift you up, well I chose a City that lifts me up. The second was people like Team Garwood and Team Boshoff, people who are challenged far more than myself. So when I start having Pity Party’s I start to count my Blessings and realize just how Blessed many of us are, to be able to do almost anything we want to do.

Thank you Stan, for the Amazing Picture!

Well done to each and every Ironman Entrant, as somebody said we need to introduce a T-Shirt called I-Tried, as surely that is one of the most important things about Life!

-Thanks to IMSA and your Team, Volunteers and Marshalls, it was another incredible race/event.

-Thanks to my Family for their support and to the Families who support their loved ones.

-Thanks to my amazing sponsors, Isuzu- I chose the longer road once more and even though the Fuel Tank was running on empty, the Reserve Tank got me home. Thanks to Orca and Cytomax for your ongoing support.

Some of the messages/thoughts above have been gleaned from Joel Osteen’s book “Daily Readings- from- It’s Your Time.” I Trust he would be happy for me to share them.

 

Learn from my Mistakes!

One of the biggest threats to our Ironman is not the weather, the course, nutrition or mechanicals!

One of our biggest threats is PRIDE (or EXCITEMENT)!

In Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before a Fall,” implies that when people are over confident they are likely to come down to earth with a thud.

I don’t think that it is a case of us being over confident (perhaps the opposite may be true), it’s more a case of being ignorant and not knowing what to expect, so let me share a few lessons that I have learnt on my Ironman Journey. One of the biggest lessons I have learnt is ‘Do Not Start Too Fast’, it’s my nemesis and I am one of the most experienced athletes out there, so why make this primary school error?…. is it Pride, Optimism, Over Confidence, Ignorance, Stupidity or simply getting caught up in the excitement & hype?

My ‘stupid’ mistakes.

1. In Las Vegas 2011, my first competitive non=wetsuit swim, I over-estimated my swimming ability (without my Orca suit) and started toooo fast (burnt matches). It was a World Championship race and I had blown 800m into the swim, I was hyperventilating & swimming breastroke. How embarassing, what an idiot?
2. In IronmanSA 2009 I was cycling well for 150km but two punctures later, I was in panic mode & riding the final 30km way too fast(burnt matches) that my legs disintegrated and I ended up running a 6hr 15 marathon. Senseless?
3. In Las Vegas 2012, I had a good swim and found myself in the mix and was trying to keep the AG leaders in sight, so was climbing the hills way out of my comfort zone (burnt matches). Only when I downloaded my Power Data, did I realise why I didn’t challenge for a Podium position and I thought it was because I hadn’t tapered enough.
4. At Kona 2012, at the bike turnaround in Hawi, I ripped my punctured tubby off & was trying to put the brand new spare on (bought at bike shop in Kona when bike serviced and attached to bike by them), only to find the extension they put on didn’t fit on my Zipp 808’s. Heart breaking to say the least! Check all of your equipment (if had a match I may have burnt something).

Don’t start too Fast!

5. Every year at IMSA (except 2009) I come out of T2 and think I am a better runner than I am (over optimistic or a legacy from my good running days) and it is so easy to run sub 5 minutes/km and I try and run as many sub 5’s as I can (matches burnt). The problem here is that when the energy reserves are depleted, the challenge becomes one of trying to run sub 6’s. This year I am determined not to run any sub 5’s until the final 5km, then I hope to fly or soar on the wings of Eagles!

Why would we start too Fast?

1. After a taper, your body won’t have felt this rested/energized in months, so you will feel like Superman, compared to some of your big block training sessions. Do not fool yourself, you still need to be ultra cautious.
2. You have Dreamt of this for months/years & prepared to the best of your ability, so you will be overly excited and very keen to get on with it.
3. The vibe in the build up to race day is phenomenal and it is easy to get carried away.
4. The national Anthem may bring a tear to your eye as the Sun rises, but at the very least you will get goose flesh.
5. The firing of the Canon will release so much adrenalin, be careful!

The 1st 10 minutes!

1. Danger Zone!
2. I always say the 1st 10 minutes could be the most damaging, which implies the 1st 10 minutes of the Swim, the Bike and the Run.
3. This is when you feel great (better) and when the crowds and the adrenalin could help you lose your mind temporarily….Ironsanity as opposed to Insanity?
4. After 10 minutes (of each disipline), the adrenalin will have dissipated, then it’s a good time to try find your rhythm.
5. Ten (10) minutes is all it takes to destroy your whole day, so treat the 1st 10 minutes as warm up.

