I have never had an easy Ironman race. I've wanted to quit every Ironman that I have completed. But through it all, I've crossed every Ironman that I've started. That's 16 140.6 mile events of my mind battling with my body.
Triathletes spend many months - if not years - preparing for a 140.6 mile event. You learn a lot about yourself when training for a long-distance triathlon. But the most learning happens on race day....often when you are so close to giving up.
As an endurance athlete, being fit gets you to the start line. Knowing how to battle when you are close to failure is what gets you to the finish line.
Here are a few tips to help you keep going when the going gets hard:
- You are not suffering alone. If it's hard for you, it's hard for others. If others can handle it, so can you.
- Tough times don't last. For every low moment, there's a high moment around the corner.
- Remove the pressure to achieve a certain outcome. Let go of any goal paces/watts and don't worry about your final results.
- Take it one mile (or destination point) at a time. Make deals with yourself to keep yourself moving forward.
- Don't give up, be smarter. Remove emotion (or judgement) from the situation.
- Work through the problem with skill and focus.
- Repeat a mantra in your head. A few of mine: Never quit on an uphill. You didn't come this far to only get this far. It's not supposed to be easy. You trained to feel this way.
- If your health is compromised or you could endanger your well-being by continuing, the right decision is to stop. It takes great courage and strength to stop when it's the right thing to do.