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Sport and Competition
The Psyche of the IRON MAN
Mental and Emotional Journey of the Iron Woman
Posted February 5, 2018
As a Sport Psychology consultant, I often try to understand the mentality of athletes involved in different sports. I have become extremely interested in what it takes to mentally handle the rigors of triathlons; especially the IRON MAN competition. This is a competition that challenges every grain of strength you have in your body. These competitors ask a tremendous amount of their bodies and the intense training they undergo to compete in such an event is beyond words.
What possess’ a runner to take it to the next level and decide to begin triathlons and ultimately compete in the IRON MAN? The IRON MAN is a series of long distance races. It consists of a 2.4 mile swim, then a 112 mile bike ride and ends in a marathon (26.2 miles).
My dear friend Patricia Steen, whom I have known since childhood, has always loved to run. I have watched her transform from an every day runner into an IRON WOMAN; a true competitor/warrior with passion, dedication and discipline that far surpasses many elite athletes I have ever known. She has a thriving full time career and trains in the early morning and late evening. She is the consummate definition of ambition combined with a little bit of crazy. For example, she kicks her mental capacity into a higher gear by training in the Atlantic Ocean during the winter months, when the water temperatures are unbelievably low. DID I MENTION SHE COMPETES IN THE 45-49 AGE GROUP!
GAME ON!!!
But, what makes her tick? How does she do it? How do they all do it??? Pushing your body beyond comprehensive limits. The psychological and emotional fortitude it takes to deal with pain-fatigue throughout the triad of long distances.
These athletes have to train jumping off the back of ship into the water, barring any fears of heights that they may have, then fight through thousands of athletes in the water. This would put most people into a state of panic due to the claustrophobia it presents. Finally, they are to bike and run an assortment of terrain … I have witnessed the run first hand as a volunteer for an Iron Man in which I had the honor of watching Patricia run through the finish line… I was so proud of what my friend had accomplished, although it was not her first time. Watching all of these athletes compete during the entire race was such an energizing feeling. The support they receive from others is amazing and unwavering.
The psychology behind this competition is fierce. These athletes must face their fears first hand and be able to keep the mind and body working together. Any disconnect between the two would be detrimental. Training does not only apply to the body; it affects the psyche and encompasses all emotions. These athletes must see past their weaknesses and believe entirely in themselves. They need to surround themselves with nothing but positive and supportive people. If they do not, it is easy to become self-defeated. Of course, they question themselves and, at times, think they cannot do it; everyone has those thoughts. But these are not everyday people. They are IRON MAN competitors… warriors standing alone amongst each other. Learning to defeat the weight of negativity provides a seamless increase of energy in which the mind, body and soul become lighter.
I am going to share some retrospect of an IRONMAN… Patricia Steen in her own words…
So, being an Ironman is not about crossing the finish line and having Mike Reilly announce, “Patricia Steen from Brooklyn NY, You. Are. An. Ironman!" Sure. That's the dream that sends chills down your arms and forces you NOT to hit snooze at 4:45am. But, it’s also the beginning of the mental training. How bad do you want it? You truly must be able to make that goal visible in your mind’s eye every day. That devil on your shoulder is real and truth be told, he's not all that evil. Don't you deserve to rest a little? Haven't you earned a glass of wine? Is it really going to make a big difference to your finishing time if you only run for 50 minutes instead of 75 in the dark at 5am? It's all cumulative and it's all mental.
My first IM (Iron Man) was practice. Just finish. I did. I made a lot of mistakes. But, I DID IT!!! My second was more practice; I made different mistakes, choked on my swim, nearly didn’t make it 10 minutes in, but I pushed thru. So, I was successful by the standards I had set. Lake Placid? Ahhh, my “A” race. I felt more prepared logistically than ever before. I’ve got this, right??? Wrong!!!! To me? In my mind, Placid was an epic failure. So many things contributed to a bad head following that race. A broken toe the night before and my inability to swiftly remedy 2 flat tires were just the tip of the ice berg. I came home from Placid, my happy place, with my broken toe and a broken heart and a medal I wanted to chuck into the sewer. I gathered up every single podium award I had ever won and threw them in the trash as soon as I walked into my apartment. I got mad. I wasn't willing to settle any more.
Late season races are especially tough. Every other athlete is done. Holiday parties are being planned. And here I am trying to figure out how the heck am I going to organize an Open Water Swim (OWS) brick in NYC when the beaches are closed and it's 40 degrees out? I needed to turn down the anxiety and return again to that post Placid feeling... No, I won't go back there! This is important, so I will make it possible. Funny thing is, once you open yourself up to YES, you can swim in the ocean in October and you find a whole new level of accomplishment, which in turn bolsters your mental game.
So here comes the IRON MAN ARIZONA. I can't think of one thing beyond that finish line. Not one meal. Not one commitment. None of it is real until I cross that finish line. And you know what? For the first time, I'm not wishing myself to the finish. I'm wishing myself to the start!!! I'm not saying I can't wait for it to be over, I'm saying I can't wait for it to start. So, in addition to being appropriately nervous, I'm excited. I’m going to be present every step of that race. It will hurt and I will be at home in that hurt. That's where I belong. At one point on the bike, early on, it was already tough. Head wind, cross wind, heat, I became doubtful, “Did I make a mistake riding this disc?” And I was suddenly overcome with gratitude. I said a prayer of thanks to God for my ability to suffer. And that was my day. I pushed knowing the pain was what I had to experience. Mathematically a 12-hour race was just barely out of grasp. But it was my goal. It's what kept me moving hard. Embracing the pain, and there was a lot of it! Trust me!
The last 800 meters of my run I'm guessing my brain knew I was close and started closing down anticipating the halt. I literally collapsed in on myself. My back curved into a C. I couldn’t lift up my head and I was flailing my arms in conclusive gestures to just keep running. Bent over, looking down at the ground because I could not stand up, I saw my feet twisting one after the next and was suddenly so confused as to how they were still moving. It was dark; very dark, and a volunteer was screaming "one more turn, you’re almost there!" And as I turned left I was suddenly on the IronMan carpet, lights burning bright in my eyes but still struggling to move. Truly near convulsions, I could barely control my body anymore. My brain screamed so loud, "Do not fall. Don't you dare go down now!" And I hurdled myself across the finish. I mean I literally threw my body left, right, left, right, twisting one appendage a time to the finish... where I promptly collapsed onto a medic and was whisked away, wrapped in several silver blankets and force-fed chicken broth.
MENTAL GAME WINS!!!
Patricia, thank you for allowing me to incorporate some of your personal notes into this article. Best of Luck in the next race… Hope to see you make your mark in KONA one day! I just might be at the finish line once again.
Next blog, I intend to explore what is the psychology behind pushing through such training and the ultimate competition of the IRON MAN. I would like to speak to some competitors out there. I want to hear how it is being in your own head, no music playing… just you, fighting to make it to the finish line. If you are an Iron Man and read this story, please reach out to me.
