Dear Friends,

My first Ironman triathlon was the Madison race in September 2005. It was a miserably hot day – 98 degrees, 90% + humidity, and sustained winds of over 20 MPH. To this day, it has the highest DNF rate of any Ironman competition at almost 30%. In fact, it was my slowest Ironman race, but oddly my best finish as far as placement strictly because so many people dropped out.

I distinctly remember running by the Capitol in the dark. It was still 90 degrees outside and I felt like someone had shoved a sweaty sock in my mouth. I thought to myself: “I don’t need to do this ever again.” But, as women say about birth, you soon forget the pain.

When I decided to do another Ironman, my goal was to finish in the daylight. So, did I get a newer, faster bike? No. Did I train harder or smarter? No. Did I change my nutrition? NO.     

Easy — I chose a race in June! Longest days of the year.😊 

We all tend to set goals that are so easily obtainable, it defeats the purpose. Did I *truly* feel like I accomplished my goal when I finished my June Ironman in the daylight? No. Well, my time got a bit better, but that was weather related haha. Truth is, goals that don’t make you squirm a little in your seat will not really advance your health, or your person.  

Bob Proctor said that when you set a goal, you should feel a bit excited AND a bit uneasy. If you don’t, it is still okay to do that thing, just don’t call it a goal. The goal I set of finishing my Ironman in the daylight was accomplished by simply changing the date on the calendar. I didn’t experience any personal growth from that. A good goal will produce growth and confidence at the finish line.

Look at weight loss. I don’t love it when people say “I want to lose X amount of weight.” Why? Because it is usually an arbitrary number (or your high school weight).😉 Goals give you the opportunity to determine your path. A good goal, Mr. Proctor would say, is one that you don’t know exactly how you are going to obtain. If you wait to have every step laid out before you, you will never start — let alone succeed. With a growth goal, you gotta take the leap of faith and trust that you will get the tools that you need, when you need them, along the way.

My first Ironman coach said to always have a race plan B and C, because A is not going to happen. You have to be flexible. Literally and figuratively. 

I will tell you that YOGA is a great way to accomplish this. Prior to Madison 2005, I started doing some yoga poses I found called The 5 Tibetan Rites. These exercises, dating back to Tibetan monks over 2,500 years ago, have stood the test of time for good reason! I have done my variation of these everyday since 2005, minus literally a handful of days. They actually did help reduce my Ironman times over the years, but more importantly, they reduced my injuries. 

Check out the tutorial videos of The 5 Rites on our new Youtube channel.
It takes 3-5 minutes a day, so don’t give me the “I can’t find the time” B.S. If I can, you can!

So why not set a goal of becoming more flexible?  YOGA-na love the results!

Gotu Kola Complex: Promotes colleges formation, which is key for skeletal flexibility

Cyruta Plus: A buckwheat based supplement supplying the whole vitamin C complex, which is a precursor to collagen 

God Bless,

Dr. Dan