How to finish an Ironman Triathlon (even if you have kids).

The best things in life happen after you do a hard thing. Most people never get far enough to enjoy the finish line. But, hard things are possible to finish.

On Sep 17, I finished my 3rd Ironman triathlon, which brings me to 11 triathlons of varying lengths.

For anyone attempting hard things, consider these ideas to increase your chances of getting to the start line, and maybe the finish line*.

Get your spouse / partner on board.

Easily the most important part of the entire guide. This might seem like a personal sport when you are training and competing, but it is a team sport outside of the actual racing. Their support will be absolutely necessary, especially if you have young kids.

Get your skin in the game early.

Buy the ticket, arrange your lodgings and transport early. Having skin in the game will increase your chances of finishing*. 

Define your goal. Be specific.

Knowing if you want to set a PR, simply finish, or make the podium will help you optimize your training towards that singular target. For this race, I wanted to finish. Bonus points if I could break my PR, but realistically I was worried about getting enough sleep in the final 3 months of training: my wife & I had a baby in June, and this COULD have had caused some major sleep & training issues.

Make things as easy as possible to accomplish, but no easier.

Put your gym clothes out the night before a workout. When you’re done, get ready for the next workout. This will take the mental anguish out of deciding “do i want to train today?”. You need to fight the urge to say no. This is a tough fight! 

Train consistently.

This is the hardest to do, but it is the most important. "You do not rise to the occasion, you fall to the level of your training." Whoever said that is absolutely correct. This is not a sprint, and it is not a marathon. They put that in the end for fun. Consistently training to be very uncomfortable will make it easier to finish*.

Set small goals.

Make weekly goals of the distance you need to reach for each workout, then do them. Small goals create momentum for larger successes.  In the race, this works too. I told myself if I can make it to the next aid station, that would be fine. And I did, and I kept setting that goal.

When you fall, recover quickly.

Many a week passed when I didn’t complete some portion of my training. Life gets in the way. But those weeks would end, and I had a fresh start. Still, there were a few 100% weeks, but those weeks would also end, and I would start at zero again. If you can realize that each week will pass and it is up to you to aim for 100% training, your psyche will thank you. 

Create unimpeachable policies.

These start with “Always” or “Never”, and you must enforce them yourself. I always wake up at 4:30. I never eat added sugar. I always drink 1 gallon of water per day. I never miss a stretch. I always run immediately after a bike. I always charge my watch on Thursdays. Creating unimpeachable policies makes making decisions easier. They also change your identity into someone who "always" or "never" does something.

In planning, obey reality.

Planning uses the past to predict the future. Use your past performance to understand how long it will take you to run that 10-miles, how many gels you will need in the run so you don’t burn out, and how how often you need to eat a salt chew (based up your sweat rate). 

In execution, disregard reality.

When you execute on a plan, disregarding reality sounds like you’re giving yourself an excuse to fail or cut corners. This is not the intention. Execution is where you learn about yourself and what you are capable of, and disregarding reality is how you tell yourself that you can go beyond your performance expectations*. 

Quality > quantity.

After this most recent Ironman, I realized that having a single quality workout is much more important than having several mediocre workouts. What I should have done is more 5+ hour rides +45 minute runs, rather than several 1 or 2-hour bike rides and a run after it. Your legs don’t feel the same after a 1-hour or even 2-hour ride than they do after a 5-hour bike ride, so the run will be totally different. Focusing on the quality of the workout will win every time. 

Help > time.

I read that the Spartan Race was created by a triathlete who was frustrated that nobody would help him fix a tire during a race. This assumes that people are more focused on their personal time than on the triathlon community. So I created an (unimpeachable) policy to tip the scale a bit. During my race, if I saw someone who was in distress (every triathlete will tell you a HUGE fear is hearing the “PFSSSSSSSS” on their bike), i would ask if they need anything. Most didn’t. But one athlete needed help changing their tire. We both took a deep breath and I fixed it for them. This took me under 10 minutes, gave me time to rest my neck and legs. Helping other athletes is always worth it - pass it on. 

Create kit lists.

When better to double-think every part of your race than right before you enter bike check-in?  This is when kit lists come into play. Write down everything you will need during the race. Use the notes app to crate the checklist, and check it off as you put the items in bags. It helps when i say out-loud that I am putting something in the bag “salt, in the bag, check. Hat, in the bag, check. Goggles in the bag, check.”

If it is your first , DM me and I will share my list with you*. 

Check, double-check, move on.

Similar to Kit lists, once you have double-checked that you have all of your gear, move on. It takes us so much mental energy when you are second-guessing yourself, and that energy is not worth wasting. 

Start, keep going.

Once you start your race, do not stop.  Each step you take is one you don’t have to take again. 

You can pay to start, but not to finish*. 

Triathlon is not a cheap sport. Bikes, lodging, race fees, food and other micro purchases all add up. But, the best gear won't guarantee you will cross the finish line. You have to do it yourself, every day.

*up to you.