The mental game of Ironman Training and IM itself

Disclaimer: I have not done an IM yet. 

IMO this is an excellent book. It shows you how to set effective goals and identify psychological factors that can limit your performance on race day.  

The Triathlete's Guide to Mental Training by Jim Taylor Ph.D & Terri Schneider

The Triathlete’s Guide to Mental Training will help multisport athletes identify and overcome the psychological barriers that the mind places on athletic ability with practical information and skills that will ultimately lead to better performance.

Best tip I can give your for training is: keep it fun.  If you are out on a bike ride and start to think about how tired your are, change your thinking!  Think about how wonderful it is that  you are healthy enough to go out on a Saturday morning and bike for 4 hrs!  Listen to the birds, look at the fields and the trees...just enjoy being outside.  If you get bored, do figure 8s around the reflectors like you did when you were a kid riding you bike.  And don't be afraid to stop and read historical markers or pop into a store and buy a Coke and a Snickers and sit down and enjoy them.

~Mike

I had a much harder time with the training for IM vs. competing and completing IMAZ.  I love the swimming, so that wasn't ever an issue for me.  I really got burned out on the long run training and knew I might be insane when I ran 18 miles on a track... in the dark early am.  I used key songs on my Ipod to keep my motivation and spirits up

On race day, my mantra was:  RFM  Relentless Forward Motion.  I wrote it on my arm and kept looking at it when I needed to dig deeper.  It worked. 

I would also suggest a book that has great IM stories.  Becomming an Ironman  by Kara Douglass Thom is a  light read with some great stories  about their race day.  It covers the good, the bad and the ugly. 

Best of luck with your training and your race.  You will succeed...  RFM.

It was great meeting you at IM FL last year. I was honestly very surprised that you did not finish last year as I thought that your attitude was great and that you had the mental part all wrapped up. I'm trying to remember what happened last year - you had stomach issues didn't you? Perhaps you really did have the mental part figured out last year, and it was your body and race day routine that let you down (nutrition, hydration, drinking too much of the Gulf?). Maybe you are just over-thinking things now because last year did not work out?

It's easier said than done, but just relax and enjoy the day.

Try to keep your workouts consistent.  They dont have to be long, or grueling ... just consistent.  Whatever you can do to keep it fun, find a routine that works well for you.  If you have to (or want to) miss a workout, then miss it and DONT worry about making it up later.  Ironman is so much more about mental fitness than physical fitness on race day.  There are very few of us that will really race an Ironman from start to finish, so being fit enough to finish an IM vs fit enough to race an IM are two very different things.  Focus on what you can do right now today, try not to get wrapped up in the past or future ... it will inevitably happen, so you have to TRY to subdue the voices a bit.  Its very normal to have doubts and fears and concerns about a challenge like this.  But you obviously have a level of determination and dedication a handful of people in the world have, or else you wouldnt be trying an Ironman in the first place.  Give yourself a pat on the back for that and get back on the bike!!

Still an IM virgin but training for IM Lou atm. Just finished my first HIM and I really focused on running my own race and keeping it fun.  I've found that by encouraging others on the course it keeps my in a positive mindset.  Definatly stay positive! Smile!!

Stop it!  (Stop focusing on the negatives and doubts)

What do you need to do to finish IMFL this year?  Train and practice.  I just completed IMCdA as my first IM.  Here's what I noticed:   I drew energy from the other participants, volunteers, and spectators all throughout the race, even when I really (REALLY) hurt.  Training is a much more solitary endeavor, and it's easy to let your overactive imagination (we all have one) take over and start down the doubt path.  You know you need to sort out nutrition (which was the root-cause of your DNF) and you are already taking steps to address that, so you're overcoming your biggest obstacle.  Start practicing the mental gymnastics on your short runs and rides.  Take advantage of EVERY success, including overcoming that 10-second blip of self-doubt as you turn the corner that decides "short route--going home" or "long route--IM finisher." 

During the race, I adopted the attitude that I "owed" the volunteers and spectators my best efforts.  We were all out there for too many hours on a cold, windy, and eventually rainy day.  At least I was generating some body heat to make it not nearly so uncomfortable.  They were out there for me (and having people call you by name, even if they don't "know" you) helps make the connection.