Tips on how to get started!

Getting started is tough and it’s not unique to you or I, in fact Dawson Trotman once said “The greatest time wasted, is the time getting started!”

If you are having difficulty getting started, I suggest you ask yourself WHAT?
W = Why
H = How
A = Action
T = Time

There is no magic formula, but if you get the WHAT sorted, it will assist you a great deal. Everyone has their unique Why, so spend some time discovering your Why. Is it for Health, Fitness, a Challenge, changing your Lifestyle, becoming more Productive, or simply wanting to do things with the kids?

Most people consider the HAT (How, Action, Time) the most difficult, but truth be told if you have a strong enough Why, you will make the HAT happen.

Steve Waugh once said and I live by this motto..
“If you want something to happen with all of your heart, you will always find ways to make it happen: If you do not really want it with all your heart, you will find an excuse to explain why it did not happen!”

The Why has become part of my DNA. Since 2004 I have been racing in memory of my Stepson Reece Walton, who tragically passed away at 19. Reece was the catalyst to me Getting Started, the spark that ignited an inferno that drove me to train harder. I still think of Reece every time I race and now my Why is because I enjoy it so much, I enjoy training with my kids and encouraging them, I love helping and encouraging others to Dream, to go after their Goals and to Transform.

Here is a little exercise to enable you to understand that time isn’t indefinite, or waiting around for you to get started. Ask yourself the following Questions, take a Pen and Paper and jot down a few answers:
1. If a Dr told you that you had 10 years left, but would be able to live a healthy life, what would you do differently? Anything, or is there still no urgency? Remember, if you do the same things this year that you did last year, not much will change, although you may get unfitter, poorer, more unhappy and even relationships may become more strained.
2. If a Dr told you that you had 2 years left, but are still able to live a healthy life, would you do anything differently? I am sure you that you would immediately start planning on doing a few of the things that are important to you. Time for Action yet?
3. Now imagine a Dr told you that you only had 24 hours to live! Time to ask yourself what you didn’t do, that you said you would do Tomorrow, as now there will be no Tomorrow. What did you not get to do, who did you not get to be, how will you be remembered?

So hopefully you now have the Why and the next part of the equation is the How! One thing you do not want to do is to try and re invent the wheel, or pay unnecessary school fees, which may seem like the cheaper option but it will waste the most prescious commodity of all = TIME, or it could derail your whole plan. So my suggestion is to seek professional guidance, it may seem unnecessary or expensive, but paying for professional advice is cheap at the price.

There are great Coaches around, whose life revolves around using their experience to assist others, so tap into this knowledge. I have some ambitious Ironman goals and even though I have all the knowledge in the world and decades of experience, I have decided to seek professional help once more. I have recently signed up with Raynard and Natlie Tissink, #TeamTissink, who have so much experience between the two of them and are extremely passionate about what they do. My motivation is to ensure that I maximise my time and effort, to have structure in my weeks and very importantly to have somebody to be accountable to (important for me).

Coach Raynard Tissink with 2 new members of #TeamTissink, Martin Von Alleman and I

In 2010 and 2011 I trained alongside Raynard and learnt so much from him, was so inspired and motivated to train and had the best two years of my sporting career, including an Age Group Gold at the World 70.3 Championships in Las Vegas 2011. Is there any coincidence that my performances suffered once Ray and Natalie moved to Cape Town and I opted to go it alone? No, it is a proven fact that athletes who have Coaches do better than they would without a Coach.

So you have the Why and if you source the ideal Guide, or Coach, they will tell you the How and thereafter if you take Action consistently over Time, you will be well on your way to achieving your Goals. Better still if you know your Why, if your Coach is telling you How and you make the Time, then Action happens automatically, so let’s fast forward to Time!

What isn’t scheduled (or measured) rarely gets done, so scheduling is very important. Your Coach can provide you with a Programme with sessions scheduled, but if your day is too cluttered it still may not happen. Many of us are so busy we focus upon the Urgent and not the Important and the Urgent clutters our desk, our mind and our time. So make sure you schedule what is Important (Training, Family, Work and so forth). Example, if you go to work with your swim/gym stuff in the car and intend to shoot out of the office for an hour when you get time, it may not happen, but if you schedule an hour in your diary to do just that, it in all likelihood will happen. So plan your Diary, schedule your training sessions and increase your chances of success.

The Big 5? Most multi sport athletes think of Knysna and Tourists think of wildlife when the Big 5 is mentioned, but for me the Big 5 takes on a whole new meaning. Big 5 has to do with ‘To Do’ Lists or in my case the ‘Not To Do’ Lists. Firstly, if your ‘To Do’ List has more than 5 things on it, chances are that very little gets done as it will be too intimidating, which leads to Procrastination and ask yourself honestly, “Do I procrastinate?” I would suggest turning your ‘To Do’ List on its head and focus upon a ‘Not To Do’ List, which is exactly what I do.

Think about it there are probably less than a handful of things that cause you to Procrastinate, that waste your valuable Time and derail you from Achieving what is truly Important to You!

