The Power of Positive Thinking

This morning on the final mile of my 18 mile run, I had a victory mile. I always give myself a victory mile. This morning's workout began at 0430 and it began on the bike. 90 min on the bike then over to our group run at Mendon Ponds Park. I was fortunate enough to run with my team for the first 13 miles, and was on my own for the final 5.

But the solo final 5 is where girls become women, where boys become men. Sometimes when I feel weak I say it's time to giddy up, put your balls on, or sometimes I just count. Even with 500 calories on board I felt a bit spaced out, so I took in 2 more gels during those final 5.... and you know what..... I had no stomach issues. I think we've gotten through that.

At mile 18 I of course cried. And of course I smiled. I smiled and cried because a year ago I was in a very different place. And while I am letting that go, I don't want to let go of the gratitude I feel right now for where I am at today. Not just in sport but in life. I don't want to forget where I came from, what I came from, what I came through. The high moments, the low moments... it all ties together. It all blends. We are where we are for a reason.

Lisa Bentley.... 10 time Ironman Champion... recommended a book to Simply Stu listeners called the Power of Positive Thinking. I have been reading it and I have been using it in workouts, in business, as a Mom, as a wife, in every arena of my life. The principles taught in this book however..... are to a T identical to my yoga practice. Identical in terms of the message, the phisosophy, the material. I can not help wonder if the author of this book is a yogi in disguise.

It talks about emptying your head daily. It talks about throwing anxiety over a waterfall. Throwing self doubt or any negative thought into a river. Watch those all roll away.

In the land of Ironman there is a lot of anxiety. With a race of 140.6 miles so much can go wrong that you can not control, and that is what people focus the most on. Flats, crashes, mishaps....... anything can happen on race day.

Step up to the starting line of the Ironman in fear, with any ounce of self doubt.... and why bother even starting.

Walk up to the starting line with patience, humility and a quiet confidence/.... those are tools that we need.

And the Ironman is really a metaphor for life. When presented with a challenge of any kind, positive or negative.... how do you react? That in turn almost can determine the outcome.

So as I sit here in Curt's man chair with my feet up, twenty hours and twenty minutes of training, 6300 yards swum, 150 miles ridden and 46.62 miles run....... there is no room for self doubt. But there is this quiet feeling of readiness. I am doing the work and come race day, I shall be ready.

And I will throw every anxiety or self doubt that creeps up, off the back of my bike. And whoever is behind me better watch out! And they'd better not draft because..... well..... there are bodily functions that need to be relieved during a race of this distance.... and shall we say beware of the golden shower.

:-) Mary Eggers