Last year this time I was running 8 km as my longest run, I was a little heavier, and I had 10 toenails...now after IronMan, I am still the same person, but my mind is different. Its all kinda wierd ! I feel like the 'limits' have been removed from my mind. I am reminded of what 2 people told me before IronMan..."Life changes after IronMan - Avron and "After IronMan, you can do anything" - Andrew.
So I can now happily share the following exciting plans...
Ashleigh has qualified to run Comrades Marathon; 87 km Ultra 'up run' ...and is running on 15th June. I am flying to Durban to support my amazing girlfriend...
On August 24th we are running Puffer; an 80km mountain trail run which starts at Cape Point and runs along the mountain to Table Mountain and finishes in Cape Town's Waterfront. There is support along the route, but we need to carry our own water, compass, nutrition etc...
We are looking to buy a double surf ski to enter the Mixed Doubles Surf Ski Challenge which starts in October...
And we both have half marathon and marathon speed goals...
...and in between we are planning full moon hikes up Lions Head again, more running, me learning to surf ski without landing my beautiful Ashleigh in the sea, full moon runs up Chapmans Peak, maybe Double Century 200km bike ride, trail running, a visit to Sanbona Game Park (with spa treatments)... life is pretty good... with my pretty partner...
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
...my inspiration...Ashleigh
This blog would not be complete without a post dedicated to a very special lady... my IronMan Ashleigh...
My IronMan journey was started by 3 things; the seed was planted many years ago when I read a small article in the back of a running magazine about Paula Newby-Fraser winning IronMan in Hawaii again (she won it 9 times!), then my brother Andrew completed 3 IronMan's in New Zealand, and finally Ashleigh's words in a Puma sportswear advertisement; Ashleigh helped me to see, in addition to the IronMan goal, that there was a journey of self growth leading to that goal, and that inspired me to eventually commit my dream to a goal.
As I was so unsure that I would actually be able to complete the IronMan race, I did not share my goal with Andrew, so for the months that I ran alone in the dark, I had only Ashleigh's words to keep me going.... and they did. I did not know any other people training for IronMan, so I clung to Ashleigh's words as the only link to my goal. I had hope from her words, but also I kind of peace that there was someone else out there that I could relate to.
As my journey progressed I came to meet other people who were training for IronMan and to my complete surprise, Ashleigh was one of them ! For some reason I believed that Ashleigh lived in Port Elizabeth, and I was planning to ask her to join me for a coffee in the few days before IronMan to share with her what an influence that advert had had on me, but here she was ...now a training buddy!
Slowly we started doing more and more training together, swimming and cycling, and meals started becoming part of our time together....I found that I really enjoyed my time with her... we related... we shared goals, values, interests, and attitudes... and jokes... a friendship was forming... I admired and respected Ashleigh's commitment to training, her discipline, her attitude, her humour....and I still do... (Ashleigh's attitude, committment and discipline enabled her to improve on her first IronMan time by 1hour & 50minutes and finish 87th out of 258 women in this years IronMan - I am very proud)
Our friendship has now developed into something far stronger and I am a better person for having Ashleigh share my life. A... (Mister Gushy comes out here) ...you continue to inspire me, to encourage me, to challenge me to be a better person... and all this while we explore life's fun and challenges together....
Ashleigh your words were there as a promise when I decided on my goal, you were there during training, you were supportive during the 3 weeks I was ill and not able to train, you were with me at the start of the race and waiting for me at the finish...thank you Ashleigh for my perfect first IronMan journey... and thank you that you are 'with me' like that every day now... thank you for our awesome relationship and our very exciting continuing journey into the future together....
My IronMan journey was started by 3 things; the seed was planted many years ago when I read a small article in the back of a running magazine about Paula Newby-Fraser winning IronMan in Hawaii again (she won it 9 times!), then my brother Andrew completed 3 IronMan's in New Zealand, and finally Ashleigh's words in a Puma sportswear advertisement; Ashleigh helped me to see, in addition to the IronMan goal, that there was a journey of self growth leading to that goal, and that inspired me to eventually commit my dream to a goal.
As I was so unsure that I would actually be able to complete the IronMan race, I did not share my goal with Andrew, so for the months that I ran alone in the dark, I had only Ashleigh's words to keep me going.... and they did. I did not know any other people training for IronMan, so I clung to Ashleigh's words as the only link to my goal. I had hope from her words, but also I kind of peace that there was someone else out there that I could relate to.
As my journey progressed I came to meet other people who were training for IronMan and to my complete surprise, Ashleigh was one of them ! For some reason I believed that Ashleigh lived in Port Elizabeth, and I was planning to ask her to join me for a coffee in the few days before IronMan to share with her what an influence that advert had had on me, but here she was ...now a training buddy!
Slowly we started doing more and more training together, swimming and cycling, and meals started becoming part of our time together....I found that I really enjoyed my time with her... we related... we shared goals, values, interests, and attitudes... and jokes... a friendship was forming... I admired and respected Ashleigh's commitment to training, her discipline, her attitude, her humour....and I still do... (Ashleigh's attitude, committment and discipline enabled her to improve on her first IronMan time by 1hour & 50minutes and finish 87th out of 258 women in this years IronMan - I am very proud)
Our friendship has now developed into something far stronger and I am a better person for having Ashleigh share my life. A... (Mister Gushy comes out here) ...you continue to inspire me, to encourage me, to challenge me to be a better person... and all this while we explore life's fun and challenges together....
Ashleigh your words were there as a promise when I decided on my goal, you were there during training, you were supportive during the 3 weeks I was ill and not able to train, you were with me at the start of the race and waiting for me at the finish...thank you Ashleigh for my perfect first IronMan journey... and thank you that you are 'with me' like that every day now... thank you for our awesome relationship and our very exciting continuing journey into the future together....
IronMan - the journey...and what I learned...
Ashleigh's words "IronMan journey" inspired me to start this quest, to take on a goal that quite honestly, I doubted I could achieve. (before IronMan, I had not even met anyone that had done it; except for my brother Andrew, who has completed 3 IronMan triathlons in New Zealand).
Looking back, the journey was everything that Ashleigh said it would be....it was a fantastic journey.
I believe it was such a great journey because training for 'a first IronMan' is such a daunting goal and the training and time constraints so intense, that learning about yourself and the challenges you face are magnified for you to clearly see.
So this is what I learned;
1: Dream big and challenge yourself; I now believe that if you know before you start that your goal is achievable, then you are not aiming high enough. There must be some doubt in your mind to keep you focused and excited.
2: Break your big goal into small manageable goals (if you have set your goal according to point 1 above, then the big picture of where you are headed will overwhelm you)
3: All your limits in your life are only between your ears; we limit ourselves by poor thinking and by poor goal setting. The mind is a very powerful thing, you need to make sure that your mind is working for you and not against you.
Looking back, the journey was everything that Ashleigh said it would be....it was a fantastic journey.
I believe it was such a great journey because training for 'a first IronMan' is such a daunting goal and the training and time constraints so intense, that learning about yourself and the challenges you face are magnified for you to clearly see.
