There are endless examples of goal-setting strategies. So many, in fact, that they can confuse and overwhelm people.
The easiest way to begin planning your goals is to utilize the S.M.A.R.T.(E.R.) acronym. There are actually a lot of different “meanings” for those letters, but this post will discuss the most-used ones. You might want to take out a piece of paper or open up your tablet computer, so that you can take some notes on how to use this acronym to bring your own desired goal(s) into reality!
What does the acronym stand for?
Specific Motivational or Measurable Attainable Realistic or Relevant Time-bound Evaluation Reward
S.M.A.R.T. goal setting is a powerful way of motivating yourself and others. Using this strategy helps you create a written plan that includes extremely clear objectives.
What is a “Specific” goal?
You’ve only established your goal if it’s crystal clear and can be communicated either verbally or in writing. Don’t set goals that are too fuzzy. If you can’t articulate it to someone else, then it still needs to be refined. For example: Setting a goal of “I will lose weight” is too vague. A specific goal is “I will lose 5 pounds this month.” It is clear and unambiguous; without any “If…Then…” to it. To make goals specific, they must state exactly what is expected, why is it important, who’s involved, where is it going to happen and which attributes are important. A specific goal will usually answer the five “W” questions:
What: What do I want to accomplish? Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal. Who: Who is involved? And who is not involved? Where: Identify a location. Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
What is a “Measurable” Goal?
Goals must be measurable. Many of us want to lose weight as a goal. Again, a goal of “I will lose weight” is ambiguous. Clearer goals could be “I will lose fat and weight at a rate of 2 lbs per month. I will lose 1-2 inches around my waist line in 6 weeks. I will avoid eating sugar, refined carbohydrates and starches for at least 6 weeks.” This is a concrete, measurable goal and it’s easy to gauge if you’ve hit your target.
What you’re looking for here are concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of the goal. The thought behind this is that if a goal is not measurable, it is not possible to know whether you’re making progress towards it! Measuring progress is supposed to help you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach the ultimate goal.
What is an “Achievable” Goal?
Your goal needs to be attainable. Saying you’ll lose 30 pounds in 30 days is unachievable if you want to do it in a healthy way. There’s no metabolic way you can lose only fat in that amount of time. Losing 2 pounds of fat in 30 days, however, is generally a reasonable goal, if you’re overweight (NOTE: In our “diet culture,” I mean this in the strictest sense of BMI >25). Avoid setting yourself up for failure by setting goals that are too far out of reach. You should be striving and reaching for your goal, not plunging off the edge of a cliff.
It’s important to be aware of the contributing factors that will help you reach — or not reach — your expected outcome.
Here are some concepts to consider for losing weight and getting healthy: cleaning all unhealthy food from your cupboards and fridge, enlisting family support, considering your emotional attachments to food, doing more exercise, examining your motivation to exercise, and managing your time so that you do not sabotage your goal because you don’t plan it in your calendar.
Remember: while an attainable goal may stretch you in order to achieve it, the goal is not extreme. That is, the goal is neither out of reach nor below a standard of performance that you can reach for. Too high or too low are both meaningless. When you identify goals that are important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. The theory states that an attainable goal may cause goal-setters to identify previously overlooked opportunities to bring themselves closer to the achievement of their goals.
What is a “Realistic” Goal?
Evaluate yourself and how much you have on your plate. A goal might be “Achievable” by someone with no other commitments, but what about you? That’s what “Realistic” means. Do you have the time, skill set, and enthusiasm to change your lifestyle? If you’re in the middle of renovating your house or you’re working full time and raising kids, is the goal that you have set realistic?
Be fair to yourself and set realistic goals within the context of your daily life. Maybe you’re not ready to make the time to change your habits. In order to make a change, you have to make it a priority!
The other way to look at the “R” is “Relevant – What is a “Relevant” Goal?
Basically – a Relevant goal is one that matters. A Bank Manager’s goal to “Make 50 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by 2:00 p.m.” may be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, and Time-Bound, but lacks Relevance. Many times you will need support to accomplish a goal: resources, a champion voice, someone to knock down obstacles. Goals that are relevant to your boss, your team, your family or your organization will receive that needed support. So it needs to not only be Relevant to you, but also to the people that you need to help you. How can you make your goal “Relevant” to them? Relevant goals (when met and understood) drive everyone forward to accomplish them. A relevant goal means that you can answer Yes to these questions:
Does this seem worthwhile?
Is this the right time?
Does this match your other efforts/needs?
Are you the right person?
What is a “Time-specific” Goal?
Simply, you must create a time frame within which to achieve your goals. It’s amazing how powerful a firm deadline can be. This takes your goal from happening “someday” to happening this month.
Time-specific goals create a sense of urgency and action. Plus, both long- term and short-term goals can be achieved using the same S.M.A.R.T. system.
To really advance your goal-setting strategies, enlist the help of your family and friends. Many people schedule weekly or daily chats to create and fine-tune their goals.
When you create your S.M.A.R.T. goals together, everyone on your team knows what his or her role is in helping you get to where you want to go. The most successful people surround themselves with other successful people. So share your goal-setting plans with your team and work together to achieve success in a given time.
A commitment to a deadline helps you and your support team focus your efforts on completion of the goal on or before the due date. This part of the S.M.A.R.T. goal criteria is intended to prevent goals from being overtaken by the day-to-day crises that invariably arise. A time-bound goal is intended to establish a sense of urgency. A time-bound goal will usually answer the question:
When?
What can I do 6 months from now?
What can I do 6 weeks from now?
What can I do today?
What Is the “E.R.” Part Of A S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goal?
As you can see from the above list, the “E.R.” portion of S.M.A.R.T.E.R. asks you to “Evaluate” and then to “Reward.” Not only do you need to have a consistent plan to see if you are on track with the other S.M.A.R.T. goal strategies, but it’s often great to have a “Reward” at the end. Perhaps better health is a “Reward” in and of itself, or being able to walk across a stage as a new executive member of a team. But if that doesn’t float your boat, then you need to tie something that matters to you (a “carrot”) to obtain that goal. It might seem “greedy” but if you are motivated by a pair of Christian Laboutin shoes, and you believe that if you obtain this goal, that this is an apt reward – then that’s the reward that you want to attach to this. Often people say that “obtaining the goal is its own reward,” but psychologists have proven that this is not really the case. (Moreover, that the “stick” approach – of the “carrot and the stick” – doesn’t really work, either.) Personally, I have had weight loss and other goals time and again, and after I achieving them, often slip back into my former “ways.” The “Reward” that you give yourself has to be a touchable reminder of where you have gotten; it needs to anchor you there. If you have a weight loss goal, for example, your “Reward” could be an outrageously expensive pair of jeans in your new size. This will “anchor” you to stay at that weight – because you want to stay in those jeans!
Goal setting should be an integral part of your lifestyle. It is the first step in achieving success: it establishes the road map for your journey. S.M.A.R.T.E.R. strategies allow you to effortlessly follow a plan and will help guide you to a successful destination – and Reward!
Today in a networking meeting, a fellow member turned to me when something that is considered “taboo” in our networking group was raised (“hustling” someone for business) and “kidded” me about doing it.
It surprised and hurt me.
Though I am an MLM professional, this networking group, BNI, does not allow you to talk about the opportunity portion of your business during the meeting. I am assiduous about following this rule. The subject came up, because the group is considering another network marketing professional from a company that is a lot more aggressive about going after people about the opportunity – and they noted that this is Not Okay during our infomercials.
I “stewed” on what had been said for the rest of the meeting. Oh sure. I know that he was “only kidding.” I knew that if I said something, that he would be “upset” that I “can’t take a joke.” But as my father drilled into me as a kid, anything you joke about always has a kernel of truth in it. For this reason, sarcasm, or joking like that which was done to me today, were taboo in our household. My father always said that what you joke about is what you’re thinking about it, and it’s often better left in your head.
I thought about sending the guy an email, but realized that it’s just never good to put in writing something you need to say in person. So I buttonholed him afterwards, and he did react as I’d expected. But I’m glad I talked about it, even though I’m fairly sure that it didn’t make an impression. Except perhaps for him to share to 50 of my business acquaintances that “Gee, she can’t take a joke.” I hope this won’t happen, but I fear it might.
There is a great article from Psychology Today that goes into this in more detail, and I think it’s really worth a read. I’m linking it HERE. It is about ten common passive-aggressive phrases. In case you don’t have time to read the whole article (which I would strongly recommend), here are those phrases. Take a look – and think before using.
