I received some interesting feedback today regarding my coaching approach the last few weeks before the Ironman World Championships in Kona and I thought I would share my response as well as my coaching philosophy for these last big weeks prior to the main event.

We all go into an IM knowing that there will be some very difficult stages – some deep valleys as I call them. Understanding that we will be there alone, lost in our own raw emotions, feelings and resolve is an important crutch to have on race day. These last few weeks of prepping for Kona are the hardest. Our season has been long and the training partners have disappeared. Our body is tired and the days are no longer sunny & eventful. The training is familiar to us and the only remaining piece of this phase in our journey towards Kona is to execute the last big weeks, well.

But they need to be done alone – without much help – without much guidance – without much coddling – without much coaching – without much positive reinforcement from our loved ones etc. These are the weeks and workouts we will fall back upon in those deep valleys on race day. These are the workouts, because they were so hard mentally (not necessarily physically) that will creep into our mind like a slide show on race day. These are the ones that we envision ourselves running or riding while on that lonely strip of black pavement called the Queen K.

It is hard as a coach to let go of your race on race day.  I want to be out there with you – help you execute your plan and achieve your success – but I can’t.  And so these last few weeks are part of that step on sending you all out into that battle with yourself .

Anybody can stay alert, focused, positive and smile when the race is going well, when the body feels strong and the pace is according to plan.  But how have you prepared for those deep valleys?  By having practiced it and felt it in training.  You all know what I talk of – those bad training days where lethargy, self pity, annoyance and short tempers point towards what you might describe as a hard day – a bad day – a depressing result so close to our Big Day…. But most of you  have also heard from me that no all days will feel great, and not all days are designed to be a mental & physical boost.

The ability to execute when its NOT going well is called training.  The ability to get out there – find YOUR place, your rhythm, your unemotional, unattached training day, when it does not feel good – is what will prepare you for the deep valleys on race day…Train your mind and your spirit for those valleys, and may you have that race day that does not ask you to work through too many of them.

Otherwise this would all be called exercise…not training…

There are only the lonely on the Queen K come October 9th.  You might be around 2000 other competitors, but only you can have YOUR day.  Understand that it is coming, and you will already be many steps closer to achieving YOUR result.

Word.