So this is what I learned;
1: Dream big and challenge yourself; I now believe that if you know before you start that your goal is achievable, then you are not aiming high enough. There must be some doubt in your mind to keep you focused and excited.
2: Break your big goal into small manageable goals (if you have set your goal according to point 1 above, then the big picture of where you are headed will overwhelm you)
3: All your limits in your life are only between your ears; we limit ourselves by poor thinking and by poor goal setting. The mind is a very powerful thing, you need to make sure that your mind is working for you and not against you.
4: Always think and talk positive...fact; no further explanation required
5: Its easy to deal with small things when you have a big goal. With a big goal in mind little things do not trouble you. You are able to deal with them quickly.
6: You have loads of people in your life that want to see you succeed, theycold be friends, doctors, store salesmen and colleagues - don't be afraid to ask them to help you - they want to!
7: Share; you don't know who you will inspire (thank you again, and again, and again Ashleigh)
The best products that I encountered:
1- Hammer Perpetuim endurance fuel....you are at a disadvantage if you start an endurance event without it, but with it, you can go far...
2- Carbon fibre bikes...once you've ridden carbon, you will never ride aluminium again.
3- moisture management running tops (yes, I was 'old school' t-shirt runner)
And that's it....everyone learns something about themselves and about life in their first IronMan...my training friend Ally's journey is taking her to Brazil completely unexpectedly...
where could you go?....
what could you learn...?
what could you discover...?
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
IronMan - raceday
(apologies for very late post) Excitement built for race day as one can imagine. An 'army' of volunteers assisted 1,678 athletes to get registered and prepared for the big day; but more than that....flat sea ! Everyone was excited, especially since last years IronMan was a very difficult swim in a very rough sea.
One of the reasons for this very late post, is that for me race day was a huge anti-climax. I had been sick for 3 weeks prior, I was frustrated by my illness and the inability to train and without those 3 weeks of training, I think I had lost the excitement of my journey. But more than that; if you have done the training, it's easy to finish the race. Having said all of that, I enjoyed race day thoroughly.....
One of the reasons for this very late post, is that for me race day was a huge anti-climax. I had been sick for 3 weeks prior, I was frustrated by my illness and the inability to train and without those 3 weeks of training, I think I had lost the excitement of my journey. But more than that; if you have done the training, it's easy to finish the race. Having said all of that, I enjoyed race day thoroughly.....We started with the drums as we walked over the timing mats onto the beach for the swim. Crowded together before the start you can feel the tension of one and a half thousand athletes ready to 'battle' IronMan. There are prayers, jokes, whispering, encouragement, wisdom.....everyone psyches differently.... booom....the cannon fires and that tension uncoils into a mass of wetsuited bodies rushing into the sea, running, bumping, splashing, bumping, swimming, bumping.... swimmers everywhere, arms everywhere, legs everywhere, bodies everywhere...there is just not enough space in the sea ! I thought I was prepared for it, but 'man' its a war zone. I tried to swim out of the mainstream, which cost me some time as I swam further and got wounded anyway ....after someone kicked the perfect uppercut that cleared my head clean out of the water; I decided next year I keep my line ! Anyway, the swim done in target time of 1h15, I was stoked...and on my way to transition....
Again...bodies everywhere; some even changed outside the tent. My transition was smooth and 8 minutes later I was on my bike and heading out on my first 60km bike lap....but oh hell... I can feel my legs are already done. I decided to take the first lap easy, but that strategy didn't work as the second and third laps were even tougher. Slowly I resign myself to the fact that my 3 weeks of being sick are costing me dearly. I decide to enjoy the view and and the ride and hope that my running legs woke up this morning, because my cycling legs definitely did not ! The route is great; 3 laps of 60 km, mostly flat and a long section along the sea shore; very little wind; this should have been a great ride. Frustratingly 7 hours later, I am back at transition with time to make up. Another 8 minute transition and I tell myself that the time has gone, forget it, and just focus on the run....
Out on the run course I discover to my total dissapointment that my run legs never woke up this morning either ...but hey, I have time to finish and reach my first objective: finishing IronMan. The 42km run course is long, very long. After 3,8km swim, 180km bike and the prospect of another 42km on my legs, "excitement" is not a word that sprang to mind ! But hey, I am doing it... I am finishing IronMan ! The spectators 'made that run' - they excellently supported and encouraged all along Marine Drive Port Elizabeth, spectators line both sides of the run and really encourage the IronMen (15% of the field are ladies). You race with your name on your number so everyone encourages you by name; its awesome. The weather is still perfect, but the day getting long now as sunglasses start getting removed to accommodate the setting sun.....darkness comes quickly and highlights the loneliness of my quest... I have seen some friends along the way, but IronMan really is a personal quest. The evening is so perfect that spectators are sitting on the side of the road burning candles - with no wind to blow them out !
On my last lap, 8 km out from the red carpet I start planning my finish.... I have visualised my run alone down that red carpet so often... and that moment is now....
Suddenly after a long day, time seems to suddenly speed up because I am here, at the red carpet and I am immensely sad that its all over... and ironically, I cannot really remember my run down that red carpet, maybe because I was dissapointed with my time, dissapointed that I never had the legs on the day, dissapointed that months of preparation and expectation are now over....but...today, at this moment... and forever... I am an IronMan ! Objective achieved. Relief. I have never been so pleased to get a finishers medal. It has been a long day... 14 hours and 32 minutes long....
What a great day, 
what a great race, what a great organization...what a journey!
what a great race, what a great organization...what a journey!I cannot describe how pleased I am that I took on this challenge. As Avron told me months ago "IronMan changes your life". I now understand why all the faces lit up of those people that I spoke to about IronMan.....'man' you gotta do IronMan !
Thursday, March 27, 2008
....reflections....
On reflection, my journey to IronMan actually started 8 years ago, when I decided during yet another endless bout of bronchitis, to step off the path of pharmacies, doctors and drugs to treat my asthma. I remember it clearly, in an 'aha' moment of sudden clarity I said to myself "enough! there has to be a better way". So with no knowledge of any other form of healing or treatment, I started out in blind faith on a new health path on 1st September 2000 (Spring Day, here in South Africa - very appropriate). My journey led me to Vicky, my trusted Accupuncturist, Doctor of alternative medicines and friend. Vicky has led me through 8 years of an incredible journey of healing, learning and spiritual understanding. Without those 8 years, I could not have even considered training for IronMan. Thank you very much Vicky.
This is where my incredible journey started and with only 16 days to go till the big day, I have very mixed feelings...... .
I took a decision on some knowledge of my brother Andrew's IronMan experience, but as he lives in New Zealand I was unfortunately not as close to his race as I would have liked to have been.