So have a ‘Not To Do’ List and watch your everyday Life transform into one of efficiency and effectiveness.
Example: Ten years ago I found myself playing Solitaire (computer card game) and being ultra competitive, I played the expert option and one day it took me 4 hours of non stop play to secure a win. That night I realised that I was wasting hours daily playing something that only brought me short term satisfaction, but was meaningless in the bigger scheme of things. It certainly wasn’t on my bucket list and it wouldn’t help me achieve my goals, in fact it would ensure I wouldn’t achieve much in life. So I called the IT guy and asked him to delete all the Games on my Computer and I haven’t played a game since.

SO arm yourself with a ‘Not To Do’ List and be honest when asking yourself what are the Anchors holding you back from achieving your full potential? Is it Social Media, the need to check in on Facebook or Twitter every half hour? Is it playing Games or doing Crossword Puzzles? Whatever it is, put it on the List and focus upon eradicating it, reducing time spent on it, or simply schedule some time for it after asking yourself how much time you would like to allocate to it. I bet you wouldn’t purposely say I am going to give away 2 hours everyday to my Facebook friends, many of whom may be strangers and play no meaningful role in your life. Simply reducing and then scheduling time will make you more productive and you will feel better for it.

In Summary, ask yourself W.H.A.T. it is you want to Achieve and Why, then you can “Leave your Hat On” and the rest will take care of itself. Wishing you all the best in your pursuit of doing things differently and achieving your Goals and remember this. A Goal is a Promise you make to yourself and if you can’t trust yourself to keep a Promise, who can you trust?

“A Dream is like a cloud floating aimlessly in the sky, unless you commit your Dream to stone (Paper)!”- Alec Riddle

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

Tips on how to get started!

Getting started is tough and it’s not unique to you or I, in fact Dawson Trotman once said “The greatest time wasted, is the time getting started!”

If you are having difficulty getting started, I suggest you ask yourself WHAT?
W = Why
H = How
A = Action
T = Time

There is no magic formula, but if you get the WHAT sorted, it will assist you a great deal. Everyone has their unique Why, so spend some time discovering your Why. Is it for Health, Fitness, a Challenge, changing your Lifestyle, becoming more Productive, or simply wanting to do things with the kids?

Most people consider the HAT (How, Action, Time) the most difficult, but truth be told if you have a strong enough Why, you will make the HAT happen.

Steve Waugh once said and I live by this motto..
“If you want something to happen with all of your heart, you will always find ways to make it happen: If you do not really want it with all your heart, you will find an excuse to explain why it did not happen!”

The Why has become part of my DNA. Since 2004 I have been racing in memory of my Stepson Reece Walton, who tragically passed away at 19. Reece was the catalyst to me Getting Started, the spark that ignited an inferno that drove me to train harder. I still think of Reece every time I race and now my Why is because I enjoy it so much, I enjoy training with my kids and encouraging them, I love helping and encouraging others to Dream, to go after their Goals and to Transform.

Here is a little exercise to enable you to understand that time isn’t indefinite, or waiting around for you to get started. Ask yourself the following Questions, take a Pen and Paper and jot down a few answers:
1. If a Dr told you that you had 10 years left, but would be able to live a healthy life, what would you do differently? Anything, or is there still no urgency? Remember, if you do the same things this year that you did last year, not much will change, although you may get unfitter, poorer, more unhappy and even relationships may become more strained.
2. If a Dr told you that you had 2 years left, but are still able to live a healthy life, would you do anything differently? I am sure you that you would immediately start planning on doing a few of the things that are important to you. Time for Action yet?
3. Now imagine a Dr told you that you only had 24 hours to live! Time to ask yourself what you didn’t do, that you said you would do Tomorrow, as now there will be no Tomorrow. What did you not get to do, who did you not get to be, how will you be remembered?

So hopefully you now have the Why and the next part of the equation is the How! One thing you do not want to do is to try and re invent the wheel, or pay unnecessary school fees, which may seem like the cheaper option but it will waste the most prescious commodity of all = TIME, or it could derail your whole plan. So my suggestion is to seek professional guidance, it may seem unnecessary or expensive, but paying for professional advice is cheap at the price.

There are great Coaches around, whose life revolves around using their experience to assist others, so tap into this knowledge. I have some ambitious Ironman goals and even though I have all the knowledge in the world and decades of experience, I have decided to seek professional help once more. I have recently signed up with Raynard and Natlie Tissink, #TeamTissink, who have so much experience between the two of them and are extremely passionate about what they do. My motivation is to ensure that I maximise my time and effort, to have structure in my weeks and very importantly to have somebody to be accountable to (important for me).

Coach Raynard Tissink with 2 new members of #TeamTissink, Martin Von Alleman and I

In 2010 and 2011 I trained alongside Raynard and learnt so much from him, was so inspired and motivated to train and had the best two years of my sporting career, including an Age Group Gold at the World 70.3 Championships in Las Vegas 2011. Is there any coincidence that my performances suffered once Ray and Natalie moved to Cape Town and I opted to go it alone? No, it is a proven fact that athletes who have Coaches do better than they would without a Coach.