1. “I’m not mad.”
2. “Fine” or “Whatever.”
3. “I’m coming”
4. “I didn’t know you meant Now.”
5. “You just want everything to be perfect.”
6. “I thought you knew.”
7. “Sure, I’d be happy to.”
8. “You’ve done so well for someone with your {education level}” (fill in the {…}) – eg the backhanded compliment (“Hey some men love heavy women”)
9. “I was only joking.” (followed up by “I thought you could take a joke”)
10. “Why are you getting so upset?”
Sound familiar at all? Take a look at the Psychology Today article. And as my dad said – remember, sometimes some things are better left inside your head.
I’m reading a great book by one of my idols, Colin Powell (are you allowed to call a four-star general and former Secretary of State an “idol”?)
He talks about “slipping away” from his posh office and bodyguards, and going down to the parking garage when he was Secretary of State. The workers were all mainly immigrants, minorities, and of course all working for minimum wage. Apparently they thought he was lost (they’d never seen someone of his rank just walking around down there before!) and tried to “help him get back home.” He said instead that he wanted to talk to them.
They chatted, and then ultimately he got around to a question that had been puzzling him. The garage was too small for all the folks who parked there, so the attendants had to stack the cars three deep. He asked, “When cars come in each morning, how to do you decide which car is the first to get out, which is the second, and which is the last?”
Apparently the attendants knowingly smiled, saying: “Mr. Secretary, it goes like this: When you drive in, if you lower the window, look out, smile, or know our name, you’re number one to get out. But if you look straight ahead, don’t show you see us or that we are doing something for you, well, you are likely to be one of the last ones to get out.”
Powell shared this with his senior leaders at his next staff meeting. He said:
“You can never err by treating everyone with respect, thoughtfulness, and a kind word.”
As he wrote, “It ain’t brain surgery.” Every person has value and wants that value to be recognized. Everyone needs appreciation and reinforcement.
As he also wrote, however, “being kind doesn’t mean being soft.”
His example? “When young soldiers go to basic training, they meet their drill sergeant, who seems to be their worst nightmare. They are terrified. But all that changes. The sergeant is with them every step of the way, teaching, cajoling, enforcing, bringing out the strength and confidence they didn’t know they had. When they graduate, they leave with an emotional bond they will never forget. Ask any veteran the name of his drill sergeant and he will know it. (My ROTC camp drill sergeant almost 55 years ago was Staff Sgt. Artis Westberry.)
As outlined by General Powell, if you develop a reputation for kindness, things will go down easier for you. If you have to make an unpleasant decision, people will realize that it must be necessary and not arbitrary; it was made really taking everything (and everyone) into account.
I remember a very scary time, when my husband had a terrible car accident. We’d traded cars – he needed my then-car, a small Toyota pickup, to haul something-or-another. I was in his then-car, a Volvo, going down the 4-lane highway in a slight misty rain, and in my rear-view mirror, I saw a car do a 360 and then a 180 on the slick pavement, hitting all sides of the cement barricade that was between our side and the oncoming traffic. I remember thinking “Oh my word, that was awful” as I could see the smoke coming up from the car far behind me.
Then my telephone rang. It was my husband, he said “I’ve just had an accident, and I think I’m going unconscious.” Yes, it was him – in moving from the Volvo to the Toyota, he’d forgotten that my car didn’t have anti-lock brakes and on the slick pavement and in the traffic he’d locked up the brakes and spun the car. (Unbelievably, he didn’t hit anyone – only the cement barricade, over and over on all sides of the truck.)
I of course went into “full Marine mode,” pulling over, calling the Highway Patrol, circling back, the whole bit. In a crisis, you definitely want me. I get very cold, swift, and decisive. (Then again I climbed on a table – yes really – and shrieked like a little girl when I was surprised by a nest of mice in our gift wrap box, so you never know.)
Anyway – that’s not the important part of this story. The important part is when we got to the hospital, they said it was going to be hours before they could see him – MRI, CAT scan, all that jazz. The doctor made sure that he was “monitored” (by me) that he wouldn’t lapse into unconsciousness, but otherwise he had to “wait in line.”
Then – I heard my Dad’s voice. I couldn’t believe it – poked my head out, and there was my Dad, in golf clothes, talking to some of the Emergency Room nurses. He was, of course, as surprised to see me as I was him – turns out one of his patients had been brought to the Emergency Room in an ambulance, and when he’d gotten a call about it he quit his golf came and came over to be sure she was okay. He knew all the nurses by name, and sort of teased them, and introduced me around as his daughter who “was a lawyer, but don’t hold that against her.”
My husband and I do not share a last name. After they uncovered that he was “Doctor Shepard’s daughter’s husband” – though of course neither of us said anything about having to wait to my Dad – “suddenly” the lines opened up. We were through all the tests before the hour was up (and my husband was banged up, but fine, if you were wondering).
A few of the nurses came to talk to me, when my husband was having his tests done. They said that my Dad always had a kind word for them, always tried to remember their names, and even remembered small things about them, such as whether they had kids or not or where they had been before our hospital. They said that when it had “spread around” that “Dr. Shepard’s daughter’s husband” was in, everyone, from the orderlies to the folks running the machines agreed 100% that “waiting would be unnecessary” for my husband. When I mentioned this to my Dad, he (characteristically) said “Oh, I’m sure it wasn’t to do with me – you must be mistaken – I bet that something just opened up.”
We all know that’s just not how it works – and so what are you going to do, today, to change the day for someone? Smile into the eyes of the barrista who gives you your coffee? Thank them by name? (They all wear name tags, you know, or did you not notice?) I have a whole story – the “smiling into their eyes” Mall story – in my first book Fempowerment: A Guide To Unleashing Your Inner Bond Girl. I even have an exercise in the Companion Playbook! Yes, it’s that important.
Remember: To the world, you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world. And you don’t know WHEN, WHERE, or HOW that will happen – but if you are kind, it will happen when you don’t even know it.
Too many people like to talk about their FEATURES when they address their clients. The thing is, you need to be empowered by – and tout – your BENEFITS. This is your value to your clients – and what they really want. That’s what makes you Unique. You might be tempted to tell a potential client about your training, about your product and the fantastic ingredients, about your advanced degrees…but is that what will lead them to Know, Like, and Trust you … and, of course, choose you to be their purveyor of whatever it is that you are “purveying” over other competitors?
Specifically, over all your competitors, what do you offer your clients:
What does this look like? If you’re providing Organizational Services, you could say that you offer a clean closet in 20 minutes. Or, you could say that your clients will be able to breathe better (physically) because they aren’t surrounded by their clutter any more, that you will help them emotionally disattach from old energies…you get the pictures. Speak to what they REALLY get – and it’s not about that clean closet, ESPECIALLY if you want to charge $200 an hour for it!
I went to a great talk by Chris King, The MarketingAlchemist.com, this evening on this subject. He’s really entertaining – you should check out his videos. (Though he does marketing for health care professionals, what he has to say is applicable to anyone.) How would you answer those questions? Do you only “think” that your clients get one or two of those 4 benefits? For example, if you’re a financial advisor, perhaps you can easily name the Financial benefits they would receive from you, and even Emotional (peace of mind), but what about the Physical benefits to them? Spiritual?
In the Financial Advisor case, Physically, it’s quite possible that your clients are carrying a lot of stress in their bodies due to their Financial issues. Stress has actual Physical manifestations. And Spiritually, you can give them a better Quality of Life – and time to pay attention to their Life Purpose rather than their Money.
Make sense?
Same could go for your clients or customers. If you’re an employee, by the way, your “customer” is likely your boss (not the customers of the company that you work for – because though you indirectly serve them, you really are doing your job “for” your boss). If you are self-employed or have a business, then it’s the people you directly serve.
Remember, you must be clear on who you want to serve to know whose language you need to speak. You need to know what you provide to them (the BENEFITS, not the FEATURES), and who they are (their LANGUAGE, not yours). What makes them comfortable?
As I write the title above, I wonder if that’s still Nike’s branded tagline. It sure fits what I have to say.
I subscribe to a ton of blogs, podcasts, newsfeeds, and the like. Sometimes it’s crazy how much “personal development” I seem to do every day. One that I read over at the “Beach Money” blog really got to me, and I thought that I’d share some thoughts based on what Jordan Adler said.
