Many of us will be making New Year’s resolutions. While making resolutions is the easy part, keeping your resolutions is hard.
At the beginning of this year, I set a goal that after I became past president of The Jacksonville Bar Association, I was going to dedicate some of the extra time and energy to race Ironman Chattanooga with the best fitness and preparation that I could achieve considering my ongoing busy schedule.
As planned, on Sept. 25, my husband Jeff and I completed Ironman Chattanooga, a 144.6-mile race, comprising swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 116 miles and running 26.2 miles on a very hot day.
According to meteorologists, Chattanooga experienced a high temperature of 97 degrees, the warmest Sept. 25 since 1931.
More than 2,200 athletes participated. The race had a 25 percent “did not finish” rate, one of the highest on the Ironman circuit.
Despite the conditions, Jeff and I qualified for the KONA Ironman World Championship in 2017.
We trained early and late, indoors and outdoors, in Jacksonville and in Chattanooga.
The preparation required discipline, determination, guidance, planning, support and long hours of training all year to achieve the mental and physical endurance required.
I completed the race in 11 hours and 50 minutes including 1:09 swim, 6:09 cycling and 4:17 running.
Many have asked me how I do it. I’ll share some tips that I hope help you achieve your goals in 2017 and successfully manage the increased demands of the holiday season.
Find your passion and follow it
You must identify and pursue the goals that truly inspire and excite you. What are you passionate about? Look at which activities bring you energy and satisfaction.
Carve out time to pursue your passion and you will be rewarded with more energy to do other things.
During the Ironman and the training, there were many times when the thought of quitting crossed my mind, but I quickly shut it down and kept moving forward because my ultimate passion was to do well.
Say ‘no’ more often
Our time is finite and our energy limited.
For most of us, saying no and disconnecting are very difficult. We want to say yes because we want to be team players, to be included, to please others.
But disconnecting and saying no are critical to get things done.
I had to say no to myself and to many things during my peak training time.
To help me determine when to say no, I sometimes gave myself a 24-hour window before making a decision.
I also put my iPhone on airplane mode for portions of the day, created white space on my calendar and set boundaries and stood by them.
Respond quickly and positively to challenges
During the bike portion of the race at mile 103, a cyclist dropped a water bottle and the two cyclists in front of me crashed.
I had a few seconds to react, unclip from my pedals and find a space of open road to avoid crashing into them.
This was just one of the many unexpected challenges of the day. Responding to these challenges in a positive way made it possible for me to finish the race.
How we respond to any situation says a lot about our attitude and perception.
Are we positive, optimistic and self-confident or pessimistic, stressed and fearful?
There is only a small degree of difference between those mind-sets.
Training yourself to respond to challenges quickly and positively will allow you to move in the right direction because you will be operating from a resourceful and successful state of mind.
Studies have shown that productivity and happiness go together. The happier you are, the more productive and successful you become.
Learn from your setbacks
During a training camp in Chattanooga five weeks before the race, I tested my nutrition and preparation and learned that my Ironman self-planned nutrition and bike setup were not suited for the hot weather and the challenging terrain of the race.
I’m so grateful for that experience because as a result I fine-tuned my plans, which put me back on a successful track.
Take time to rest your mind
Resting my body was an essential part of my training and I set aside time for it.
However, with the increased intensity of training and ongoing commitments, it was very difficult for me to get a good night’s sleep.
I looked at my options and added time to rest my mind. I gave myself 10 minutes of quiet time every night before going to bed and re-introduced yoga once a week into my schedule.
As a result, my work capacity increased and on race day, my rested mind was more resilient to all the challenges of the day. It allowed me to keep smiling all the way to the finish line.
All bright minds make time for relaxation. Leonardo da Vinci said, “Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.”
As we move into a beautiful fall and winter season in Jacksonville, the Health and Wellness Committee invites you to take time to rest your mind, achieve sustained health and happiness and prepare for an amazing 2017.
Join us for the return of Yoga on the Courthouse Lawn, the first Fridays of November and December. We look forward to seeing you there.