mentally preparing for race day Archives

It’s nearly game time!! Ironman Cozumel is November 25!! I’ve put in the work, and my body is READY. Now, along with my taper, I need to make sure I am mentally prepared for what lies ahead. (i.e. Don’t freak out!) I’m considerably calmer 9 days from the starting line than I was in June, so that’s a good start! I also haven’t lost weight…in fact, I’ve gained a couple of pounds. Last time I had a difficult time eating leading up to the race since I was so freaking nervous.

Race profile

With my ongoing training and a flat bike course, I should have a wayyyyy faster bike! When I do the math, I know I’m no longer at risk of missing the 10:30 hour swim/bike cutoff, but race day always presents its own unique set of challenges, so it’s important to be prepared for anything.

My Mental Prep Checklist:

1. Know your mantras. (My go to is “Pain is temporary, pride is forever,” which can also be “Pain is temporary, quitting is forever.” I also like “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming!” You talk to yourself a lot out there.)

2. Set your playlist. (Before the race, I listen to motivating songs on my “Ironman Pump-Up” playlist. During the race, I like to play songs to myself in my head since I can’t use an iPod. Eminem is the most motivating to me, particularly “Till I Collapse” and “Lose Yourself”.)

3. Plan for at least 3 things to go wrong on race day. (I got this tip from pro triathlete Beth Walsh, and it’s super valid!)

4. Find your inner calm. (For me, that means avoid spending too much time at the expo . For world champion Chrissie Wellington, that means taking time to sit quietly by herself on race morning.)

5. Write out your race day plan and stick to it! (I have specific things to think about and monitor on the swim, bike, and run.)

6. Don’t worry about the things that you can’t control. (The 10 day weather forecast currently predicts a 50-75% chance of rain, and a high of 82. How much rain? During the swim, bike, or run? I don’t know, and I cannot stress over it!)

I’ve been trying to picture myself crossing the finish line at Ironman Cozumel, and it feels SO GOOD. I get really, really excited just thinking about it!! Ironman Coeur d’Alene was a weird/sad experience for me because I got to be both a participant (for roughly 9 hours before they stopped me) and a spectator to watch my friends cross the finish line. (Go Team WODS!!) I saw all sorts of creative finishes. There were the serial high-fivers, the painful/limping finishers, the dancers, the sign holders, the flag holders…I even saw a girl with a large mustache (fake, don’t worry.)

So here is my question to you. If I can logistically pull it off…

LET’S DO THIS!!! Any other mental prep tips for the big day?

25 days to go until Ironman Cozumel and I’m trying not to FREAK OUT. Why? My foot pain has returned!

I’m in Las Vegas for work Monday-Friday this week, and I was already worried about how this trip would affect my Ironman training. I brought my bike pedals, bike shoes, and a pedal wrench so I could hopefully turn the hotel spin bike into something that more closely mirrors my bike that I couldn’t bring with me.

As soon as my plane touched down in Vegas, I realized I was sick. Crap. That was what I thought was going to be my biggest problem of the week. I hit up Target and bought a variety of cold meds and Zicam. Monday night was the worst of it, so I decided to work the SEMA show Tuesday morning.

I was literally on my feet from 8am-130pm before sitting down once. I wore TOMS thinking those would be a perfect comfy option to wear at the show. After I got back to my hotel room, had lunch, and went to stand up again, it felt like my heel was bruised. WTF? Not again! I stayed in bed until I had to walk back to the show and wore Converse this time. Still no relief. The pain increased all the way to dinner, and I was limping. I tried to stay off my foot as much as possible, and as soon as I got back to my hotel room, I went straight to the ice bucket.

My hotel room doesn’t have a bathtub (shower only), so I decided to make use of a trash can for my DIY ice bath.

DIY Hotel Room Ice Bath

1. Fill ice bucket completely with ice from hotel vending machine

2. Line a trash can (or 2) with a plastic bag

3. Dump ice in trash

4. Fill trash can with cool water to desired height

5. Stick foot in ice bath for up to 20 minutes

makeshift ice bath

I was in tears for the first 4 minutes because my foot was stinging so badly and because I was very afraid that my foot injury had returned. I haven’t had foot pain in a good amount of time. It originally started on August 17th, and I couldn’t even walk without pain or limping. It lasted for about 1 month, and got better week by week. Now, I’m back to trying to do everything in my power to keep it from getting back to how bad it was back then.

I got Jeremy on the phone, and he gave me an amazing pep talk on Ironman Cozumel. (He always knows how to calm me down.)

I need to:

– Stay positive. Worrying won’t make anything better. It will only cause unnecessary anxiety.

– Take it one day at a time. I shouldn’t worry about how many days are left until my race. (25. ah hem.) I need to focus on today and tomorrow, and just take it day by day.

– Remember that my body will know when it’s race day. The body is capable of incredible things. Even if I have foot pain on race day, I will get through it. I don’t care if I am crawling across the finish line, as long as I FINISH!

– This is part of the journey that will make finishing the Ironman even more incredible. The race is going to be one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. The journey to get to race day is also not easy. (Juggling work, injuries, 15 hour training weeks, illness, travel, lack of free time, no money for anything other than triathlon, etc). It is probably why so few people attempt such a distance…and why those people think I am crazy. 🙂

And with that, I’m off to find a place where I can swim laps before I’m on my poor foot again all afternoon for work. Ohhh Vegas.

Do you have any other tips to share on how to stay mentally strong until race day?