Mental Dissentigration

Mental energy can also wear you out.  If you think too much about an event in the run up to it you can fatigue your body.  This is proven.

STOP thinking about I have to run at this pace or keep my cadence at his etc..  With regad to your swim you should now have confidence knowing that its highly unlikely something is going to happen to you.

Dont overtrain....read a book when you begin a taper to distract yourself..and most important of all...Race day is the day you show the benefits of training...Have confidance in the training that you have done...

Simon

How was your mental attitude during the race? Did your slower than you expected swim effect your bike and your slower than expected bike effect your run?

I tend to overthink things and put pressure on myself to do X, Y or Z.  2 years ago stopped racing with watch and HRM and race by feel. I was surprised but I ended up enjoying myself more and doing better. I work hard at racing in the moment as I can only control what I do right now.

We often learn more from our failures than our sucesses.

Hydration/nutrition is key for longer races. I see it as the 4th component of racing. Did you practice hydration/nutrition each long session and did they go well?

I have an old Ironman timex watch I attach to my aerobars to beep every 20' and I just eat every 20'.

On the run I'll bring my HMR with the face taped over and it beeps every 15' and I know then to eat.

Tomorrow I'm doing a 1/2 Mary and I'll bring my Garmin and the face is taped over with a bandaid..seriously it works for me. At some races they have folks yelling out splits at mile markers and I find that it can really throw me when I'm off what I think I should be. Funny I PBed that race and based on my Garmin they were not accurate on their splits.

It can get to me when I do see the timing clock coming into or out of transition. But by focusing in on the moment, I try to just let it go and focus on doing what I am right now.

Ironman is a LOOOOONNNGG day at times.   You better have a plan when times get tough, cause they will at some point.

In my first one, my wife gave me this small rock that was smooth that had the word "courage" on it.  I stuck the rock in my tri shorts down the side where you would put a gu - I raced with that rock on me.  

I remember waking up race day and feeling exhasted.  Basically I was melting down before the race even started.  For some reason, mentally, I was not into it.  The swim took longer than expected.  I had tubular tires and got a flat!!  Struggled changing it.   Geez, everything was going wrong.   At about mile 40 on the bike I was down cause I was WAY off pace - thinking, man I am tired and have a long way to go.   Then, two things happened.   One, I remembered the rock and began to think why I wanted to take on the challege.  Literally I reached down and felt the rock in my side pocket and thought of my family that was on the course and waiting for me.  Secondly, I passed on a climb a handicaped athlete.   He was an Irag war veteren doing his first IM.  He was working his a$$ off getting up this steep climb.    It was at this very exact moment that I relaxed, all the pressure left me.  I told myself there are things I can't control (flat, energy level).   So I sucked it up, nail the nutrition and even though my bike was an hour off predicted time.  I smoked the marathon and finished the race happy, healthy and strong.  

So whats my point?   Know why your out there...be able to call on something when things suck to refocus yourself.

Go luck, there is only one first Ironman! 

Everyone has bad races, so don't beat yourself up too much about that.

 I did a triathlon years ago where I beat the best swimmer in my tri club in the swim by 2 seconds... then it all went down hill from there...  I was going backwards on the bike and during the 10k run the medics stopped me and took me away in an ambulance...  Needless to say at my next tri I sucked as well.  I used to train up to 40 hours a week back then and still couldn't race that fast.  I then realised that I can only do what I can do and if that means that if I'm x in the swim or bike or run or the whole triathlon, then so be it.  I'm doing triathlons because I have the bug and love the sport.  Yes, I have goals and they are my goals nobody elses, but don't let them get to me.

Like others have said, I no longer put myself under so much pressure but rather just try to enjoy the moment.

We all feel for you mate and we've all been there in our own way, so keep the faith and go for gold