I lead a full, lucrative, and fulfilling life. In fact, my husband and I recently returned from 6 first class weeks in Cambodia/Vietnam, then I turned around and did the Lavaman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii and stayed to give a training seminar there (nothing like Hawaii as a business expense!), was back for a couple weeks, then we were off to 10 days in Sedona. And I get asked all the time, “If there was one piece of advice you could give me, what would it be?” There’s really just one thing that you need to do, to transform your Life.
As Jordan said, “Don’t wing it.” Everyone, for everything they do, has some sort of script. In fact, I told a friend the other day (who has to do “sales calls” in his business) that the fact that he was “winging it” during these calls didn’t mean he didn’t have a script – it just meant he had a BAD script – a “winging it” script.
Jordan pointed out that you have to Calendar the things you want to “make real” in your life. When I started doing this, back in the ‘80s, EVERYTHING changed for me. Sure, you have to be flexible – things will get moved out, cancelled, moved around. But if you make an appointment, it’s a commitment. That’s why appointments make things happen. Before you write something down, it’s just a fantasy. That one step brings it forward into reality. And it doesn’t have to be an appointment with someone else – it can be an appointment with yourself, to do a step towards making your Dream into a Goal and then into a Reality.
My husband and I “planned” to hike the length of the French Alps. But until we actually scheduled it, started looking into how to accomplish it, and then laid down the money for the guides, we never went. Of course, we had to schedule it about a year out – that’s a lot of hiking and training! – but without putting it on the calendar, it was just going to always be “some year.”
When I was a legal secretary and then a paralegal, I would tell the partner that I was working for that “some day” I would like to be an attorney. He sat me down in his office one late, late evening after we got our work done, and said to me, “To be a lawyer, you have to go to law school for three years. To go to law school, you have to take the LSATS, and then apply. You have to sign up for a LSAT study course, and an LSAT test, or ‘some day’ will always remain ‘some day.’” That changed my life. Right after I left his office – this was in the “pre-Internet” 80s – I started researching, and signed up for the seminar and the test. The rest, is history.
Another thing he said to me was: “It’ll take about four years to ‘become’ a lawyer. But the four years is going to pass anyway – why not move in that direction now?”
What are you PLANNING to do? What do you WISH you had time for?
What do you keep telling people you will do SOME DAY?
There are a few things that you have to schedule consistently. Your DREAMS, your PERSONAL LIFE, and your BUSINESS LIFE. Yes, really. If you schedule on an online calendar like Google Calendar where you can “color” each item whether it’s moving you towards your DREAMS, funding your EMOTIONAL or PERSONAL bank account, or making you WEALTH (whether it’s a 9-5 job or working your own business), you’ll also be able to see where your Life is “unbalanced.” How? Figure out what “Roles” you lead in your life (friend, mother, businessman, son, coach, goddess!), and give each a color. If your calendar is missing that color in your scheduled activities, then you need to figure out how to re-balance and get it in.
If you don’t CALENDAR it, it will be impossible to see. So you need to calendar your daily ACTIVITIES, and you need to calendar your DREAMS to make them REALITIES. And color each one, to see where your Life might be out of whack, as it relates to your Roles. Example? One of my clients kept complaining about her husband, until I made her do this exercise and she realized that she had absolutely no time in her week when she was “fulfilling her role as a wife.” I go into this more in my first book, Fempowerment, A Guide To Unleashing Your Inner Bond Girl, but fulfilling your role as a wife or a husband does NOT mean either doing laundry or taking out the trash!
So what would Calendaring look like? Here’s an example of scheduling a DREAM TRIP:
1. When (exact date) are you going to take that dream trip?
2. Schedule the date on your calendar.
3. Schedule when you are going to make your air reservations (back it out from the first date).
4. Schedule when you are going to book the package (back it out).
5. What else do you need to do? Get in shape if it’s a hiking trip? Start scheduling hikes, starting “backwards” where you are perhaps spending all day or a weekend hiking, to the present, where you only can get out 20 minutes the day after tomorrow.
And remember – if you are scheduling hikes with your honey, that time will get that color. If you schedule hikes with your honey and your kids, you get two colors. And if you take some “you time” during that hike to really be present and enjoy the fresh air, it could even get three!
Get how it works? Once you put it on the calendar, miracles begin to happen. You will find the resources for things to happen once you commit to it. You can “Reverse Engineer” from that date to the present, and then just follow those steps forward.
I look for opportunities to book phone calls and meetings with my business partners on a regular basis, and I even look specifically for when I am going to do grocery shopping, have “date night” with my husband, and the like – and I PUT THEM ON MY CALENDAR. (One of the reasons why my calendar is so full!) This is a critical behavior for having everything you desire. What sort of “appointments” could you make, to bring your dreams into reality? Here are some examples:
1. Make appointments with people that can help you get your dreams. Can’t think of anyone? Brainstorm over a cup of tea or glass of wine with a trusted friend or partner.
2. Ask yourself “Who do I need to meet to make this happen?” They won’t come into your life unless you know what to look for. An example of this is that the second you purchase a red Prius, there are 50 other red Priuses on the road when the day before, you thought you were unique. You have to focus on something to see it in your reality.
3. Call these people, and get an appointment on the calendar to meet with them.
Dreams will never come true if you just wish for them. A wish is just a puff of smoke until you schedule it. Put it down in writing on your calendar. Scheduling appointments is the most powerful, destiny fulfilling action you can take to achieve all that you are looking for, because nothing happens until it is scheduled.
Here are some feelings you may have before scheduling things:
Fear that you won’t come up with the money. Fear that they might not be interested or will turn you away or laugh at you. Fear that you may not know what to say. Fear that something may get in the way of the commitment.
REALITY CHECK: You will not get the things you want until you schedule them on your calendar. Remember that Fear gets you out of Action, and Action gets you out of Fear.
I was not at all confident that I could complete an Ironman triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, followed by a marathon, in less than 17 hours). But I’d made myself a commitment years ago I would do it before a certain birthday – and as I saw that number approaching, I thought I’d better get a move on! So I put the date on the calendar – trained for 11 months – and finished it, smiling, happy, and the last woman over the line at 16:58:51 (way to make ABC-Sports!). Once I had signed up with Team in Training to train me (and raise money for their charity!), it went from a “some day” to a reality, because it was booked. Then I just had to ‘back out’ the training from that date, to the then-present (when I couldn’t even run to the corner store).
So, what’s more important? Are you going to let your DREAMS win or are you going to let your FEARS win? Do you want to live your dreams or wallow in your fears for the rest of your life? You have all the power to make things happen. Set the appointment on your calendar.
THE SOLUTION IS RIDICULOUSLY SIMPLE. Put it on your calendar. Schedule the appointment. All your dreams will begin to come true once you start scheduling the basic simple daily activities that move you closer to your dreams. Start using phrases (even if it’s just to yourself!) like:
“Let’s get you on the calendar.”
“I’d like to set up a time for us to talk.”
“When can we set aside 30 minutes to go through this.”
“We need to block out a few minutes to go over some things.”
What I am talking about is a small thing that will yield HUGE results. It’s a minor shift that will change everything for you.
Stop thinking about it and start scheduling it! Put it in writing on your calendar and then follow through on your commitments to yourself.
Mr. Martini from behindthebarshow.com and I have done a few podcasts on mixology – in fact, here is the link to our Mint Julep episode from the running of the Kentucky Derby (very different than running PAST the Kentucky Derby…believe me.)
So, he was the guy I turned to, to help me “perfect” the drink The Carnage, which fellow Ironman Louisville athletes Maria and Paula and I came up with on the plane home. Though we wanted to try a salt rim to signify the 110 degrees and our salt-encrusted bods on finishing, that makes an undrinkable drink. Then again, you can go ahead and do that, just call it “The Carnage – DNF” (because you can’t Finish that drink, too disgusting).
That said, here is the recipe for The Carnage, in tribute to all of those who braved the Ohio, the heat, and the…Carnage!…of Ironman Louisville 2010!
In a martini shaker, shake with ice:
*1 oz bourbon (Bulleit preferred). The bourbon signifies the brown waters of the Ohio, as well as the favored libation of Kentucky. *1/2 oz lime juice. The lime signifies the “sour” times that we all had on the day. And, perhaps, the special “tang” that having gone on the Ironman journey adds to our lives! *1/2 oz simple syrup. (To be fancy-schmancy and more tasty, make the simple syrup from maple sugar and water – but regular simple syrup should do too.) The simple syrup represents the sweetness of all the victories that we had along the way on the day – from a great bike split to a rockin’ swim, from a smile from a teammate to crossing the finish line. “Simple” pleasures, but Oh, so sweet.