Ashleigh was sponsored by Puma for her first IronMan and her words in this Puma advert in Runners World magazine "It was eight months filled with enlightenment, frustration and accomplishment....the benefits and learnings will remain with me for the rest of my life." that made me commit to the goal. I made that decision purely on faith again. And I am really grateful that I did ! Training for my first IronMan has been an incredible experience ! The journey has given me way, way more than I could ever have imagined. When I started out, becoming an IronMan on race day was my goal and it took Ashleigh's message to make me realise that I should focus on the journey to my goal. I have come through 180 degrees, beause this journey has been so incredible, that I am now wondering how the actual race day can top it ! From what I have heard, it will be absoluetly awesome, but I cannot see it, so I am again taking it on faith.... .
The other great decision that I made at the beginning of this journey, was blogging it.....it has been great documenting my progress and sharing it with you. It really has added another dimension to my journey. Thank you for your support.... .
But now as race day looms (16 days to go and inside the 17 day 'training window') I am actually very sad that my journey is over, as there will always only be one 'my first IronMan'.
I have been training for nearly 6 months in total now, the last 4 months have been training twice per day and my body is showing signs of wear; (if you are the "oooh too much info" type, please skip ahead to the next paragraph now!)....I have a slight chest cold from running into a cold south easter before work, I have sores on my chest from my heart rate monitor, my nipples are still sensitive after bleeding on a long run the other day and I have a toenail which is blacker than Robert Mugabe's heart, which I hope stays on till after IronMan....but these don't bother me, because I know that I earned them all ! (and I am sure that I will be 'good to go' shortly! ....and I have a new respect to women with young babies!! :-) ).
I still have to get to Port Elizabeth, then on race day, swim through the 'war zone' of 2,000 other competitors and finish the bike course and run my first 42km marathon after over 8 hours of swimming and cycling, to actually become an IronMan but I can already understand, what people are telling me, that "IronMan changes your life" and "after IronMan, you can do anything".
I realised yesterday morning that I have spoken to many IronMan finishers, but never actually seen an IronMan finishing medal...WOW...I am really looking forward to seeing 'my one' first!
It's quite wierd actually, 6 months ago I was worried that I may not be able to finish IronMan and my thoughts were of concern, now I am confident of finishing (barring any major problems of course), but I am still the same person!
But when all is 'said and done' the biggest thing that I can take away from this journey, is this: If I believe that the goal that I am setting for myself is achievable, then I am not aiming high enough! From now on I will strive to always have goals that I cannot believe are possible initially, because that is where the excitement is.... .
Sunday, March 16, 2008
"find your passion" / perfect day
Most 'self-help' books will tell you to "find your passion"...... I know, because I've read loads of them (though the authors will never tell you how to find your passion, but that's a whole new subject!)
I love riding my bike. Yesterday I went cycling again in 50km/h winds. I wanted to cycle far enough to test my nutrition plan for the 180km race day, so I had a basic plan of where I wanted to ride and a basic distance in mind......
I first headed to Cape Point (straight into the strong wind) and reached there eventually. To show how strong the wind was, I reached Cape Point with an average speed of only 20km/h. There I turned and rode right across Cape Town to Melkbostrand, then across to a third 'outer limit of Cape Town, Durbanville ..... then home.....175km later.
Here is my point; I got so involved in my cycle and the enjoyment of it, that somewhere I completely forgot about the wind! I guess that for nearly 8 hours I had "found my passion" and was living it. "When you are living your passion, life is good and your problems are diminished"....maybe the books are right......?
When I got home I went for a short 5km 'brick run' (so called because in triathlon; during the early stages of the run leg, which follows the cycle; your legs feel like bricks, so training for this is called a 'brick run'). Heres the joke..... after nearly 8 hours and 175km on a bike saddle, followed by a short 5km run, a neighbour asks me when I get home "how can you run in this wind?"!
The following day the weather was perfect (again), but this time it didn't bother me at all..... my previous day had been perfect in every way......
I love riding my bike. Yesterday I went cycling again in 50km/h winds. I wanted to cycle far enough to test my nutrition plan for the 180km race day, so I had a basic plan of where I wanted to ride and a basic distance in mind......
I first headed to Cape Point (straight into the strong wind) and reached there eventually. To show how strong the wind was, I reached Cape Point with an average speed of only 20km/h. There I turned and rode right across Cape Town to Melkbostrand, then across to a third 'outer limit of Cape Town, Durbanville ..... then home.....175km later.
Here is my point; I got so involved in my cycle and the enjoyment of it, that somewhere I completely forgot about the wind! I guess that for nearly 8 hours I had "found my passion" and was living it. "When you are living your passion, life is good and your problems are diminished"....maybe the books are right......?
When I got home I went for a short 5km 'brick run' (so called because in triathlon; during the early stages of the run leg, which follows the cycle; your legs feel like bricks, so training for this is called a 'brick run'). Heres the joke..... after nearly 8 hours and 175km on a bike saddle, followed by a short 5km run, a neighbour asks me when I get home "how can you run in this wind?"!
The following day the weather was perfect (again), but this time it didn't bother me at all..... my previous day had been perfect in every way......
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
enjoy the journey...
Let me pre-empt this post by reminding you that I am not yet an IronMan; this blog is about my journey to IronMan and the life lessons that I have learned, and been reminded of, along the way.......
So this is the goal.....
Well done Andrew (my brother) for earning three of these in New Zealand.
But I'm a guy..... guys are goal oriented..... I only thought of the goal; becoming an IronMan.
It took a girl, to point out to me that the process of achieving the goal is just as important, just as rewarding and just as enjoyable. I have really enjoyed every single day of working towards my goal. I have learned, enjoyed, celebrated, been dissapointed, even crashed, recovered, lost 10kg's and made mistakes, every day has been different, exciting, challenging. Thanks again Ashleigh, for telling me about the road to the goal; the process of getting there.
Guys, enjoy the journey, enjoy the day......
Friday, March 7, 2008
success can be simple...
It has been troubling me, that I have posted a blog in a while, but please be assured that I will only post a blog, that I believe is a useful lesson. So it has been troubling me that if I cannot post a blog, have I not been learning anything?
This became the thought that consumed me while I ran for over 2 hours before work on a beautiful, quiet morning in Cape Town.
Eventually I worked out that I had nothing to say, because success can be simple. Basically, success at anything can be broken down to 3 simple steps;
1- Know your goal and understand why you want it.
Life can be very hard when you don't understand why you are doing something. Sometimes you may start doing something on intuition, then you need to keep doing it until the reason becomes clear, like my experience with this blog.
2- Commit to it. Success requires commitment - full stop / enough said / law of the universe type stuff....
3- Pay the price. In IronMan the price is early mornings, facing the daily challenges of balancing work, chores, training etc.
There is always a 'price', sometimes measured in money, sometimes measured in time, measured in sweat, mental toughness, discipline......or all of them. You need to know what the price is and you need to be prepared to pay it... and more often than no "inflation" will hit that price hard *smile*, meaning you will be asked to pay more than you initially calculated - prepare yourself for it, and be prepared to pay it, even if you need some creative problem solving to achieve this.
4- Thank God repeatedly every day that you have the money, lifestyle and health to pursue your goal
If you start having difficulties with your goal, then you quite simply need to go back to steps 1 through 4......
