The One Thing

A couple of weeks ago I met up with a gal who was about to tackle Ironman Florida. As we rode through Harvard on that chilly October day, we talked about our training, the ups and downs, how excited we were to actually do our races, and she said to me - figure out what your "one thing is"... the one reason why you are doing an Ironman. When times get tough in your race, you need to remember what the one reason is that you are doing this race.

The thinking behind this statement is this:

During the course of your race day, expect your body to have a conversation with your mind:


“Look, Mind, you’ve had me out here slogging away for 132 miles. This is really starting to get old and very painful. You need to give me a good reason to keep going forward. If you don’t have one, I’m gonna slow down and you can’t stop me!”

Before the race ask yourself “Why am I doing Ironman?” Your goal here is to determine what is the One Thing that put you in this race. To finish in the daylight with a smile on your face? To run a 4:10? To honor your family or a loved one?

Whatever your One Thing is, be absolutely clear and rehearse your mind/body debate beforehand. Be warned: your body can be a helluva good negotiator at mile 18, especially if your mind hasn’t prepared its rebuttal arguments beforehand.

That same day was supposed to be my longest bike day. It was also the end of October and only high 30s in the early morning. I agreed to start a little later in the morning just to let it warm up a bit. With a couple of friends, we met up at 10am and took a nice ride through Harvard stopping at the General Store and again at a farm for some apple crisp. Despite the good company, nice scenery, and cool but sunny day, internally I was battling extreme burnout. By the time the group got back to our starting point it was already 2pm and I had only gone 40 miles on what was supposed to be a 90-100 mile bike day. A quick calculation told me that I wouldn't be done until 7pm if I finished the entire workout. As I rode off alone, the sun was getting lower such that it would be hard for cars to see me. I was jealous that the others were done and annoyed that I had to keep going. As I thought more and more about it, I got angrier and angrier. I pedaled over Strawberry Hill, took my right on Pope Road, and in just the time that it took me to reach Acton Road I was so pissed off that I was ready to explode.

My heart was pounding, my breath was heavy, and my mind was harried. I was so worked up that I could have had a temper tantrum right there on the side of the road. But, I was 30 miles away from home and it still would be faster for me to bike home then wait for someone to come pick me up. I didn't have much choice but to go on. So I thought to myself -

Am I cold? No.
Are my legs sore? No.
Is the weather ok? Yes.

If all of these things were ok, then I must go on. So I said to myself -

Think positive thoughts.
Think positive thoughts.
Think positive thoughts.
Think positive thoughts.
Think positive thoughts.
Think positive thoughts.
Think positive thoughts.
Think positive thoughts.

This went on for 5-10 minutes until my frenzy calmed, my breathing eased, and my angry thoughts subsided. I started to think positive thoughts.

I thought about blue skies and whispy clouds.
I thought about my life.
I thought about what would make me happy.
I thought about moving to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and hiking the pass with Zion every day.
I wondered what it would be like to drop everything that I'm doing... and start over.

I held on to these thoughts and I navigated wisely as the sun went sideways. I got back to my car safely and although I didn't complete the 90 miles that I was hoping for, I learned something about positive thinking.

For the past few weeks, I thought that my mantra would be "think positive thoughts, think positive thoughts, think positive thoughts." But those words don't really satisfy the question of - Why? Why did I choose to do an Ironman?

What is the one thing - the one reason why I chose to do an Ironman?

One year ago I moved back to Boston from my home in Colorado. When I came home, to the place where I grew up and where my old friends and family resign, I was happy to be among loved ones. But, I was also reeling from a recent break up and my mind and body was in despair. I wanted to be healthy, happy, and whole again. I knew that if I set a challenge for myself that was so difficult, so hard that I would have no choice but to make better decisions, to exercise, get out and meet new people, and explore my new world, that it would be my reason to regain myself, my independence, and my happiness.

In thinking about this, my training has become my right of passage. On race day, my pain will be transformed from etheral to physical. As the saying goes - I would rather have a broken bone than a broken heart. When I step up to the starting line on November 21st, my suffering will have come full circle.

So, what's the answer? Why did I choose to do an Ironman?

To regain myself, my independence, my strength. To heal my broken heart. To find myself.

I'm doing it for me.