Double strain into two shot glasses. (Double straining will get rid of the ice pieces that could get in the way of flaming. Yes – you heard right. Read on.)
Float 1/4 oz warm absinthe on top (the warmer the absinthe, the more spectacular the flame will be). The warm absinthe represents the warmth of the day, as well as the mind-bending craziness that all of us experienced from that heat. And, perhaps, the slight insanity that overtook all of us, to have started the Ironman journey to begin with!
Place shotglasses each in the cut-out middle of a sponge soaked with ice water. Sprinkle one quick shake of salt theatrically onto the absinthe, then put a match to it until it builds a blue flame on top. Where that sponge has BEEN before you put it to your lips is not something you thought about in the race (perhaps until you saw them loading them off the street and back into the barrels), so why worry about it now?
Let some of the alcohol burn off, then blow it out and “down the hatch!”
My BFF Sue has allowed me to share her email to me with respect to “helping me” through Ironman.com on the day of the Ironman. I just love this story, don’t want to “lose” it, so thought I’d post it here for you to enjoy, too. Camilla is her roommate (who is a masseuse/reiki healer). Naia is her golden retriever. Sue, as I have previously mentioned, can be found on www.WayOfTheWhale.com. She and her husband Beto are also two of the top tech divers in the world.
And now, for her email to me:
Hey IronGrrrl!
Read thru all of your Facebook fan-mail– you are the BEST. You have so many loving friends & family members in your circle who are over the moon about your success, including (and especially) us. Hip hip hooray for my Manta-sea otter-IronGrrl.
Just wanted to share some of the behind the scenes happenings, which you may get a kick out of as you reminisce & recover.
Here in Seaside, we had been growing more & more excited as the day approached. We happen to be in a bit of a busy time right now– in the midst teaching & supporting a tech-diving class, but your Iron event was always in our minds & hearts.
On Saturday, I had an email exchange with a client, with whom I had a phone appointment scheduled for Sunday evening… he was on the calendar for 7pm, and I had to double check to make sure the time change allowed for me to support you during my second shift. There was a 12 minute overlap, so I arranged for Camilla to take over for me when the client called– so we were all set.
Saturday evening was a time of envisioning for you, and also time to amp up the power surges (going in your direction). I wasn’t sure you’d be on internet to receive the vision and manifestation that I typed out and was sending to you, but figured your spirit would hear & feel it, so that was most important. (I sent Camilla a copy with instructions to hold the vision plus any good thoughts she could conceive for you.)
I set the alarm for 4:10 a.m. to be ready to send you energy for the swim… was so concerned about waking Beto (who needs sleep during the tech classes) that I spontaneously woke up at 3:30. Shut off the alarm… re-read the swim/bike/run visualization several times to let it all sink in, and noticed that you’d emailed to say you received it, yay! Sent you a little text to let you know you were covered for swim segment (and so you’d know I love you!).
Went down to my office and began to ground & prepare to send energies… and realized that something was missing from the equation.
So… ran upstairs, found the perfect, pristine candle for Sandy’s Ironman, and brought it down to be ready for the start of the event. Made you a little sign saying “Go Sandy Go!!!”. Returned to office, got to work… sent you Power, and Emotional buoyancy, and well just all kinds of angelic & divine support. Could feel you– a bit anxious/ nervous but focused, determined, and ready.
At 4:15 a.m. Pacific Time I lit the candle– with the intention of letting it burn for the duration of your Ironman. I placed it in a strategic location (so as not to burn the house down when I went back to bed)… did some more energy bursts, and eventually went back to bed while staying connected with your spirit & sending you love & encouragement.
Drifted back to sleep at the end of my shift… to wake up at 7:00 to work on a client write up, then left at 9:30 to go film the tech class. Candle was burning strong & bright!
Thought about you all day… while underwater with the class, etc. We were in the ocean for about 4 hours working with the class, and I had a leak in my dry suit so was a bit of a popsicle. But I figured, If Sandy can complete an IRONMAN… what’s a little cold-water discomfort going to do to this grrrl?!
Returned home at around 5pm– Camilla had updates on your progress, and by then you were on the run part according to ironmanlive.com. Candle was still shining bright & strong.
At the assigned time that we saw that you were starting the run, I started running in the hall & asked Camilla to join. We ran back & forth, saying,”Go Sandy GO!!!!”, and envisioning you flying like a manta – gliding thru the run. Envisioned your feet being light, and angels supporting you under each arm as you ran (making the run a little easier). OK, so I’ll admit I sent you a few “Don’t you DARE give up!” comments… but I know you well enough to know you would never do that… and mostly we whooshed and pushed and ran with you in a Sandy-like rhythm. Naia helped by chasing us with her sea otter toy in her mouth (no, I’m not kidding). We played tug a few times while running (me & Naia that is). We walked a few laps, then ran some more, envisioning flying mantas & angels under your wings.
By that time I calculated that you were doing roughly 12-13 minute miles, and thought, wow… it’s going to be close, but I think she’s going to be there in time (9pm our time). Was also thinking wow, it’s incredible… she’s actually picking up her pace at the end.
Then, it was time for me to send some Power, so I retreated to our bedroom (where 2 more candles were lit), put on my Mexican power necklace, & used 2 wands to transmit energy (heart wand & amatrine wand). I sent out: power, love, light, emotional support, endurance, determination, and angelic support. This was super cool — I got all tingly (starting with the back of my head) in a really obvious ‘spirit is at work’ way, during most of this time– for about a half hour. I could feel a lot of emotion around you… heightened emotion, coming from you, surrounding you– I think your angels, guides, and all of the well-wishes of your support circle were right there with you!!!!!!
I envisioned the finish-line being magnetic, and sucking you towards it!
At 7pm Camilla took over, & I worked with my client on the phone for about an hour & a half (went really well– he’s a great guy). Camilla came in to announce your 20 mile crossing, and you were on track to finish in the nick of time.
OK… so as soon as I got off the phone — around 8:40pm — I ran down the hall to see if Camilla knew anything– she was concerned because she didn’t see your 25 mile crossing posted. Yikes!
We amped up the energy bursts, and Camilla had the finish-line live stream going on her computer, so we were seeing folks run across. We kept looking for you, cheering you on, waiting and hoping and pulling for you. At 8:50 p.m., the damn computer lost the stream, and we went crazy trying to get it to reload/reconnect. I tried unsuccessfully to get my computer to get the stream… and Camilla kept trying. We had 7 minutes of ‘black-out’, then got the stream back at 8:57.
We were pulling our hair out… wondering, did she cross? Did we miss it? How will we KNOW??!!!! We kept watching… a few more folks crossed, and the time was ticking away towards the 17 hour mark.
8:57:30… 8:58:00… etc… WHERE IS SHE???!!!! COME ON SANDY!!!!
At 8:58:40-something, we heard the guy announcing your name– Sandy Shepard, San Rafael, California!!!!!!!!!!! We screamed– there you were!!!! And you crossed the line right in the nick of time!!!!
It was INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!
Am crying again as I write this… it was truly one of the best & happiest moments of my life– we laughed and cried… and jumped up & down, so happy & proud of you! Naia wagged her tail, jumped around with us, & was very, very pleased with the whole situation!
You are the most Amazing Manta of ALL TIME!
I let the candle burn for about another hour (after all, you needed to ‘cool down’), and then blew it out. I think I will send it to you, as a memento of your success. Perhaps you can keep it and burn it when you need a burst of inspiration from time to time.
I love you lots & thought you might enjoy knowing what went on here in Seaside. Congratulations Iron-Grrl!
If you have been reading this blog (or listened to my podcasts), you know that I utilize Susan Bird for hypnotherapy/higher potential work. Sue gave a Workshop, in fact, for some of my Ironman compatriots who wanted to work on various things, from still having a fear of open water swimming, to goal manifestation. I thought I would share the Manifestation that she sent to me on the evening before my Ironman. It helped a lot – even with the bashed nose in the swim, the crazy-high heat, and the very long marathon!