There are a number of things that you can do to help you with those 4 steps;
have a good support group (family, friends, training buddies, coaches, doctors, running shoe specialists, nutrition experts etc....and yes even blogs!). Obviously, unless you are a pro, you are gonna have to pay for some of these, but you need to know who you can count on.
Focus; you cannot chat to your friend, talk to a business prospect on your mobile, eat a chicken salad with a triple decker chocolate cake, all while driving! (though many have tried!). Focus.
Talk about your goal; you never know who you will inspire! (but please for everyone's sake, ensure that the person who you are telling is interested! Understand that you are enthusiastic about your goal, but we are all different, most other people are focussing on their own goals [or lack thereof] and may not be interested in your goal).
Or put another way by the legendary Shaun Thomson; world surfing champion, who lists this as one of the 12 'commandments' that he lives by: "I will pass on my stoke to a non-surfer"
I always wanted to do IronMan, especially after my brother Andrew had done 3, but it took Ashleigh's message of her "journey of personal growth through IronMan" for me to finally make the commitment.
This became the thought that consumed me while I ran for over 2 hours before work on a beautiful, quiet morning in Cape Town.
Eventually I worked out that I had nothing to say, because success can be simple. Basically, success at anything can be broken down to 3 simple steps;
1- Know your goal and understand why you want it.
Life can be very hard when you don't understand why you are doing something. Sometimes you may start doing something on intuition, then you need to keep doing it until the reason becomes clear, like my experience with this blog.
2- Commit to it. Success requires commitment - full stop / enough said / law of the universe type stuff....
3- Pay the price. In IronMan the price is early mornings, facing the daily challenges of balancing work, chores, training etc.
There is always a 'price', sometimes measured in money, sometimes measured in time, measured in sweat, mental toughness, discipline......or all of them. You need to know what the price is and you need to be prepared to pay it... and more often than no "inflation" will hit that price hard *smile*, meaning you will be asked to pay more than you initially calculated - prepare yourself for it, and be prepared to pay it, even if you need some creative problem solving to achieve this.
4- Thank God repeatedly every day that you have the money, lifestyle and health to pursue your goal
If you start having difficulties with your goal, then you quite simply need to go back to steps 1 through 4......
There are a number of things that you can do to help you with those 4 steps;
have a good support group (family, friends, training buddies, coaches, doctors, running shoe specialists, nutrition experts etc....and yes even blogs!). Obviously, unless you are a pro, you are gonna have to pay for some of these, but you need to know who you can count on.
Focus; you cannot chat to your friend, talk to a business prospect on your mobile, eat a chicken salad with a triple decker chocolate cake, all while driving! (though many have tried!). Focus.
Talk about your goal; you never know who you will inspire! (but please for everyone's sake, ensure that the person who you are telling is interested! Understand that you are enthusiastic about your goal, but we are all different, most other people are focussing on their own goals [or lack thereof] and may not be interested in your goal).
Or put another way by the legendary Shaun Thomson; world surfing champion, who lists this as one of the 12 'commandments' that he lives by: "I will pass on my stoke to a non-surfer"
I always wanted to do IronMan, especially after my brother Andrew had done 3, but it took Ashleigh's message of her "journey of personal growth through IronMan" for me to finally make the commitment.
Visualise. I cannot remember ever finishing a training run without imaging running down the IronMan red carpet finishing straight and up onto that stage.....and how I will feel....and what I will do.....
Remain positive. (about everything) .....fact !
Now that I have posted this blog, I feel I have had an energy injection.... wouldn't you like to feel that?
Monday, February 25, 2008
Rudyard Kipling visits...
On Saturday I cut my cycle short. After 5 hours battling my bike into the wind and through gusts in a 50 km/h south easter wind, I had just had enough. But while I cycled I saw the parallels with South Africa at the moment.
2008 is South Africa's bleakest year since 'hope' was released with Nelson Mandela in 1994. Since then, and through growing pains, optimism has grown alongside our economy. But last year things started changing; we started the year with petrol, diesel, gas and water shortages (because Thabo didn't plan). And this year we have electricity shortages (because Thabo didn't plan) and we have run out of ethical, moral, intelligent and patriotic leadership (because Thabo didn't plan.....there's a pattern here!?) ....and so, with justification, there's a gloom, not seen for a while, hanging over the country.
My point is this - Rudyard Kipling wrote a widely revered poem called ' If ' :
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs......
......
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
The wind was blowing when I left home, I knew what I was in for, I could have done what most people did and stayed in bed, but I got in a 5 hour ride - and parts of it were great - so my point is.....it's very easy to get bogged down in the mass negative thinking that abounds in South Africa at present, but focus on your own life, your own goals, stay positive, avoid the negative......and around you things will change and get better.......
And guess what......after 'that ride' in 'that 50km/h storm', 'that thought, 'that' mindset.....
....the next day the weather was perfect.....
(check "website & blog links >>" for the full poem)
2008 is South Africa's bleakest year since 'hope' was released with Nelson Mandela in 1994. Since then, and through growing pains, optimism has grown alongside our economy. But last year things started changing; we started the year with petrol, diesel, gas and water shortages (because Thabo didn't plan). And this year we have electricity shortages (because Thabo didn't plan) and we have run out of ethical, moral, intelligent and patriotic leadership (because Thabo didn't plan.....there's a pattern here!?) ....and so, with justification, there's a gloom, not seen for a while, hanging over the country.
My point is this - Rudyard Kipling wrote a widely revered poem called ' If ' :
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs......
......
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
The wind was blowing when I left home, I knew what I was in for, I could have done what most people did and stayed in bed, but I got in a 5 hour ride - and parts of it were great - so my point is.....it's very easy to get bogged down in the mass negative thinking that abounds in South Africa at present, but focus on your own life, your own goals, stay positive, avoid the negative......and around you things will change and get better.......
And guess what......after 'that ride' in 'that 50km/h storm', 'that thought, 'that' mindset.....
....the next day the weather was perfect.....
(check "website & blog links >>" for the full poem)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
WOW !!!!
WOW !!! I am amazed ! When I first told my brother Andrew that I was entering IronMan, he got really enthusiastic about me doing it and told me "when you've done an IronMan, you can do anything!" Andrew was the first IronMan that I told of my goal.
Since then I have seen face, after face, after face, absolutely light up when I mention my IronMan entry to someone who has already completed an IronMan.....everybody, without exception, says that it was the best thing they have ever done!
I heard this from Avron today "your life changes after IronMan".
I think I now need to move to the next step and ask these people 'why, was it so great?.......' ....answers to follow......
Since then I have seen face, after face, after face, absolutely light up when I mention my IronMan entry to someone who has already completed an IronMan.....everybody, without exception, says that it was the best thing they have ever done!
I heard this from Avron today "your life changes after IronMan".
I think I now need to move to the next step and ask these people 'why, was it so great?.......' ....answers to follow......
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
look for small victories 2
As I said in my "look for small victories" blog, we often forget to break big projects down into smaller steps..... well, I had to remind myself of that again!