Stay calm and focus on your Nutrition!

6. After the first 10-20 minutes, your heart rate should have stabilised and it is time to start focussing on your Nutrition….and a benefit of not starting too fast is the Nutrition intake/absorption is improved.

 

Avoid Burning Matches!

1. You have a limited amount of Matches, protect them.
2. A match is burnt when you put in a surge, an interval or climb a hill too fast.
3. In an Ironman it is so easy to Burn a Match, as the required effort is seemingly so easy, especially in the early stages of the bike leg, or the early part of a climb.
4. It will require so much self discipline & restraint to keep yourself in check on the first lap, but those who do can expect more even pacing (laps) and a better marathon.
5. Avoid surges, even if a friend/foe or work colleague comes flying past, keep your Pride in your pocket.
NB: Read Paul Ingpen’s Ironman Magazine, loads of helpful information, race course tips, etc.

Choose Positive thoughts over Negative thoughts.

1. Control what you can control, most notably your thoughts.
2. Remember your mind can only hold one thought at a time, so if you feed it a positive, there is no space for a negative.
3. Celebrate small victories. Every time you achieve something on race day, no matter how small keep expressing gratitude, or positive thoughts eg. goggles still on, around the Buoy without being kicked, out the swim safely, etc.
4. Stay in the present, focus on what is happening in front of you and try avoid thinking too far ahead. Focus on one step at a time, or one km at a time, otherwise it becomes very daunting.
5. The only thing you should think about later on in the day, is the Red Carpet at the Finish Line. Visualise crossing it, hearing the words “You are an Ironman” and embracing friends and family on a feat well done!

The Ultimate Thrill!

Summary:

I’ve paid plenty of school fees, repeated some school fees as I’ve failed myself at times. However, this year I am in a good space with my mindset, my training has gone well and I am determined to forget about the uncontrollables, such as my competition, the weather, etc. This year I am going to try and keep my emotions in check and listen to the advice above and if I can do that, I know I will have one of my more enjoyable Ironman races ever, which could very well lead to a good result too. I have prepared well, I’ve planned my course, but now it is time to hand over as we cannot control everything that happens on the day (or in life) and I am prepared to accept whatever hand I am dealt, after all Life and Ironman is all about the Journey!

‘In their hearts human beings plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.’-Proverbs 16:9

Recommended reading = http://ironmansa.com/2014/03/30/burn-the-lifeboats-before-you-line-up-for-ironman/

Supported by Family, Isuzu, Fuji, Orca and Cytomax

 

 

Burn the Boats before you line up for Ironman!

Which Boats can you Burn to aid your Ironman?

Remember, that nothing significant was ever achieved within a Comfort Zone and having prepared for Ironman, you’ve discovered that amazing world outside of your Comfort Zone. It is mind blowing to go where others fear to tread (swim, bike or run)…. to raise your Belief Ceiling and achieve things you previously thought Impossible.
Often we are tested and in the past we may have avoided the tests, but we have learnt to take the test and to discover strengths that were previously overshadowed by our weaknesses.

Well that’s the good news, so let’s get Real and remember that nobody will hand you an Ironman finisher’s Medal on a plate, this is something you are going to have to work for, to dig deep and to commit yourself to, hanging on when you may, at first, think it is over.

Some may fail to secure a Finisher’s Medal and it won’t be for a lack of trying, it may be that they run out of time, or suffer unexpected setbacks or mechanicals….these folk are not Failures, as True failure is avoiding the challenge and each and every one of should be saluted for taking up the Challenge.

When the going gets Tough and it surely will, it is easy to slow down, to stop, to turn off the switch, to surrender and it is important that you prepare your mind for these tough choices, for the questions that your mind and body will ask of you. So how are you going to raise your level of commitment, to ensure that you don’t raise the white flag?

Ever heard of the story ‘Burn the Boats’, well here is the gist of it and I would encourage you to liken it to the Ironman, which is a daunting 3,8km swim, a 180km bike and a 42,2 km run!

