Ironman’s motto is “Anything is possible”. Most of us who do Ironman know this to be true, but most of us have reached a place in our training and/or on race day, that it is difficult to believe that anything is possible. As we take off our race numbers after competing in the half and we start to prepare for the full, it is a good time to remind ourselves of the Ironman motto.

We were about 6 km into our first bike lap, still chirpy and full of energy, but struggling with that long, slow poison of an uphill. We were about 12 people riding closely together (NOT DRAFTING) and it must have looked like a smarty box as we represented all categories of fitness levels and body shapes.

This is the story of our December Competition winner, Ivan Baker's most memorable Ironman moment. This moment inspired Ivan. Maybe after reading, it will inspire you too...

OVERCOMING DESPAIR
Paddy Cloete (Psychologist and Ironman)
paddycloete@mweb.co.za
082 413 6649; (041) 581 1318

Paul Huddle, a well respected triathlon coach who also competed as a top level pro for 11 years, once said, that he came to the realization...

Imagine a hillside in which deep grooves, or gullies, have been cut by years of rain washing downhill. Now, whenever it rains, the water washes down the same grooves, each time cutting them deeper into the hillside. These grooves are now permanently etched into the hillside and carry down all the water that falls on the hillside.

The Rugby World Cup is in full swing and the Springboks are looking good, but this is a long tournament. The Wallabies might have lost to Ireland, but that does not mean that they are out of the tournament. The team that will raise the William Webb Ellis trophy above their heads will require, amongst other qualities, patience, persistence and perseverance (3 Ps).