I got injured (see blog "If he was not so fit, he would have died") and I also could not train because I was in pain. I was busy thinking through my frustration, and when would I eventually be 100% again and able to train again without pain and was starting to feel quite low, when I remembered "look for small victories".
I reminded myself to take one day at a time, push to the most of what I can do on that day, pat myself on the back for the progress over the day before...... and keep looking for positive renforcement.... just that thinking immediately lifted my spirits!
I got injured (see blog "If he was not so fit, he would have died") and I also could not train because I was in pain. I was busy thinking through my frustration, and when would I eventually be 100% again and able to train again without pain and was starting to feel quite low, when I remembered "look for small victories".
I reminded myself to take one day at a time, push to the most of what I can do on that day, pat myself on the back for the progress over the day before...... and keep looking for positive renforcement.... just that thinking immediately lifted my spirits!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
"If he was not so fit, he would have died"
Have you ever heard a story about someone who was in a car wreck or other accident, where the doctor has apparently said "if he was not so fit, he would have died". I have heard it a number of times, and my thought at the time was, "well great for him", and "that's interesting".
Last week I had the 'opportunity' to experience this for myself. My brother warned me against riding in organized bike races while training for IronMan, but I must have been so excited about IronMan, that I did not hear him. So here I was riding in an organized bike race, and having a really nice ride, when some complete idiot decided to push through our group and a gap that simply was not there...... this selfish, stupid attempt to improve his ride time, took about 10 people onto the tar at nearly 40km/h, three of us where quite badly injured. Sliding across the tar in lycra is a sport that I don't think is going to catch on in a big way! Fortunately I had no broken bones.
I am a complete natural medicine convert, not having taken any pharmaceutical drugs since September 2000, so I am quite in tune with how my body is feeling. Sorry for the graphics here but during this week, I have watched in awe as my fit body fought hard to repair itself . Although I had no infections, I woke repeatedly during the night to find myself in pools of sweat, even if I fell aleep with an ice pack in place! One night was so bad, that I eventually slept on a towel! Obviously I took all the correct herbs for swelling, bruising and grazes, but to have experienced, how my body worked this week, really was a privilege for me...... 6 days later and I am back in the pool swimming.
I know that the average man of my age that had had that fall, would have been off work and still suffering 4 weeks later.
I am once again, absolutely amazed at what wonderful functioning creations our bodies are. I have worked hard to redress all the past asthma, cold & flu and 'health' drugs that I have taken over the years to the point that I understand the effects of the food I eat, I understand (mostly) how to fix myself before an ailment gets bad - I know how much better I feel for doing that .... I think its very sad that so many people have not experienced how healthy they could feel....
Care for your body and what you put in it, you do not fully understand all the implications....
Last week I had the 'opportunity' to experience this for myself. My brother warned me against riding in organized bike races while training for IronMan, but I must have been so excited about IronMan, that I did not hear him. So here I was riding in an organized bike race, and having a really nice ride, when some complete idiot decided to push through our group and a gap that simply was not there...... this selfish, stupid attempt to improve his ride time, took about 10 people onto the tar at nearly 40km/h, three of us where quite badly injured. Sliding across the tar in lycra is a sport that I don't think is going to catch on in a big way! Fortunately I had no broken bones.
I am a complete natural medicine convert, not having taken any pharmaceutical drugs since September 2000, so I am quite in tune with how my body is feeling. Sorry for the graphics here but during this week, I have watched in awe as my fit body fought hard to repair itself . Although I had no infections, I woke repeatedly during the night to find myself in pools of sweat, even if I fell aleep with an ice pack in place! One night was so bad, that I eventually slept on a towel! Obviously I took all the correct herbs for swelling, bruising and grazes, but to have experienced, how my body worked this week, really was a privilege for me...... 6 days later and I am back in the pool swimming.
I know that the average man of my age that had had that fall, would have been off work and still suffering 4 weeks later.
I am once again, absolutely amazed at what wonderful functioning creations our bodies are. I have worked hard to redress all the past asthma, cold & flu and 'health' drugs that I have taken over the years to the point that I understand the effects of the food I eat, I understand (mostly) how to fix myself before an ailment gets bad - I know how much better I feel for doing that .... I think its very sad that so many people have not experienced how healthy they could feel....
Care for your body and what you put in it, you do not fully understand all the implications....
Look for small victories.
I think one of the mistakes that we all make from time to time, is to become slowed by the large size or enormity of the challenge of what we are tryng to do.
We need to remember to break the whole task down into a number of small manageable steps that stretch us a little and give us a sense of achievement after each. Some people refer to this technique as "baby steps" but I think that expression is not positive enough. If you think of yourself as taking baby steps, don't you feel compromised, 'reduced', defensive and slogging?
I read a book by an ultra-distance lady runner; she said that she never ran a 100 mile race, she always ran a mile race, 100 times
When I cycle a long hill, I now only look 10 or 20 meters ahead of me and just focus on that distance. By the time I am halfway up, I am mentally strong because I have had many good 10m sections. In the past, at the bottom of the hill, I would say to myself, "heres the hill, find a rhythm and keep going"....and my results sucked! I don't know if everyone seemed to pass me or if they actually did! I was trying to do too much, in one big step, without any positive reinforcement along the way.... wrong strategy!
Now, I find a point about 10m or 20m away, say to myself, "focus on that tree", just before I reach it, I look for a new point (never another competitor because they keep moving!), I feel good at each point reached.....then when I do reach a point where I don't feel good, I now have enough smaller victories to offset the negativity of feeling bad at that particular point. I now have belief that my energy will come back..... and it always does!
I am not saying this mindset can overcome poor ability, but it does keep you functionning at the top of 'where you're at'. I climb much better than I used to, I pass many people, I am happier on the climbs and I have energy going over the top.... same me, just better 'mental management'.
Apply this thinking to any big task and see what a difference it makes....
We need to remember to break the whole task down into a number of small manageable steps that stretch us a little and give us a sense of achievement after each. Some people refer to this technique as "baby steps" but I think that expression is not positive enough. If you think of yourself as taking baby steps, don't you feel compromised, 'reduced', defensive and slogging?
I read a book by an ultra-distance lady runner; she said that she never ran a 100 mile race, she always ran a mile race, 100 times
When I cycle a long hill, I now only look 10 or 20 meters ahead of me and just focus on that distance. By the time I am halfway up, I am mentally strong because I have had many good 10m sections. In the past, at the bottom of the hill, I would say to myself, "heres the hill, find a rhythm and keep going"....and my results sucked! I don't know if everyone seemed to pass me or if they actually did! I was trying to do too much, in one big step, without any positive reinforcement along the way.... wrong strategy!
Now, I find a point about 10m or 20m away, say to myself, "focus on that tree", just before I reach it, I look for a new point (never another competitor because they keep moving!), I feel good at each point reached.....then when I do reach a point where I don't feel good, I now have enough smaller victories to offset the negativity of feeling bad at that particular point. I now have belief that my energy will come back..... and it always does!
I am not saying this mindset can overcome poor ability, but it does keep you functionning at the top of 'where you're at'. I climb much better than I used to, I pass many people, I am happier on the climbs and I have energy going over the top.... same me, just better 'mental management'.
