Life wasn’t meant to be easy right? Right, so I would like to shine the light on some stories as you all head toward the race of all races, the Legendary Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon World Championship.

Ok it’s a week or so after the Tour De Lance. Armstrong has not only shown us what you can do post cancer on the bike but he has shown us how to handle the pressure of the French press day in and day out. You see, Lance loves to ride his bike, is there anything wrong with that? Nope! The problem here is that because he is so good at it, the press is looking to take him down in what has to be one of the most critical sports of all, cycling. It’s a bummer really to have been tainted as a drug using sport but not all people are on drugs. Yes, as we have witnessed the drug cheats are busted and tossed out, and rightfully so, but that doesn’t mean that a super human like Lance is on the juice.

I have had the great fortune of racing against him and meeting him outside the sport and to understand what type of person he is just incredible. Talk about a guy who leaves no stone unturned! As a professional athlete you would expect that, but not all athletes have the support like he does either.

This article is about the hardship, facing adversity and looking fear in the eyes, and responding.

The Ironman over the years has had its fair share of tear jerking NBC shows and I want to run through a couple of stories that should get you fired up, if not give up! Ironman triathlon is definitely not for the fainthearted. Getting to the start line is one of the biggest challenges.

As we all prepare we go through the mental highs and lows, case in point: Motivation—training on a rainy day. Do I go or do I stay? Well, if it rains in the race, do you go on or do you pull out? Ah, gotcha, you stay in the race and welcome the rain as its boiling bloody hot out here and it refreshes me. It’s only a figure of your imagination. If you procrastinate for this reason then think about why you are doing this. It’s the Ironman; do you know what it feels like to run down Alii drive anywhere after 3pm and before midnight? I do, and it’s the best feeling you could ever imagine. You know what?

Let me tell you how I really feel!

I have a heart condition. In the race in 99’, I led in the swim until I felt some crazy sensation rush through my body, it deadened any sensation I had, I was almost frozen unable to move any limb while I struggled to gasp some oxygen from the atmosphere. I was treading water but I felt that I was going to lose that battle too. After getting my breath back I was able to go again. This happened 2 more times in the swim. I will this short, I promise. On the bike I suffered 12 more of these episodes where I came to a complete stop, put my head on my handlebars and again struggled to breathe. After a minute or so, I was good to go. On the run it was the same, stopping three times and at one point I saw Chris Legh’s (Ironman Coeur De Alene 04 Winner) wife Sarah, I stopped to talk to her and told her what was going on. I said, “I think I am having an asthma attack. I was diagnosed with Asthma in 97’ but never experienced the attack. Thought nothing of it and ran from some dreadful position into 11^th with a 2.46marathon. Not bad for nearly dying 15 times.

My point is, if your feeling awful or struggling for motivation, then think of Lance, think of me or think of Dick and Ricky Hoyt. Don’t think for one moment that it hurts me to write this article because it does. I wanted one day to run across the line with my children, but I cant, I wanted to go exercise with my children, I cant, I want to do many things with everyone, like a drink a beer, I can’t. I get to be around all the races and that’s what floats my boat. I love it, the energy and passion that we all have in our goals.

You know, it doesn’t stop me from doing what I can do, and do it well, but to struggle with goals and motivation is fear!

Let me tell you some more stories. Dick and Ricky Hoyt. These two amazing individuals really are one.

It was Ricky who suggested that he wanted to do a fun run and marathon. It was Ricky who wanted to tackle the Ironman, pulled by his father in a rubber boat, pushed along the Queen Kaamanu Highway and again pushed through the streets of Kona to the finish line. Do you think there was dry eye to be that night lit up by the full moon? NOPE. It’s these stories, and the hardship of trying meeting one’s goal that separates the super humans to the mere mortals. We are in this together.

Whether you fear the race, or the course or yourself, then draw from these inspirations and know that by signing up, is ultimately your biggest challenge.

One more story though. I know a guy who I can honestly say has been through the ringer , OK the full cycle of the washing machine ( which reminds me, my daughter’s sheets and linen are ready for the dryer, yep, I’m Mr. mom today). My friend has Lyams disease. A disease picked up from Tic’s that attacks the nervous system.  This guy was almost a goner, dead! He had no Idea whilst training for the Ironman last year. It stopped him cold in his quest for an Ironman finisher’s medal and to be called across the line by Mike Reilly as “you are an Ironman”. He wants this more than anything. He is coming back this year and he wants it, as a matter of fact, he wants it bad.

I would like to say it’s easy but its not. Let’s not beat around the bush here; it takes hours of training, hours of meditation and the belief in one’s self. Let me say this, if you do not believe in yourself then things will be tough in your life. I constantly have V-Tach, almost every day, do you think I like that? No.

I learn to live with it, I learn to go on. The thing that strikes me as the biggest obstacle is patience. We all know that things just do not happen over night, they happen over time.

If you are sitting at home reading this thinking that I am babbling on, then OK, I maybe, but if your reading this struggling a little then this is for you.

Trust yourself, do what is required from you to get to the start line. Your not going to win the race, your probably not even going to beat the time that you set for yourself, the goal here is to finish, to make a friend or ten out there, to share some of your stories of your worst training days, to make it, make it to the line, the finish line, Alii Drive Kona, Hawaii.

This is the world’s biggest stage in triathlon, nut it belongs to you, it’s your day.

Enjoy and I’ll see you there, and perhaps shake your hand after you finish.

Greg