Why do you do it then?

Kevin and I always get a chuckle out of athletes, ironman athletes in particular, who bitch and moan about how HARD race day is going to be or was! It's going to be SO hot. It's going to be SO windy. It's SO hilly. The swim course was SO long. Or they cheat and draft off someone on the bike to make it a tiny bit easier. Blah blah blah! We find it very amusing that people signed up for one of the hardest events of their lives yet they want it to be easy! It's not SUPPOSED to be easy, that's why you signed up right?

Kevin learned in Canada even more so that weather is the one thing that you can not change or influence during a race. So, let's not waste nervous energy on it. Then I love after the race you start to hear "if it wasn't so windy I would have had a faster time", "last year was cooler so of course my time was slower this year", "my time would have been an hour faster on a different course", etc.

There was an article in Triathlete Magazine that talked about how athletes today are too focused on a fast finishing times instead of enduring the challenge. Not that fast finish times don't matter-we all want them! As a result, athletes blame weather conditions, courses, etc for slower times instead of understanding that times vary course to course and year to year. The article says, it is the CHALLENGE of the day that makes the title of being an IRONMAN such an honor- the challenge of fighting the heat, persevering through the rain, pacing up the hills, pushing through pain. Each course offers unique challenges, and each year offers varied challenges depending on the conditions. Times are relative on that given course on that given day! Whether it takes 9 hours or 16:59:59! It's an accomplishment to be proud of!

So stop bitching and get out there and race YOUR best on THAT day!