Apply this thinking to any big task and see what a difference it makes....
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
"In The Zone"
I now fully understand why I have this blog; I would love someone to inspire someone to do something that they have always wanted to do, but never committed to doing it, but mainly the blog is for me! I am so focussed, enthusiastic, committed that I want this recorded for me to refer back to when I am working toward my next goal! (see "Lifes untaught Secret" post)
This blog is a type of photograph of me being "In The Zone".
For those of you that don't know what "In The Zone" means; its a state of extreme focus, enthusiasm, excitement, 'everything can be overcome' mindset. Its tunnel vision in a positive, uplifting exciting way. It's something that you can only fully understand when you experience it for yourself.....and I highly recommend it!
To enter "The Zone" all you need is to find something that you would really love to do or finish, then you need to make a commitment to yourself that you will do it and when you will do it. Start working toward your goal and as you progress and you start overcoming challenges, your spirits will lift and you will be able to see yourself doing the thing you are aiming at....keep going....suddenly you will become aware only the important things are important and you will realise that you are "In The Zone".....and you will smile with the greatest satisfaction....
Good luck friend....
This blog is a type of photograph of me being "In The Zone".
For those of you that don't know what "In The Zone" means; its a state of extreme focus, enthusiasm, excitement, 'everything can be overcome' mindset. Its tunnel vision in a positive, uplifting exciting way. It's something that you can only fully understand when you experience it for yourself.....and I highly recommend it!
To enter "The Zone" all you need is to find something that you would really love to do or finish, then you need to make a commitment to yourself that you will do it and when you will do it. Start working toward your goal and as you progress and you start overcoming challenges, your spirits will lift and you will be able to see yourself doing the thing you are aiming at....keep going....suddenly you will become aware only the important things are important and you will realise that you are "In The Zone".....and you will smile with the greatest satisfaction....
Good luck friend....
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
you have my respect
Now that I am training for IronMan, I fully understand how time consuming it is and how it takes such a focus in one's life. I really have great respect anyone who trains for IronMan, but I have more respect for their partners who support them in their IronMan quest.
Becoming an IronMan is not the partners dream or goal, and they don't get to experience the elation of running the last 100m to recieve the crowds cheers and adulation before the line is crossed and the goal is achieved.....IronMan !
BUT partners also invest their "together time with you" in their partners quest, they also wake early, invest their emotion in your goal, probably rub cream on your legs, cook the foods you need, wash your sweaty clothes and sticky water bottles and generally support you in any way they can........
Partners of IronMen in training; you have my deepest respect.
Becoming an IronMan is not the partners dream or goal, and they don't get to experience the elation of running the last 100m to recieve the crowds cheers and adulation before the line is crossed and the goal is achieved.....IronMan !
BUT partners also invest their "together time with you" in their partners quest, they also wake early, invest their emotion in your goal, probably rub cream on your legs, cook the foods you need, wash your sweaty clothes and sticky water bottles and generally support you in any way they can........
Partners of IronMen in training; you have my deepest respect.
dreams and problem solving..... in Africa
I have never been keen on being in cold water, and the sharks in Cape Town are way too hungry...... so I have always loved swimming at Durban's warm beaches.......so when a work trip to Durban was neccessary, the first thing I thought was "yaaahooo, warm, open water training swims"!
I was looking forward......but when the alarm went off at 5-15 am and I looked down from my 11th floor window, my perspective suddenly changed. The sea was rough, the distance I planned to swim looked far and how was I going to get down the lift, through the lobby and onto the beach.....in my speedo!? Or should I wear my wetsuit!? Whatever my faults, being an exhibitionist is
not one of them.As with all big problems, the only way to solve them is to break them down into small 'bites'. Wetsuit? I decided that although I was very keen to try my new wetsuit in the sea, the water was pabably going to be warm anyway. The lift and lobby. I decided to wear a old t-shirt that I had with me and wrap a towel around me. I asked the 'concierge' (I use that term loosely in Africa) to hold my key.
At the beach, I rolled my t-shirt into the towel so it would get full of sand from the wind that was blowing and entered the surf. The water was great and I fought my way through waves for 16 minutes before I decided that an IronMan swim will never be this rough. On my way out, I saw a "no swimming" sign! "Oh well, if that's their attitude, I'll swim somewhere else tomorrow!"
Now lets get that t-shirt and head off for that big hotel breakfast...... where is my towel? I had thought it was quite near to where those guys are digging a big hole with a spade in the middle of the beach.......at 5-55 am !!? Hey, one of them is wearing my bloody t-shirt!!
"Can I have my t-shirt please?" And I looked him straight in the eye...."Oh is this yours? I didn't know whose it was." yeah right, well that justifies your theft then" I thought.
..... and this is my towel I said, picking it up from their belongings ........
Walking away, I thought it was a story worth telling anyway..... *smile*
Africa......one should never be amazed..... anything is possible in Africa!
Its amazing how we adapt to our surroundings. Two mornings later, I walked confidently through the lobby in my speedo (only), handed the guy at the reception my towel and room key, then walked to Bay of Plenty. This part was really cool - at 6 am on a Friday morning, the Durban beach front is full of surfers, swimmers, runners, cyclists, triathletes, paddlers......some chatting, drinking coffee, others training....I was in my own ubculture where a guy in a speedo at 6 am isn't even noticed...my kinda town! *smile*
Suddenly I noticed that the other swimmers had fins. I thought "do they know something about currents that I don't?". At this point I was so looking forward to my swim, that I decided that they were just weaker swimmers (probably incorrect, but you ot to use your mind to help you achieve your goals!)
That was a great decision...because I had the most amazing swim from Bay of Plenty around the piers and back in tho the beach at The Wedge (what a cool name for a beach). I swam a distance of about 1km, in warm, gentle swell surf......and all before work - after that, there was no way that I could have a bad day!
...and I found out what my t-shirt guys were digging the hole for.....to earn money from sand scultures - see pics below...
Africa has some amazing highlights.....
amazing! 
Cheetah? 
No, those are not the coins that I donated, but I did pay the guys for these pics....
True, but there are always exceptions!?? >>>>
Sunday, January 13, 2008
belief and faith
Following on from '...its all in our heads', todays incident highlighted faith, belief and ..... let me explain....
The dictionary defines faith as 'trust or confidence' (in the unseen), belief is 'to judge or the to have faith'. What we need to constantly be aware of is that both are choices; conscious, deliberate choices.
I did a cycle race this morning as part of my training. It was extremely windy and I was on my way to Cape Point, where I knew that I'd need to sanctuary of as big a group as possible. (by riding in a group, one can save up to 30% of your energy; which is why it is not allowed in IronMan). I was riding really well and had ridden away from the last big group, and was now riding with a small group of 5 other riders who were going really well too, I believed that they would help me to find the next big group up ahead, but I could not see a big group around all the curves in the road. Then I hit a bad patch; my legs suddenly felt like I had attached a couple of bricks to my feet.