So you have the Why and if you source the ideal Guide, or Coach, they will tell you the How and thereafter if you take Action consistently over Time, you will be well on your way to achieving your Goals. Better still if you know your Why, if your Coach is telling you How and you make the Time, then Action happens automatically, so let’s fast forward to Time!

What isn’t scheduled (or measured) rarely gets done, so scheduling is very important. Your Coach can provide you with a Programme with sessions scheduled, but if your day is too cluttered it still may not happen. Many of us are so busy we focus upon the Urgent and not the Important and the Urgent clutters our desk, our mind and our time. So make sure you schedule what is Important (Training, Family, Work and so forth). Example, if you go to work with your swim/gym stuff in the car and intend to shoot out of the office for an hour when you get time, it may not happen, but if you schedule an hour in your diary to do just that, it in all likelihood will happen. So plan your Diary, schedule your training sessions and increase your chances of success.

The Big 5? Most multi sport athletes think of Knysna and Tourists think of wildlife when the Big 5 is mentioned, but for me the Big 5 takes on a whole new meaning. Big 5 has to do with ‘To Do’ Lists or in my case the ‘Not To Do’ Lists. Firstly, if your ‘To Do’ List has more than 5 things on it, chances are that very little gets done as it will be too intimidating, which leads to Procrastination and ask yourself honestly, “Do I procrastinate?” I would suggest turning your ‘To Do’ List on its head and focus upon a ‘Not To Do’ List, which is exactly what I do.

Think about it there are probably less than a handful of things that cause you to Procrastinate, that waste your valuable Time and derail you from Achieving what is truly Important to You!

So have a ‘Not To Do’ List and watch your everyday Life transform into one of efficiency and effectiveness.
Example: Ten years ago I found myself playing Solitaire (computer card game) and being ultra competitive, I played the expert option and one day it took me 4 hours of non stop play to secure a win. That night I realised that I was wasting hours daily playing something that only brought me short term satisfaction, but was meaningless in the bigger scheme of things. It certainly wasn’t on my bucket list and it wouldn’t help me achieve my goals, in fact it would ensure I wouldn’t achieve much in life. So I called the IT guy and asked him to delete all the Games on my Computer and I haven’t played a game since.

SO arm yourself with a ‘Not To Do’ List and be honest when asking yourself what are the Anchors holding you back from achieving your full potential? Is it Social Media, the need to check in on Facebook or Twitter every half hour? Is it playing Games or doing Crossword Puzzles? Whatever it is, put it on the List and focus upon eradicating it, reducing time spent on it, or simply schedule some time for it after asking yourself how much time you would like to allocate to it. I bet you wouldn’t purposely say I am going to give away 2 hours everyday to my Facebook friends, many of whom may be strangers and play no meaningful role in your life. Simply reducing and then scheduling time will make you more productive and you will feel better for it.

In Summary, ask yourself W.H.A.T. it is you want to Achieve and Why, then you can “Leave your Hat On” and the rest will take care of itself. Wishing you all the best in your pursuit of doing things differently and achieving your Goals and remember this. A Goal is a Promise you make to yourself and if you can’t trust yourself to keep a Promise, who can you trust?

“A Dream is like a cloud floating aimlessly in the sky, unless you commit your Dream to stone (Paper)!”- Alec Riddle

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

Sporting (Life) lessons from an Everest Mindset!

It is often said ‘Life is a Journey, enjoy the ride!’ I guess the #FNBWines2Whales has to be the closest one can get to MTB Heaven, so enjoying the ride was simple!

I have been fortunate to ride the past two editions of the #FNBWines2Whales with one of the world’s great adventurers and mountaineers Sibusiso Vilane. I think there are many similarities between the two of us, as deep down we are both very competitive but we have both come to realise that it may be Summits or Podiums we strive for, but it is how we respond to the obstacles, the challenges and setbacks that determine if we will be truly successful or not.

Imagine being left for dead on Mount Everest? Picture it…. you’ve just summited, you are exhausted, facing extreme weather, struggling to find the energy to put your Crampons (climbing boots) on and your Expedition Leader, fellow climbers and Sherpas have started the descent without you (presumably not realising you aren’t in the group). It is just YOU against the World’s most unforgiving Mountain…. there can be no quitting, no raising the white flag on Everest, it is a case of staying focussed on the Finish Line (next campsite 4 or 5 hours away), because if you as much as close your eyes, you will die on that Mountain!

The #FNBWines2Whales appears to get the balance right between the racers and the masses and Sibusiso is one man who knows all about celebrating participation and finishing the task, as opposed to being the fastest. So instead of writing a race report focussing on the race or the podium, I thought I would share some of the lessons we can all learn from Sibusiso.

