Ironman - mind over matter?

I did IM Copenhagen last week. It was my third IM race (IM Austria in 09 12:45, Outlaw UK in '10 12:33). Then I took two years off to do my MBA part time. Basically, because I'm working, I had to do the MBA in my training time. I entered IM Copenhagen thinking my MBA would finish in April and I'd have a nice block of training. As it happened, it finished on August 1st with the race on August 18th.

This meant my training was severely limited and I considered pulling out but I'd invested too much money into it so didn't. I managed to get round a HIM in 5:53 in May and that felt ok.

I got round in 12:14, so a 20 minute PB over the distance on a harder course. When I got back, I analysed my training and found that in the 10 weeks prior to IM I averaged 6.5 hours a week and in the 10 weeks before that I did 10 hours (massively subsidised by a 3 day, 335 cycling event) and 8 hours a week in the 10 weeks before.

I realise I'm still going slow and I really hope to ramp things up and get under 11 hours in Germany next year but this is a post to those who worry about missing the odd workout leading up to their IM. It really doesn't matter. There's nothing athletic about me - I'm 210lbs, 39 years old and with no particular sporting background since i started tri's in 2008 - I did a bit of high school swimming.

I'm not suggesting that the training I did is sufficient but I would have pulled out of the race if I'd have known what I'd done before hand. As it turned out, the swim was comfortable (1:09), the bike was a joy (5:48) and the first 20 miles of the marathon were fine - I slowed to a jog/walk for the last 6 miles but it was still good fun.

Makes me wonder just how much of an IM is mind over matter. Of course 'completing' v 'competing' are two very different things and I've just been out to complete before now.