Sarah's Tips for the First Time Ironman

Now that she’s an Ironman, we asked Sarah to reflect on her experiences and share what she learnt from the day. Here are her top 5 tips for anyone out there embarking on their own first Ironman journey.

1. STICK TO THE PLAN!! The days leading up to the race and particularly on race day, you’ll be a ball of nerves and not thinking clearly at all. No matter what advice you receive from the well-meaning seasoned athletes who have done a billion Ironman races already… Never, ever, steer away from the plan. DO WHAT YOUR DIETITIAN TELLS YOU. The golden rule of racing – never try anything new on race day!
   
   
2. ENJOY YOURSELF. Make sure you enjoy every second of the race because the day goes by way too fast. On the day you are so busy caught up in staying focused that the hours just fly by you. No matter how exhausted you are, take in that finish line chute because they really make you feel like a rockstar.
   
   
3. DON’T EVER DOUBT YOURSELF! When you taper, your head will start to try and convince you that you aren’t ready to take on this event. You will start to worry about things that have never even crossed your mind. Trust your program, trust your training and always back yourself.
   
   
4. THANK THE VOLUNTEERS. Those people are just incredible and the lengths they go to to help you out are just amazing. When it’s getting late into the night and a lot of spectators have gone home with their athletes, the volunteers will still be out there screaming cheers for you, giving you water and food and going above and beyond to help get you to the finish line.
   
   
5. BE POSITIVE. When it starts to get tough on course, reflect back to all the achievements you have made to get to the start line. Think of the sacrifices, the hours spent on the bike, the laps in the pool and the pavement you pounded every day… You are better than your head is telling you, stay on track and go get it!
   
   

   Sarah Leuenberger