"Never a Bad Day" Bob Babbitt, Triathlete Magazine

2009 Jingle Bell Run, Portland

Ran across this article in Triathlete Magazine (June 2012) written by Bob Babbitt about how to turn around a negative thought into something positive.  While doing an Ironman or Marathon or just about anything that is really difficult, the negative self-talk can sometimes get the best of you.  The strategy is to turn that around and have only positive self-talk.  Sometimes better said than done, but here are a few strategies:

Negative Thought (NT): The swim is long and the lake is really choppy.
Never a bad day bubble (NABDB): Good.  How often do you get to swim in a blender? That'll definately be something fun to chat about in the finish line beer garden.

NT:  I'm not even to the turnaround of the swim yet!
NABDB: I'm almost halfway to the turnaround buoy, and when I get there I'm halfway back to the beach.  Sweet!

NT:  Man, it is windy out here today.
NABDB Wind is my friend.  Tough days suit tough people.

NT:  Where the hell is that next aid station?
NABDB: It's not racing; it's a catered work-out.  People volunteer their time to hand us food and drink? How cool is that?

NT:  The fast people keep passing me on the bike.
NABDB: There is no "R" scrawled in black marker on their calf, but I know everyone who passes me must be on a relay team.

NT:  My legs feel really heavy and I'm running like a 90-year old.
NABDB: I finally passed that 90-year-old.  I bet she was an Olympian back in the day.

NT: It's lonely out ehre.  I haven't seen anyone in forever.
NABDB: How often do I get to spend time with just me and not have to deal with e-mails, text messages or calls?

NT:  It's Hot!
NABDB: I wonder who came up with the idea of the cold sponge on the race course? It just might be the world's greatest invention.

NT:  Crap, I'm 12th in my age group and there were only 14 of us.
NABDB: Everyone in the race gets a medal--I love that! If it weren't for slow guys like me getting our butts kicked, how would fast people know they were fast? The world needs us!