Let’s put the issue of ‘race’ and results to bed very quickly, because the Isuzu Adventurers team comprising Sibusiso & I were certainly not able to compete, so forget about peeking at the results as virtually everybody would have beaten us in terms of minutes elapsed.  I think Life should be focussed upon challenging yourself with personal goals to become better than you previously were, remembering that he who experiences the most wins. Yes, we had progressed from MTB beginner to Novice and we had done a lot more training in preparation, but will somebody please tell my partner that running not one, but two Full Marathons the weekend before a Friday start is not ideal MTB training.

It was about 25km into Day One when I realised that my partner was in trouble and that the deadly cocktail of his two marathons and my ‘fast’ early pace had combined to kill off any reserves he might have had left in those ‘mountaineering’ legs of his. Only when I detected that his legs were crying out for levity did I start to back off and switch to Plan B, which was survival and finish mode.

Just like the Isuzu TV Ad I knew we were now facing the longer ride and that we had to pull through, while also ensuring we didn’t get timed out at any of the check points and believe me that was a close shave. Sibusiso’s legs may have deserted him, but his mind was as alert and determined as ever as he showed immense resilience and pushed through the fatigue, the pain and the cramps en route to tent town in Oak Valley.

Never once did Sibusiso ask for pity, never once did he try and blame me for the fast early pace, never once did he try and use his double marathon as an excuse, never once did he doubt our ability to finish the day and never once did he utter a single negative word or sentence.

Sibusiso opted to smile (perhaps it was a grimace), he opted to remain positive, he opted to remain focussed upon our task and goal which was to finish, he opted to pick himself up and dust himself off (when falling) and get on with it, he opted to thank the volunteers, he opted to encourage me and he opted to be positive about the experience, the terrain, the views and the challenge. Sibusiso remained resilient and focussed, the hallmarks of a Champion!

Sibusiso in the company of Tim Duncker & Matt Bind

Important Life Lessons learnt from an Everest mindset:
1. Take responsibility! Take responsibility for your actions, your preparation, your race as playing the blame game will not help anyone and wastes an invaluable amount of mental energy.
2. Remain positive! Strangely enough your Mind can only hold one thought at a time, especially if you are focussed upon that thought. So you have a choice, feed it a negative or a positive thought and if you feed it positives, your chances of success are enhanced dramatically. Feed it negatives and you are doomed!
3. Avoid hosting a pity party! Firstly it will be a lonely party as nobody wants to attend pity parties, so build a bridge and get over the river (of tears).
4. You can choose to face the ‘Ugly Truth’ or the ‘Beautiful Lies’, the former being reality and the latter being the sugar coated excuses that we are all capable of inventing. Sure, it does sound harsh but even if you have an excuse cast in iron (as Sibusiso did = 2 marathons) and you allow your mind to focus and dwell upon it, it will become larger than life. Nobody is interested, so change focus.
5. Smile! Smiling and laughing, even if you are laughing at your own plight has a positive impact upon your situation. Smile often and learn to laugh at yourself, believe me the Sun will still rise again the next day! We joked often about the fact that it’s better to be a Live Donkey vs a Dead Lion, implying don’t take unnecessary risks.
6. Keep on bouncing back. My late Dad always said to me “if you can get up once more than you are knocked down, then you will always be successful!” I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to dust myself off, but those words echo in my ears whenever I feel down and out and I keep coming back for more and so can you.
7. Express gratitude! Thank the marshall, the volunteer, your support team and even your situation as it has a positive impact upon your efforts. In an Ironman I am always force feeding myself with positives and thanks, I express thanks to my mind all the time, sometimes for simple things but the more I do, the better I feel and guess what, there is no room for negatives.
8. Be resilient! If you read the paragraph about being left for dead on Everest, you will realise that Sibusiso has learnt that you have to keep on moving toward your Finish Line, no matter what! Imagine going into your next race knowing that waving the white flag is not an option, unless you choose death?

It’s a Special-ized World!

9. There is no I in Team! Sibusiso and I are an unlikely Team, but we both have similar views and outlooks when it comes to sport. It doesn’t matter what sport or event you are participating in, you are always a part of a Team as it is Impossible to achieve anything on your own. So be cognisant of the your team-mate/s, your support team, family, sponsors, etc and remember that there are many pinning their hopes upon you.
10. Ten is for 10 out of 10! Sibusiso, it was a pleasure to be your team mate, it may have been slow at times, but I learnt a great deal as I listened intently while sometimes choosing just to watch and admire your fortitude! Well done on your 2nd #FNBWines2Whales Finishers Medal, mine will be cherished!

No need to go into Days 2 and 3, other than to say my team mate got stronger each day and that we had a great deal of fun, we stopped to smell the roses, we encouraged and were encouraged by some remarkably tough individuals/teams, who themselves were faced with their own challenges and overcame them, well done!

In closing a mighty big thank you to all involved in an incredible event, until the next Chapter, Sibusiso and I wish you all the very best!

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

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!!

 

 

The Battle of the Mind!

