Dartmoor Demon

I recently mentioned the importance of goals when searching for motivation. I have entered my second triathlon, a middle distance event consisting of 1.9 kilometre swim, 56mile cycle and a half marathon to finish. I filled in the entry form months ago, popped it in my diary and rather stupidly put it to the back of my mind. That was until I received an email from the organisers asking how my preparation was going with just ten weeks to go – a timely reminder that I actually need to start some serious training.

I had the pleasure of spending a few consecutive days at home in Devon and realised there was a cycling event passing my back door - it would have been rude not to be involved. There is a fine line between a fun Saturday out and a tough training session; a distinction which became rather blurred as I stared up at the start of the fifth large hill of the course.

Sometimes ignorance can be bliss but living on Dartmoor I did not have that luxury at the weekend. I know every hill like the back of my hand and normally plan routes to avoid the steepest ascents. The ‘Dartmoor Demon Epic Route’ certainly lived up to it’s name, all ninety-five miles of it. I had to constantly remind myself it was a perfect training ride as the realisation of the exact route dawned on me. The temptation to unclip and push my bike up the final couple of hills reached a peak when it became clear I could have crawled faster. I cannot describe the feeling of dread when you are already slogging it out in bottom gear and a 25% incline sign looms ahead. On a more positive note, I am still buzzing with the sense of satisfaction from conquering hills I genuinely believed were impossible to cycle. I am at least one step closer to my goal.

The drive

What drives you? That is a question I am often asked and frequently ask myself. It is always presumed that successful sportspeople are highly motivated, that they leap out of bed in the morning ready to battle any challenges ahead. I always needed a reason, a purpose, if the goal was there I would continue to work towards it without so much as a second thought. Take away that goal and I would have failed to succeed.

If you watched the coverage of the London Marathon you will have heard the stories, seen the passion and felt the sense of achievement for those tens of thousands of ambitious runners. Thanks to social media I expect all of us will know someone who completed the iconic race. You might think your friends are crazy to voluntarily put their bodies through such a gruelling training schedule just for a few hours of pounding the streets of London. If you have not already can I suggest you ask them why? I can guarantee there will be a clear driving force behind their decision. For some it is a charity close to the heart, others it could be a fitness challenge, for the professional athletes it could be the title, the record, or Olympic qualification. Pure determination and drive was perfectly demonstrated in the elite women’s race when Kenyan Jemima Sumgong took a serious fall in the final few miles of the race. She picked herself up and pushed on to win the this years title. 

Ignore the sore legs this week, any London Marathon finisher will be on cloud nine as they look back at their accomplishment. You can not beat that feeling of elation as you reach a goal. Relish it, reflect and be brave - set yourself a new one today.