Life Lessons from Ironman

Last week I had friends competing in a 100 mile run, a 100 kilometer run, full and half marathons, and full Ironman triathlons. For some, these are bucket-list items. For others, these are routine events. For most, these are viewed as an insane form of torture. Regardless of your opinion, there’s a lot of life lessons that are equally applicable to sports, business, and life.  Let’s take a look at a few...

1. Put One Foot in Front of the Other

Sometimes in life there isn’t a quick fix - you just have to put in the time and effort. My latest Ironman required 2,496 swim strokes, 23,595 pedal strokes, and 47,850 steps to cover 140.6 miles.  There were no shortcuts. Maybe for you it’s a project at work, a promotion, recovery from addiction, improving a marriage, or dealing with a difficult child. Set the direction and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

2. Anything is Possible

When you were a kid, did you dream of mediocrity?  Or did you have far-reaching dreams of someday becoming wildly successful?  What happened to those dreams?  NBC Sports calls Ironman the toughest day in sports.  I found that exciting, challenging, and terrifying at the same time.  What are your dreams - education, career, athletic, personal, family?  If you don’t have any, start dreaming.  Dream big, and latch onto something that excites you, challenges, you, and terrifies you.  Then hang on for the most exciting ride of your life.

3. Life is a Team Sport

There’s no such thing as an individual sport.  My Ironman effort involved an extensive support system: coaches, training partners, nutritionists, physical therapists, friends, sponsors, and most importantly, family.  Not everyone was as fortunate. You may be phenomenal at what you do, but you’ll never succeed in sports, life, or business without phenomenal people around you. Surround yourself with great people, and be amazed at what happens.

4. Plan Your Work; Work Your Plan

"If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else” ~Yogi Berra. Would you ever go on vacation by just driving and not having a pre-planned destination?  For most people, no.  Ironman required a very specific training plan over the course of many months just to get me to the starting line. Whether you’re training for an athletic event or planning a career, a vacation, or a life, start by creating a plan.  Execute against that plan, tweaking it along the way as you encounter life’s curveballs.

5. Attitude is Everything

At mile 15 of the run, I watched the person in front of me collapse while another dropped on the side of the course and puked. The heat was wearing on all of us as dehydration became a real challenge. I wanted to quit. I also wanted to succeed. Sports are mental - so is business, and so is life.  Every goal will be met with issues and barriers.  Whether on the race course, in your job, or in your daily life, you need to adopt a winning mindset that enables you to rise up and rise above.  Your attitude determines your altitude - make yours a winner.

6. Dig Deeper

There were times I was doubting I could make it to the finish line.  Ironically, as soon as I heard cheering fans, airhorns, and cowbells, I had no problem picking up the pace.  It was a fresh, new energy source. Often in life, we think our tank is on empty.   Maybe it’s an endless project, a difficult boss, an illness, or an addiction that has taken us to our physical, emotional, and mental limits. Dig deeper, find a new energy source, and realize there’s always something more in the tank.

7. Make Your Own Fun

In my last Ironman, a group of fans said they voted me biggest smile on the course.  If you’ve read the blog to this point, you know it was hard and painful.  How could I be smiling?  It was easy - my top goal was to finish and my second goal was to enjoy it. Again, choose your attitude. Life’s filled with challenges.  Do you approach your job with a goal of having fun?  How about every other aspect of your life? Life’s short - make it fun.

Welcome to the new you.  Enjoy the journey... 

Check out Enjoy the Journey on Amazon.com at  https://goo.gl/G9BM8O

Learn more about Dave VanEpps or request a speaking engagement at http://www.davevanepps.com