This morning I hopped on my MTB and rode up to the NMMU grass track for a run workout. I struggled to get going and to get out of the front door and initially I went on a detour via the Cape Receife Lighthouse trying to motivate myself. I arrived at the track and just sat there, all alone under the baking sun and with a gentle breeze causing the leaves to rustle…. I was not in the right frame of mind and I almost turned back before I even got there and once there I almost packed up and returned home.

I had nobody to account to, there was nobody checking to see if I was present, to monitor my times…. so I just sat there, it was quiet, it was serene and I witnessed an almighty battle, an epic battle within my mind. My negative mind (Mr No Good) was trying to overcome my positive mind (Mr Be Good), it was a battle for supremacy far bigger than many others that get fought out within the confines of the sporting engine room. This was more than ‘tomorrow is another day’, this battle got very personal as Mr No Good let me know in no uncertain terms that I was getting older, that I was carrying excess weight, that I wasn’t as fit as I should be and that I wouldn’t be ready for #IMSA70.3 in 40 days time.

It seemed like eternity and truth be told it was at least 30 minutes of deliberations. Each year it does get tougher and I’ve had a few good sporting years, but it is no longer about me and my personal goals…. it is about being an example to my children, it is about aspiring to inspire others, so I was trying to find a way rather than listening to Mr No Good manufacturing another excuse.

I sat there, I listened to my inner voice/s, I witnessed Mr Be Good and Mr No Good fight for supremacy and it would have been much easier to take the easy way out, but I eventually decided to get started and before I knew it I had completed the ten intervals required of me. I had turned my back on what my son calls easy and comfortable and what some people call common sense and it is amazing that once you get going and once you are committed, the task at hand becomes immeasurably easier.

IM requires mental fortitude

The ride home was exhilirating, not because I had run fast (they were quite slow to be honest), not because I had completed the session, but because I had got out the door and got started. Because I had won another mental battle, a battle that was a lot bigger than normal and in the heat of competition you are faced with many, many choices that have to be answered instantaneously…..choices like “Do I keep pushing, or do I slow down?” and you want your mind to be on auto pilot in those circumstances, because if you falter, if you let Mr No Good get the edge you are done and dusted and the opposition are racing off into the distance.

Today’s inner victory was worth a dozen key training sessions and this is the one area that most Ironman athletes need to work on, in an effort to be prepared for the mental battles and the choices that will shape our destiny. When I did a double brick workout with Raynard Tissink, preparing for IMSA 2010 and 2011, I didn’t do 2 x (60km bike followed by 4 x 1 mile) because I felt like it, or enjoyed it, I did it because it calloused my mind and my body for a mental battle that would last all of ten hours.

You can’t prepare for that type of battle doing one hour sessions and you need to realise that on race day, in the heat of the battle you will be faced with many choices, your own mind and that little inner voice is going to question your fortitude, your mental toughness and you had better be prepared for it if you want to achieve your goals. So when you are faced with what seems like a trivial choice of ‘should I or shouldn’t I?’ in training, best you opt for the former and start training your mind, so that when you are fatigued and you are relying on the memory recall button, your mind knows not to throw in the towel.

Today was a basic session comprising 10 x 200m intervals with a 100m jog and the session itself was easy, but the true benefit was in the battle of my mind, because today could have been so different. So too could Ironman!

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

How to Achieve your Dreams!

                                                                               

Should it matter which season is almost upon us?

Instead of us putting off to next season what we could be getting started with this season, why not heed the words of Dawson Trotman and get started Today? Trotman said “The greatest time wasted is the time getting started!”

“The Greatest time wasted is the time getting started!”-Dawson Trotman

If I think back to when I was unfit and overweight, I felt more fatigued and more likely to waste my days in front of the TV, or spending time under the duvet. All very nice, if you want your life just to fly on by! I fell asleep at the wheel of life for 10 years and they were gone in the blink of an eye. I was a Heart Attack looking for a place to happen and I knew I had to change. Are you happy with your Life, in particular your Health and Fitness or are you seeking change?

Remember your Health is a Gift and there is no second chance should you abuse it. If your heart is disgruntled and attacks you, you may survive but the quality of your life will be compromised. Funny thing is many people work themselves to a standstill in pursuit of money and worldly treasures, compromising their family and their relationships but no amount of money in the world can repair your body if you abuse it by being idle and living an unhealthy lifestyle.

The height of insanity is doing the same things this year that we did last year, expecting a different result. Truth is if we do the same things this winter as we did last winter, we will actually have slipped a little more and entrenched our bad habits even more. Remember this, if you are not consciously focussed on developing good habits, then you will sub consciously be defaulting to bad habits.

So let us focus on what we can do… to change, to cultivate good habits, to reinvent ourselves? Firstly I will focus on the Why and then I will focus on the How!

The Why? Besides the fact that you will feel better, look better (and your friends will tell you so you before you properly notice the change) and have more energy, a key reason will be for your health.

Exercising, even just a little, will improve your health, but it can also go a long way in preventing the onset of several life-threatening conditions. Looking at a few of the benefits….