I had a choice ; hang in through the pain, with this group 'in faith' that they would help me find that elusive big group that I was looking for, and then rest; or, drop off and pedal lightly through the pain, while my legs came back.
I chose the latter; then after about 3 minutes around a bend in the road, I saw that big group ahead! If I had stayed with my small group through the pain, I would have been with the big group in 10 minutes! But now I was alone pedalling into that headwind. And this thought became very vivid; before my legs went bad, I believed that my little group would help me to find the big group, then I lost faith in that in that, I let the pain in my legs affect my choice, I had suddenly become subconsciously negative! And now I had to pay, big time! It took me 40 minutes to catch that group by myself (instead of 10 minutes!).
On the positive side, I had 40 minutes to reflect on my poor decision. And my conclusion; we have to choose to believe that what we are doing will move us forward in whatever we are doing, and as difficulties challenge us, we must have faith that our initial choice was right, be aware that beliefs and faith are positive conscious choices. This one negative thought cost me 30 minutes of self induced pain! Just a reminder; negative thinking is just simply, not an option!
And as I type this, I think that this is actually what this blog is about; I have chosen to believe that it is going to help someone, maybe only me, but its a step forward.... to what? I have faith that it will lead somewhere....
The dictionary defines faith as 'trust or confidence' (in the unseen), belief is 'to judge or the to have faith'. What we need to constantly be aware of is that both are choices; conscious, deliberate choices.
I did a cycle race this morning as part of my training. It was extremely windy and I was on my way to Cape Point, where I knew that I'd need to sanctuary of as big a group as possible. (by riding in a group, one can save up to 30% of your energy; which is why it is not allowed in IronMan). I was riding really well and had ridden away from the last big group, and was now riding with a small group of 5 other riders who were going really well too, I believed that they would help me to find the next big group up ahead, but I could not see a big group around all the curves in the road. Then I hit a bad patch; my legs suddenly felt like I had attached a couple of bricks to my feet.
I had a choice ; hang in through the pain, with this group 'in faith' that they would help me find that elusive big group that I was looking for, and then rest; or, drop off and pedal lightly through the pain, while my legs came back.
I chose the latter; then after about 3 minutes around a bend in the road, I saw that big group ahead! If I had stayed with my small group through the pain, I would have been with the big group in 10 minutes! But now I was alone pedalling into that headwind. And this thought became very vivid; before my legs went bad, I believed that my little group would help me to find the big group, then I lost faith in that in that, I let the pain in my legs affect my choice, I had suddenly become subconsciously negative! And now I had to pay, big time! It took me 40 minutes to catch that group by myself (instead of 10 minutes!).
On the positive side, I had 40 minutes to reflect on my poor decision. And my conclusion; we have to choose to believe that what we are doing will move us forward in whatever we are doing, and as difficulties challenge us, we must have faith that our initial choice was right, be aware that beliefs and faith are positive conscious choices. This one negative thought cost me 30 minutes of self induced pain! Just a reminder; negative thinking is just simply, not an option!
And as I type this, I think that this is actually what this blog is about; I have chosen to believe that it is going to help someone, maybe only me, but its a step forward.... to what? I have faith that it will lead somewhere....
Thursday, January 10, 2008
its all in our heads....
I am consumed by the fact that I believe that most of this challenging race is in my head - yes, obviously I need the discipline and the required amount of training - as it is in life where specific skills are required to complete certain tasks, but so much of one's success in this life is in your own head. How you percieve certain situations - fearing or thriving in a situation, determines your success with that situation.
If I view IronMan as "phew, thats a long distance", that perspective will affect my training and race result. When I first started running; running 2 minutes, then walking 2 minutes, running again, walking..... I dreamed of being able to run 5 km (3 miles) without walking, now I wonder if my 8 km run would not have been more beneficial if it was 10 km instead! I also don' t run less than 8km as I don't think that it will benefit my fitness. My mindset changed .... my reality has grown. The distance still measures the same, but my perspective, my mind has changed.
I am reading 'The Triathletes guide to Mental Training' and I was actually surprised to read that the top athletes also feel tired, feel pain, get demotivated - the difference (apart from the obvious athletic ability) is the way that they respond to and manage these problems. I remember reading how a mountaineer, after climbing Everest, wrote "you don't conquer Everest, you conquer yourself by climbing Everest. You conquer your fears, you conquer your self belief, you conquer your own limitations". That always stuck with me.
I cannot help believing that a huge portion of the time that I take on race day can be attributed to my self talk - is it positive or negative, can I overcome the pain in my body, the tiredness that I will feel, with my mind.
An old cliche, but "you can achieve what you can believe", is so much more exciting when its taken out of the 'theory file' and is applied to a meaningful goal, like IronMan.
How I respond to the pain,tiredness and other challenges that face me on race day could make a difference of hours on the day. 3 hours is 17% of the race time it could be the difference between 17 hours and 14 hours, or worse still; doing all he training and competing but missing the cut-off and not being able to finish. 17% is all in my mind..... if you were aiming to lose weight, could ou imagine losing 17%? Could you imagine earning 17% more? Getting 17% higher mark on your next test? ....its all in our heads.......
If I view IronMan as "phew, thats a long distance", that perspective will affect my training and race result. When I first started running; running 2 minutes, then walking 2 minutes, running again, walking..... I dreamed of being able to run 5 km (3 miles) without walking, now I wonder if my 8 km run would not have been more beneficial if it was 10 km instead! I also don' t run less than 8km as I don't think that it will benefit my fitness. My mindset changed .... my reality has grown. The distance still measures the same, but my perspective, my mind has changed.
I am reading 'The Triathletes guide to Mental Training' and I was actually surprised to read that the top athletes also feel tired, feel pain, get demotivated - the difference (apart from the obvious athletic ability) is the way that they respond to and manage these problems. I remember reading how a mountaineer, after climbing Everest, wrote "you don't conquer Everest, you conquer yourself by climbing Everest. You conquer your fears, you conquer your self belief, you conquer your own limitations". That always stuck with me.
I cannot help believing that a huge portion of the time that I take on race day can be attributed to my self talk - is it positive or negative, can I overcome the pain in my body, the tiredness that I will feel, with my mind.
An old cliche, but "you can achieve what you can believe", is so much more exciting when its taken out of the 'theory file' and is applied to a meaningful goal, like IronMan.
How I respond to the pain,tiredness and other challenges that face me on race day could make a difference of hours on the day. 3 hours is 17% of the race time it could be the difference between 17 hours and 14 hours, or worse still; doing all he training and competing but missing the cut-off and not being able to finish. 17% is all in my mind..... if you were aiming to lose weight, could ou imagine losing 17%? Could you imagine earning 17% more? Getting 17% higher mark on your next test? ....its all in our heads.......
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
...so what is IronMan? ...and why?
IronMan is an ultra distance endurance triathlon. It starts with a 3.8 km (2,4 mile) swim, followed by a 180 km (112 mile) cycle, then finishes with a 42,2 km (26.2 mile) marathon run. Competitors have 17 hours to complete the course - from 7 am to 12 midnight. There are also various time cut-offs along the route.