Envisioning:
You, getting close to the front of the swim line. You are excited, well rested, ready to go. You tap into the excitement & positive energy around you. you feel the love & support and ENERGY from all of your friends & family– and from your team. The air around you is electric, and this is a fantastic adventure– you are SO happy to be a part of this event.
You are relaxed and confident. The few days of rest and recuperation are totally working in your favor. You are ready!!!
The Tri begins… entering the water… it feels SO good. You allow the water to float you like the sea otter you are, and you begin by stretching your body– shoulders & arm feeling good as you stretch and glide thru the water. You ease your way into it, finding the perfect pace, steady, rhythmic, and in your zone. Your breathing is steady, your body rocks naturally from side to side with your arm rhythm. You are amazed at how great your shoulder & arm feel. The slow current, the positive, determined energy of the other swimmers… everything flows in your favor.
You become Sea Otter. Joyful, playful, full of energy & life. At home in the water. As you swim, finding your zone, gliding withgraceful power & endurance… you begin to sense the presence of spirit manta… who glides into place just in front of you… huge wings spread wide & coasting thru the water– and you feel pulled along…. relaxed & moving rapidly but without effort in the draft of spirit manta.
You are in the zone.
Before you know it, the swim is completed. Wow! That seemed easy! That went fast! You came in under your time– and you feel GREAT!
During the transition, you reclaim your human form, and connect with your gorgeous bike. You take a few deep breaths, proud of yourself for completing the first leg, and allowing the momentum to carry you into the bike ride.
Again… you allow yourself to ease into it… getting the feel of the bike– oh how you’ve missed your long rides! You find your comfort zone, allowing your excellent form to make the bike ride like the wind.
Your bike rides like a champ– wheels & tires strong, and you are sure & steady at the wheel, confident & in charge. You can see and feel the positive energy around you– in the athletes, among your team-mates, from the spectators– and you feel the support from your friends, guides, and angels. You ride, ride, ride… taking pit stops as needed, laughing with the people around you… finding your perfect rhythm… finding that energy flows through your body and spirit.
It’s about pace & endurance, and you are ‘there’! You keep up your steady pace, and put your mind in the perfect ‘place’ to perform at your highest level. As the miles flow by, you feel closer to your goal– you feel the magnetic pull of the finish line. You make your marks, and the day unfolds… and you learn about yourself, about your courage and your spirit. You are awesome!!!!
The bike ride goes unusually fast– time seems to fly, and your endurance grows & glows within you… like the flame of a candle that gets brighter and larger with each passing mile. That internal fire fuels your body, fortified your mind, and inspires your spirit.
You complete the bike portion, and transition to the run, taking your time to feel your feet under you… to find your perfect pace, and you begin this last leg of the Tri. You are open & receptive to the prayers & positive energies being sent to you by your friends & family. With each mile you are more open, more receptive… and the energy pours into you… buoying you, carrying you… catching and pulling you like you are in the current of a rapidly flowing river. the river is carrying you to the finish line. You feel lighter with each step– you begin to feel the magnetic pull of the finish line… each step carrying you closer and closer.
Your heart is filled with the love & support of your friends and family… and your guides & Angels. They pave the way… smooth the road, and draw you to the finish. You run & walk in a steady natural rhythm… smiling, hearing the onlookers cheer for you, support you. You feel the camaraderie of your fellow athletes, team-mates, mentors. You are a champion!!!
You look forward to seeing the finish line. You know you will cherish this moment for the rest of your life… so you savor the experience– allowing yourself to be completely present as you cross the finish line– tired, exhilarated, and on top of the world!!!!
You can do it. I can see it and feel it!!!!! Congratulations!
At about Mile 20 of the Marathon – when it seemed very unlikely I would make the finish line by the 17 hour cutoff, I started writing this blog post in my head. At that time, it was entitled “No Regrets…but No Ironman.” Wonder of wonders…I made it.
I am writing this post first – I will likely “backfill” with my experiences of the day, links to videos, photographs, and the like. But for me, this was the most important bit to get down while still at least somewhat “fresh.”
Ohio River bridge at swim end
I started on my Ironman Journey 10 months ago (as is obvious if you scroll back in this blog). I was a Couch Potato of quite epic sedentary proportions. I hadn’t worked out in 3 years. But one of my beliefs is that if you have something that you have really SWORN to yourself that you will do in your life, and you have not done it, then that adds an enormous amount of (often unconscious) Stress in your life until you “release” it…or do it.
In the late 80s (when I was in my early 20s), I was an (Olympic-distance) triathlete. I wasn’t particularly good – sort of back/middle of the pack. But one evening, over a few beers and leafing through the newly-launched Triathlete magazine, I told a group of girls I ran with that I wanted to do The Ironman (there was only one then) before I turned 50. Their reaction was basically to hoot with laughter; there was “no way” that someone “like me” could do such a thing.
Which, of course, got me into serious “I’ll show THEM!” mode!
Maria, Paula and me
Flash forward, and I’m 47, dealing with a lot of Stress, a couch potato, dozens of pounds overweight, and at a Tony Robbins Unleash The Power Within long weekend (the firewalk was the easiest thing we did). During the portion of the weekend that deals with Health I uncovered this long-forgotten memory. I tried to release the memory – no dice. So I realized I would have to “realize” it. Crap.
If you want to know more about the journey, well, page back in this blog. It was quite the journey, that’s for sure, ending of course with a spectacular bike crash 2 weeks out from the actual 2010 Ironman in Louisville.
me and the Belle of Louisville
As a Life Coach, I teach my clients how to break an “impossible” goal into actionable steps. I also teach that having part of the goal tied to benefiting others will springboard your dream into reality far, far quicker. So, I trained for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – and in my first time ever raising money, raised over $9,300 to cure cancer. In turn, everyone that HAS leukemia, lymphoma, and the like is praying for a cure – and therefore, praying for ME. If you make sure your goal has a specific component that will benefit others from the beginning, you will become the “answer to prayers.” There is no better way to PULL your own goals into reality.
But back to the Ironman.
My friend and IronTeammate Maria found a quote that I adopted early on – Your Ironman Event is really just a 140.6 mile Victory Lap celebrating the Journey that it took to get there. Whether you finish the race in time, or wind up outside of your imagined goals, you were prepared on that day to do your best IF you did every thing that was in your scheduled training. If you did not do everything in the Plan and didn’t make it, then that’s your choice – but you can’t class yourself with others who did it all and fell a bit short. I personally believed that I could finish the Event in about 15-16 hours – but there were some unanticipated moments along the way (including a bike crash, a heat index of 110 degrees, and belatedly finding out that Louisville is considered one of the Top 10 hardest bike courses on the circuit!). I wound up finishing at 16:58:51 – or, in other words, I crossed the finish line with 1 minute, 9 seconds to “spare.”
As a microcosm of all I learned throughout the entire Journey, from the time I entered Louisville until I left, these are my lessons from Ironman Louisville 2010.
Plan, Plan, Plan. Maria and I had done a lot of studying, investigating, and talking about various Ironman “strategies” and plans – from those our coaches promulgated, to those we found online. When we found information, our strategy was to Trust, but Verify. By the time we got on the plane to Louisville, we each had checklists, strategic plans, and the like that made us feel very comfortable. However, at the North Bay team dinner the Friday 2 days before
gear bags, before stuffing
the event, folks tried to make us feel like we were being “manic” in our preparation, and that we were “making the other team members freak out” and “didn’t know where the information we were treating as Gospel had really come from.” We were carrying electrolyte drinks with us unlike any of the others, we had practiced for a week getting out of the shower, dumping a bag of our bike clothes on the floor and getting into them wet, etc. This is what we needed to feel prepared. And we got “guff” for it. Perhaps they were trying to make us feel “better” by saying that we should not “listen to others” who “might not know what they were doing” (e.g., sift through race reports, etc. on the internet) – but in fact, we knew exactly what we were doing. Make sure that you plan, read, review, analyze, and discuss with a trusted compatriot or coach your strategies for success – and don’t let anyone naysay you later. If you have done a lot more than others have done they will call you “manic” or “anal.” Don’t listen. Cover all the bases. “Luck” is what happens when you have planned for every contingency – and have Plans B, C and D in the bag…and a Plan E when the bag splits open!
Accept Help Along The Way.
