5 Life Lessons From Completing an Ironman Triathlon

In January of 2023 I (Coach Austyn) signed up for an Ironman Triathlon, trained all year, and finished the 140.6 mile race in November. Before I signed up I had never done any triathlon, nor had I ran farther than 15 miles at one time. Throughout my training I learned and grew a lot! Here are five key takeaways that have stuck with me to this day:

1. You Can Go a Lot Farther If You Go a Little Slower

I've heard it said that "most people overestimate what they can do in a short amount of time but underestimate what they can do in a long amount of time."  

Pacing is everything in an Ironman. Start too fast, and you burn out early. To complete this race you have to control your heart rate, breathing, and manage your energy wisely. 10 BPM higher or lower on your heart rate for that long can be the difference between finishing feeling good or not finishing at all.  

Our day to day lives are no different. When I have a busy day ahead of me with a lot of tasks to do I notice a propensity to speed up in order to get the job done, only to realize that with my increase in pace comes an increase in anxiety and decreased ability to stay focused. This fast pace leaves me feeling completely wiped at the end of the day. On the contrary, if I slow down my pace of the day just a little bit and control my breathing, I can get more done throughout the day, stay focused on the task at hand, and finish the day feeling good. 

2. Make a Plan (and Stick to It)

"Fail to plan, plan to fail."

Ironman success depends on a solid training schedule, nutrition strategy, and race-day game plan. Every person I talked to who had completed an Ironman told me that if I get on a good training plan and stick to it, I will finish the race. In response I paid for a 6 month plan that detailed every training session and rest day all the way up to the race. 

The power of a detailed plan is that it breaks down this massive goal into daily bite size chunks. The race became a lot less overwhelming when I saw that 4 days of the week are only going to be 1-1.5hrs of training with 1-2 days of long hours. Because of the plan I was able to focus on the task for the day and spend no time worrying about the big goal until it was race day.

The same principle applies to daily life. Whether you're managing a business, a household, or your own wellness, having a plan keeps you on track, reduces stress, and makes big goals feel achievable.

3. Take It One Mile at a Time

When you're staring down at a 6hr bike ride, a 4hr run, and ultimately 140.6 miles on race day, the key is not to zoom out and think about the whole race, rather zoom in and focus on the next mile. 

Your mental approach and self-talk has huge power in both your performance and experience. 

Big goals and long days lose their power to overwhelm when you zoom in and celebrate every step. When it came to race day I worked hard not to think about the whole race. Instead I focused on the performing on the next step and then I celebrated each of those steps. For the swim it was getting to the next boey, The bike it was every 10mile marker, and on the run each mile. I would tell myself "good job", "His grace is sufficient for you" -2 Corinthians 2.9, and "only (this much) to go!"   

If you get overwhelmed by the big picture and your self talk starts to sound like; "I have soooo long to go", "woe is me", "this is going to take forever" , you will go downhill fast, burn more precious energy, ultimately perform worse than a zoomed in, focused and celebratory approach.

I remember one day at the gym after the race, Tanner and all other coaches were sick and I was going to have an "ironman" day of coaching (12+ hours with little to no break). I could have chosen to think about the long day all day but instead I zoomed in and took it one session at a time and I "performed" much better as a coach than I would have otherwise.

4. Timing of Food Intake Is Key

In endurance racing, when and what you eat is just as important as how much. Poor timing can not only wreck your performance but prevent you from finishing the competition altogether. Life is no different—when you fuel your body (and mind) properly throughout the day, your energy, mood, and productivity all improve. 

On a basic level the Ironman man made me take seriously how I fuel in three key places for every workout, not just the "big" and most challenging ones. These places are, right before I workout, during my workout, and immediately after working out. 

My general template for these is: fruit before, electrolytes during, protein after.

On a Deeper level this principle made me take a deeper look at 3 key times during my day when I am "fueling" my mind and what difference that is making on my "performance" during the day. These three times are; right when you wake up, right before you go to bed, and right before you train.

My general template: start the day by thanking God for 3-5 things. Remind myself of what inspires me to get better or what my “why” is for working out right before I start the workout, and finishing the day by reflecting on what I did well and what I could have done better.

5. Ask for Help

No one completes an Ironman alone. Athletes rely on coaches, training partners, family, and race-day volunteers. Asking for help isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. Whether you're juggling parenting, work deadlines, or mental health, reaching out and building a support system is key to going further, faster, and with less burnout.

When I trained for the Ironman I asked the runners if I could run with them, the bikers if I could bike with them, and the swimmers if I could swim with them. In addition to this I reached out to a few friends that I knew who had accomplished the goal I was setting out to do and I asked them for all of their advice. I asked all the questions like, what do you recommend? If you were to do it again what would you do differently? Etc.

This has HUGE impact for reaching our goals in the gym and outside the gym. If you are wanting to lose 50lbs then go talk to someone who has accomplished that task and ask for their wisdom. If you struggle with getting to the gym consistently then tell 3 other people to hold you accountable or come with you. 

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” -John Wooden 

-Coach Austyn