Mental toughness a must to survive grueling Ironman

MANILA, Philippines — Ironman legends Dave Scott and Craig Alexander yesterday dug from their wealth of experience and touched on the need for mental toughness to survive the grueling swim-bike-run race during a meet-and-greet at the Shangri-La at The Fort yesterday.

Scott, holder of six Ironman World Championships titles in Kona, Hawaii, and three-time world champion Alexander shared their journey in the sport, from their humble beginnings to their triumphs, which were not without challenges.

Alexander shared how a comment that he was “too skinny to race in Kona” shook his confidence and caused him to lose the race.

“It rocked my confidence a little bit. I was cautious all day long and I lost the race for two minutes. It’s not only a physical experience. You also have to be prepared mentally, know how to manage and pace yourself all day,” said Alexander.

“I was told I was too skinny, there were athletes better than me, why should I be the guy who waltzes in and win the first time? You may have all the physical fitness in the world but you need to match the physical with mental toughness, know when to be smart and go deep,” added Alexander.

Scott also shared the power of positive thinking in a race as demanding as the Ironman, and also added a tip on how to make the race manageable – don’t look too far ahead.

“I tell myself I’m going to have a good day. There will be phases on that day that I will be flat. There is never a perfect race. Even in my six wins, I have stumbled. What I do is I look into the next 200m ahead, get back, get my rhythm and keep looking ahead,” said Scott.

“That has always been my mantra – do what you can do at the moment. The Ironman is long, break it to pieces then it goes by really fast. Mentally, it becomes an opportunity to improve your current status and position instead of a gray area where you wonder how you can survive,” added Scott.

Some of the 1,278 participants vying in the first Century Tuna full Ironman in Subic on Sunday attended the event and also had a Q&A session with the legends.