Burn The Boats
In the 16th Century Hernando Cortez set sail for Mexico.
He commanded 11 ships, with 600 soldiers in an attempt to take the world’s richest treasure. The riches had been hoarded by the same army for 6 Centuries. The quest for these riches began several years before when Cortez travelled around Spain building a dream within those men. Many had tried before him and they had all failed.

“Let’s do it!” they agreed after Cortez’s persuasive speech. (You probably also said “Let’s do it!)
The soldiers were in position, the sailors had prepared for months and together they set sail for Mexico and the richest treasure in the world. But once out on the ocean, it didn’t take long for Cortez to realize he had a problem. Many who were excited before the journey, had now turned into whiners. There are always whiners.

Cries of “I shouldn’t have come,” “This isn’t what I thought it was,” “the conditions are tough” and “I didn’t know we were going to have to work this hard,” began to circulate among the people. Yet Cortez persisted….and he constantly worked on motivating his team. They were eager, animated, energized, and as they waited, trained, and prepared for victory, their conviction grew.

But there was one more level of commitment that Cortez wanted to take them to, and they arrived at that place on that last, historic day, as they lined up to march inland. Before they would be allowed to seize the treasure that no army had taken for 600 years, Cortez would speak to them.

They were probably expecting something like, “OK, guys, we’re gonna get out there and win today, and when we do, we are going to be rich. Oh, and if it gets too tough, we’ll just meet at the oak tree and come back to the ship & sail home.” But that’s not what they heard. As they listened, Cortez leaned over and said three simple words that changed everything: “Burn the boats!”
“Excuse me?” they must have said.
“Burn the boats!” he repeated, “because if we are going home, we are going home in their boats.” And he torched them. He burned his own boats, and by doing so, he raised their commitment level to new and astounding heights!
And an amazing thing took place: they fought brilliantly, like men possessed! For the first time in six centuries, the wealth changed hands.

Cortez’s band took that treasure. And why did they win?
The answer is very simple. They had no choice! It was “take it or die” no options. Their boats were burned, there were no Lifeboats!
That is the attitude you must embrace in your heart and mind: you must burn your Lifeboats. What are the boats that are keeping you from accomplishing what you really want in life, or in Ironman? What vessels in your mind are keeping afloat the fear and doubt and frustration that hold you captive? Whatever prevents you from achieving your goals and dreams is a boat that must be burned.

 

Tip: Alec Riddle suggests you Burn these Boats to enhance your Ironman experience, simply follow the link: http://ironmansa.com/2014/03/31/burn-this-boat-pride/

Unfortunately, when the bullets start flying, we make for the boats. It’s just human nature. Doing anything else really requires a decision on our part. It’s attitude more than anything. A willingness to work without the net, to burn the bridge, or the boat. What boat do you need to burn? It can only happen one way: by embracing a level of commitment that sees sacrifice as a positive thing.

So many people think of sacrifice as something that is taken away, and it’s gone forever. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sacrifices of time, money, and effort are what we give to the game. How badly do you want that final result?

Are you willing to sacrifice more than ever before? Are you prepared to persevere when common sense says you are mad? If so, then your triumph may be greater than anything else you have achieved. Greatness, your greatness will always be measured by the sacrifices that you are willing to make!

So strike a match to the anchors of your past and introduce yourself to the victories of your future. Let it all start on Ironman day, when you push through the mental & physical barriers to reach the Red Carpet and hear the words “You are an Ironman!”

You only have to earn that Medal once and in exchange you will be called an Ironman for life! The only difference is, that you will never want to revert back to living Life in a Comfort Zone, as ‘Anything is Possible!’ and ‘You Know You Can!’

YES, you Can, you Will, you Want to!!

 

 

Ironman Thoughts from Scott Rigsby & Alec Riddle

9 Seconds is all it took for Scott Rigsby’s life to come crashing down! A little under 17 hours is what it took for Scott to make Ironman history, becoming the first double amputee (on prosthetics) to complete the Ironman World Championships in 2007.

I was fortunate to meet Scott Rigsby at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii and one can learn a great deal from this inspirational guy, who as a strapping 18yo was thrown over the side of a pick up truck and dragged 100m before being pinned under the trailer. Scott endured 26 surgeries and had both legs amputated…..before accomplishing the ‘Unthinkable!’