Your Heart
Exercising regularly will raise your heart rate AND very importantly reduces hardening of the arteries, which is a major cause of high blood pressure. High Blood Pressure can lead to heart disease and stroke. Exercising regularly lowers your resting heart rate which implies that more blood is being pumped per beat and now your heart won’t be working as hard as it once was. Exercising regularly also lowers and helps control your blood pressure.

Mental Health
Exercising regularly also reduces stress and anxiety. Some Medical studies show that exercising regularly decreases the likelihood that you will suffer from depression or insomnia and improves your overall quality of life. Looking better and feeling fitter boosts your self-esteem and confidence. It teaches you about good habits, motivation, setting goals and commitment, which can be transferred to other areas of your life, such as your career, your studies, your family and your relationships. I find exercising gives me time to plan and to think, enabling me to be more effective in the workplace, which also leads to a reduction in stress.

It gets a little worse before it gets a whole lot better!

More options
The fitter you are, the more options you have in life. How often have you turned down the option of doing something adventurous with your children or friends because you thought you may not be able to keep up? By exercising regularly it opens up new options and you are able to accept invitations or to take up challenges that you previously thought impossible. As you progress you will start new activities, which will lead to you meeting new people and exercising or playing sports with friends, or newly found friends, which helps transform your life.

It is highly recommended that healthy people build up to 30 minutes (or more) of moderate exercise three or four times per week. But remember to speak to your doctor before starting an exercise programme. Hopefully the above is sufficient reason to want to know how, so let’s consider a few tips.

The How? Before we move on to the How, I would like to encourage you to find a quiet place for half an hour, be it the Beach, under a Tree, away from traffic, people, amongst nature. Then allow your mind to wander, to dream, to think about the future, to think about your present and your past. Then on a pad jot down what you don’t like about your current lifestyle and what you would like to do, to become…. This is the start of something very important in life!

Imagine you were told that you had 24 hours to live? What didn’t you do? Who did you not get to be? Did you live out your Dreams? How many things did you tick off your Bucket List?

Vision

You need to have a Vision and the best definition I’ve heard is from Bill Hybels in his book ‘Courageous Leadership’ who says “Vision is a picture of the Future that produces Passion!” What is it that could possibly do that for you? What will give you sufficient Passion to want to get out of your Comfort Zone and Transform your Life? Whatever it may be, don’t go to your grave with the dance still inside of you. We were all gifted Talents from God, our gift to Him is what we do with those Talents and I’m not talking performance here, I’m simply talking about being fit and healthy, leading us to be better Fathers, Husbands, Brothers.

Dreams

Dreams are like clouds floating aimlessly in the sky (a wish), unless you commit them to a Plan (a need). Hence the reason I suggested jotting down your thoughts on paper, just very broadly at first as we need to understand Goal Setting before we set Goals on how to get there. In time a Journal will prove to be one of your biggest and best aids, as you plot and plan and record your progress. A Journal helps you to remain super focussed and what you focus upon you get in time!

Goals

Once we have a Vision, you need to set some Goals, S.M.A.R.T. Goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Bound. The key here is to set an Achievable Goal, but one that is fairly challenging that it excites you enough to want to try and achieve it. A Goal is simply a Promise you make to yourself, so make sure you can keep the Promise!

Once you achieve the first Goal, you are making Progress and it is Progress that fuels our Motivation. It’s the first step to becoming Successful in Life and Success is doing what you said you would do. Period!!

So be wary of setting Goals that are too ambitious, just less than a Decade ago I set myself a Goal of running 30 minutes 3 times/week. Initially I could not run 20 minutes without stopping, but in time I achieved what now seems like a simplistic goal (I weighed a Ton then and it seemed like a Mountain) but that freed me to start dreaming of bigger things such as completing an Ironman.

Perseverance

Sometimes we are very close to achieving our Goals, but we don’t Persevere and we quit and this becomes a habit, it becomes part of our make-up. So if you do decide to chase a Dream, a Vision, a Goal it’s important to understand that it can take 14-21 days to break the shackles of bad habits, which in a short space of time can become good habits and enjoyable ones too. The key is being bold enough to take that first step.

As much as you won’t feel like it at times, just put your kit on, get outside or into the Gym and take that first step, as that is the hardest part of the whole equation….. The First Step to getting started and the First Step to every scheduled exercise session, if you can do that you will be successful. When faced with agonising decisions, things like TV (over exercise) or Muffins (over weight loss) simply stop and ask yourself will this take me closer to, or further away from my Goal? If you are focussed, the right answer wins the day so ask yourself often W.I.N. (What’s Important Now?)!

When the going gets tough, it’s time for you to toughen up and persevere and if you can look yourself in the mirror at the end of each day and say ‘I did what I set out to do today’, then Failure becomes an Impossibility and everything else in Life becomes a distinct Possibility.

Summary

-Cast a Vision, your Dreams for your Life.

-Commit it to paper (plan) and keep a record of your progress (Journal).

-Set Achievable Goals and work your way up the ladder.

-Just get started as it all starts with that very first step.

-Persevere, every storm will pass.

