Unwavering Confidence

Have you ever seen a pack of Lions hunting? Or have you ever seen a Great White swim in the ocean? They never and will never, doubt themselves. They walk or swim with poise and move effortlessly- a kill is never in doubt. They rule the territory they posses, their confidence is electric whatever they have been given they use to the maximum. Every muscle fibre working together to create this magnificent creature... Unwaveringly confidence!

What has this got to do with Ironman training? well, everything!

You have got to be confident in your ability, you have got to train and compete with that unwavering confidence in yourself. Ironman for me is not about winning the thing, though I'd love to, no, it's about stretching myself beyond what I thought possible becoming confident within, to always do whatever I put my mind to.
Have a look at the story of David and Goliath, David was quietly confident never wavering and always knowing he would defeat the giant, slay the mother down! He was in a battle, but that battle allowed him and his people to win the war.

You know every day we all face small battles. Every day we try to become more confident. I'll be the first to admit some battles are pointless, but the ones that do matter inwardly give you that sense of achievement and allows for confidence to grow, it's like chucking manure on the fields to nourish the crop. Each bit of nutrient that hits the earth allows it to grow adding more, giving more to it's fruit.


I have lately started to face small battles training wise; get to the pool, swim the distance, go run, do the job, go do hills- break them! This phase of training sucks, it's hours at a time and gets boring, but without it the Ironman is lost! I need these smaller battles to nourish my confidence to go break that beast come July end.

I was walking passed the Ironman start point last year the night before the race and as I was watching myself run over the finish line with the big timex banner over my head. I felt that unwaveringly confidence about me. I knew all about bursting gasping lungs, muscles aching, more pain, pushing deeper, my old nemesis pain, the one I always welcome knowing for well, soon I will be tasting the beauty of the day. I will break his back! As my confidence grows so he diminishes.
You win the war by each small battle. Only by winning the small battles will you conquer and become quietly confident.

When I played ball, the coach used to say: win your line outs, win the scums, win the collisions and push back on tackles. Rugby broken into facets and each battle needs to be won in order to win the game! Once we won the line outs, broke them in the scrum, and dominated the collision there was no chance we would lose. Little battles allowing us to win the war, every battle won creates that unwavering confidence...

Back to my Boys, school again, and can I tell you every time we left that farm 300 boys strong in a bus out on an adventure to play rugby against a 1000 boy strong school, we had that unwavering confidence because we believed in our abilities. No doubt we could beat anybody any day. This is life: you determine your confidence if you don't try a battle you will never know if you could succeed, and with every victory comes confidence!

Fortunately my best selling training manual says my God has overcome all battles for me so that I may live and have life in abundance. In abundance, I certainly hope at the end of this dance i have done this journey, body and soul justice! Praise God! Confidence suddenly is not the issue any longer.

Keep going, the victory in the small battles will secure your confidence!

Have a great week all! Much love:)

God Bless
AD