The awesome L.A. Team in Training team helped us secure a great swim start spot; my Dad and friends became my “IronMinions” for the Event, etc. Whatever your goal is – don’t do it alone. And for goodness’ sake, don’t be a martyr. Figure out how to let others help you in a way that will make you both feel great. When the L.A. Team was coming in on their 2nd loop on the Run (and I was going out on my first), their energy and “Go Team” shouts at me propelled me forward like nothing else – which I believe I helped “instigate” by mentioning – in an all-team pre-race lunch – that I hoped when they passed me on the course, they would shout out my nickname.
On the “Helping” note, there were 2,900 athletes in the Ironman (1300 newbies), and over 5,000 Volunteers. They are there to serve you. Use them. But treat them with the respect that they deserve. A kind word, a huge smile, and asking someone’s name will go a very, very long way towards getting what you need. Personally, I was wearing a Camelbak, so a volunteer would need to mix up a “potion” for me, pour it into the Camelbak, fill it with water, put ice in my helmet (more on that later) and so on. By stopping,
Dad and Susan Afan at 430 am
pointing to a specific volunteer, and then asking his or her name, I actually know I made their day (I’ve been that volunteer), and they made mine. Don’t go it alone. Use the resources. Be sure you know specifically what you need (based on your plans and previous test-runs), accept it graciously, and get going. If you didn’t plan, or didn’t do all the workouts, or don’t use the resources available, gut check: Are you just being a victim or a martyr so you can “complain” about how “hard” things were?
Help Others, But Only with No Regrets. Help Yourself, But Don’t Dawdle. Would I have been less “Iron” had I crossed at 17:00:01? No. I did every workout, planned, and then worked that plan. That just means I’d shot the arrow and missed the mark – that day. “Stuff Happens.” But would I call myself an “Ironman” or get the tattoo? No again. Maybe it’s because I’m just a hard-*ssed attorney at heart, but you ain’t if you ain’t. You can say you did the distance, but if you didn’t do a sanctioned race in the time, calling yourself an “Ironman” cheapens it for us who dug deep and did it. Fine, hate me. But that’s what I believe.
Will at 130 am PST ready to support me all day with good energy
My friend Will made me look in his eyes before I left, because he had many regrets with respect to HIS Ironman Event experience. He doesn’t call himself an “Ironman,” because he did the distance but was 13 minutes over the finish time after helping 3 people with bike problems and the like. When I was leaving, he made me PROMISE that every time I did anything on Race day, I would do it with No Regrets. So had I indeed finished outside the “allotted time,” I absolutely knew that I had raced my race with No Regrets. I remembered that admonition each and every time I did something that caused me to stop.
I stopped at about Mile 5, because a guy was broken down on the side of the road and when I asked if he was OK, he said “oh yeah, you don’t happen to have a TIRE do you?” I said No, then realized that YES, I did – last thing H folded and stuffed into my Camelbak was my ($50) training tire. I wasn’t able to stop immediately, but about 2 blocks later at a police car I was. I had one of the police get the tire out of the Camelbak, and run it back to the guy on the road. Hope he got it. No Regrets.
A few miles later, I passed my TNT Teammate Maria, and wished her well and commented that she had ROCKED the swim! I don’t hear very well, and as I passed she was saying something but I just filled it in as her wishing me luck as I had wished her luck. But I kept hearing my name, as I went down the road. That had to mean she needed help. I checked my No Regrets meter, and knew that I wanted to stop and help. She had a problem with her tire. I could see it, and where it
Leann spraying me with sunscreen SPF 10,000
was rubbing – it looked like the tire was sort of “misshapen” but I couldn’t see how to fix it and it actually looked like the tire was otherwise OK. So after a few minutes of us tinkering with it, she rode on. (You’ll have to go to her blog to see the end result of this story!)
On the back side of the bike ride, a guy was lying on the ground, seizing up with cramps. It was Carnage out there, and that is a fact (Teammate Paula saw a guy, clipped in, faint dead away and hit the dirt. All of us saw people spread-eagled prostrate in the heat with their bikes flung in the grass). I asked if he was okay, and he shook his head and was saying “Salt? Salt?” So I reached into my Bento Box, and threw him my whole container of Thermalytes. I had planned for this very thing – I had other packages “just in case” in other bags – and I was doing great on the Infinit drink in any case (NOTE: Did the entire race on only Infinit, even with the heat index, etc. MAGIC!)
A couple of times, I could feel myself get lightheaded on the bike and my heart rate would drop. My back and shoulder (old crash) and elbow (new crash) also hurt. So I would ride to a shady spot, and stand up and stretch. Each of these moments was “no more than a minute or so” – but remember how close I was to the cutoff at the end. Each time, I remembered Will’s “No Regrets” admonition – so I did that gut check, and knew that the stretch was important for me to keep myself functioning well in the moment. But I did it, and got a move on. No dawdling.
balloons rising over the bike transition
Expect the Unexpected…and When It Happens, Assess, Reorganize, Keep Your Sense Of Humor, Then Get Going, and Leave It Behind.
About 10 strokes into the swim start, I stroked forward and “pulled” a branch underneath me. I could feel the kkkrrrrrrrr! of it going down the front of my body. Luckily, it didn’t have a lot of twigs, and it rolled off my toes (and into the next guy!) I have a “helpfulness gene” and in that moment I wanted to somehow say to the guy behind me “Watch Out!” but there really wasn’t any way to do that. And that was NOT supposed to be my concern. If you find yourself “warning” a lot of people about the “pitfalls” that you have experienced, then mainly you are wasting your own time and putting energy into that memory. Don’t THROW branches in front of others – but if it happens to you, krrrrr! and move on!
It’s amazing how many people swam right in front of me, zig-zagging across the channel. I was immensely grateful for Coach Sedonia and all the practice we had had with sighting (and, in fact, having had to teach my friend Jane how to
heading out of T1 slathered in more sunscreen
sight, which helped me to break it down and really internalize it). One guy swam at a 45 degree angle in front of my face, making me actually stop so as not to run into the side of his calf. I watched him as he blithely continued in front of all of us “straight swimmers,” and just had to shake my head. He undoubtedly did an extra mile or so that we didn’t! Figure out the shortest distance between yourself and your goal – practice, practice, practice – then execute. If someone cuts you off, tell yourself it’s not personal, and move on.
20 or so minutes into the swim, I was taking a breath to the side, just as a big guy was swimming past/over me. This is how it goes in the Ironman – 3,000 people in a small space, you’re going to get knocked around. I was prepared for it in the way I was swimming, but his elbow came down on the bridge of my nose. Just bad timing. It hurt like heck, and my left goggle filled up with water. I was very concerned that he had cracked the plastic – which would mean I would need to swim with my eye closed (contacts!) for the next 2 miles. As you likely know, only using one eye means you have no depth perception. I took the goggles off, emptied them, and tentatively put them back on, with the salmon swimmers swarming on and around me up the river. Turns out he had only broken the seal around my eye – not the goggles.
Missy and me
However, I then realized there was blood in the water in front of me – FROM me. My nose was gushing blood. It didn’t feel broken and anyway, I had to keep swimming to get to help, one way or the other. My humorous side immediately whispered, “Wow, it’s a good thing you’re here instead of swimming from Alcatraz with the sharks.” That made me laugh, and within a few minutes, I had forgotten all about the bash. Reaching your goal is often a contact sport. Get out there, protect yourself as best you can, but if you get bashed, get bashed – and get over it.
When I came in from the bike to transition to the run, I peeled off my socks and realized that 8 plus hours of dumping water and ice on my head had all run into my shoes – and I had a giant chafe at the cuff of one sock, and a SEVERE case of foot waterlog. As in – I could see my toe bones, and my whitish-yellow skin and flesh were just hanging off them. This was completely and utterly unanticipated. (And gross.) Getting my dry Injinji compression socks on for the run was a 20 minute process. Amazingly, I did it, with a few tears and the stellar help of my Transition Slave (smile). Though when I stood up to head out of the tent she said, “Ma’am? We generally don’ go out in public that way here in Kentucky…” – and I realized I hadn’t put my running shorts on and was naked from shirt to socks. Whoops!
After the super-long T2 (25 minutes) I knew I was going to have trouble making it in on time. I was “set” to do run/walk intervals, but I wound up having to run the entire marathon without walking (and actually “negative split” the final
me horning in on Maria’s prom photo with the Colonel (joke! joke!)
section). Sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do.
Listen To Your Gut.