I extracted some of Scott Rigsby’s comments and the 5 key steps that he took to cross his finish line and transform his/the world (from his book Unthinkable). I have then added a few comments that may assist you in your Ironman race or journey!

1. Have a Dream:

Nothing can happen until you have something big in your heart that drives you. Your dream is yours alone and it doesn’t matter whether or not the dream seems attainable right now. In fact, searching for your dream may be a process you need to go through before it is fully revealed. Whatever the path, you must be willing to try and you will know you’re on the right course when that dream becomes bigger than yourself. It will become your passion. Just spend some time thinking about what you’d really love to achieve, and pray For God to begin the process of discovery for you by opening new doors.

AR: I think everybody has a desire to achieve Goals, a Dream…. but here is the crux of the matter. You can either act upon it and do what it takes, in other words pay the price… the price of sweat, tears, sacrifice and deferment of gratification. You can either go for it, transform and achieve, or you can sit on the couch, watch television, with the knowledge that if you are not consciously creating good habits, you will be defaulting to bad ones. It’s a simple mathematical equation, either you are getting better or you are getting worse. Which do you desire?

The fact that you are days away from lining up for an Ironman, implies that you have something big in your heart. You have a Dream and more importantly you have already done what 98% of people fail to do, you took Action and you Persevered as you prepared. There may be times in your Ironman Race when the going gets tough and you will need to dig deep; there will be mind games and you may be inclined to want to listen to that inner voice and throw in the towel. That is an absolute no no, Ironman is about finishing, about overcoming obstacles, about running down the Red Carpet and having Paul Kaye welcome you home with the words “You are an Ironman!” In 2009 I almost threw in  the Towel, but persevered and the marathon took me all of 6 hours 15 minutes and that medal is my most treasured medal of all, as I learnt so much about myself through that experience. The alternative is too ghastly to comprehend!

That little bird on your shoulder will be speaking to you in your moments of weakness, telling you that you can’t or that you are not good enough. He will target your fears, your doubts, your insecurities…… Looking to assassinate your dreams and aspirations.

That is when it is time to stand tall, to be defiant and to face your fears, to embrace pain and to tell yourself, You can, You will, You want to….

2. Build a Good Support Team:

Big dreamers take big risks and going it alone means almost certain failure. Your support team doesn’t have to include your family, and it may not even include your friends. Find people who can help you on your journey and then ask them to join you. You’d be surprised how often people will step up to help someone achieve a dream. Don’t be afraid to approach the people you admire and ask them for advice or help along the way. If they don’t know you need help, they can’t help you. In my case, finding my support team actually became part of the journey. When you’re doing the unthinkable, those in your camp actually share in the journey with you.

Supported by Family, Isuzu, Fuji, Orca and Cytomax

AR: Think back to the day you decided to try, to the days you took those first shaky steps en route to your Big Dream. You probably shared your Dream with a friend, or a loved one and they will in all likelihood have urged you on and been with you every step of the way. Keep your Dream close at hand and remember why you signed up, why you made so many sacrifices, but most of all remember those special folk who shared your sacrifices and have supported and encouraged you in your Ironman journey. That Finisher’s Medal is an excellent way of showing your appreciation to your support team!

3. Choose Faith over Fear:

In every situation, you can choose to make decisions out of either faith or fear. We all play self-defeating mind games that define our thinking and perceptions of ourselves and others. When I started my Ironman journey, I had no money and no experience. I was overweight, too old and going through difficult relationship issues. What it all boils down to, is that poor self-image and personal negativity are really just expressions of our own fears. Fear is the leading cause of the death of our dreams. The only antidote I know is to choose faith. Faith will lead you to face your fears and point you straight to the core of how to withstand the doubt and uncertainty. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Faith is taking the first step, even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”

AR: Setting a Goal and taking that first step requires immense courage and it requires Faith to persevere through the many setbacks and obstacles that you may encounter while trying to achieve your Goals, both in training or in the race itself. I prepare to the best of my ability and about a week out, I simply hand it all over. I realise that there is not much else I can do (except be mentally tough on the day) and that the rest is up to the weather Gods and whatever else may challenge me.