IronMan boasts the reputation for being the toughest 1 day endurance event that a person can complete. Number of entries are usually limited to about 2,000 entries, but generally less than 2,000 people attempt the challenge.
Training for IronMan is all consuming, with a competitor training in swimming, cycling and running. They will train about 25 hours a week (7 days at 16 'awake' hours per day = 112 hours, making training 22% of awake hours). If 40 % is work hours and you add in exercise warm-up, cool-down, travel - to work and training, preparing meals to take to the office, packing gym bags, stretching, wetsuit washing, bike maintainance, meals and family and social time; then you understand the time demands.
So, why do I want to do it? The challenge! The excitement! Everyday I have to juggle time, solve time and time schedule problems, maintain discipline in training, nutrition and sleep. I have training variety and all-body fitness, I set goals, I achieve goals, I need to remotivate myself after missing a goal...... I am alive, under my own pressure and feeling challenged. I have a dream that I am working toward. I am out of my comfort zone, learning, growing, learning about myself, testing my limits, exceeding my limits.... everyday is exciting and new. If you prefer routine and staying to what you already know; I suggest that you stay at your desk after everyone left the office! :-)
And as my brother told me last night, "after you have completed an IronMan, you know that you can do anything"
IronMan boasts the reputation for being the toughest 1 day endurance event that a person can complete. Number of entries are usually limited to about 2,000 entries, but generally less than 2,000 people attempt the challenge.
Training for IronMan is all consuming, with a competitor training in swimming, cycling and running. They will train about 25 hours a week (7 days at 16 'awake' hours per day = 112 hours, making training 22% of awake hours). If 40 % is work hours and you add in exercise warm-up, cool-down, travel - to work and training, preparing meals to take to the office, packing gym bags, stretching, wetsuit washing, bike maintainance, meals and family and social time; then you understand the time demands.
So, why do I want to do it? The challenge! The excitement! Everyday I have to juggle time, solve time and time schedule problems, maintain discipline in training, nutrition and sleep. I have training variety and all-body fitness, I set goals, I achieve goals, I need to remotivate myself after missing a goal...... I am alive, under my own pressure and feeling challenged. I have a dream that I am working toward. I am out of my comfort zone, learning, growing, learning about myself, testing my limits, exceeding my limits.... everyday is exciting and new. If you prefer routine and staying to what you already know; I suggest that you stay at your desk after everyone left the office! :-)
And as my brother told me last night, "after you have completed an IronMan, you know that you can do anything"
Monday, January 7, 2008
decisions....
Funny thing decisions, we agonise over "should we...?", "shouldn't we...?", "what are our options...?", "what happens if...?" .......
This morning on my way to work, three blocks from my quiet suburban home, I passed 3 security vans and a police van, all still with alarming blue lights circling, with a criminal handcuffed to a lamp post like a trophy for all to see. I wondered if he was he caught hijacking a vehicle, stealing, murdering or raping? I don't know, and while I have always been aware of that one's life can be changed badly forever in a split second by the crime in South Africa, it was not pleasant being reminded of this so ividly on a Monday morning. So, did this prompt my decision making? Probably. It's amazing how all the things that you learn in your life and all the experiences that you have, all seem to come together at a particular point in time.
So, with that little background, I made three decisions, all that have been pending for a while, duing a short 40 minute run tonite. And now that I have made them, I wonder why I didn't make them earlier!
Firstly, I decided that I needed to start this blog.... and no, I am not a techy, I have never even contributed to a blog before.....but hey, that's what this blog, and life, are all about.....learning new things and growing. Imagine if your that tree that you planted didn't grow, or your daughter didn't grow? You would be very concerned! Yet we pay so little attention to our own growth as people....
Secondly, I must fax my entry to IronMan South Africa. As Shaun said "You just gotta commit, then go for it". (I have been 'training toward IronMan' because I just was not sure if I could finish it). We all know that Shaun is correct !
Thirdly, now that I have committed, I need to share this dream with my family. I am very fortunate to be part of a loving, supportive and close family and I know that my parents, my brother Andrew and 'sister' Traci (who my brother wisely chose to fall in love with and marry), will want to share this journey with me. And I can really use their support! My brother Andrew has completed two IronMan triathlons, but I was unfortunately not able to support him because he moved from South Africa to New Zealand 11 years ago.
So through this blog I hope to keep my eye on the big picture - sharing lifes lessons and enjoyment with you while I train for my first IronMan; so far everything that I have learned about life seems to condense into very day of training. I hope that through sharing my journey that even if I can can inspire, teach what I have learned, and / or amuse just one person, I will feel that this blog added to someones life, just as many people have added to mine...... Actually, I don't believe anyone inspires anyone else, thy just nurture a seed that is already in you and give you the belief that what you are dreaming can be done.
I just want to offer you something positive that you can use to improve your life.
This morning on my way to work, three blocks from my quiet suburban home, I passed 3 security vans and a police van, all still with alarming blue lights circling, with a criminal handcuffed to a lamp post like a trophy for all to see. I wondered if he was he caught hijacking a vehicle, stealing, murdering or raping? I don't know, and while I have always been aware of that one's life can be changed badly forever in a split second by the crime in South Africa, it was not pleasant being reminded of this so ividly on a Monday morning. So, did this prompt my decision making? Probably. It's amazing how all the things that you learn in your life and all the experiences that you have, all seem to come together at a particular point in time.
So, with that little background, I made three decisions, all that have been pending for a while, duing a short 40 minute run tonite. And now that I have made them, I wonder why I didn't make them earlier!
Firstly, I decided that I needed to start this blog.... and no, I am not a techy, I have never even contributed to a blog before.....but hey, that's what this blog, and life, are all about.....learning new things and growing. Imagine if your that tree that you planted didn't grow, or your daughter didn't grow? You would be very concerned! Yet we pay so little attention to our own growth as people....
Secondly, I must fax my entry to IronMan South Africa. As Shaun said "You just gotta commit, then go for it". (I have been 'training toward IronMan' because I just was not sure if I could finish it). We all know that Shaun is correct !
Thirdly, now that I have committed, I need to share this dream with my family. I am very fortunate to be part of a loving, supportive and close family and I know that my parents, my brother Andrew and 'sister' Traci (who my brother wisely chose to fall in love with and marry), will want to share this journey with me. And I can really use their support! My brother Andrew has completed two IronMan triathlons, but I was unfortunately not able to support him because he moved from South Africa to New Zealand 11 years ago.
So through this blog I hope to keep my eye on the big picture - sharing lifes lessons and enjoyment with you while I train for my first IronMan; so far everything that I have learned about life seems to condense into very day of training. I hope that through sharing my journey that even if I can can inspire, teach what I have learned, and / or amuse just one person, I will feel that this blog added to someones life, just as many people have added to mine...... Actually, I don't believe anyone inspires anyone else, thy just nurture a seed that is already in you and give you the belief that what you are dreaming can be done.
I just want to offer you something positive that you can use to improve your life.
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