I had a crash on the bike course. Yes, that’s me, Crashy McCrash. There was an “out and back” portion that’s turn-around was a hairpin left U turn on a very skinny road. When I saw it, I felt in my gut that it was beyond my bike handling skills. But then I “went for it.” And crashed. And nearly took down a bunch of other racers. When I was coming down to that turn-around, what I SHOULD have done is figured how to stop or “run long” past the orange cone, get off the bike, turn it around “manually” and then get back in the race. Instead, my ego kicked in…and because I didn’t want to be “embarrassed” by my less than stellar bike skills, I wound up with the derailleur ticking oddly and my left brake/shift lever bent completely sideways (wasn’t until Mile 80 I actually even SAW a tech person to help me fix it – she had to use a mallet it was so stuck). The sideways lever meant I ended the race with a huge blister between my left thumb and forefinger, and a numb ring and pinkie finger (which did not come “awake” until my masseuse “popped” my elbow days later back home).
Later on, in the 110 degree heat/humidity and while watching folks try to take hills, fall over, and take down other riders, I found two hills that I could only make if I really “powered” up them…or I could walk them. As we did the loop twice, that meant walking those 2 hills, twice. When I did my Gut Check, I realized that the extra time walking the hills was likely to be a better choice than
Maria and me showing off our ankle tracking chips
“powering” up them and draining precious energy I would need later. That’s when Run Coach Simon’s voice (a bit belatedly, considering my crash!) came to me. He had said, “When you get your Ironman ticket, be sure to coat check your Ego. You can pick it up with your Medal.” I walked up the hills, watched guys powering by me, felt a little stupid and embarrassed…and then passed them splayed out in the grass about 50 miles later. Go at your own speed, not someone else’s – don’t worry about what People Will Think – and keep your eyes on the longterm Prize.
All along (except on the worst of the hills) I kept my heart rate between 142-152. That is my personal “zone” for pre-aerobic and aerobic. It is the zone in which I can utilize my own body fat as fuel. I was told to “race my own race,” and even when folks were flying by me, I just paid attention to that doggone Heart Rate Monitor. If I went over 152, I slowed down. If I went under 142, I sped up. I am quite sure that this kept me from becoming the “Carnage” that was rampant on the bike course (they had to pull in ambulances and EMTs from 2 surrounding counties – and ran out of IVs in the med tent).
When You Quit, Quit. Have Your Tantrum. Then Get Going Again. I quit at Mile 30 of the bike course. Really, really quit. I was done. The swim had been quite enervating because the water was so warm, and then the bike was brutally hot. I saw the sign at Mile 30, stopped, and if there had been a SAG wagon there, I would have put my bike in it, dusted my hands, and said, “Enough.” But there was NOT a SAG wagon, so I sucked it up and made it to the next bike aid station (where I thought I might find SAG). At that station, I got the bright idea of putting ice in my helmet. It was SO COLD…but after about 20 seconds, my mind cleared. I realized that my body felt completely fine…and I also realized with a start that my mind, which was cooking, was just trying to Siren Song me into getting out of the heat. Sometimes your own brain is your
Ironteam L.A. South Bay and North Bay sitting in the swim line
worst enemy. When this happens, say “Thank you, I respect your Opinion, I’m going to do something else though.” Believe it or not, this usually makes it shut up. Of course – ice in the helmet helps, too.
Ultimately, You Can Only Rely On Yourself. The run was an out-and back loop twice. Our coach told us he would be standing at one particular spot – Mile 5 or so on the way out, which became Mile 18 on the 2nd loop. I was running late (obviously) and so when I passed him the first time, I wanted all the particulars. How far was it to the end of the loop? How far was the turn-around after that? How fast did I have to go, to get to the midway cutoff? And was that cutoff at 9:00 p.m., or 9:15, or 9:30, or 9:45? He knew none of these answers. He knew the pace I would need to hold to get to the END on time, but none of the in-between answers (and remember – I’m just at mile FIVE of 26.2). This was the only time in the race I was really FURIOUS. It was my understanding that, as a coach, these are the sorts of things (especially if standing in one spot, and not going out on the bike or running around on the run) that should be at the fingertips. I finally ran past Teammate Paula, who knew all the answers. (She also had the amazingly great idea of setting an alarm an hour before all cutoffs on the bike/run course – so that you KNEW you were coming up to the “bell” – I just didn’t actually KNOW what that time was on the run midway point, so hadn’t been able to set that all-important alarm.) I was angry, but in reality, it was anger at myself for not having committed the important stuff to memory.
Be An Inspiration.
The first time I came into town during the marathon (the Ironman ends at Fourth Street Live, a covered bar/restaurant/etc. district in the heart of town, but you run past it to go out on your 2nd loop), the crowd cheered, because they thought I was finishing. Instead, I held up my finger to indicate “1” (that it was my first loop) and amazingly, they got deathly quiet and “respectful.” I heard someone say “My lord, she’s still going out. What an inspiration.” As I continued on, and was going back out as our Team athletes were coming in to finish, I kept hearing that shouted again and again. It made me feel good, as I had sent myself a card earlier that week that said just that – “I Am an Inspiration to Others.” I had a number of choices when picking that card (“I Am Physically Fit,” etc.) but that is the one that spoke to me with respect to my Ironman.
As a corollary to this, I would run past spectators when I was still trying to find out how far and fast I had to move to make the 1/2 way cutoff, and they would invariably say “you’re nearly there” or “”it’s right around the corner” or “you’re totally going to make it.” I know that they thought this would spur me on…but what it did was insidiously make me think it was okay to slow down. Don’t listen to random bits of advice and “wisdom” you might receive on the way to your goal – often the people who sound the most sure of themselves are just dead wrong. My mistake: Not having the run course and its particulars committed to memory. Plan, plan, plan. My bad.
On my final “leg” of the marathon course, I started running with Fireman Steve from Louisville (a/k/a Pukin’ Steve – sorry Steve!) He was having an AWFUL time. He would run (far faster than I could), but then start puking his guts out. Then he would walk, try some new concoction from an aid station, run, and puke. I just kept going along at my turtle pace, and so with his leap-frogging and my trudging along, we were together for miles. He was hurting. Bad. Crying. To take his mind off it (I actually
piles of transition bags
felt great…I just couldn’t move any faster), I chatted with him and sometimes just “at” him…about Louisville, San Francisco, the Ironman (this was I think his 3rd in Louisville), his wife Kathy (who had finished the race, and he was afraid was probably worried sick about him), nutrition, etc. He kept telling me what an inspiration my attitude was, especially on my first Ironman, in such hellish conditions. I was just as glad he was there, on that muggy nasty march towards the finish.
When we got about a mile out, he started throwing up so hard, he was yelling. I felt awful, but I kept going because I knew that we were close – he had been calculating the math the whole time, and pulling me with him to go faster and faster (see splits, below) – and so I went for it. I also knew he’d kick my *ss if I didn’t make it because I stopped to help him. If those that have been with you on your journey to your goal fall to the wayside, keep going.
(By the way – Pukin’ Steve made it in under the wire!)
Memories I Won’t Soon Forget, and Thank Yous Thank Yous Thank Yous:
1. On the bike, alone (so I thought) in the middle of beautiful-horse-country-Kentucky-bluegrass nowhere, I heard a woman say “Pardon Me!” from behind me. This took me COMPLETELY by surprise, so I said “Um, may I help you?” She chuckled and said, “Actually, I just belched so loud, I thought you had heard me, so I excused myself.” I laughed and said, “I thought we were in the middle of one of those old Grey Poupon ads!” When she cycled past me, she held out her palm to my Bento Box and said, “Pardon me, Madam, but may I borrow your Grey Poupon?” I laughed, saying, “STOP IT my bike handling skills are so bad we’re both liable to crash here in the middle of a level road!” She sped on by, both of us grinning. (You’re only going to get this if you were watching American TV commercials about 15 years ago.)
2. When I crashed on the turn around, I went down on my elbow (which of course bled like a stuck pig) but reached out immediately to grab my bike out of the way of the other cyclists coming around the hairpin. Four guys with disk wheels and aero helmets stopped and helped me up, dusted me off, made sure I spun my wheel, and checked I was OK. I was very choked up by this concern. (They were probably just incredibly grateful I hadn’t taken them out with my antics, but still!)
I was looking at my medal in bed after my ice bath and…zzzzzzzz. Too funny.
3. While out on the bike, I kept seeing (and being run into by!) purple butterflies. My grrl Leann had just gotten a tattoo with purple butterflies on it. Each time I saw them, I figured she was sending her love and concern to me.
