Greg McDonough completed the Ironman Switzerland race in 15:12:22
On July 19—my birthday—I had the honor of participating in Ironman Switzerland. This was a day that I had been preparing for almost a year. A day in which my family would be at the finish line and my friends would be watching via the Internet. I felt a lot of accountability to those who had supported me; and as I toed the line at 6:50 a.m., I felt really good about the 140.6-mile day ahead of me.
I enjoy these races for several reasons, but among the most important is to continuously push myself and teach myself how to overcome challenges. Life, like Ironman racing and business growth, is filled with unexpected challenges. Over the 15-hour-and-12-minute day, I was faced with many challenges, including the reality that I might not finish the race I started—and that I could seriously injure myself. The temperatures and humidity were much higher than normal, there seemed to be headwinds in both directions, and my nutrition plan failed. Physically and mentally, it was the hardest day of my life.
But even with these tough conditions, I enjoyed the race. And, in reflection, it’s helpful to take aspects of the day of racing and apply it to my life. Here are a few tidbits from my crazy day of racing around Lake Zurich.
Prepare for Delayed Gratification
Training for an Ironman requires making difficult decisions—water instead of beer, missing family activities in order to fit in 8-hour training sessions, and going to bed at 8 p.m. on a Friday when your favorite movie just started. You constantly have to choose between the instant gratification of today and your goals for tomorrow. When delaying gratification is tough, remember that you’re working toward something much more meaningful.
Prepare for Bad Days and Embrace the “Suck”
Bad days happen on a regular basis both in business and in Ironman. No matter how much we prepare for these bad days, they always tend to sneak up on us at the most inopportune times. To get through them, you have to be persistent. And when the bad day comes, try to rest and reflect on the experience, and then get back at it the next day. How you overcome the hurdles is the true test for success. Perseverance matters.
Avoid Catastrophe
Avoiding catastrophe is paramount when training and competing in Ironman. Recognizing when it might happen is the hard part. Your body and mind are telling you to stop, while your will power is telling you to go just a little bit farther. It is in times like these that you should be careful: the extra push to save a few minutes of time might just put you in the medical tent and end your day. It happened to me in Zurich: At the 80-mile mark of the bike course, I was light headed and dizzy, yet still determined to have a strong overall finish. I decided to stop to get off my bike, let my heartrate settle, and regroup. The stop cost me about 15 minutes, but it certainly saved my race and allowed me to finish healthy. I saw other athletes who made the decision to push, and unfortunately their days did not have the finish I did.
After the finish, I spent the final hour and a half of my birthday at the finish line with my family, enjoying the moment and reflecting on what my planning and training, my perseverance, and my smart “in-the-moment” decisions helped me accomplish. As I said, it was the hardest day of my life. The lessons learned will last forever and will hopefully better prepare me for my next Ironman race, whenever that might be. In the business realm, it reinforces so much about how to lead an organization through the ebbs and flows, and still be successful. I’m ready for the next challenge.
To see my family and I in action, click here and scroll to the 8:00, 22:30, and 24:30 minute marks.
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