That really is a great one. It helps if you're one of the top 3-5 fastest dudes in the world, haha. A category into which I do not fit. But it is a really good mantra nonetheless.

Fantastic

I've had a few really shitty days on race courses. Not many, but a few. In my first IM, I encountered unseasonable heat I didn't really prepare for. I came off the bike fried, and cramped so hard early in the run on the run I was falling over from the intensity of the spasms. Around 35k of my marathon was jogging for 5 min, cramping, walking, stretching and trying to jog again. Not exactly the day I had envisioned. It was a real mental downer seeing my goal time slip away.

I made smaller goals. Just get to the next aid station. Repeat.

I thought of my shittiest training days. There were a few days on the bike in cold rain for 4 hours, riding up mountains alone. This experience was still infinitely more enjoyable then those days.

Remember, it's just one day. You can gut it out for one day. It's not the Bataan death march. this is an event for fun. Just keep moving and the day will eventually end. The minute you cross the line, it will be in the past and over.

Remember that everyone else is hurting just as much as you are.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

One of the go to's that I like to say and I'm probaly stealing it from others and may have even been said on this thread (opened it up on last reply)..."embrace the suck".

Embrace that things are going to suck at different times in a race/workout and to just "carry on" to get through to the other side. I think it's almost a life lesson for training more so than actual race situation, but I think it can apply for most people in the fact that your going to be out there for 8+, 10+, 12+ hours.....shit's going to get real at some point.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

+1

Could be a comparatively shitty day, but how lucky are you that you are physically capable and financially able to push yourself without having to worry too much about essential stuff? Reminds me that I am in the 0.1% (or most likely below).

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who responded here. I probably used a little of everything. Felt good to finish one after 3 straight DNFs in 2010, 2013, and 2015.

Congrats on a great race!

Crushed it; consistently strong. Nicely done!

Gratitude, I think of all the people who do not have the ability or opportunity to travel to fancy races and drop a shit load of money on a race.

Also, cheering others on always peps me up, and the biggest thing is practicing positive self talk in training, if you don't do it in training, you won't do it on race day for sure.

Good luck, you got this!

Congrats on the finish.

But I have to ask, 3 straight DNFs? What happened dude?

Scott Tinley once answered the question of how to get through a dark patch or a tough race with "Any way you can."

Pretty much sums up this thread.

Use mantras. I repeat the same thing to myself over and over and over again. For example, during the first part of the run I am thinking "Relaxed and flying, your pace, negative split, easy log run". Relaxed and flying is kind of a technical cue to get my striding flowing, your pace and negative split are about holding back and not getting caught up. "Easy Long Run" is also related to pace and feel. I find that by repeating those things over and over again, I am less likely to have a wandering mind and allow those thoughts to creep in.

I try and pre plan out what I want to think about during the race, especially in the moments that I think will be especially tough.

I also cheer other competitors on. This doesn't work in a 5k or an Olympic distance race, but during an Ironman you aren't really out of breath. But I find that when you are telling people good things, you are also cheering yourself on and boosting your spirits. And often times the other competitors will return the favor. If there aren't other competitors around, then I randomly yell "yeah" or "woo" to help pick me up. This works best if you spectators are around, or you are approaching an aid station. Saying "thank you" to volunteer helps too and is just an all round good idea.

I also tell my spectators before the race what I like to hear while I am out there. Even better, make sure lots of people know your favor catchphrase like "Get Ugly" so that you have more people cheering you on out there!

Another tip is to really have a good answer for the question "Why am I out here" Because at some point you will test yourself on this. Make sure that you have at least one answer that is something that can't be taken away from you on race day. "To inspire someone. To live a better lifestyle. To be a badass" Something like that. My worst races have come when I didn't have a clear why beyond things like "Winning. Kona spot. Prize Money" Those can be good motivations at some points during the race, and let be honest, you need to use every little bit of motivation you can to really crush and Ironman, but the other stuff is longer lasting and provides motivation during the bleak moments of a race when you need it the most.

I hope that helps.

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Well 2010 was a combo of physical problems and pride/ego/vanity. Louisville, crashed at mi 75 and was biking much too hard. Didn't eat while waiting on support for an hour-ish. Bonked. Finished bike at about 18mph, basically walked 1 loop and didn't want to walk another. Turned chip in at end of loop. The ego/pride/vanity was because I couldn't make myself finish due to what my time would be. Felt like it "wasn't worth it."