4. I finally got to meet my “Tennessee Teammate” Missy – she recognized me right in the middle of the street on Friday. As she was walking towards me, I thought, “I know that girl. Who is it?” And as soon as she spoke, I knew. It was so fantastic to be with her and her friends and energy. Love ya, Missy!
5. Mr Speedbump: A participant on the run wouldn’t let people “touch him” to help him (and potentially get DQ’d), so he was lying perpendicular to the run course, and the EMTs were packing him in ice. Scary.
6. Hearing the word “Carnage” about once every 30 seconds, when athletes were talking about their experiences on that day and the next.
7. The guy who blew a tube about a mile from the end of the bike pulling off his shoes to obviously just run the bike in.
8. A guy driving past in his truck with his wife on Monday when we were heading to the Athlete Lunch, who yelled “SAN FRANCISCO!” out of the window, to which I whooped, “PUKIN’ STEVE!” (and watched his wife’s head rock back with laughter). I was so grateful we were actually able to catch up and exchange info. His wife took me aside and said that I’d saved his life. I
my Day After breakfast – carbs, anyone?
told her HE had saved MY life too – since he was the one who could do the math to get us home in time!
9. L.A. Team Coach Paul putting his face right into my face on the last corner before the “run in” on the marathon, and screaming “RUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!!!!” The memory still makes me laugh.
10. Mark, Efron, Carlos 2, Dr. Chris & his wife, Jennifer (?I think?), Paula, Heather, Kristin, Louis, and all the others who literally crossed over on the run course to give me hugs or High 5 me or make SURE I saw them when they shouted GO TEAM at me…as they were coming in on the finish and I was going out on my last 13.1 miles.
11. All the planning with my Teammate Maria. Packing our bags, getting manic, herding cats. It was the best. And a special thank you to Maria, Leann, and the Afans for taking all the photographs. Can’t believe I forgot my camera.
12. To all the “service providers” who kept me going, especially after the bike crash 2 weeks out – Kristina Lentz, Dr. K, Dr. Merritt, and in particular April Blake. If you haven’t tried Indigo biofeedback, you really must. I am fairly certain it’s what kept my attitude from tanking all day long.
13. My personal IronMinions, Maria, Helen, and especially Leann, Francine, and Dad. You guys were the BEST. Also to Athlete Maria’s IronFamily, Albert, Susan, and Albie (al-BIE!!) who did everything we asked of them and more. Especially to Albie, who ran up and down and up and down that doggone run course trying to be sure that we were all OK.
14. To my 76-year-old dad, who had planned to “run me in” at the very last 1/10th of a mile before the finisher’s chute, and panicked me that they would DQ me for having a “pacer.” I think that he left skid marks on the street when he rocked back on his heels to stop running with me. My horror turned into peals of laughter at the ludicrousness (ludicrosity?) of the whole scene about 2 minutes later – AFTER I had crossed the finish line.
15. Another special shout-out to Dad and Leann: In particular, I explained to Leann I HAD TO finish my Recovery/Repair drink in the first 20 minutes after finishing, and she quietly handed it to me, pushed my hand to my mouth, handed it BACK to me, and the like until I was done. Nothing like feeding a 3 year old, naw. And to Dad patiently going back and forth from our hotel room with the waste basket to the ice machine to fill it with ice, and bring it back to Leann who first lowered me into the tub, then dumped the ice in on me for the ice bath, back and forth, back and forth. (The next day, I was a little sore, but not bad: Other athletes were walking around hunched over, unable to put their heels on the ground due to cramped calves, etc.) And Dad and Leann getting Teammate Paula’s and my bike and gear bags before midnight, so that they could get to TriBike Transport on time (while I was still out on the course, and Paula was getting an IV in the Med Tent!)
16. To my amazing coaches, donors, honorees and friends, especially those who gathered on Facebook. I drew on you all when times were Grim. One of the best things ever was reading all the Facebook posts the next day – especially friends from all over the world trying to help others, when the ironman.com athlete tracker went down, etc. LOVE YOU. To Becca’s sister-in-law Laura, who came out to the Marathon course to cheer me on – and introduce herself! You are so brave to have given me a hug in my nasty sweaty condition when you saw me at Mile 16! To Will: No Regrets. To Patricia: At about Mile 90, there was a gorgeous scene of horses, foals, big house, bluegrass…all sort of odd-looking through the cooking waves shimmering off the black tarmac. I actually shouted “Look! Patricia!” just to make myself feel better and remember that this was, in fact, beautiful and, even more importantly, my own Choice. To The Bateman Family, who sponsored the last few dark, quiet, awful miles of the run a couple days before the race – my lord, I was calling on you out there! And to the SOC Marketing Team for designing and printing the posters that my Grandboys Caleb and Cody designed!
Sgt Maj Dale Hatten
17. And especially, to Angels: Sgt Maj Dale Hatten who surprised me in my head about 6 miles from the end of the godforsaken marathon. This is a man that did a ton of tours in ‘Nam and “got his men home” – he absolutely got me home. Thanks, Dad-2. To my Angel Manta, who I had “spread its wings” under me after getting bashed, and who remarkably kept me completely clear of any more bashes for the rest of the swim. And to K’s Uncle Chris, a Sports Illustrated-featured cross country runner when he died of leukemia, for appearing at mile 12 and stretching my legs a bit more so I made the cutoff at 13.1.
18. To the Sponges. And the nascent cocktail, the Carnage. Stop laughing, Paula/Maria. And to the mental picture of Teammate Jessica and the “ice” – Jessica asked a volunteer to scoop some ice out of one of the aid table barrels into her jogbra. Somewhere down the line after the ice had melted, she realized that she was a bit more “stacked” than usual…and started pulling the clear plastic bottle cap tops out of her jogbra that had been in the ice! Just too funny a visual.
19. Joke we realized leaving for S.F. on Tuesday: How do you know the Ironman athletes at the Airport? They’re the ones that slip off their shoes for Security, and then can’t bend over to reach and put them on the scanner…(See this link from Coach Simon for fun.)
20. To the Newfoundland band Great Big Sea. Though I had a whole inspirational “Music Playlist” on my ipod I had “memorized” for the day, Great Big Sea just horned in and stayed with me the whole way instead. (And thanks to Kelownagurl for introducing them to me in her podcast, months and months ago.) In case you’re curious, my songs were:
Run: Lukey, End Of The World (both by Great Big Sea) If you listen to any of these, do the last one – it’s beyond fun. They are all links to concert videos. I’m going to see the band in a month or so. Come along! (smile)
20. To my husband, H, for putting up with me for the past 10 months doing this, and unselfishly spending time out on the bike with me on all those long rides. You are the best husband EVER!
21. To you, for reading this far. You’re nuts! Go back to work! (smile). OK, if you’d like a couple of things to watch, here are some amateur videos. Here is the Swim Start – I’m at 45 seconds, Teammate Maria is in the turquoise swim top at 44. In this one, you can see me at 2:31. This one is a bit better – I’m at 4:07. And this one, taken by the wonderful Louis from L.A. Team, is me in the Finisher’s pen (you can hear my name at 1:34 and then I go right past Louis without seeing him – !!). And if you want something wonderful that says what I feel, watch this.
MY STATS:
2.4 Mile Swim: 1:39:53 (about 10 minutes longer than I had hoped)
Transition 1: about 12 minutes (about what I planned)
Bike Total: 8:30 (longer than anticipated, but not bad). Splits: (1) 15.41 mph (2) 13.70 mph (3) 12.81 mph (4) 12.34 mph.
Transition 2: 25 minutes. Ugh.
Run Total: 6:12:56 – not bad, considering! Splits: (1) 13.53/mile (2) 14.27/mile (3) 13.32/mile (4) 14.11/mile (5) 14.31/mile (6) 15.02/mile (running out of gas…) (6) 13.14/mile (charging for the finish!)
Some consider the marathon the ultimate endurance event.
We consider it a cool down. (Anonymous)
I just love that this was my “Japanese language word of the day” the day after the Ironman! It means ‘Collection, Recovery, and Withdrawal. Ha!” Click here for “Word A Day” link…
I’m also including here for your Viewing Pleasure a hilarious email I got from my friend Jodi, who was at her computer (with her kids) all day watching Ironman.com on the 29th!
There are endless examples of goal-setting strategies. So many, in fact, that they can confuse and overwhelm people.