I have learnt it is pointless worrying about what we cannot control, so I’ve stopped looking at the weather and I don’t even know who is racing in my AG. After all, this is a race between the course and I and in particular my mind. One thing is for sure, anxiety won’t help us get into the zone, so it’s important to be relaxed and quietly confident in the build up to the event one is targeting. Quiet confidence is accentuated by being well prepared and having faith. We also have a lot of internal energy in the build up to a race, often referred to as nerves (or excitement). I choose to focus on calm excitement, as it has positive connotations, thinking of my hopes, my desires, my dreams. When I was younger I used to allow nervousness to dominate my thoughts and then you focus upon your fears, your concerns, the competition, the daunting task and believe me it drains you.

4. Expect and Overcome Obstacles:

Anything worth doing will present some challenges; otherwise you’d have done it already! However, no matter how much faith you exhibit, the ‘day of trouble’ will come. According to Jeremiah 16:19, that is precisely when God becomes our strength, our fortress and our refuge. Expect that you’re going to face some difficulties along the way, plan for how you are going to address them mentally and physically, and commit to reaching your goal in spite of them. There will days when you won’t feel like putting in the effort, or the conditions may be such that you want to give up. Those are the days when you must push past the fear or pain, for it is the strength you have gained during those days of difficulty that you will rely on when the unanticipated obstacles appear. Training breeds perseverance and instills confidence that you will be able to move past the obstacles, no matter what.

AR: Most people fear Pain, but I choose to embrace Pain and to see how far we can go together. Remember that Self Pity is a weak man’s emotion and when you start feeling sorry for yourself it’s just about over, so toughen up, have Faith that you have put in the hard yards and that your mind can over ride any obstacle that presents itself on the day.

Another important focal point is being ‘in the moment’, something kids are pretty good at, but as Adults we lose our way somewhat. Pro golfers are very good at this, it’s about taking one shot at a time, one hole at a time. We need to ensure we don’t get ahead of ourselves and remain present, focussing upon this very moment.

This was a vital contributor to my race in Las Vegas 2011, particularly in the 1.9km non wetsuit swim. I had forgotten how much an aid a wetsuit is and had over estimated my swimming ability and went out too hard and BLEW…. I was hyperventilating and having to swim breastroke to recover…. and this was 800m into a World Championship race. But I remained in the moment, I focussed upon what I needed to do right there and then, which was to stay calm, to recover and to think positively as opposed to thinking to the end result and the possibility of losing, having a bad race. So I was able to refocus and that was the key contributor to my result on the day. Don’t get ahead of yourself… focus on 1km at a time, or even 1 step at a time!

Pain is temporary and we all know that even the most excruciating pain dissipates in time, so rather take a time out as opposed to a bail out, after all rugby players, soccer players, etc all have half time and so can you!

5. Cross your Finish Line:

Somewhere along your journey, you envisioned what the experience was going to be like when you approached your finish line. Your dream may have taken months, years, or decades to achieve, but the finish line is always there for you to cross. If your mission is truly ‘unthinkable’, then your finish line will be characterized by the following truths:

*Your ‘unthinkable’ finish line was originally unimaginable.

*The line that you must cross cannot be moved closer to make it easier.

*Pursuit of your goal will scare you out of your comfort zone.

*Your goal will cause you to doubt yourself, and others will tell you that your goal is crazy.

*The mountain you must climb will be taller than anything you have ever done.

*You will experience many setbacks and failures on your way to success.

Your finish line is where you placed it, and once you get there, you may find that it was the experience of getting there that has made you stronger and more capable of taking on additional finish lines.

You might even find, as I did, that your dream becomes a mission and your mission changes the world. I wish you all the best in living your own ‘unthinkable’ dreams.

AR: The Ironman mantra is ‘Anything is Possible’ and I firmly believe that once you have set a Goal of doing an Ironman; of Actioning your Goal; of Persevering and Conquering, well that is when you are truly, capable of Achieving the Impossible or the Unthinkable. As you travel along your Ironman Journey, your Belief Ceiling is raised beyond recognition and you start to see Life and the World through diffrent eyes and suddenly things you previously thought Impossible, are truly Possible, in fact ‘Anything is Possible!”

Paul Kaye is waiting with the words “You Are an Ironman!” Enjoy the experience!

Comments extracted from Scott Rigsby’s book, Unthinkable, pages 251-254: Author Jenna Glatzer.

YES, you Can, you Will, you Want to!!