-Ask yourself W.I.N.

-Look yourself in the Mirror and Smile…. You are a Winner!

Burn the Boats & Maximise Your Potential!

How to maximise your Potential

We could all improve ourselves, our situation and our life, but most fail to do so. Why?

Well it is said that 97% of people on Planet Earth just ask their brain to do what it did yesterday and Albert Einstein once said “The height of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.”

So how best can we transform ourselves? My personal experience’s and my experiences as a Coach and a Financial Planner have taught me that there are a few key areas that one needs to focus upon, to increase the likelihood of being successful.

1.        Burn The Boats: To be successful you need to have a Plan and you need to take action, but more importantly you need to be accountable. So commit your goals to stone, share your goals with your trusted friends and family and you will increase your chances of success.

If you have done so, it is far harder to turn back or to quit and when the General who ordered his Lieutenant to ‘burn the boats’ on the beaches, before going to war, was asked why? His response was that he needed 100% commitment from his army, there had to be no alternative, no thought of surrender if they were to succeed.

Success is doing what you said you would do. Period! So to be successful there can be no turning back. By sharing my Goals, I have not only committed them to stone but I have put them out there, which escalates my commitment and there can be no turning back, no thoughts of slowing down, no white flag.

Ask yourself what Boats are holding you back from achieving your Goals? It’s a lot easier to move forward when there are no Life Boats!

Dream Big, but focus on winning the daily Battles (journey) and not the War (destination)!

2. Mental Contrasting:People who practice mental contrasting almost immediately start pursuing their dreams, putting a stop to procrastination (our biggest enemy). Start by imagining what it is you want to achieve, then contrast that with where you are now. The result is that your present situation becomes framed as an obstacle standing in the way of your dreams.

When I was getting back into training and chasing my dreams, my perception was that I doing okay, until a friend sent me a photo of me running in a race. I was shocked, as I looked like Ollie ‘The Burger King’ and this picture was the catalyst to me striving harder, to making more sacrifices.

It is important to see ourselves as we can become and not as we are.

3. Success Spirals: Accomplishment, no matter how small is the first step to self improvement and creates confidence, which creates effort and fuels our passion, resulting in more accomplishment.

The secret, however, is to start small (but start) and pay attention to incremental improvement, breaking down large and intimidating tasks into manageable bits. It’s also important to build in some achievable accomplishments and reward them as you progress.

When people aim to do an event like the Ironman, they very often cannot run 20 minutes without stopping. I certainly couldn’t 8 years ago. The key is to get started and one small step becomes two, the days become weeks, months and years and before you know it an extraordinary transformation may have taken place. Remember that progress fuels our motivation levels.

Dawson Trotman said “The greatest time wasted is the time getting started” and more often than not, it is the first steps which are the hardest, so focus with all of your might for the first two weeks and then momentum takes over.

4.       Keep a Journal: This is paramount to being successful and my journal is always at my side. They say that people who keep a food journal lose twice as much weight as those who don’t. Focus on your goals, chart your progress and acknowledge change. This will encourage you and then your confidence and enthusiasm will grow.

Have a daily to do list to focus upon, to help you achieve your goals, but never have more than five items on a To Do List, otherwise it becomes intimidating. It’s also as important to have a ‘Not to do” list, so you can focus upon the things that are distracting you from your Goals.

It is key to ask What’s Important Now (W.I.N.) and check to see if what your about to do (or consume), will move you closer to your goal, or further away?

5.      Quiet Time: Your opening minutes set the tone for the day. Choose to be positive, irrespective of the weather or which side of the bed you get out of.

Try to awaken 15-30 minutes earlier and spend some quiet time with your Journal, where you are in control of your thoughts. (Alternatively spend some quiet time before going to bed) They say that the mind is either a terrible Master or a fantastic Servant. It’s your choice.

In closing, remember that the person who challenges themself often and experiences the most wins.

Follow Alec on Twitter @alecriddle:

A Dream is a Wish until commited to a Plan!

Focus on Winning the Battles and not the War!

Over the past month I have found myself in a bad space sporting wise, but I am slowly but surely pulling myself out of a rut that many of us fall into and which often threatens to derail our best laid plans and goals. The big Quesytion is How?

Dream Big, but focus on winning the daily Battles (journey) and not the War (destination)!

When one sets lofty goals, they often become very daunting and one cannot see the wood for the trees. I have some very ambitious goals, but I, like many of you, have my low points, my doubting moments and when this is coupled with an injury crisis or training partners who are absent it can cause me to lose focus, to become demotivated and to fall into a rut, where the seesaw swings and the wants outweigh the needs.

So here I was on this downward spiral, little or no training being done while I enjoyed the comforts of a warm duvet in the mornings and the comforts of good movies in the late afternnon. To add to my woes I went on a chocolate and carrot cake binge and my midriff started to swell and my clothes were becoming tighter and for a while I could do nothing about it, partly because I was depressed and partly because I was focussing on the ‘war’ which I was busy losing.

