I've Been Ready For This My Whole Life

I read an article yesterday from a pro triathlete whom I admire, Jesse Thomas. He's super freaky fast (a former Stanford steeplechase racer) and he's an entrepreneur. Not easy to juggle both, along with being a new father.  The gist of the story was about how he uses mantras to help him perform better. I'm no stranger to mantras.  I used one to get through the marathon at Ironman Coeur d'Alene, in fact.  But what would my mantra be for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas next weekend?  I've been thinking about this while training the past few days, now that my attention is solely focused on this monumental triathlon.  The theme I can't get out of my head is the usual one -- overcoming the odds to hang alongside the elite.  And there's no better movie for me to visually express my feelings than Rudy.  Specifically, this scene:

Man, I still get goosebumps every time I see that.  I know the look in Sean Aston's eyes.  I know that emotion.  I know that hunger. I literally know what it feels like to be shorter than everyone else in a locker room.  That character is me, and that moment when I get ready to race next week, well that will be my moment to run out onto the Notre Dame field. There may only be hundreds on hand watching this contest, but in my mind I'll see a stadium full of people who are just as surprised as I am that I'm marching out onto that proverbial 50-yard line.

So, my mantra is going to be simple. No matter how hot it gets.  No matter how much it hurts.  No matter what happens.

"I've been ready for this my whole life."