Mental warfare

They’ll talk about the day they clocked up seven hours on the bike and then followed it up with a 20km run. They’ll talk about sore muscles, tiredness and their dodgy IT band. But people training for IronMan don’t talk much about mental burnout. Those days when getting out of bed for a 6km run is simply just … too … hard.

As I approach race day, those just-too-hard-days are becoming more frequent. Physically, I doubt my training is suffering as I’m starting to taper anyway. But mentally I’m in a war zone, which is rapidly wearing away the energy stores I have left.

Listen to your body, says the angel at my table. You’re no IronMan, says her devil twin at the other.

You’re tired, you need to rest.

Pull yourself together and get out the door.

And so they argue, back and forth, until finally I give up. I eat two bowls of ice cream (two and a half), and settle in for a night of despondency on the couch. Later, I set my alarm for 5.30am and promise I’ll work hard and eat healthy tomorrow.

Do I feel at peace with my decision?

Not even close.

An article on the IronMan website “6 areas to flex your mental muscle” describes mental burn out as feeling unmotivated, irritable, angry, sad and bored (yes, yes, yes). Another tell tale sign is fantasising about quitting your sport (again, yes). And then the rather unhelpful advice: “The most effective approach is to prevent this from happening.”

Excellent, thanks IronMan.

I take note of some of the suggested strategies to combat mental burnout, largely, taking time off, reconnecting with goals and writing a list of why I love the sport. I’m also going to listen to my endurance sport friends who suggest sleep, prioritising rest over other duties or obligations and positive affirmations.

My plan starts now. I hereby promise to have an early night. I will leave work an hour early tomorrow so I can get to the pool before the lane becomes crowded with the faster, more aggressive after-work set. Instead of dwelling on how long the swim will take (all 130 lengths), I’m going to cruise through it in no great hurry. I’m going to enjoy the sensation of gliding through the water and use the time to remember why I fell in love with triathlon in the first place.

I also vow not to have ice cream for dinner. I’m going to drink more water and take my iron supplements. I’ve booked a sports massage and I have scheduled in a yoga session for the weekend. OK, yes I know the sloth-like pace of yoga makes me antsy, but I’m planning to use this time to mull over all the reasons why I want to finish an IronMan in two weeks’ time.

There are a lot of reasons, I’m sure. And I’ve already got the first one:

It’ll make me a stronger on the inside.