At this moment in time it was all too daunting for me, you see I feel the pressures too, the pressure of expectation, the pressure of being a sponsored athlete, the pressure of aspiring for a Podium placing in Kona, the pressure of an unwanted injury and mentally the bricks all came falling down for a few weeks and I felt helpless. But life is sometimes like that, almost like that silly game we played as kids called ‘Snakes and Ladders’, as just when you think you are making it, you land on a ‘snake’ and fall back ten paces. When you are in a good space mentally getting back on the Ladder isn’t too difficult, but life is not always fair and sometimes you find yourself a little weaker mentally.

So that’s where I have been, but last week I decided to revisit a few basics (which I seemed to reteach myself while doing a talk to the Kings Rugby Academy). I decided to stop focussing on the destination (World Champs) and more on the journey, or the day to day challenges or Battles. I set myself a few very small and very achievable goals and focussed upon a very short period, as I needed to swing the momentum, break the bad habits and get back into some better habits.

Most of you may think what is this guy thinking…. a 10 Day Challenge of exercising once/day and not having a chocolate for 10 days, surely anybody can do that?

Well truth be told anybody can do it if that is what you focus upon, but for a couple of weeks I could not because I was focussing on trying to Win the War and as a result I was losing life’s daily challenges or Battles. Strangely enough as soon as I started this little 10 Day Challenge (today is Day 6) and started focussing on winning the daily Battles, I am getting my mojo back and am well on my way to enjoying the journey.

I already feel better when looking in the mirror, not at my waistline (which will trim down in time) but looking into my own eyes and asking myself “Did you achieve your Goals for today? Did you make a forward move or a backward one? Did you win today’s Battles?” When I can also those questions honestly and with a resounding YES, then I know I am back on track and loving it!

If you are thinking of chasing a Dream, setting a Goal beware of focussing upon winning the War, rather focus on trying to win the daily Battles, because if you take it step by step, the Steps become Days, the Days become Weeks, the Weeks become Months then Years and before you know it an extraordinary transormation will have occured and you will have won the War!

For more on achieving your Dreams, see the links below:

http://ironmansa.com/2012/05/01/how-to-achieve-your-dreams/

http://plantoretire.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/habits-the-good-the-bad-and-the-possibilities/

My life transformed from Black and White to Full Colour

My whole life has slowly but surely transformed from Black and White to Full Colour!! There was a Decade when I was a spectator of life and one of life’s biggest critics, but then I hit rock bottom and used that as a foundation to build upon. Step by step I’ve been building upon that foundation and am now a participant of life and loving every minute of it. Remember a T Junction is not the end of the road, unless you choose not to make the turn.

Circumstance helped me change drirection, then I cast a vision, a picture of the future that inspired me, that produced the necessary passion to want to change, to get out of the rut, the comfort zone. I started seeing myself as I could become and not as I was…. I look back now and smile at those dark days, important days as they helped shape my future.

Dawson Trotman once said “The greatest time wasted is the time getting started,” so make sure you do get started sooner, rather than later as the last thing you want to do is go to your grave with the ‘dance’ still left inside of you. Our lives change when we change something that we do everyday and success is the sum of many, many choices and sacrifices.

For me, the key was taking that first step! Weighing in at about a Ton, it was a bold step, but I elected to take it one step at a time and very soon the steps turned to days and the days became weeks, then months and years and when I look back I see an extraordinary transformation. A transformation from living a life in Black and White, to one where I’m living it in Full Colour.

Their have been many obstacles along the way, injuries and illness, financial and time constraints. But, the biggest obstacle has been my mind, as over time we allow our negative experiences and other people’s perceptions to place a ceiling on what we believe we can achieve. That little inner voice that tries to get us to slow down, that tells us that things are impossible, well it was a Giant five years ago and was holding me back….. but these days that little voice is like a skeleton, as I’ve starved him of airtime and he rarely gets fed, as I make a conscious effort to focus and feed my mind with positives.

I’ve suffered greatly along the journey, but I refuse to quit. They say suffering is temporary, while quitting is permanent. My late Dad taught me about the importance of getting up just once more. He said get up once more than you are knocked down (or back) and you will be a success my son.

Their is still much to strive for, but in the meantime I am grateful to my family, especially Michelle, Camryn and Jamie who sacrifice much as I chase my dreams. I am eternally grateful to my late stepson Reece who triggered the spark that has become a raging fire within and I am so, so grateful to my late Father, who inspired me to be the best I can be.

Although I lost my way along the way, I have tried hard to bounce back and will continue to do so and with God’s Grace I believe I will achieve my goals, which is simply to be the best that I can be.

“…sufferings produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope” Romans 5:3-4

Somebody recently asked when am I going to retire from Ironman? Truth is I’m only just getting into it, still much to learn & experience & share. Happy Days!!

Brothers in Arms

Wow, sport is amazing! Read how 8 year old Conner does Triathlons with his 6 year old brother Cayden, who has cerebral palsy, in toe!

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/01/news/the-long-brothers-named-2012-sportskids-of-the-year_69251