2013 Cozumel, was racing as a pro, with that comes a changed sense of expectations and self inflicted pressure. Solid swim, ok bike...but started having major back issues on lap 3. Almost fell over when I got off bike due to lower back spasm. Went out on run and ran to first turnaround and walked it in to turn in chip after 1/3 loops. That one was also ego/pride/vanity. Not dealing well with mental downturns.

2015 Louisville. Severe lower back/SI joint distress at mi 85. I *think* due in part to having to pee so bad but being unable to pee on bike that I was affecting my fit and stressing that area acutely. Finally stopped to pee at Porto and experienced the issues about 15mi later. Couldn't even put out 100w anymore. Got a ride in with a race van. That one I actually don't think I could have done much about. That wasn't an ego/pride/vanity/mental weakness thing.

So everything I did on Sunday at IMAZ was focused on getting me to the finish line, not what would make my time faster or my placing better. Getting into clean water on the swim, not worrying if it was a wide line. Taking it stupid easy around buoys where people were smacking each other to gain or lose one stroke of distance. Not getting caught up in (proverbial) pissing matches on the bike. Stopping at the Porto when I needed to pee (5 times btw), stopping at special needs. Etc. Focusing on being positive becomes much easier when you haven't pre selected a time or placing for yourself.

Sounds like it was big step forward for you. Hopefully a turning point for your future events too. Nice work. :-)

I'm curious how you handle self-talk during training. How do you handle the chatter during setbacks in a very long training session? For me, those sessions are where I plant the seeds for how I'll manage negative self-talk during the race. During a long run on a hot day when all I want to do is walk or take a shortcut home, I watch what's going on in my head and I see what "responses" or motivations get me past that. The responses that work are the ones I file away for race day. Sometimes it's a song, sometimes it's a motivational quote. What often works during a race is just remembering that I've had tough patches in training sessions: if I got through those, then I can get through this one on race day.

Ultimately I look at each workout as not only a physical training session but a mental one as well. My head will tell my body what to do on race day so I'd better make sure I've intentionally focused on training my head as frequently as I did my body. My response to negative self-talk has been practiced almost every day since training started for a particular race and is a very short list (three, tops) of techniques from a long list I've whittled down and then improved.

5 times!! I stopped 3 times and thought something must be wrong with my bladder or kidneys. The 4-5 minutes was worth it in the end.

I love this advice. I do something similar during the swim - I make up a silly, nonsensical verse that works over some simple 4/4 rhythm and keep repeating it to the beat of my strokes. It becomes quite hypnotic and allows me to stay in the rhythm longer.

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Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

Most of my calories on the bike were fluid based so I assume that and the cold weather was what prompted the pee-fest on my part. I think I had about 1400 calories of Tailwind, 1 bottle of straight up water, 2 clif bars, and maybe 3-4 gels during the bike.

While I am upset that I had to STOP to pee at portos, I think it may have also been a blessing in disguise as it gave me an opportunity to stretch my back/shoulders. I knew going into the race that positional fatigue was going to be a potential problem given my lack of aerobar training so I was happy to STOP if it meant I could pee and prolong my aerobar time.

This is me. The entire race is a stream of expletives aimed at myself. I've often said that if people heard what I say to myself during races, they would be horrified and recommend counseling. The hilarious part is that I'll be doing this in my head and then randomly 2 or 3 words will actually come out of my mouth, which is very confusing for anyone around me.

Did you enjoy the experience this time? I mean, during the event.

Yes, I did. At no point did I wish I wasn't out there. Even when it got really hard (my run goal was ~3:07-3:10 so 7:10 ish pace, but went out in 6:55s through about 13 like a moron and came back MUCH slower) I only thought of how much I wanted to be at the finish line, not how much I wish I wasn't doing an Ironman. That in and of itself was different than my previous experiences.

I found breaking the run into 1 mile segments mentally worked really well. "Just another mile, you know you can run a mile!". Then stop and walk for 10-15 seconds while taking nutrition as your "reward", then convince yourself to run another mile.